Obtaining the Great River Sword; Aokiji's Whereabouts / I Lost to an Idiot

Then Dongze said with a teasing edge, "Aren't you afraid I'll leave you behind?"

Robin's face went pale. She had acted without thinking, and now, seeing the look in Dongze's eyes, her heart trembled.

After a long silence, a low voice answered.

"I am!"

"But I can't let you destroy it! The Poneglyphs bear witness to history. They're the only evidence left of the Void Century, and everything the people of Ohara sought!"

Dongze sighed softly. She had her mission, but he had his own path to follow.

"Move."

Robin bit her lip and said stubbornly, "No..."

"I'm not asking."

Robin's expression changed. A heavy pressure settled on her shoulders, followed by an overwhelming force. It felt strangely familiar, though it was much weaker this time. She remained conscious, but she could no longer move.

"Conqueror's Haki!"

The name sprang to mind. It was the same force that had knocked her unconscious when she first met Dongze.

Clearly, he was growing more adept at using Conqueror's Haki.

As Dongze walked past her, Robin struggled to reach out and caught the hem of his trousers. Tears streaked her face, but the stubbornness in her expression had not faded.

Dongze stopped. A complicated look crossed his eyes, and he withdrew his Conqueror's Haki. She was the one he had chosen to look after him, after all. He could not treat her like a stranger.

So he explained, "You can't just destroy a Poneglyph because you want to. Haven't you noticed that every one of them is intact? If they could be destroyed, the World Government would have done it long ago. Why would it leave them for archaeologists like you to find?"

Robin froze. He was right. Poneglyphs did have that property.

She had overlooked it in her panic. Dongze's usual habit of leaving nothing standing had also led her to jump to conclusions.

Realizing he did not mean what she had imagined, Robin asked, looking adorably bewildered, "Then what are you trying to do?"

"I'm going to have a word with it."

To Robin's astonishment, Dongze walked up to the Poneglyph and slowly placed a hand on it.

He activated his Observation Haki. Roger had once heard its voice and left a message on a piece of gold. That suggested it was conscious. It was a far-fetched explanation, but Dongze could think of no better one.

So he wanted to try.

The next moment, a voice sounded in his mind.

"Heh. You're not a very likable young man!"

Dongze's eyes lit up. Just as he had suspected, the thing really was conscious.

Then he shook his head. But it makes sense. How could something entrusted with preserving history be ordinary? Why else would my old friend react to it?

"Hello."

"You probably know why I'm here. Will you tell me your answer?"

This time, the reply took a long while to come.

"Young man, could you tell this old man what the world outside is like now?"

Dongze's thoughts raced. The voice had not refused him outright. There was still a chance.

He sat down on the spot, kept both hands where they were, and began talking with the consciousness.

Watching him, Robin felt increasingly conflicted. The more she saw of this man, the less she understood him.

Remembering what she had done earlier, she blushed. She must have been so nervous that she lost her head and rushed in front of Dongze. Fortunately, he had not held it against her.

(Dongze: Why would I hold a grudge against the woman I picked to look after me? Tonight, though, I'm going to teach her a lesson!)

Obtaining Long River; Aokiji's Trail

"So that's what the world outside has become?"

"Yes. It's chaos. Roger did conquer the seas and become the Pirate King. At the end of his life, he ushered in perhaps the most chaotic age in history—the Great Pirate Era!"

"The whole world's in turmoil. Pirates are setting sail everywhere to search for One Piece! Even the World Government and the Marines, throwing everything they have into keeping order, haven't managed to change that!"

"I never thought that man would go so far."

"Young man, you said your name was Dongze, didn't you? I understand why you came now."

"I can give you some, but it can't be too large. I still have a mission of my own to fulfill."

Dongze smiled.

"Thank you very much."

He then described the sword he wanted.

"I have a feeling you may accomplish even more than Gol D. Roger."

"I've placed it outside for you. I enjoyed our conversation!"

"Do your best, young man!"

Outside, a longsword suddenly appeared in Dongze's hand. Robin stared at it in disbelief.

"Bacchan!"

While Robin was still marveling at what she had seen, an unexpected visitor arrived at Cricket's cabin on Jaya Island, beneath Sky Island.

Across the surging sea, a path of ice seemed to stretch out of nowhere. A man in a suit, with a sleep mask perched on his head, rode a bicycle straight toward the cabin.

He showed no concern about ice chips puncturing his tires or his bicycle slipping.

All right, that would be too terrifying to picture. Best not to think about it.

The visitor was Aokiji, one of the Three Admirals.

Aokiji parked his bicycle, rubbed his naturally wavy hair, and called out sleepily, "Hey, buddy! Mind if I ask you something?"

Cricket's jaw nearly hit the ground at the sight of his entrance.

He said with utmost gravity, "Marine Admiral Aokiji—Kuzan!"

Aokiji casually touched the sleep mask on his forehead.

"Huh? Am I that famous? Someone even recognizes me in a place this remote?"

Cricket nearly lost his composure.

At Marine Headquarters, there were the Three Admirals—Aokiji, Akainu, and Kizaru—along with Fleet Admiral Sengoku and Garp the Hero.

Among pirates, there were the Four Emperors: Red-Hair, Whitebeard, Kaido, and Big Mom.

And then there was Dragon of the Revolutionary Army.

Their names were known across the seas. Anyone who read the papers knew who they were.

Cricket was no exception. Besides, he had once been a pirate himself.

"What do you want to know?"

Faced with Aokiji, Cricket could not even bring himself to consider hiding anything.

"Have two people come by in the last few days? A man and a woman. The man's name is Dongze, and he should be a Pirate Hunter. I'm not sure what the woman goes by now, but she should be around twenty-two or twenty-three."

Cricket paused. "Why are you looking for them? A Pirate Hunter shouldn't be an enemy of the Marines, should he?"

Aokiji narrowed his eyes.

"That doesn't concern you. Just tell me whether you've seen them and where they went afterward."

After a moment's silence, Cricket told Aokiji where Dongze had gone. He and Dongze had only met by chance, and nothing like the fight with Hound Bellamy had happened. He was not especially close to Dongze or Robin.

Anyone would know better than to offend a Marine Admiral for two near-strangers, especially a former pirate.

Aokiji's expression changed at Cricket's answer. He raised his head and looked skyward.

"Sky Island?"

He knew Sky Islands existed, but he had never seen one. Hearing that they had ridden the Knock Up Stream into the sky left even him stunned.

He glanced at Cricket without betraying it, wondering whether the man was telling the truth.

He did not know how high the Knock Up Stream reached. If it was only a few thousand meters, then with his strength as an Admiral, he could use Geppo and Shave to get there. It would only cost him some stamina.

But if it was tens of thousands of meters up, or higher, that was another matter. The climate at high altitudes was harsh, and the air was thin. It was hardly welcoming to someone who had spent his life on land.

He was not about to fly up there on the strength of one man's word.

"Well, I guess that's as far as I can take this for now."

Aokiji sighed. Faced with the unknowns of Sky Island, he chose to give up.

Garp had told him about the Pirate Hunter's dream. If Dongze was still alive, Aokiji knew they would meet again.

"What a pain..."

"Hey, buddy, thanks for the information. But don't go back to being a pirate!"

With that, Aokiji gave Cricket a pointed look. Cold sweat broke out across Cricket's forehead.

"I won't. I have a new dream now!"

"That Sky Island?"

On Sky Island, Dongze looked at the longsword in his hand and nodded in satisfaction. His guess had been right: this sword could bear his Erosion Sword Intent.

The blade was black and red throughout. Once imbued with Erosion Sword Intent, it became remarkably lively. The moment Dongze let go, it circled him several times, then dipped toward him in midair as though greeting him.

"From now on, I'll call you Long River."

The sword seemed able to understand him. It darted over and gently rubbed its hilt against his shoulder like a pet.

Dongze held out his hand, and Long River obediently settled into it. He gave a light swing to one side, and a burst of Sword Aura swept across the sky overhead. Its power was no less than his earlier strike imbued with Ryuo Haki.

Dongze's eyes brightened. The sword had not disappointed him.

He pressed the catch on the Sword Case and put Long River away.

"Boss, the ship is ready!"

A flash of lightning appeared before Dongze, and Enel emerged from it.

Dongze smiled faintly. "Enel, I thought you weren't coming back."

Enel's face changed sharply. After leaving, he had tried everything he could think of to rid himself of the Sword Intent, only to find it clung to him and would not go away.

With no other option, he had made his choice.

Enel waved a hand and said awkwardly, "Why wouldn't I?"

Dongze turned and gave him a meaningful look. "Is that so?"

That look sent a chill through Enel. What the hell is with his Observation Haki? It's like he can read my mind.

Dongze said no more. As the boss, he had to maintain a little mystery. It helped him hold on to his position.

Dongze and Robin then spent a remarkable night on Sky Island. (Two thousand words omitted here.)

It was not until the next day that everyone set out.

Robin acted strangely that morning. She had dark circles under her eyes, and whenever she met Dongze's gaze, she immediately looked away. The moment she boarded the ship, she hid in the cabin and did not come out.

"Boss, is something wrong with that lady?"

"Heh. Secret."

I Lost to a Fool

"Come on!"

"Hit me with lightning!"

"My name is Enel. I have the power of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit. Until recently, I lived on Sky Island as a god, free to do as I pleased. Life was wonderful. Then, just yesterday, some guy from the Blue Sea beat me up!"