Chapter Title Extra: Kuja East Road Days - Black Star Printer
On the high walls of Kuja Island, in front of three identical Robins, were three identical drawing boards. Robin's brush moved like a dragon snake, and on the paper, a vivid Mari Gold was striking a powerful pose.
Next to it, Sandersonia, half-human and half-snake, was poised as if about to fly, her emerald scales glowing like jade in the sunlight. Robin meticulously outlined the blurred contours and colors. On the third board, Hancock stood proudly, gently holding a blooming Robin flower.
However, Robin stood before the blank canvas with her arms crossed, seemingly uncertain about how to start.
Above the spectators' heads, a floating helmet and a pair of armguards hovered in the air. On the canvas in front of them, the scene of the six women was captured perfectly, like a photograph. Liam, sitting by the city wall, looked at his artistic creation of the soul sisters in bewilderment.
Beside him, the Boa sisters' three pet snakes chewed on crumpled paper balls. At the foot of the wall, a headless and armless black battle armor was silently training.
------------------------------------------
Liam stood at just over 2.3 meters.
Koala, eight years old and slender, stood no taller than 1.3 meters.
With Liam's long arms, a single punch into Koala's chest would undoubtedly pierce through her front and out her back, spraying blood everywhere.
"..."
Koala blankly lowered her head, staring at the thick arm embedded in her chest. The cross-section occupied half of her small body.
Years of living under the shadow of death had instilled fear in Koala, but she never imagined her fate would come to an end so suddenly.
'I haven't gone home yet… I haven't seen my parents again…'
"Yo, finally stopped smiling?" Liam squatted, his arm still lodged in Koala's body. "Thank you. You had been smiling in such a wicked way before; I was thinking of finding a chance to remind you."
Koala, bewildered, raised her head and turned toward the kind-looking big elder sister. Robin sighed softly, sitting on the nearby deck.
Liam's left arm remained unmoved, while his other hand pinched Koala's cheek. "You seem like you're about to die. Any thoughts?"
"..." Koala's face was pale, lips trembling as she murmured, "It… it doesn't seem to hurt that much… Is this death?"
Just as Robin was about to say something, Koala lowered her head and softly spoke, "Big Brother, Big Elder Sister, for my final… can I make one last request?"
"Hey, I broke my promise and killed you. Why are you speaking so kindly?" Liam grumbled. "Curse me! Say the most wicked things! It's fine, I'm your murderer after all!"
Robin said, "Maybe because she's seen too much death like this."
Koala didn't respond. She only gazed at Liam, her eyes holding a weak glimmer of hope.
"Go ahead," Liam said, his hand still embedded in her chest, indifferent.
"I really want to go home… Could you please take my body back to Foolshout Island? I beg you. Just bury me anywhere on the island, but don't let my parents know… Big Brother, please?"
Liam studied her face and clicked his tongue. "Not a single tear? Your heart doesn't seem sincere."
Koala, stunned for a moment, misunderstood Liam's words and quickly forced a sweet, flattering smile.
"I already told you, that smile is wicked." Liam slowly withdrew his left hand from Koala's chest. "So, I Refuse!"
Robin sighed, massaging her forehead.
Koala's sweet smile faded into confusion.
Liam pressed Koala's small head down.
As her head lowered, Koala's pupils constricted, shocked to find her chest completely intact. There was no bloody hole, and even her clothes were unharmed!
"I… I…" Koala's hands trembled, unsure whether to touch her chest. She feared it was an illusion.
Robin gently took Koala's trembling hands and guided them to her unharmed chest. In a soft voice, she said, "This is a special ability from Giorno Elder Brother. He placed a Logia Devil Fruit inside your body, one that turns you into gas."
"..." Koala jerked her head up, mouth agape. Having spent years as a slave under the Celestial Dragons, she naturally knew about Devil Fruits. Some Celestial Dragons even fed Devil Fruits to slaves, merely for entertainment.
"I… I…" Koala stammered, unable to find her words.
"You will return to your homeland, not as a corpse, but alive." Robin cupped Koala's small face, "That's what we agreed on from the beginning, isn't it?"
"Congratulations, you're now a land duck."
Koala looked up to see Giorno Big Brother grinning as he extended his hand toward the air. From the green snail that had earlier spat out the ship, a metallic rod whooshed through the air, landing lightly in Giorno's hand.
Shua! Shua! Shua!
Liam's fingers flipped expertly as he spun the rod one-handed. Then, without warning, he swung it toward Koala's unmoving form.
Just as it was about to strike Koala's forehead, the rod, enhanced by the Magnet-Magnet Fruit, suddenly halted. A slight breeze brushed past Koala's hair.
"No Elementalization?" Liam said, puzzled.
He gently tapped Koala's forehead with the rod. 'Thud, thud.' Two muffled sounds. She remained solid flesh, not gas.
Typically, a Logia user's ability to Elementalize was an instinctive reaction. Even if Koala didn't understand how to control her Gasu Gasu no Mi (Gas-Gas Fruit), her body should have instinctively Elementalized to avoid the blow. Yet, aside from the goosebumps on her forehead, she remained entirely tangible. If Liam had struck her in earnest, her skull would have burst instantly.
Robin sighed. "She's been conditioned not to dodge attacks."
Liam fell silent. It was easy to imagine that among the Celestial Dragons' slaves, any slave who dared to dodge a blow would meet a miserable end. From the moment they met, Koala's repeated pleas of "Don't kill me" instead of "Don't hit me" spoke volumes.
Robin embraced Koala, gently stroking her back. "That snail is a Shiro Shiro no Mi (Castle-Castle Fruit) user. It's actually a city fortress, which is why it can store so many things."
Koala's eyes flickered as she looked toward the green snail leisurely crawling along the deck.
"And just now, Giorno gave you the Gasu Gasu no Mi (Gas Gas Fruit). Now... you are gas itself." Robin and Koala exchanged glances, then slowly said, "You can turn into gas, become the wind, and fly in the sky."
"As long as you wish, you can go wherever you want. And if you don't like it... no one can touch you, no one can hurt you, no one can kill you. You no longer have to kneel before anyone out of fear."
Koala only opened her mouth, staring blankly at her.
The scene Robin described was too beautiful for Koala, like the colorful bubbles Koala had once seen floating up from the Sabaody Archipelago, making her hesitant to touch it.
'This was really troublesome.' Liam realized that after Robin spoke, Koala's instinct to resist Elementalization grew even stronger.
(To Be Continued…)
You can read ahead up to 30 chapters on my patreon and I've also activated (date to date) subscription model on my patreon https://www.patreon.com/marvel6395