Bring Lin Qi Back to the Handoff Point
Don't touch that hand.
Mo'er reached out to stop Lin Qi.
The hand gripped the White Ship hull of the ship, fingernails filled with mushy black paper scraps, the date markings on the wrist washed white by the seawater, and the Handoff Record next to it still seeping ink.
Please bring Lin Qi back to the Handoff Point.
Lin Qi stared at the line of text for a while.
"Does it recognize me?"
"The record says I know you," Mo'er said. "The people inside may not know you."
"Then ask the people inside."
"It uses the Old Crew Distress Code, not the Throne's question-and-answer code."
"You can ask for help."
Lingering Voice sat on the hospital bed on the Kuja Medical Ship, the communication cable on his wrist lit up.
"First, ask him who he is."
"I can't hear you," Mo'er said. "Those three taps were a distress call, and the following words are old handover orders from the ship."
"Whom do you command?"
"Handover Clerk."
Why was Lin Qi included in the orders?
Mo'er did not answer.
A Hui rolled up half a circle of the Paper Thread from the side.
"If he doesn't say anything, just move your hand away."
"Cannot be moved."
Mo'er pressed down on A Hui's wrist.
"The person clinging to the White Ship from the bottom indicates he's still within the load-bearing line; forcibly separating them would tear the narrow coffin and the entire Name Line together."
"He just told us to move the names out."
"Just because we're moving his name doesn't mean he wants to leave."
"So, he didn't write that line about taking Lin Qi back to the Handoff Point either?"
"May be."
A Hui looked at Mo'er.
"Every time you say 'maybe,' you only know half the truth."
"The half I know is enough to kill many people."
Lin Qi crouched down in front of the crack in the bottom of the ship and looked at the hand through the seawater.
"Can the people inside hear me?"
There was no sound from under the deck of the White Ship.
Lin Qi picked up a wooden stick and tapped it three times on the side of the boat.
One long.
Three short.
The knocking sounded from the bottom of the boat, and after a moment, a long knock followed by two short knocks returned from below.
Mo'er turned his head.
It's asking you if you're the Custodian.
Tell him no.
Lin Qi knocked again.
Two short, sharp sounds rang out, and the bottom of the boat echoed back.
He said you must answer in person.
"I told you."
"Old Ship Crew codes are not accepted for retelling."
"Then I'll say it myself."
Lin Qi opened his mouth towards the crack.
"I am not the Custodian, I do not accept your names, and I do not sign on behalf of anyone."
There was no reaction from the bottom of the boat.
He reached for the hand gripping the plank, stopping two inches from the fingertips.
I will not hand you over to the Throne.
This time, the finger moved.
It's not about hurrying up.
It tapped four times under the plank.
Immediately look up after Lingering Voice.
He said the Throne already knows.
"What do you know?"
"We know the Handoff Point is still there."
Mo'er took two steps toward the bottom of the White Ship.
"Where is the Handoff Point?"
Lin Qi struck two long and one short notes.
The response from the bottom of the boat became very slow, with a period of time between each tap.
Lingering Voice pressed his ear to the edge of the bed, his expression changing.
He said the Handoff Point wasn't at sea.
"Where?"
"In Lin Qi."
A Hui caught Mo'er.
What does this sentence mean?
"The Custodian used to take away unfinished records. Since there was nowhere to put the records, they would use the last person who heard them as the Handoff Point."
Lin Qi asked, "So they're taking me back?"
"They're going to put the record back on you."
"Then you can't go."
"If you don't go, the Handoff Records will continue to pursue you."
Nami turned around from beside the projection.
To what extent did you pursue him?
Mo'er looked at the hand.
"It has already gripped the bottom of the boat; the next step is to grab the mother's record on the White Ship, and the next step is to find the child along the Name Line."
"So it Lin Qi as bait?"
"It might be using Lin Qi as a scapegoat."
"Stop beating around the bush." Nami spread out the map. "Where exactly is the Handoff Point?"
Mo'er raised his hand and pointed to the rusty mast beneath the White Ship.
"The location where this Transport Ship sank."
"Here?"
"Just the entrance."
"Where is the real Handoff Point?"
Mo'er looked at Lin Qi.
"On the ship."
Lin Qi followed his gaze and it fell on himself.
"I'm at the Foosha Village Tavern."
"You carry the Echo of Black File."
"Then take the Echo away."
"You can't take it away."
"Why?"
"Because it has heard you."
A series of knocks came from the bottom of the boat.
No one translated this time.
All the Black Cups on the White Ship spoke in unison, and the records of the mothers who had just been transferred lit up one by one, with the names on the medical record pages beginning to converge on the communication terminal where Lin Qi was located.
Nami picked up the Den Den Mushi.
"Disconnect all receiving points from the main line, leaving only independent records."
The dragon responded immediately.
"The Revolutionary Army has been cut off."
Akainu said, "The Navy Archives are also being cut off, but some records are out of control."
Which part?
"The body's file from twenty-two years ago."
Garp grabbed the Den Den Mushi.
"Burn those files."
Akainu said, "We can't burn it; there's still evidence of the victims inside."
"Then seal it up."
"The Throne is being activated."
"Who gave it the authority to invoke this?"
Akainu did not answer.
Lin Qi stood up.
"Transfer all uncontrolled files to me first."
Nami turned to look at him.
"Are you crazy?"
It was going to come to me anyway.
"If you bring them over, what will happen to the people on the White Ship?"
"Let the people at the bottom of the boat finish speaking first."
Do you know what he'll say?
"Have no idea."
"Then why did you answer?"
Lin Qi looked down at the bottom of the boat.
"Because he has already saved the names of more than 1,700 people for us, if he wanted to harm people, he wouldn't have sent out Mother's name first."
Mo'er said, "We can't judge based on that."
"Then on what grounds?"
"Whether he can refuse the handover depends on his ability."
Lin Qi squatted down again.
"Hey, you inside, can you hear me?"
There was a tap on the bottom of the boat.
"If you can refuse the handover, knock twice."
Two knocks came from the bottom of the boat.
Nami picked up the map and quickly drew a new isolation line.
"Lin Qi, you can only receive text, not names."
"Know."
"I cannot answer the question about the Throne."
"Know."
"Don't let it register you as Maintainer, Custodian, container, witness, or any other role that requires you to take responsibility."
"Know."
"Also, you're not allowed to sign it yourself."
Lin Qi glanced at her.
When did I ever sign it myself?
"You always say you'll ask first, but you always end up doing the work."
That's because you asked too slowly.
Nami shoved the pen into his hand.
"If you dare to cause trouble this time, I'll tie your hands first."
Buggy said from the other end, "You need rope to tie their hands. My delivery ship has standard cargo rope, the price..."
"Shut up."
"A deposit is also required for the five witnesses."
"Buggy."
I'm not saying anything more.
Three more taps were made on the bottom of the boat.
The Lingering Voice, "He's urging me."
Lin Qi asked, "Why are you rushing me?"
Lingering Voice placed their hands on the deck.
He said the Handoff Point was about to open.
A section of the seawater beneath the crack receded.
A square iron gate was visible at the bottom of the White Ship. The gate was unlocked, and there was only a handprint soaked in seawater.
A line of text was written next to the handprint.
[Only two people are allowed to be present during the handover.]
Nami looked at Lin Qi.
You can't go in.
"Who's going in?"
Mo'er said, "I."
A Hui said, "I'll go too."
Only two people are allowed.
Lin Qi pointed to that hand.
One of them is someone inside.
He wasn't present.
Who made that rule?
New text appears on the Throne Page.
[Those present must have verifiable identities]
Lin Qi picked up his pen and added a line below.
[Victims whose identities are hidden are not disqualified from being present because of the concealment.]
The voting screens for all five seats lit up simultaneously.
Garp pressed the button on the Navy Seat.
Dragon pressed down on the Revolutionary Army Seat.
Makino pressed down on the Civilian Witness Seats.
The Lingering Voice to confirm the Medical Seat for Kuja.
Buggy was the last to be imprinted.
The handprints on the iron gate began to loosen.
The lower hand did not leave.
Lin Qi looked at it.
"You want me to get down?"
Two taps were made on the bottom of the boat.
"You don't want me to take you away?"
Two times.
"Then who do you want me to take back?"
There was no response.
Lin Qi waited for a while.
A cough came from the bottom of the boat.
Second tone.
Third tone.
Lingering Voice stood up, holding onto the edge of the bed.
He wasn't answering.
What is that?
He's reminding you that there are other people downstairs.
The iron gate opened inward.
A stream of seawater, smelling of rust and old paper, surged out, with a disassembled ship's nameplate floating in the water.
The ship's registration plate displays the takeover number.
However, there is a line of words that were engraved on the back later.
[Actual number of people remaining on board: three]
Mo'er stared at the line of text.
"A third person is also here."
A Hui asked, "Who?"
The hand at the bottom of the boat loosened its grip on the plank and pointed deep into the iron gate.
Lin Qi's computer screen lit up on the communication terminal.
The black file opens automatically.
A new Handover Page appeared on all the Sky Screen.
[First person to hand over the reins: Mo'er]
[Second Handover Person: Lin Qi]
[Third handover person: Incomplete]
A line of small print slowly appears at the bottom of the page.
[Please bring Lin Qi back to the Handoff Point before the Third Person wakes up.]