For some reason, when they saw Randall's smile, the pirates suddenly seemed to understand what Quest had meant by "devil."
"Do you really want to know?"
Randall asked with a smile.
Jinx swallowed despite himself, but still said:
"I'm curious."
"Since you want to know, I'll explain."
To his surprise, Randall readily agreed.
Immediately, all the pirates quietly pricked up their ears.
"It's actually quite simple. That punch didn't attack his body, but his nervous system.
"Oh, I forgot you might not know what a nervous system is.
"Anyway, all you need to know is that this punch traps him in an illusion.
"And what happens in that illusion comes from his own mind—the things he fears most.
"Oh, right. Time flows differently in the illusion than it does in reality.
"He was unconscious for a few minutes in reality, but he'd already lived through several years in the illusion."
Randall spoke casually.
At first, hearing about an illusion hadn't particularly bothered the pirates.
But when they heard that the illusion would contain their worst fears, every face changed.
And when they heard that this illusion would last for years, they all broke out in a cold sweat.
They felt as though an invisible nightmare had surrounded them, leaving them unable to breathe.
"Oh, I forgot to mention something. Besides the illusions that arise on their own, I can actually control them too.
"For instance, I could make you fall into endless darkness.
"There's nothing there. Just you, all alone.
"You can't speak, hear, or see.
"There's no food, but you won't starve to death.
"There's no water, but you won't die of thirst.
"You'll remain awake forever, and your mind won't break.
"There, even time stands still, and everything returns to nothingness.
"There, you have only yourself.
"One second