In that instant, a name suddenly appeared in Loa's mind. Some voice in the back of his mind told him she was called Edith.
It was like the skills he had learned when leveling up: information had been fed straight into his mind, bringing instant understanding. This time, though, something was different.
It felt like looking at flowers through fog. Something still stood between him and the answer.
What did she mean, "If you want me to, I exist"?
Did that mean the owner of that lovely voice was nothing more than a figment of his imagination?
Even her name?
"Edith."
To Loa's surprise, she didn't seem startled that he knew her name. Her voice sounded close enough to touch, yet all he saw before him was blank space.
"What? Isn't that your name? Or do you not like it?"
"That's not the issue," the voice replied. "It's because... never mind. You'll find out eventually."
"Oh, is that so? Then I'll call you Edith for now."
Without giving her a chance to object, Loa settled it himself.
"All right, if that's what you want." She sounded rather exasperated, but she didn't argue.
After a pause, she went on. "I know you have plenty of questions. We have three minutes before we return to the One Piece World, so ask whatever you want."
"Three minutes is plenty."
Loa nodded and asked the question that had been bothering him all along.
"Where did my skills go?!"
"Uh..."
She had expected him to ask a string of philosophical questions about her origins and background. She hadn't expected him to care about that.
"What? Don't tell me you don't know either!" Loa asked, his face tense. "Do you have any idea how quickly I learned new moves when I had skill icons? Now I