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Noir's expression was a picture of bewilderment.
A subway, a cell phone, an elderly person...
Marrying Robin himself wasn't the issue, but with the wedding venue set up like this, would her mother-in-law approve?
Bell-mère would be shocked for a century. Even Noir himself was momentarily stunned.
He fiddled with the mirror. What exactly was its purpose?
Could this highly advanced device be controlled with his mind, like his System?
Noir experimented, attempting to connect with the mirror using his consciousness.
Remarkably, the mirror seemed to possess a faint sentience. Noir quickly established a link with it.
Under his control, the images of Robin within the mirror vanished, and a glowing orb emerged from its surface.
Hesitating briefly, Noir guided the orb into Robin's body.
Robin reacted instantly. Her beautiful eyes regained their light, her expression became animated, and she looked at Noir with a puzzled frown. "What just happened...?"
Before she could finish her sentence, the seawater beneath Robin's feet reappeared, and she plunged downwards. Noir rushed forward and caught her.
Noir, now thoroughly confused, held Robin in his arms. How can I stand on the water again? And why can't Robin?
Robin, still shaken, whispered, "Noir, what's going on?"
Noir sighed. "There's some strange ability I'm experimenting with. I seem to have accidentally affected you all."
"Do you have any memory of what just happened? You were all acting like you'd lost your souls."
"Just now..." Robin looked dazed, trying to recall the events. "You led us into a strange area of the sea. The water's color was odd, and I found myself captivated by it."
"Then, on the surface of the water, I saw..."
Robin's expression shifted from thoughtful to sorrowful, then finally to something more complex.
Noir, his curiosity piqued, asked, "What did you see?"
Robin turned away, burying her face in Noir's chest, avoiding his gaze.
"It's nothing..."
Noir blinked. So, the mirror showed what Robin saw in the Underworld River…
Without wasting any time, Noir, with the dexterity honed by years of singlehood, used the mirror on the rest of his crew. One by one, glowing orbs returned to their bodies.
A series of splashes followed.
Noir, using his Ice-Ice Fruit powers, created a platform of ice to catch the falling women. As for his male crewmates...
Ah... such spectacular splashes today.
Robin spoke, a hint of worry in her voice. "Many of them are Devil Fruit users. Will they be alright?"
Noir waved away her concerns. "They'll be fine... Many of them are good swimmers. We'll just fish them out."
Kalifa, having regained her senses, assessed the situation and looked at the sea with concern. "But... it doesn't seem like anyone's coming up..."
One second, five seconds, ten seconds passed. Still, no one surfaced.
A heavy silence fell over the group on the ice. Noir smacked his forehead and forced a smile. "Ah, I get it now, "
"Damn it!"
Enraged, Noir jumped back into the water, quickly pulling everyone to the surface and onto the ice platform.
What in the world is the principle behind this damned ability?!
The crew was still disoriented, their expressions dazed.
Noir led them back to Thriller Bark.
Once on board, Noir began piecing together information about the Underworld River based on his crew's accounts.
After some investigation, he had a better understanding of how this world worked.
When someone looked into the waters of Underworld, they would see reflections of their past, mostly painful and sorrowful memories.
But soon after, the waters would conjure illusions of the most Lovely things they could imagine. This realistic fabrication would gradually lure them into a state of blissful oblivion, turning them into puppets.
Those who succumbed would become empty shells, standing motionless in the water. Upon regaining consciousness, they would sink to the bottom, Devil Fruit user or not.
Crucially, none of this affected Noir.
This world seemed to be influenced by his subconscious.
Initially, he hadn't believed he could stand on the water, and he'd fallen in.
Later, when he found it uncomfortable to hold his breath underwater, he suddenly gained the ability to breathe.
Now, Noir felt he could control anything within this sea.
This ability wasn't as useless as he'd initially thought.
In battle, he could drag his opponents into the Underworld River. Once they saw the water, even an Emperor of the Sea would become a mindless husk!
Noir raised his hand, and Thriller Bark, shrouded in black mist, moved out of the Underworld River, returning to the Florian Triangle.
Though the surroundings were still shrouded in darkness, the atmosphere was less oppressive. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
Brook's soul returned to his body, his voice trembling. "That world… was truly scary."
The Underworld Pirates nodded, still shaken by their experience.
Being inexplicably dragged into the sea and unable to swim out would terrify anyone.
Many had witnessed idyllic fabricated lives, and they were still reeling from the experience.
Even Lucci's expression was slack. He said to Noir, "Captain, please don't use that ability again."
Noir offered an apologetic smile. "I won't let anyone be affected by Underworld again."
"But I'll have to ask everyone to bear with me for a bit longer.."
Though some were reluctant, it was their savior's command. They would obey, even if it meant forcing themselves.
Besides, they knew what to do now: simply avoid looking at the water!
Noir spent some time calming everyone down. The illusions woven by the Underworld River were potent indeed.
Even the usually composed Robin seemed disturbed, sitting in a corner, drawing circles on the floor. Noir couldn't fathom what was going through her mind.
In the shadows, Robin sighed.
That wedding wasn't bad, actually. What a shame...
Noir held the mirror he'd retrieved from the Underworld River, examining it with fascination.
This mirror was essentially a miniature portal to Underworld. As long as Thriller Bark sailed out to retrieve those trapped within, it functioned as a portable storage space.
His System's inventory could only store System rewards, not other items.
Noir, and perhaps even some higher powers, had long been dissatisfied with this limitation. Now, he finally had something that served a similar purpose.
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While the Underworld Pirates were experimenting with the Underworld River, completely unaware, a massive Marine fleet was approaching the Florian Triangle.
Vice Admiral Garp and Admiral Akainu were on their way, and they were bringing the full force of their fury!
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