I am the Bandit King of the East Sea.

Unexpectedly, the pandaren became even more excited than Sieg after hearing this answer. He murmured for a long time, as if he had something to say.

“You are indeed special in this period of history, and my observation has not been in vain,” he said deeply.

"Hmm?" Sig narrowed his eyes.

He gently raised his palm, and the ground beneath his feet undulated like waves, with small hills rising up within a kilometer radius, vaguely surrounding the two panda-man and trapping them within.

The telekinetic powers are poised to be unleashed; should the Pandaren make any move, this place will instantly transform into a prison.

Pandaman is an Easter egg character in One Piece, and he often appears in different locations as the main story progresses.

The panda man followed the Straw Hat Pirates, adventuring with them across various seas.

He was by Shanks' side, Big Mom's Whole Cake Island, Marine Headquarters, and even left his signature on the Poneglyph of Alabasta.

He was even on Roger's pirate crew in the flashback story, and he even sat on the Empty Throne in Mary Geoise.

The Pandaren are the second person, after Im, to have ever sat on the Void Throne... as depicted on the comic book cover.

This was originally just an Easter egg character; he was insignificant and unrelated to the story's progression.

If Siegfried is the movie star who brings storms wherever he goes, then Siegfried is the center of a vortex.

So the panda is like a best extra who goes around in different scenes. Wherever there is filming, there he is. He silently acts, silently collects his lunch box and leaves, and then rushes to the next scene. No one ever notices him.

But when this person comes to life and appears in this world, the many things he has done become truly terrifying upon closer examination.

Roger, the Four Emperors, the Navy Admirals, even Mary Geoise, the core of the World Government... He has been to many places, yet no one has ever noticed his unusual behavior.

Long ago, Sigmund had informed Rayleigh and Shanks about this matter while they were in the Sabaody Archipelago. Rayleigh and Shanks even expressed their intention to investigate the Pandaren.

However, the matter was eventually dropped, and even the Four Emperors' forces failed to find any trace of it.

A character who is terrifying upon closer examination.

So, who exactly is he?

"Tell me, who are you, and why are you following me?" Sig asked the question that had been on his mind for a long time.

To avoid the Panda Man tarnishing his reputation by accusing him of using zero-dollar shopping, Sig decided to strike first.

"Relax, relax, I mean no harm." The panda also noticed the changes in the surrounding ground and keenly sensed Sieg's hostility.

He shrugged and said:

"I've never met someone like you, who is completely unaffected by Devil Fruit powers, before, in hundreds of years."

"As for who I am..."

The Pandaren's gaze was deep and unfathomable. He didn't look at Sig, but instead focused his gaze on the Poneglyph stone below the World Tree, which was kept by the giants.

“I’m about the same as it,” the panda said softly, his eyes filled with the vicissitudes of time.

Clearly, he has a story to tell and is not a young man.

“…” Sig paused, then tentatively asked:

"Are you a historical stone that has come to life?"

"...No." Now it was the Pandaren's turn to be speechless.

His previous solemn demeanor was instantly shattered by Sieg, and he could no longer maintain his mysterious facade.

"I am one of the people responsible for recording history in this vast kingdom," the pandaren stated frankly, gazing at the ruins of the kingdom's city before him, and sighing softly.

"Historian, supervisor, recorder, call me whatever you like."

"Have you ever heard of Fruit Awakening?" the panda asked.

"Fruits are creations of the Great Kingdom. And if a fruit is developed to its fullest potential, there is a realm called Awakening, which can be described as a qualitative change from quantitative change, completely different from the original state."

"And I exist as a historian. The abnormal attributes of this body are also an effect of the consequences of awakening."

Sieg paused for a moment, then guessed:

"You are an immortal being who underwent the Op-Op Fruit modification, the immortality surgery?"

The panda's eyes lit up, and he nodded.

"You know more than I thought."

"The vast majority of Devil Fruits' ability to alter reality requires the power of the user to maintain it."

"But if it's the awakened Ope Ope no Mi, a subcategory of Devil Fruits, then it's possible to develop techniques with permanent effects."

"The price is the death of the awakened ability user," the Pandaman said.

"The person who gave me the Op-Op Fruit back then is already dead, and I was the test subject for the 'Time Historian' project."

"The initial purpose of researching and developing fruits was to improve productivity and completely solve the resource problem."

"But when the powerful and scientists realized that the fruit had the power to distort the laws of physics, they had even greater desires."

For example...

"Immortality," the pandaren murmured.

"Immortality and eternal life have been humanity's ultimate dream since ancient times," the panda-man said.

"Among all the fruits, the Op-Op Fruit is the only one that promises immortality, which is why it is called the ultimate fruit."

"The Op-Op Fruit was already developed hundreds of years ago," the Pandaman continued to explain.

"In theory, this fruit has the potential to grant immortality, but this is cutting-edge science, and whether it will actually live as we expect is anyone's guess."

"Of course, you know the result." The panda man pointed to himself:

"As an experimental subject, I participated in the 'Time Historian' project and thus gained eternal life, which continues to this day."

"The Great Kingdom is a vast and complex nation, with numerous factions and diverse elements within it."

"For example, in the face of resource shortage, some people have proposed to rely on research and development of fruits, while others have studied the giantification of organisms and the breeding of large numbers of fish and marine mammals in windless zones."

"Others argue that planetary resources are ultimately limited, and that we should undertake another interstellar migration to explore deeper into outer space."

"These disputes are always ongoing, with constant competition and internal friction, and no one can convince anyone else."

"The Time Historian Project envisions an immortal being, independent of time, serving as the historian to record history from an eternal third-party perspective, learning from history, setting aside disputes, and distinguishing right from wrong."

"In the end, they chose a lone wolf...that is, me."

Sig listened quietly as he finished speaking, but his doubts only grew stronger.

“Your identity is definitely more than just that of an immortal.” Sieg was well aware of the Pandaren’s unusual nature:

"Besides being an immortal being, you are also a Devil Fruit user, possessing a Devil Fruit ability that can influence the memories of others?" Sig guessed.

"It's not entirely wrong; the actual situation is more complex," the panda said, shaking his head.

"The experiment with immortals was successful, but the plan of the Time Historian failed."

"Even if a person is a lonely individual with no relatives or friends who have long since passed away, as long as he still exists in this country, he will always be influenced by groups of all sizes within the country."

"A historian who is always objective and neutral does not exist."

"As long as historians live in this world, they will inevitably be influenced by human affairs."

"Then, what if this historian... doesn't exist?" The panda looked directly into Sig's eyes, his expression neither joyful nor sorrowful.

hiss....

Sig sat up slightly and took it seriously.

He vaguely guessed what it was, but upon closer reflection, he felt confused and couldn't quite put his finger on it.

“And this is the second stage of the Time Historian.” The Pandaren’s gaze fell on the stone containing the Poneglyph, and he said:

“Joey Boy’s choice is similar to that of the Great Kingdom.”

"He found a very strong stone, and when he carved words on it, the stone would still record history faithfully even after thousands of years."

“But…” The panda looked around and saw the devastated ruins of the city, and his heart ached.

"When this great kingdom fell, when their writing and culture were forgotten by the world and could no longer be deciphered by later generations... then these stones are nothing more than ordinary stones that are a little older."

"The existence of the Time Historian changes the recorder of history from stone to an immortal historian who walks alone on the river of history."

"The historian is a living, yet nonexistent... immortal ghost."

At this point, the pandaren slowly walked towards Sieg and stood in front of him.

"You want to know what I am, don't you? Use your own hands to experience it."

The panda extended a hand toward Sig.

Sig hesitated for a moment.

He hesitated, wondering whether to use his Imagine Breaker right hand, which could remove the effects of Devil Fruits, or his ordinary left hand.

After hesitating for a moment, he finally extended his left hand, mentally preparing himself for the challenge.

After all, the Pandaren haven't shown any hostility so far, so there's no need to make enemies.

The moment he touched the panda's hand, he was startled.

“You’re not a living person, nor are you a member of the Mink Tribe…” Sig frowned.

As the panda approached and touched him, Sig discovered a shocking truth.

The arm he touched didn't feel alive to him; it felt like a lifeless mannequin.

He finally understood why, whenever he encountered a Pandaren again, he always felt there was a subtle difference between them and the Mink Tribe.

So, is the Pandaren actually a cyborg like Franky? Or a robot? Could a robot be made an immortal time historian?

Sieg vaguely sensed that something was amiss, and a series of thoughts flashed through his mind.

“Your body…” Sieg vaguely realized something, and his heart skipped a beat:

"This is a toy-like body created by the user of the Hobby-Hobby Fruit!"

The panda silently withdrew his hand and then nodded.

"As I just said, the difference between the fruits of awakening and the fruits of not being awakened is a qualitative change, a world of difference."

"The Surgery Fruit can grant permanent immortality, while the Awakening of the Childhood Fruit grants permanent toys."

"A toy with a permanent forgetting contract, forever in effect, and constantly being forgotten by the world."