This Ancient History Has Only Two Words Written in It (Bonus Chapter for "Strolling Leisurely")

"Boss, Mr. Edward is your first 'crew member'."

"Right."

"And what about your ship?"

"Foolish! Are ships such inconvenient things? What are you riding now?"

"The Blue-Eyes White Dragon is certainly wonderful, but it's not a ship. Can it dive?"

"In fact, it is possible. Furthermore, we're about to begin our 'diving' now."

"Nani--Gurgle gurgle--"

Amid Robin's scream, the Blue-Eyes White Dragon crashed headfirst into the seven-thousand-meter-high White Sea.

The endless Sea Cloud, like the endless seawater, effectively shut Robin up from saying the rest of her words.

Fun fact.

The "Sea Cloud" of Sky Island also have a restraining effect on Devil Fruit User, just like the real ocean.

A feeling of weakness and powerlessness seeped into every part of Robin's body; she could barely maintain her seated position.

If it weren't for a pair of Clay Arm firmly gripping Robin's legs...

She would most likely fall off the Blue-Eyes White Dragon's back and perish directly in this boundless white Sea Cloud.

When the Blue-Eyes White Dragon broke through the thick White Sea.

Robin felt a sudden lightness in her body. With her eyes closed, the first words she uttered were—

"Am I finally dead...?"

"Just a little bit more!"

Storm's words reached Robin's ears at just the right moment.

The archaeologist suddenly opened her eyes, and what came into view was a vast sea of clouds.

Such a beautiful and magnificent natural landscape is definitely not something that "hell" should have.

"Boss."

"Um?"

"You... never mind."

"It doesn't count yet~"

"Um?"

"The 'sea' we just crossed was called the 'White Sea.' Now... can you see the Sea Cloud overhead?"

"No--ah--glug-glug--"

When the Blue-Eyes White Dragon once again pierced through the White Sea.

Robin, covered in white Sea Cloud, looked as if she had endured some indescribable torment.

She lay limply on the back of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon, too weak to even stand up and retaliate against Storm.

"Boss."

"Um."

"You're a bit petty."

"Um?"

"Will we have to go through another layer of Sea Cloud later?"

Robin asked, somewhat resignedly.

"Will there be another sixteen layers of Sea Cloud following?"

"What do you take this place for? The eighteen levels of hell?"

Storm walked over to Robin and looked down at the archaeologist lying on the dragon's back.

"I have good news for you. We have now reached Sky Island at an altitude of over 10,000 meters."

"If we keep flying higher, we might end up on the moon."

"Tsk! I have to say, from this perspective, Robin, you..."

"His skin is a bit dark."

Hearing Storm's last words.

Robin, seemingly finding a sudden surge of strength, forced himself to sit up and glared at Storm.

But the next second, she was weak and powerless as she lay back on the Blue-Eyes White Dragon's back.

"Huff... huff... my body feels so uncomfortable, the air is so thin up there."

"It's clearly because you're too inactive."

Storm shook his head and gave Robin some time to adjust to the high-altitude environment at 10,000 meters.

"Why don't you rest for a while?"

The Blue-Eyes White Dragon flew slowly forward, and in no time it arrived above the Skypiea.

The White Dragon over the lush forest and into the ruins of the golden city of Shandora.

During Enel's rule over Sky Island.

To build the "Ark Maxim," he plundered vast amounts of gold from the ruins of Shandora.

What should have been a magnificent and beautiful golden city is now nothing but a scene of desolation.

Storm surveyed the ancient ruins, now devoid of gold, from his abode on the Blue-Eyes White Dragon, searching for his target.

A massive Golden Bell, located deep within the ruins, came into his view.

That's it!

Storm rode the Blue-Eyes White Dragon toward the location of the Golden Bell.

When the Blue-Eyes White Dragon to the vicinity of the Golden Bell.

Robin had rested enough.

She forced herself to sit up straight, eager to admire the legendary "Sky Island."

But when she saw the Golden Bell standing quietly on the platform directly in front of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon...

Robin's eyes widened instantly.

What she cared about wasn't that Golden Bell that clearly bore the marks of history.

Rather, it is beneath the Golden Bell, on that enormous stone imprinted with strangely shaped square characters!

"That's... the Ancient Poneglyph!"

"That's right, this is the Ancient Poneglyph."

Storm rode the Blue-Eyes White Dragon and slowly landed on the ground near the Golden Bell.

"Archaeologist, what did you just say to me?"

With the Ancient Poneglyph right before her eyes, Robin had to consider whether this might be her only chance in this lifetime.

Adhering to the principle of "seeking truth from facts," Robin looked at Storm and praised him without any blush.

"I'd say you... are the most generous and magnanimous boss in the world!"

"That's good. Think of more words next time; I love hearing them."

Storm shrunk the Blue-Eyes White Dragon, and he and Robin came to the ground.

Ignoring his boss's new request, Robin ran towards the Golden Bell the moment he landed.

In the decade or so since escaping Ohara.

Robin went through countless hardships, but only managed to see one piece of the Poneglyph.

But that was several years ago...

After Robin left the West Blue and entered the Grand Line.

Sand Crocodile learned that she possessed the ability to decipher Poneglyph, so he recruited her into his ranks.

However, Crocodile did not provide Robin with the Ancient Poneglyph...

According to Crocodile, there is definitely a hidden Poneglyph in Alabasta.

The Nefertari Family, the royal family of Alabasta, has guarded the Poneglyph for generations.

To obtain that Poneglyph, we must plan carefully and proceed gradually.

He fought off pirates as Shichibukai, becoming a hero of Alabasta.

At the same time, he secretly instigated chaos in the country, leading to the king's downfall;

Finally, as Shichibukai, he seized the throne and became the new king of Alabasta!

Robin admits that Sand Crocodile's "plan to steal the country" was very detailed and comprehensive.

However.

This grand scheme to steal the country hadn't even had a chance to fully unfold.

Then the White Dragon arrived...

Robin ultimately did not get to witness the Poneglyph that the Alabasta royal family had guarded for generations, which was in Sand Crocodile's mouth.

She thought she would miss a rare opportunity to access the Poneglyph.

Unexpectedly, a Golden Bell actually exists on the Sky Island!

This is a piece of Ancient Poneglyph!

Robin walked firmly to the front of the Golden Bell.

Beneath the base of the Golden Bell stands a massive stone monument, imbued with the weight of time.

This is the Poneglyph!

Robin unleashes the power of the [Hana Hana no Mi] (Flower-Flower Fruit) to gently brush away the thick moss covering the Poneglyph.

The Ancient Poneglyph revealed themselves before her.

Robin recalled how to read Ancient Script and began reading the contents of the Ancient Poneglyph word by word.

"Ancient Weapon bearing the name of a god, the location of Poseidon..."

"Hidden in the deepest part of the ocean, ten thousand meters below the surface, lies Fish-Man Island..."

Ancient Weapon, Poseidon!

As Robin gazed at the text recorded on the Ancient Poneglyph before him, his pupils instantly contracted to a single point.

This Ancient Poneglyph located on the Sky Island actually records important information about Ancient Weapon!

And it wasn't even [Pluton, the Pluton] that Crocodile had been pursuing so desperately.

It is another Ancient Weapon that also possesses the title of "god"—[Poseidon]!

Robin imprinted the information recorded in the Ancient Poneglyph deeply into his mind.

Just then, Storm's voice suddenly rang out from the side.

"So, are you satisfied with this Ancient Poneglyph?"

"Satisfied? Of course I'm satisfied!"

Robin was startled and turned to look at Storm, who had appeared beside her at some point.

"Boss, is this why you brought me to Sky Island?"

"That's right."

Storm stared at the Ancient Poneglyph before him, oblivious to the change in Robin's expression beside him.

The moment the words "That's right" came out of Storm's mouth.

The gleam in Robin's eyes dimmed considerably in an instant.

So it turns out that the White Dragon, like the Sand Crocodile, was only after my "knowledge," and the legendary "Ancient Weapon"...

But before Storm could finish speaking, he stared at the Ancient Poneglyph in front of him and began to speak to himself.

"To be honest, I wasn't planning on recruiting you, Nicole Robin."

I don't care about the history of this world either.

"What 'Void Century,' what 'Great Kingdom,' what 'D Clan,' what 'Ancient Weapon'..."

"This history has no dates; on each page, written crookedly, are the words 'God saves mankind.'"

"The more you learn about history, the more disgusting it becomes."

"The so-called ancient history is really just two words written between the lines—"

"Nika!"

When he said the last two words, Storm seemed to grit his teeth.

He once naively believed that "the Pirate King is the freest man on this sea."

And the result?

Oh.

Robin, standing to the side, was completely dumbfounded.

She knew that her new boss possessed many secrets about the sea.

For example, there's the "little secret of the Sand Crocodile" that she's never mentioned but has been secretly observing.

For example... the news of Haguwar D. Sauro's survival, which she had never heard of before.

But no matter what...

This "Void Century," "The Great Kingdom," "The D Clan," "Ancient Weapon"...

There was even someone she had never heard of before named "Nika"...

These ancient secrets.

Let alone Robin.

Even the other archaeologists at Ohara back then didn't study it to this extent!

Robin stared blankly at Storm.

Who exactly is the archaeologist?

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