The moon shone bright among sparse stars, its silver light spilling over the jungle around them like a layer of frost.
In the forest, insects and beasts made faint calls, their sounds mingling into a symphony unique to Sky Island.
Crackle!
The great bonfire in their midst crackled crisply, lighting the faces of those gathered around it red.
The Blue Sea. A whole new world.
Enel sat cross-legged, his eyes flickering as the thought passed silently through his mind.
He was observing these so-called new companions before him, while also thinking about Straw Hat's crew, whom he had encountered not long ago.
Compared to the Skypieans, these Blue Sea people were vastly different. His keen Mantra could sense immense ambition in them, even in the ordinary nobodies.
And these people really were powerful.
"Enel!"
Just then, River called to him with a smile.
Enel raised his head, his face expressionless, without a trace of a smile.
Joining their crew as the defeated party naturally left him in no mood to smile.
"You have a ship called the Ark Maxim that can fly, right?"
River asked with a smile.
"That's right, but it was damaged in the recent battle, and some parts are still unfinished."
"If we want to use it, we'll have to wait until the repairs are complete."
Enel nodded as he spoke.
"Is that so? That ship of yours is quite impressive!"
"Let's use it as our ride!"
River said with a smile.
"Fine!"
Enel nodded without objecting.
He had built the Ark Maxim for himself as a vessel to reach Endless Vearth. Now that he had joined them, they could naturally continue using it.
"Then once the Ark Maxim is repaired, we'll leave Sky Island!"
River clapped his hands and spoke with a smile.
Crocodile listened to their conversation in silence, quietly tending the bonfire before him.
Foxy and the others kept offering Enel smiles, with a hint of flattery.
This powerful new recruit had thoroughly frightened them. To ordinary people, Enel's power was no different from a god's.
Everyone sat around the bonfire, chatting intermittently.
Most of the time, River steered the conversation. Crocodile only spoke when asked, and Enel merely gave perfunctory replies.
The atmosphere was a little awkward, but warm as well. River did not care in the slightest. As long as he did not feel awkward, the awkwardness was someone else's problem.
Still, there was no denying that the idle conversation worked. After one night, Enel had grown much more familiar with everyone.
The next day soon arrived. The morning sun rose, and birds beat their wings in the forest.
Sky Island received abundant sunlight, bright enough to feel almost dazzling.
"Come with me. I'll show you the Ark Maxim I built!"
When he mentioned his ship, Enel was clearly proud.
Besides being Sky Island's god, he was also an exceptionally capable shipwright who had built a vessel like the Ark Maxim.
The group began making their way through the jungle. Before long, ancient, crumbling ruins appeared before them.
"This is Shandora, isn't it? The legendary City of Gold?"
Crocodile lit a cigar and asked with a curious look in his eyes.
"That's right. This is where the Shandia once lived."
River nodded.
"I don't know what this Shandora you're talking about is, but I've heard the legend. This place suddenly appeared one day several hundred years ago."
Enel spoke indifferently.
Chatting and looking around, they made their way through the crumbling ruins of Shandora.
"Wait, is that...?!"
Suddenly, Crocodile stopped in his tracks, his eyes widening as he stared at the enormous stone standing on a raised platform ahead.
"Over there?"
River looked up as well, a smile curling at the corners of his mouth.
"That's an ancient Poneglyph. They're scattered throughout the world."
After a pause, he turned to Crocodile and spoke meaningfully.
"I hear these record the locations of the Ancient Weapons."
At the words "Ancient Weapons," Crocodile shuddered, and a fierce light flashed in his eyes.
His Alabasta scheme, years in the making, had been aimed at obtaining information about an Ancient Weapon. Yet Straw Hat's crew had ruined it just when success was within reach. It had become a sore point for him.
"Want to take a look?"
River asked with a smile.
Crocodile's gaze was solemn as he nodded firmly. "Yes!"
He had spent so much time and effort merely finding the location of the stone in Alabasta. Yet this one had practically fallen into his lap.
"Then let's take a look!"
River smiled, understanding his obsession with the Poneglyphs quite well.
Crocodile took a deep breath and strode toward the Poneglyph. Moments later, he reached out with his right hand and ran it over the stone. Excitement shone in the eyes visible beneath his Ghostface Mask.
Crack!
A flash of lightning streaked past, and Enel appeared before him. Seeing his excitement, Enel scoffed.
"It's only a stone, yet it has you this excited."
Crocodile whipped his head around and said coldly, "What do you know? This records information about an Ancient Weapon capable of destroying the world!"
"Once you obtain it, you can fulfill any ambition, no matter how grand."
Enel froze. "An Ancient Weapon capable of destroying the world?!"
"I've looked at this stone countless times over the past six years. Its material is indeed unusual. No attack can destroy it."
"But you claim it records a weapon capable of destroying the world? I, a god, absolutely refuse to believe that."
"Or are you saying you can read the writing on it?"
Crocodile fell silent at that. He shook his head. "I can't."
"A shame Nico Robin isn't here."
"Otherwise, we could learn what's recorded on this stone tablet."
After saying that, disappointment and regret showed in his eyes.
"You want to know what this stone tablet says?"
"That's easy. I'll just tell you."
Just then, River walked over and spoke with a smile.
Both Crocodile and Enel were stunned.
"You can read this ancient script?"
River nodded. "Twenty years ago, I studied this ancient script in Ohara. That was also when I met Robin."
As he spoke, he reached out to touch the stone tablet before him.
His fingers passed over the mysterious characters one by one, then pointed to a particular spot on the tablet.
"I came here a long time ago and left my name."
Crocodile and Enel followed River's pointing finger. Their bodies jolted, and they froze on the spot.
A passage was carved there in the modern script they knew, its words clearly legible.
"I came here and will guide this text to its final destination. Pirate Gol D. Roger."
Crocodile's eyes widened. "Roger left this!"
Then he noticed that a line had been scratched through those words, and another inscription stood beside them.
"I followed Roger here, but the bastard slipped away from me again. Also, the stuff on this tablet is boring."
"Marine, River!"
Before you continue