Sig's shadow merged into Oz's still-damaged body...
Only then did Moria realize—had I been a bit too hasty? Thinking about it carefully, it seemed that agreeing wouldn't bring much benefit!
However, since Sig had already signed for the "goods," Moria had no better options and could only continue to convince himself with the same reasons he had given before.
This is also one of the limitations of "Psychological Suggestion"—once the suggestion stops, it's easy to realize the truth afterward.
Only by using deeper levels of hypnosis can the other person continue to subconsciously ignore it.
However, deep hypnosis not only requires rituals but also has more limitations. The stronger Observation Haki, the easier it is to detect and gradually break the hypnotic effect. Sig, the possessor of Conqueror's Haki, is now almost unable to be deeply hypnotized.
In comparison, "Battle Hypnosis" and "Psychological Suggestion" are both short-term effects and are easier to achieve; the only question is the magnitude of the effect—if Observation Haki is too strong, the effect will definitely not be good.
"Oz's body hasn't frozen yet; Hogback will proceed with..."
Moria was halfway through his sentence when Sig interrupted, "No need. I've been studying surgery lately, I can fix it myself."
"Huh?" Moria looked over in surprise.
He did know that Sig had been reading medical books lately and often talked to Hogback about something, but Moria clearly didn't think it was knowledge that could be acquired quickly.
When Moria was searching for someone who could repair corpses to complement his own abilities, he specifically compiled relevant information—a genius like Hogback is hard to find another like him on the high seas!
When Moria found Hogback, he discovered him silently staring at a corpse, which delighted Moria... Without this connection, it would have been difficult for him to invite Hogback to sea!
Moria wasn't surprised by how quickly Sig grasped the "requirement," but rather... where did you Sig this inexplicable confidence?
"Don't worry, I'm confident." Sig reassured Moria.
However, Moria was still worried that Sig was causing trouble— Oz's body was "lent" to him, not "given" to him!
Moria even secretly considered whether he could also capture Sig's "Pale Soul" later.
"Then I will cooperate with Mr. Siegfried," Hogback said sinisterly.
Upon hearing this, Moria nodded in satisfaction—in his view, this showed that Hogback was very cooperative with him.
Otherwise, given Hogback's arrogance, how could he possibly "cooperate" with an outsider like Sig, even if only nominally!
It was clearly Hogback who offered to help him monitor Sig to prevent him from messing around, and he said this to be considerate of Sig's feelings!
Sig glanced at Hogback and agreed as well.
At this time, Hogback was still very thin, as his body had been greatly affected by his previous grief.
Sig estimates that Hogback's round body in the original work was the result of self-modification!
Judging from Moria's reaction, Hogback did not tell Moria that Sig had already mastered seven or eight tenths of his surgical skills.
Hogback joined Moria's crew for two reasons: first, to truly resurrect Sindori; and second, to satisfy his increasingly perverse scientific research needs—he was now thoroughly enjoying his research on flesh and blood.
Sig even suspected that if things continued like this, ten years from now, Hogback might prefer zombies to Sindori...
Compared to the simple-minded Moria, Hogback actually had more in common with Sig. Firstly, Sig's expertise in Hogback's increasingly skewed surgical skills was already quite high. Secondly... Hogback gradually discovered that, in terms of the soul, although Sig didn't have Moria's simple and crude abilities, theoretically speaking, Sig actually had a deeper grasp of it.
Moria is just a simpleton who can cut things up, relying solely on his Devil Fruit ability for convenience. Sig, on the other hand, is more like a researcher when it comes to the soul; he studies and understands rather than squandering his power.
Therefore, Hogback is actually closer to Sig in his heart right now—and that's without Sig deliberately trying to win him over!
To have Hogback keep an eye on Sig? And to have Hogback leave some means on Oz to counter Sig?
Moria is overthinking it...
If Sig wanted to, he could probably take Oz and Hogback with him when he left.
Of course, Sig didn't like the latter.
Because this guy was constantly tempting Sig to venture into forbidden territory with him.
Sig had no doubt that studying the existence of flesh and blood with Hogback would definitely allow him to impersonate the Rose Bishop more quickly. However, Sig did not want to use this method. Otherwise, even with the abilities of Psychiatrist to constantly adjust his mindset, his personality would likely be gradually affected by the impersonation.
Sig just wanted to get as far away from this guy who had bewitched him as possible...
However, since Moria trusts Hogback so much, Sig will take advantage of that to keep Moria at bay for now.
After Moria left, Hogback asked enticingly, "Are you really going to repair this big guy yourself? Do you need some guidance?"
"No, our methods are probably quite different." Sig declined the offer.
At this moment, Sig stared at the newly thawed Oz, and for some reason, he felt like he was looking in a mirror—the two of them were obviously nothing alike, but now Oz had incorporated a part of Sig's image and was also under Sig's control.
However, at the same time, Sig could also feel that his "Pale Soul" within Oz's body was constantly being corrupted—this was the will inherent in the corpse itself!
Even after death, the body still retains the will of the original owner, a will that exists only in the Mind Body, without a Spirit Body or Astral Body.
The reason for this is, in principle, related to the rules governing the connection between flesh and soul in this world.
The most obvious manifestation is that in the original work, the zombies created by Moria Oldest One had personalities that were more similar to the owners of the shadows. However, due to Moria's ability, the consciousness originating from the shadows would weaken over time. In addition, with the influence of flesh and blood, the longer the zombies were created, the more they would resemble the personalities of the corpses' owners!
The owner of the corpse is undoubtedly dead and will not truly be resurrected. However, in this world, flesh and blood will contain power at the level of the Mind Body. After the shadow at the level of the Astral Body merges in, the Mind Body of the flesh and blood will parasitize the Astral Body of the shadow...
Although Sig's Pale Soul was not restricted, it was still constantly being corrupted, and Sig was constantly using the ability of the "Visionary" to suppress this corruption.
The reason Sig wanted Oz's corpse was not so much for combat power, but rather... to use it as a stepping stone to study the secrets of flesh and blood, in order to facilitate the role of the Rose Bishop!
Assimilating the flesh and blood of a dead body is less psychologically stressful than directly consuming the flesh and blood of a living being.
Furthermore, Oz's corpse is extremely powerful and mysterious. Analyzing it might eliminate the need to assimilate more corpses, thus alleviating Sig's psychological burden and preventing him from becoming increasingly insane in his role...
Under Hogback's watchful gaze, Sig walked step by step toward Oz, until... he completely entered Oz's body!
Hogback, witnessing this incredible scene, revealed an even more intrigued... even crazed expression.
Dongdong: Two updates today, sob sob.