I'm Not Interested in Devil Fruits

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## A Side Story – What Was Forgotten in the Main Text – Dining and Dashing

South Blue, Magnifi Island. Seven-year-old Eustace Kid, gnawing on a chicken leg, leaps out of a third-floor restaurant window. Downstairs, a chef brandishing a massive ladle and a dozen furious apprentices give chase after the red-haired scamp who just skipped out on the bill. But as they close in, they're suddenly struck by an unseen force, collapsing one by one…

…

A Curious Bloom

Robin's mind stirs. Her slender, pale fingers flick lightly, and petals scatter from her fingertips. Nearby, on the wall beside the table where Liam has sat down, a flower blooms, revealing an eye.

Robin disperses the petals and suddenly realizes, "Ah, I see! That person is a mink…"

"You didn't even glance at the most beautiful woman in the world. Does she not meet your standards?"

Liam walks over to the table and sits down across from the person who's busy devouring their meal, casually asking the question.

"Huh?" The person across from Liam doesn't look up, revealing a furry face with a pair of goggles strapped to it. "No, she's definitely a stunning beauty, unlike anyone I've ever seen… but I think explosions and contraptions are way more thrilling."

Liam smiles, crossing his legs. "That explosion earlier was your handiwork, right?"

The person across from him keeps eating, not denying it. "Yeah. I've had my fill of that King and Princess!"

"Bold move, blowing up the King's carriage. Aren't you worried about the Marines coming after you?" Liam asks with a grin. "Lindbergh?"

The furry, cat-like mink shrugs nonchalantly. "Why should I be? I've tangled with Marines before." He continues enthusiastically tackling the honey-glazed fish on his plate. After a moment, he looks up, surprised. "You know me?"

The cat-like mink studies the human male in front of him and suddenly laughs in realization. "Oh, it's you! Giorno… the guy who's been plastered all over the newspapers lately! Is it true you can swipe Devil Fruits? How do you do it? Did you invent some kind of ingenious gadget?"

"If there's a Devil Fruit you fancy, I can give it a try," Liam says with a smile. "For you, I'd even cut you a deal."

"No thanks! Sure, Devil Fruit users can't swim, which sounds appealing, but they're weak to Seastone. I'd rather not become one!" Lindbergh shakes his head vigorously. "I'd much rather study Seastone and figure out its secrets… No way, I'm not becoming a Devil Fruit user!"

The cat-like mink changes the subject. "Anyway, I'm Lindbergh. It's been ages since I left Torino Kingdom. I wonder how they're doing! Are they still battling those colossal birds?"

Liam fills him in on the current state of Torino Kingdom. After resolving their misunderstandings, the primitive-looking natives and the giant birds on the island have surprisingly started getting along. Lindbergh sighs wistfully. "That's how it should be! Why fight and hate each other? Everyone should just get along and live in harmony."

"Doesn't it sound a bit rich coming from someone who just blew up a King and Princess's carriage?"

"Well, sometimes it can't be avoided," Lindbergh says carelessly. "There's no chance of understanding with that King, Princess, and their cronies."

Liam chuckles. "So, sometimes a bit of mayhem is the only solution, huh?"

Lindbergh, chewing on a fish bone, scratches his head, nods, then shakes his head. "How should I know? Maybe there's a better way, but I haven't found it yet! All I know how to do is make bombs and weapons…"

Liam laughs heartily. After calming down, he slowly says a name: "Dragon."

The cat-like mink across from him looks puzzled.

Liam explains, "That name might belong to someone who can show you another way. If you're interested, keep an ear out for him…"

"There's someone like that?" Lindbergh is genuinely surprised, eyeing the man across from him. "Wow, is he a mate of yours?"

"A mate? I suppose you could say that!" Liam thinks for a moment, then smiles. "Though the people closest to him might call him a comrade…"

"Comrade…" Lindbergh repeats the unfamiliar word. It's a term Liam coined by shortening the phrase "like-minded individuals" in the pirate world. Just as Dragon instantly understood the meaning when Liam first mentioned it, Lindbergh quickly grasps it too. 

He savors the word, licking the fur around his mouth with his cat-like tongue. "Sounds intriguing! I didn't expect a pirate like you to know someone like that…"

"If you can't find him, try heading to Momoiro Island in the Grand Line and look for someone named Ivankov… a person."

"Is he a Man or woman?" Lindbergh asks curiously.

"That's a tricky question. Let's just say it's a person! Big head, thick neck, and a two-headed body—that's definitely them. Sometimes a woman, mostly a man, but always an okama…" As Liam speaks, a voice comes from behind him. "Iva would be thrilled to hear you describe him like that."

Lindbergh looks over. "You're… Jolyne Cujoh, Giorno's Captain! Are you comrades too, Giorno?"

Liam stands up, pats Robin's shoulder, and grins. "Like I said, she's my Captain!"

With that, he and Robin leave, returning to where Hancock and the others are seated. Liam hasn't finished his meal yet… Meanwhile, Lindbergh continues enjoying his fish feast, thinking to himself, "Giorno is such a peculiar pirate! But Dragon… I wonder what kind of person he is! Like-minded? Maybe he's a decent sort."

After finishing their meal, Liam and the others continue exploring the island.

He doesn't have any intention of recruiting Lindbergh into his crew.

Lindbergh belongs to the Revolutionary Army, and Liam doesn't want to interfere with that. Besides, he never planned to expand his "JOJO Pirate Crew" in the first place… In fact, he never even intended to form a pirate crew. 

It's just that after being called a pirate so many times, he stopped caring and decided to give his group a name. The JOJO Pirate Crew, Giorno x Jolyne, fits his taste as a fan of the series. Adding another member, even with a JOJO-inspired alias, would completely spoil the vibe.

Meeting by chance is fate. If it's meant to be, they'll meet again.

As the group strolls around the island, they deal with a few foolish pirates and bounty hunters who try to take down Giorno, treating it as a post-meal workout…

"Giorno! You're mine now!"

Out of nowhere, a guy jumps out with his crew, firing a barrage of bullets at Liam.

"Hmph!" Liam sneers, raising a hand toward the incoming hail of bullets. 

'Pī Li Pā Lā'—the bullets hit his face and body, steam rising from the impact, but they leave no marks on his skin. Robin quietly reminds him, "Those are lead bullets. The Magnet-Magnet Fruit won't work on them…"

Liam, embarrassed and furious, repeatedly beats up the guy who ambushed him, finally letting out a satisfied sigh.

He glances to the side and notices a young boy with boxing gloves sneaking over, trying to steal a gun from one of the thugs Liam just beat to a pulp. But with his boxing gloves on, he can't get a good grip on the gun. When the boy realizes the terrifying man is looking at him, he breaks out in a cold sweat.

That unique hairstyle and chin— even in the pirate world, there's only one person like him…

(End Of The Chapter)