"Oh, got it."
Dier responded expressionlessly.
Ghosts? On this island teeming with supernatural phenomena, it'd be strange not to see phantoms.
"Ah, but these are real ghosts, not people pretending!"
Hina sat down opposite Dier, casually removing her mask as she spoke with a serious expression:
"This morning we..."
She began elaborately recounting the events at the cemetery.
As her story progressed, Dier's expression grew increasingly animated, a gleam flashing in his eyes.
Negative Hollows!
Perona's Negative Hollows!
Just by passing through a person's body, they could make one extremely pessimistic.
Whether it was the ever-optimistic Luffy, the resolute Zoro, or even the cyborg Franky—none could resist their effects.
Strong enough Armament Haki should provide immunity, though Dier couldn't recall any memories of Perona battling Haki masters.
He only remembered one person who was immune to the Negative Hollows.
That was Usopp, whose self-esteem was so low he could actually make the Negative Hollows themselves feel depressed.
Both Haki users and individuals like Usopp were rare finds in the West Blue.
If they could find Perona, not just the Bloodline Squad—they could take on everyone at once!
Suppressing his excitement, he glanced at Robin, silently questioning the story's veracity.
Robin also removed her mask, sitting on the bed as she softly confirmed:
"Everything except the part about driving away evil spirits with Black Gun is true."
"That's all I need!"
Dier abruptly stood up, donned his mask, and strode proudly out the door.
"I'm going shopping. Order dinner from the innkeeper first. After we eat, we're launching a night raid on the cemetery!"
...
Late at night, behind a tree near the Life Transfer Station.
Dier and Robin hid in the shadows, a person-sized bundle resting beside them.
Robin closed her eyes, using her Ability to manifest a pair of eyes on a tree near a particular tombstone, observing the offerings below from above.
A small teddy bear doll.
"Will this really work?"
She frowned and whispered:
"Why would a ghost like teddy bears?"
"Ah, it'll definitely work. Trust me."
"What, do you have future-seeing abilities now?"
"Exactly! I've seen our plan succeed!"
"Wait—quiet!"
Robin suddenly interrupted their banter, focusing intently on the tombstone's vicinity.
A ghost resembling a teru teru bōzu floated over, eyeing the teddy bear before the grave.
It reached out to grab it, but its hands passed right through.
The Negative Hollows had no physical form and couldn't interact with solid objects.
Scratching its head in confusion, the phantom soon drifted away.
Robin sighed in disappointment:
"It left. What now?"
"Wait! Until the real Ability User appears."
Dier declared confidently. He clearly remembered—Perona loved teddy bears, especially ones that could move but not speak.
After being sent flying by Kuma, she'd even bandaged the severely injured Zoro into a teddy bear shape.
Though the doll before the grave couldn't move, it would surely pique Perona's interest.
If her phantoms couldn't carry it, Perona would have to come personally.
He'd named this operation: The Loli Fishing Plan.
Though he wasn't skilled at fishing, he had some talent when it came to luring lolis.
Before long, a gothic lolita with messy pink twin tails emerged from behind the graveyard, covered in dirt.
She trotted over to a tombstone, snatched up a small bear plushie, and hugged it tightly to her chest.
"I'll call you Kumashi!"
Perona's eyes sparkled with affection as she spun around a few times, clutching the plushie.
Gurgle~
Her stomach growled.
Perona seemed accustomed to this kind of life, showing no signs of distress or discomfort.
Tucking the plushie under her left arm, she strolled leisurely through the graveyard, even humming softly to herself.
It was as if she weren't in a graveyard at all, but rather her own backyard garden.
"Ooh, a sandwich!"
She bent down and snatched the offering left in front of a tombstone, unwrapping it and devouring it ravenously.
Though it was just an ordinary sandwich, she ate it with immense satisfaction. Most of the offerings in the graveyard were fruit—she hadn't had a sandwich in ages.
After finishing the sandwich, she tossed the wrapper aside and casually picked up an apple, unable to hold back a giggle:
"Horo horo horo~"
"Not only did I find Kumashi, but I also got to eat a sandwich—today's my lucky day!"
"Then how about making it even luckier?"
Dier approached, carrying a large bundle on his back, a friendly smile on his face.
This grubby little lolita was a valuable asset—he couldn't afford to scare her off.
At the sight of a stranger, Perona immediately prepared to flee, but the next second, she froze, her gaze locked onto the already-opened bundle behind Dier.
Inside was a life-sized teddy bear.
Gulp—
She swallowed hard, her big eyes filled with longing.
Compared to the massive teddy bear, the small plushie in her hands suddenly seemed far less appealing.
Dier's smile widened. His secret weapon was working exactly as intended—the word "want" might as well have been written all over Perona's face.
Patting the teddy bear's belly, he narrowed his eyes and coaxed:
"Want it?"
Perona nodded frantically.
"All you have to do is help me with one little thing, and this super soft, super cute, super fluffy teddy bear is yours."
Perona didn't respond. Instead, a mischievous smirk curled her lips as she summoned two Negative Hollows, which floated ominously at her sides.
Why work for something when she could just take it?
If those Negative Hollows passed through someone, they'd be plunged into utter despair.
Then she could easily claim the teddy bear for herself.
Dier kept smiling, though a hint of wariness flickered in his eyes.
The ability of the Negative Hollows was unpredictable—he didn't think he could resist their effects.
Fortunately, he had another way to counter them.
Whoosh—
Brilliant flames erupted, engulfing his entire body, leaving only his right forearm and hand untouched.
Gripping the teddy bear with his right hand, he narrowed his eyes and threatened in a low voice:
"Put your ability away. You wouldn't want to see this teddy bear get burned, would you?"
"You—!"
Perona was momentarily speechless, gritting her teeth as she cursed inwardly:
"Threatening a five-year-old girl? Ugh! Shameless!"
But seeing the slightly singed fur on the teddy bear, she had no choice but to reluctantly retract her Devil Fruit ability.
"That's more like it."
Dier extinguished his flames as well, nodding in satisfaction.
"Listen carefully, the favor I need from you is—"
Just as he was about to state his request, his tone abruptly shifted as he shouted:
"Watch out behind you!!"
Behind Perona, a bizarrely shaped cleaver rose into view, its cold edge glinting under the moonlight.
At this distance, she wouldn't be able to dodge!
Dier's pupils contracted as he instantly transformed into his Beast Form. His leg muscles tensed, and with a powerful push from his toes, he lunged forward.
The distance between them wasn't great, and before the cleaver could descend, he had already positioned himself in front of Perona, his left hand gripping the blade tightly.
Thanks to his two-meter height advantage, he could clearly see the figure behind Perona—a somewhat familiar shaved head.