The footsteps stopped behind Lin Qi
"Don't turn around yet."
Nami's hand reached across the communication projection and pointed to the Black Line at Lin Qi's feet.
The footsteps had stopped.
Stop behind him.
Lin Qi looked at himself on the computer screen. A wet streak appeared at the edge of the screen, creeping up his shoulder and finally stopping at the back of his neck, out of his sight.
"You came from here?"
No one answered from behind.
"Were you waiting for me?"
The Black Line beneath his feet lifted up a bit and tapped on the ship's deck.
Hold your ear close to the communication cable to record the sound.
He said yes.
He didn't knock.
"The White Ship has been knocked on."
Lingering Voice raised his wrist, and the record on the Paper Thread lit up twice.
"The whole ship was speaking on his behalf."
Nami rolled up the map and placed it between Lin Qi and the Black Line.
"Then don't ask questions that require a choice."
He can only knock.
How did you know?
"It's been like this for a while now."
"The hand that was knocking from inside the door was knocking just now. Can anyone prove that the same hand is answering now?"
Lin Qi didn't respond.
The water trail behind him climbed further up, and the wetness on the computer screen was already touching his ears.
Mo'er spoke, leaning on the ship's railing.
Ask me something you've never said before.
What if he can't say it?
That confirms he'll only use your records.
Lin Qi thought for a while.
"Which barrel of liquor is the worst in the Tavern?"
His voice came from behind me.
"The third bucket on the east wall."
Nami immediately turned to the computer.
"You said this?"
"I said that."
"When?"
"When Garp was in debt."
Garp coughed from the other end of the Den Den Mushi.
"I only said that the wine in that barrel tasted bitter, not that it was unpleasant to drink."
You drank seven cups.
That's to make sure every cup is bitter.
"Don't worry about the cost of the drinks yet."
Dragon drowned out Garp's voice.
"Lin Qi, ask again."
Lin Qi still didn't turn around.
"Where did Makino put the keys yesterday?"
The voice behind me came a moment later.
"Under the counter."
Makino said, "Wrong, I hung it inside my apron."
Robin flips through the record pages.
"Lin Qi mentioned it under the counter, three months ago."
"So it will only use what I've said."
"It can also be pieced together."
Nami circled the wet spot with her pen.
"That answer you just gave, the first half came from your question, and the second half came from an old record; it was impersonating you."
The foot behind moved forward one step.
The Black Line touched the edge of Lin Qi's shoe and then stopped.
"Don't come near."
Lin Qi took a half step forward, making sure his foot didn't touch the line.
Can you say something I didn't say?
The voice answered.
"Cannot."
Robin's hand, which was turning the page, paused at the edge of the paper.
"What about this sentence?"
"Lin Qi said that."
Mo'er pointed to the record in the basement where the Black Cup was sealed.
A Hui asked him if he could take the Echo away, and he answered no.
A Hui looked at Mo'er.
"You remember it clearly."
"That sentence almost made us lock the door again."
Lin Qi raised his hand and touched the frame of the computer.
"Don't you have your own words?"
The voice behind answered.
"I don't remember."
"Is this line mine too?"
Nami said, "You mentioned it when you were asked about your real name."
"Whose words do you remember?"
"I don't remember."
"You want to take the name from me?"
"Cannot."
"You want to be Lin Qi?"
"I don't remember."
Lin Qi tapped the table twice.
It can't answer that.
Mo'er said, "It didn't answer; it just looked for a useful phrase in your notes."
"Then why did it walk behind me?"
"Because it needs to touch you."
What happens after you encounter it?
Your words will fill its gaps, and its records will fill yours.
Nami immediately said, "Lin Qi, move forward."
"I'll ask you one more question."
"As you walk, ask questions."
Lin Qi took two steps forward.
Two steps followed behind.
The Black Line remained half an inch behind the shoe, neither touching it nor retreating back to the iron gate.
"You absolutely have to come with me?"
"Know."
"This sentence is used incorrectly."
Robin turned to the previous page of the record.
"Nami just said that the Throne can't register you under any identity, Lin Qi answered 'I know' several times in a row, taking it once."
Lin Qi twirled the pen in his hand.
You understand, but you can't answer.
"Know."
Are you afraid I'll lock you back inside?
"Know."
"You want to stay?"
"Know."
Nami raised her hand and pressed down on his pen.
"Don't continue, it will count every 'know' as a confirmation."
"I didn't let it verify my identity."
"It's just missing a phrase to complete the sentence."
A cough came from below the White Ship.
The hand gripping the base plate tapped it six times, the fingernails pushing the softened paper scraps into the crack.
After listening to the Lingering Voice, speak.
"The people below said, 'Don't let it hear a complete sentence.'"
What complete sentence?
He said the unfinished record was waiting for Lin Qi to say, "I'm willing to take you with me."
Lin Qi looked at the iron gate.
"I already said I was taking Lin Qi with me."
So it came to the door.
"What else is it missing?"
Mo'er pointed to the Handover Page on the computer.
The name of the Second Handover Person has been peeled off, but the Black Line indicating the Third Presence is still visible.
That line has no connection name.
The link leads to a Blank answer.
It needs your answer on who to take with it.
Nami folded the Blank paper.
"We must not let Lin Qi reveal anyone's name."
A voice spoke from behind.
I'm willing to take you away.
The communication terminal went silent.
Lin Qi turned his head away, still not turning back.
I never said that.
"He only said half of it."
Robin took out two pages of notes.
"You said 'I'm willing,' and you said you'd take me away; these came from two separate rescues, and they pieced the two pieces together."
"It's practicing."
Vegapunk's voice came from behind the equipment.
"With each question, it can use a little more sentences. Once it pieces together a complete answer, Third Person present will complete the recording."
Lin Qi asked, "Who will be taken away?"
Vegapunk did not answer immediately.
The dampness from the computer screen seeped across Lin Qi's shoulder and clung to the Handover Page.
[Handover and response completion progress: 17]
[Required complete answer: 21]
Nami dragged the Den Den Mushi to the table.
"Only four sections away."
"Then don't let it listen to me."
"From now on, don't speak."
Lin Qi pursed his lips and picked up his pen to write on the paper.
[If it can only borrow Lin Qi's words, can we prohibit it from replacing its own will with spliced content?]
The Throne Page was covered with paper.
[A: The spliced content is considered to be my own expression]
[B: Missing information will be supplemented by the Handover Clerk.]
[C: Those without the ability to express themselves are automatically included in the record]
Lin Qi's pen stopped at the fourth line.
Nami gripped the pen.
"You write it, don't read it aloud."
The fourth option appears on the page.
[D: The spliced content is only saved as a forced record and may not be used for identity verification, handover, or determination of intent. Independent Expression is allowed for this record.]
Garp pressed confirm first.
"Navy Seat, D."
The dragon followed closely behind.
"Revolutionary Army Seat, D."
Makino said, "The Civilian Witness Seat choose D."
The person who Lingering Voice placed the Paper Thread on the Medical Seat.
"Even if he can't speak his own words, he should at least be considered alive; therefore, the Medical Seat should be D."
Buggy has yet to be officially recognized.
Nami turned her head.
What are you waiting for?
"I'm wondering if there should be a delivery fee for Independent Expression."
"Buggy."
"Just kidding, Pirate Seat D."
Five votes were cast.
The handover and response process stopped at point seventeen.
The footsteps behind them also stopped.
Lin Qi remained silent, only writing on the paper.
You don't have to use my voice.
The Black Line crossed his feet and touched the paper.
No text appeared.
Lin Qi wrote again.
[A drawing is also acceptable]
A door is drawn with Black Line.
A faceless person stood outside the door, while a hand reached out from inside.
[Tapping is also acceptable]
The ship's deck creaked.
[You can choose not to answer]
There was no knocking this time.
Lin Qi waited a moment, then wrote the last line.
[If you don't want to be Lin Qi, push this piece of paper away.]
The paper slid forward along the ship's deck, bumping into Nami's shoe tip.
The dampness on the computer screen receded from Lin Qi's shoulder.
The Name Lines on the White Ship loosened, and the records of the mother, who had already been transferred, no longer shrunk towards the communication terminal.
The Zixuan voice came first.
My name is back.
Haruka continued, "The receiving page has also stopped."
Seiya repeated his protected name twice on the other end of the Den Den Mushi to make sure the words on the paper hadn't been removed again.
Lin Qi took back the Blank page and wrote with his back to the footsteps.
You don't want to be me, right?
The Black Line was not tapped.
It dragged three crooked characters out from the edge of the paper.
Don't look back.
Nami saw this and asked, "Why can't you turn around?"
The fourth character was written much more slowly.
[Shameless]
Lin Qi turned the page halfway around.
Who took your face?
The moment the words left his mouth, the handover progress jumped from seventeen to eighteen.
Nami raised her hand and covered his mouth.
The Black Line crawled along the ship's planks toward the iron gate, leaving a sentence at the entrance that did not belong to Lin Qi's record.
Don't let me become like you.