INIIDF-Chapter 08 Robin’s Surprise

On the bank of the small river, black hair fluttered in the wind, creating a scene reminiscent of blood splattering. Oh, it was just Liam's hair, floating and drifting away on the river's surface.

Liam wasn't insane enough to disfigure Robin. Such a beautiful girl being ruined would be a waste. Even if it were to evade pursuit from the Marines or criminal organizations, it was not something he should do.

Instead, he gave Robin a stylish short haircut.

After he used his skills, Robin finally realized what had happened.

Her head felt a cool breeze— this might be the first time she had experienced such a sensation in her memory.

Robin looked at her reflection on the river's surface— with a slightly pale skin, a slightly straight nose, and dark, gloomy eyes. It was her, but the person in the water had lost the shoulder-length black hair, replaced by a stubbly buzz cut.

The coarse roots extended on a somewhat whitening scalp. She touched her head; the stubble wasn't too hard and felt quite smooth.

"Indeed, only true beauties can pull off a buzz cut." Liam's face appeared beside the short-haired girl on the river, and he commented, "Pity we don't have hair dye. Otherwise, how about white? Or golden? Maybe red? Then you can be 'Red Hair' Robin! Haha."

Robin didn't know what to say. But indeed, with this short haircut, even she felt unfamiliar with herself.

For ordinary people who had only seen her on Bounty posters, at first glance, they might not recognize her…

Robin adjusted her complicated emotions and couldn't hold back her curiosity any longer, asking, "Who are you, really?"

How could he crawl out of a garbage heap on a rainy night and figure out her identity the first time they met? He didn't expose her to the bad guys, but he also seized her Flower-Flower Fruit (Hana Hana no Mi) ability. Robin hesitated; without the Flower-Flower Fruit (Hana Hana no Mi), she was genuinely afraid to leave alone.

"I'm Liam. For now, I am just a small fry. Relax, I have no interest in reporting a poor little ghost like you!"

Robin mumbled, "Aren't you just a couple of years older than me?"

Robin silently followed him, continuing towards the main City of the island, the royal City of Noilly Kingdom.

"As for the Flower-Flower Fruit (Hana Hana no Mi), I'm not particularly interested in it!" Liam said as they walked, "It's too flamboyant! Using the ability makes petals fly everywhere…"

"You took it even though you didn't like it. And you used it so skillfully?" Robin was indignant. If you don't like it, then give it back!

Thinking this, she saw petals falling on her face.

Then, an unusual sensation came to her forehead and cheeks, as if something covered them…

"What did you do to me?" Robin touched her forehead, cheeks, and nose, discovering that they were covered in a layer of "flesh." She quickly understood that Liam had used the Flower-Flower Fruit (Hana Hana no Mi) ability on her face.

Liam said, "It's just a simple disguise, easy to think of, right? You played with the Flower-Flower Fruit (Hana Hana no Mi) for so many years, and you haven't developed this kind of skill, which is a bit strange…"

"Do you know me well?" Robin asked with a puzzled look on her face.

"Well, this is a long story." Liam laughed, "I'm not telling you."

Robin was speechless and asked again, "How did you become so proficient with the Flower-Flower Fruit (Hana Hana no Mi)?"

"Is that difficult?" Liam exclaimed. He beckoned, and a flower bloomed on each shoulder of Robin, each with his head. The two heads on Robin's left and right sides said, "It's a very basic…" "operation…"

Robin was almost scared to death by the two heads on her shoulders. After the heads finished speaking, they turned into flower petals and dissipated.

Watching Robin lose color with fear, Liam laughed, "Well, broad forehead, chubby cheeks, and a nose like garlic… with this sharp buzz cut, it's quite cute! Haha, haha!"

"A nose like garlic…" Robin was a bit distressed by his laughter. How ugly did she become? But thinking that this was just the result of the Flower-Flower Fruit (Hana Hana no Mi) ability and not a real disfigurement, and considering that she probably wouldn't be recognized, she felt a slight sense of relief.

Liam, though appearing carefree, seemed to genuinely lack any bad intentions toward her…

Yet, there was an inexplicable hint of a mischievous sense of humor about him…

"I say, Robin, can you do this gesture?" Liam asked with a suppressed laugh, pulling his head back, rolling his eyes, pulling down the corners of his mouth, squeezing out a double chin, and then shouting, "Huh?!"

"…?" Robin didn't understand the meaning behind this gesture.

As they chatted along the way, they approached the entrance to the royal City, and the main road outside the City became smoother, with an increasing flow of people.

In addition to the residents of various towns on the small island, there were clearly merchants, travelers, and caravans coming and going. The atmosphere was vibrant.

Upon entering the City, Liam quickly found a restaurant.

After robbing the member of the criminal organization near the garbage heap and the well-intentioned aunt who attempted to report Robin, Liam still had some money in his pocket.

Not everyone had seen Robin's bounty poster, and considering her current appearance— round forehead, big nose, chubby cheeks, and a neat buzz cut— anyone recognizing her as Nico Robin would be quite a feat!

The pitch-black Stand armor stood by the table, its eyes glowing white as it vigilantly observed the surroundings, following the instructions of its user.

Liam, the user, was thoroughly enjoying his meal with his head buried in the plate.

It was then that he realized the body he had crossed into wasn't half bad. It seemed weak before, probably due to being dead for too long, resulting in a deficiency.

The food from the kind aunt's house wasn't enough to fill the stomach of this body. Now, with a full meal, vitality surged into his limbs. It might be a Misconception…

According to the fragmented memories replayed by "B.I.B.," this young man with the same name as him left home to sail at the age of 8 and was now around 10… Liam ate heartily, his cheeks bulging, and he thought, 'Although this kid is a head taller than 8-year-old Robin, he looks more than just 10. But he has a good foundation, which is good news for me…'

At the table, Robin was initially a bit uneasy about dining in a crowded restaurant; it was quite a test of her psychological endurance.

However, upon realizing that no one paid attention to her, she finally relaxed.

Touching the "Meat Block" on her face and the refreshing buzz cut, she ate the delicious food she had never experienced before. Unable to bear it, she shared some Meat Block with a stray dog at the corner of the table.

She whispered, "Where did you grow the 'Meat Block' on my face?"

"From the butt, of course. How else would it be so soft?" Liam returned to reality, winking at her.

"The butt…" Robin lowered her head, silently eating, feeling an indescribable warmth rushing to her face, filling her head, escaping from her ears, mouth, nose, and eyes…

In fact, it wasn't the butt. Not that Liam was thin-skinned, but this thing shared sensations, and Liam hadn't reached the point of using his own butt to touch a young girl's face…

Well, now he could genuinely feel the warmth of Robin's cheeks on his face…

For Robin's disguise, Liam used the flesh created by the Flower-Flower Fruit (Hana Hana no Mi) on his own face.

As they ate, other diners at nearby tables chatted loudly about events in the North and South Blue.

Some traders enthusiastically discussed various wonders in the West Blue, while more experienced ones even brought up famous landmarks such as Loguetown's pirate king execution in the East Blue, the exquisite mechanical creations in the South Blue, and the chaos of war in the North Blue… Liam listened to all of these stories with great interest.

Some not-so-serious individuals even boasted about their mighty achievements on the famous Golden Ship's ocean flower boat…

Seemed very tempting…

"Wow, the newly appointed Shichibukai Gecko Moria has appeared in the West Blue!"

Suddenly, a person a few tables away grabbed a newspaper and shouted, attracting the attention of many.

Robin noticed that Liam also pricked up his ears, listening to the person reading the news.

"… After mysteriously disappearing, Gecko Moria has reappeared in the public eye, accepting the title of Shichibukai from the World Government. Today, this newly appointed Shichibukai appeared on Koala Island in the West Blue, helping local residents deal with a group of tomb-robbing criminals…" A diner enthusiastically read the news to those interested.

Others cheered. In their eyes, a Shichibukai was a former pirate who had been reformed by the government's sense of Justice. Now, that great pirate Gecko Moria was doing good deeds!

"That tomb robber must be Moria himself!" Liam thought, "The World Government's propaganda is something else. Moria robs tombs and leaves, but he's helping local people deal with a group of tomb robbers, isn't he… Calculating the time, Moria was probably wiped out by Kaido's crew in Wano Country not long ago. Now he's collecting bodies everywhere to create a zombie legion? He really doesn't waste any time…"

Having had their fill, and after listening to some gossip news in the restaurant, Liam paid the bill and left with the short-haired girl, Robin.

"What should we do next?" Robin hesitated mainly because she couldn't guess what this boy was thinking. She didn't know if he intended to settle here or do something else.

This boy wasn't familiar with the City towns on this island; he clearly wasn't a local…

Since leaving Ohara Island, destroyed by the Buster Call, Robin never had a stable life. Now that she had the ability to disguise herself and avoid being recognized, she didn't know what to do…

"Next, we should probably find a wealthy benefactor and make some money?" Liam patted his slightly deflated pockets.

Robin: "…"

The invisible Stand, clad in pitch-black armor, silently followed them, taking advantage of the fact that others couldn't see it, unabashedly observing everything and staying vigilant to the surroundings.

They hadn't walked far when they noticed a lively crowd at the intersection ahead, with people cheering and the sound of music and dance.

"Next, let's welcome the eagerly anticipated Victoria Cindry—"

(End of this chapter)