'Cover Story: Chopper and the Quack Doctor Vol. 11: "I Know... I Don't Have Much Time Left."'
'Kureha examined Hiriluk and discovered he was suffering from an incurable illness. It wasn't just one terminal disease, but the result of countless chronic conditions that had built up over the years before erupting all at once, leaving his body almost completely ruined. The fact that he had even managed to make it back to this country alive was, in Kureha's eyes, a miracle. In his condition, he should have died long ago. Hiriluk, however, paid it no mind. After getting dressed and picking up his suitcase, he left the treehouse and calmly stepped back into the endless snowstorm...'
---
The 'Guardless Tachi' slid out of the wooden cane and leveled forward. A powerful wave of gravity burst from the blade, crushing the men in front of him, subordinates of the 'King of Loan Sharks', flat against the ground, leaving them unable to move.
The blind swordsman ignored their screams and asked quietly, "How did it go on your side?"
Sentomaru walked over, wiping the blood from his hands. He pulled the giant axe planted beside the blind swordsman from the ground. "The information about the smuggled 'Ruiner' matches what we got over there."
"Good." The blind swordsman nodded.
With a flick of his blade, the gravity instantly reversed. The men cried out as they were suddenly ripped from the ground. One moment they had been pinned down by an invisible force; the next, they floated helplessly into the sky, flailing as though they had completely lost their weight.
Resting his axe on his shoulder, Sentomaru looked into the distance. "The Underground world's gray forces all converge here... If we uproot this place..."
"The ambitious ones in the Underground will simply take over the vacant throne. That may only lead to even more chaos and bloodshed... What is justice, really? It was because I couldn't understand it... because I couldn't see it... that I chose to blind myself." The blind swordsman let out a sigh.
His sword swept sideways. The floating men were caught by the power of his 'Gravity Blade' and shot toward the sea at incredible speed. Their screams quickly faded into the distance before disappearing entirely.
"Let's go."
---
Inside the massive building shaped like a giant 'Belly' coin, deep beneath the surface, was a spacious room lit only dimly by the glow of numerous projection Den Den Mushi. Square images were projected across the walls, each showing one of the bosses of the Underground world.
Some sat in darkness, their faces hidden in shadow except for their mouths. Some were decked out in extravagant jewelry, radiating arrogance. Some looked like nothing more than ordinary middle-aged businessmen.
And one wore his trademark sunglasses, his unmistakable feather coat, and his signature wild grin. Naturally, that was 'Donquixote Doflamingo'.
"Fufufufufu... Loan Shark King, you've really managed to get your hands on something incredible. I never imagined the Government was researching something this outrageous. Even I was shocked! Fufufufofufu..."
The others reacted with either grim expressions or obvious excitement.
"If this thing is real, it'll become a weapon capable of overturning the entire world!"
"Shortsighted! It's not just a weapon. The real value lies in the technology behind it! This is unbelievable... They've stepped into the domain of the gods."
The Loan Shark King, Du Feld, leaned comfortably against a leather sofa with a cigar between his teeth. In his hand was a stack of photographs.
The photos showed a powerfully built man. What stood out, however, was that much of his body had been replaced with mechanical components. Metal parts covered his shoulders and chest, with exposed wiring protruding from several places.
His right arm was pitch black. Beneath torn flesh, metal enhancements were clearly visible. His left arm was covered in bluish-purple marks, as though it had suffered severe frostbite.
Steel plates had been bolted onto his face. The gaps around them were blackened with scorch marks, and one plate around his chin had begun to warp. His eyes showed no trace of human emotion.
Du Feld flipped to the next picture. The cyborg's left shoulder was encased in ice.
The next photograph was clearly taken in a panic. It was blurry and poorly framed, but at the edge of the picture, the cyborg's right arm could be seen spewing scorching magma.
Several more photos followed. From the narrow gap in the steel plate sealing his mouth, brilliant golden light was leaking out.
Spreading his arms wide from somewhere in the North Blue, Doflamingo laughed loudly. "Magma, ice, and light! The World Government, no... Dr. Vegapunk... is a mad genius! Just what is he trying to create? Is he planning to mass-produce human weapons with Logia powers? Fufufufufufu... If this project succeeds, will pirates even have a place left on the seas?"
"Doflamingo," someone in the neighboring projection said irritably, "you're a pirate yourself."
"Besides, your North Blue already has cyborg technology."
"Fufufu... You mean 'Germa 66'?" Doflamingo grinned. "That kingdom is always on the move. Hardly anyone knows where it is. Lately, it's completely disappeared from the North Blue. I heard they've gone to the East Blue to take part in a war. Fufufufu... Germa's king, 'Vinsmoke Judge', supposedly worked with Dr. Vegapunk before. Looks like they share some of the same technology. Fufufufufu..."
"If Big Mom's people hadn't helped, getting this thing wouldn't have been so easy." Du Feld casually tossed the photos onto the coffee table, where they scattered across the surface. Stretching his arms across the back of the sofa, he puffed on his cigar and said calmly, "I'm not interested in any of this. The only thing I care about is 'Belly'. Whoever offers the highest price gets it."
"Of course... the 'head' has already been reserved by Big Mom."
"As for the rest, you can divide it among yourselves... Or discuss it and buy the whole thing together."
"Gya hahaha... You're too generous, Loan Shark King. BON~"
A man stepped out from the shadows. He had the long legs of the Longleg Tribe, a broad waist, and a curled mustache. He wore a pink suit, and around his rounded waist was what looked like a giant eggshell. It was none other than one of the Big Mom Pirates' strongest combatants, the user of a Special Zoan Devil Fruit, 'Baron Tamago'.
He had the strange habit of ending every sentence with a meaningless catchphrase, and he always kept a cup of hot coffee balanced on top of his hat so he could casually take a sip whenever he pleased.
Standing beside him was a short man wearing a mask, grinning from ear to ear. "Heeheehee... Mama likes collecting rare species, but she's not all that interested in robots. If your offers are high enough, you can have the head instead. That's fine too~~ Heeheehee..."
The gray-market deal continued in the secret room. Hidden in a blind spot beyond everyone's sight, a pitch-black faceplate slowly emerged from the wall. Its narrow eyes glowed faintly as it silently watched everything unfolding inside.
---
"Human weapons modified through body enhancement..."
Near the enormous Belly Building on Interest Island, Robin walked away while focusing on the scene before her. She wore one of the armor's earpieces. A holographic screen projected from it, displaying everything 'B.I.B.' was currently seeing and hearing, the Underground deal taking place inside the Belly Building.
"So the failed prototype Sentomaru mentioned... turned out to be such a dangerous humanoid weapon. And that freezing power... could it have come from Aokiji?"
While watching the live feed, Robin devoted most of her attention elsewhere. Throughout the island's main buildings, countless Flower-Flower Fruit eyes and ears silently searched every corner for any trace of a Poneglyph. Like scanners, they opened and closed one after another, sweeping through the area without making a sound.
With a bit of practice, multitasking on this level wasn't difficult for Robin. After using the Flower-Flower Fruit for so many years, she'd long since grown accustomed to viewing the world through countless bodies at once.
"So there really isn't one..." After searching for so long without results, she wasn't particularly disappointed.
Just then, frantic shouting erupted from the Den Den Mushi inside the Underground room shown on the holographic screen.
Du Feld answered the call.
"Boss! Someone broke in, AAAH!!"
"Stay back!!"
"I swear I don't know anything about what you're looking fo, AAAH!!"
"'Cough... cough...'"
The Den Den Mushi's expression changed repeatedly as different voices shouted through it. Finally, it seemed to hide somewhere and whispered in terror, "Someone's trying to steal the 'Ruiner'..."
Du Feld cursed angrily. He quickly dialed several more Den Den Mushi, obviously ordering reinforcements to the attacked location.
'Sentomaru and the blind swordsman...' Robin turned to look toward the other side of the island. Although she only had one of B.I.B.'s earpieces, she could still borrow a little of Liam's extraordinary Observation Haki. Focusing her senses, she could vaguely feel the tremendous battle taking place elsewhere on the island.
"Hm? What's this, SOIR?" Baron Tamago's voice suddenly came through the earpiece. Very close.
Robin snapped back to attention and saw Baron Tamago's large mustached face filling the holographic screen. Meanwhile, 'B.I.B.', standing inside the Underground room, hadn't moved an inch.
Robin couldn't help smiling. 'So... since it's already been spotted, it's too lazy to bother hiding anymore?'
---
Baron Tamago stared suspiciously at the blurry black face on the wall. Before he could react, it suddenly emerged straight through the wall.
It was a tall, pitch-black humanoid. That's right, 'B.I.B.''s entire body had been there the whole time. Earlier, it had only pushed its faceplate through the wall.
As Baron Tamago stood frozen in shock, the black armor lifted one leg and kicked him clean across the waist. Literally.
The kick shattered him in half. As Baron Tamago flew backward, the eggshell wrapped around his waist burst apart with a loud 'crack', and his entire body split open like an egg.
---
The image on the holographic screen shook violently. Cries and the sounds of fighting filled Robin's ears as the viewpoint suddenly shot forward, instantly closing the distance to the Loan Shark King.
A black armored right hand covered in crimson flame patterns seized Du Feld by the throat.
At that moment, 'B.I.B.' reminded her, '"Someone found you. They're coming after you."'
"Aren't you coming to protect me?" Robin smiled as she removed her sunglasses and slipped them into her handbag.
'"Do you need me to?"'
On the screen, the Loan Shark King's face had twisted in pain as B.I.B.'s grip tightened around his neck. Robin didn't answer. She simply removed the earpiece and casually tossed it away. Wrapped in black energy, it sank straight through the ground and flew back toward its main body.
---
"Heeheeheehee... Isn't this Jolyne Cujoh?" An eerie laugh suddenly echoed around Robin as she walked down the street. "Without Giorno by your side, you actually dared to come somewhere this dangerous all alone..."
The laughter shifted from place to place, making it impossible to pinpoint its source.
Robin stopped walking, her expression calm. Against Observation Haki, tricks like this meant very little. She recognized the voice; it belonged to the short, masked man who had been standing beside Baron Tamago, a member of the Big Mom Pirates.
"Regret making Mama angry... Jolyne Cujoh!"
A tiny black shadow burst from a blind spot at incredible speed, dagger thrust toward Robin's back.
'Speed... means nothing in front of me.' Robin sighed inwardly.
'(End of Chapter)'
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