78 [78] The Poneglyph
[2800 Words]
Bonus chapter
[Notice: There will be some drama in this chapter, as we'll see Robin's reaction to the first Poneglyph she reads after 20 years of diligent searching.]
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The Grand Line, Alabasta.
-[Cobra POV]-
"H-how do you know about this?!" I asked, my voice trembling, shock filling my heart.
Standing before me was Alabasta's savior, not alone, accompanied by a member of his crew whom I hadn't met before.
He seemed to smile slightly at my question, then quickly replied in his usual calm tone, "It doesn't matter how, Your Majesty, but I truly wish to see your family's legacy—the Poneglyph."
The shock hadn't left me yet. Just minutes ago, he had come to me, stating he wanted to speak with me alone, but now this woman was with him, and it seemed he didn't mind.
Then suddenly he dropped a bombshell. How did he know about the Poneglyph in the tomb of the kings?
If this information were to be leaked...
My body trembled as I thought of the World Government's ruthlessness; they wouldn't hesitate to erase Alabasta from history!
"Do you know what happened to those who searched for these things, Mr. Ren? Like...Ohara?" I asked, surprised to see the woman with him trembling.
He calmed her down, then looked at me, a meaningful smile on his face before saying, "It seems I need to convince you."
---
-[General POV]-
After 10 minutes of conversation with King Cobra, Ren convinced him that he harbored no ill intentions towards Alabasta.
Cobra already knew this, but what king wouldn't feel apprehensive when a pirate knows a secret of his kingdom, especially if that secret is a hidden Poneglyph in the royal tomb.
And so, Ren, accompanied by Robin, headed to the tomb of the kings under Cobra's directive. They descended a secret staircase and reached their destination swiftly.
Along the way, Ren noticed Robin's continuous trembling. Though she maintained a calm and calm façade, he knew her current emotions better than anyone else.
20 years of pursuit couldn't be hidden.
It had been her life's dream, even if the Poneglyph she was about to read didn't contain information about the Void Century, it was still incredibly enticing.
The first Poneglyph Robin discovered when she was 8 years old was in a secret chamber in the Tree of Knowledge in her hometown, Ohara, containing partial information about the ancient kingdom and the Void Century.
Robin followed the will of Ohara's scholars. In fact, they didn't leave her any instructions regarding discovering the Void Century and revealing the truth to the world, but Robin took on this seemingly impossible mission to honor her mother's memory and the rest of the scholars.
"Are you alright?" Robin heard her captain's inquiring voice. She knew he noticed her emotional state beneath her cool façade but didn't feel embarrassed. She answered with a slightly trembling voice, "Yes...a little."
He patted her shoulder; Robin didn't mind the close contact. She wasn't in a position to care about such small things; they had reached the royal tomb after all!
"We're here," Cobra said, then looked at the two individuals following him.
Ren observed the scene before him calmly; he didn't react much because he had seen it in his past life, but seeing it personally was still an amazing experience.
There, in the center, above the solid ground, lay a carved stone, appearing as if it had been there since the creation of this world, though it had only been there for a few centuries.
It exuded an aura of mystery and reverence. Yes, this was the indestructible stone, holding the secrets of the world and the ancient weapons in its inscriptions.
[Image here.]
Then he turned his gaze to Robin; the woman was trembling with excitement. If it weren't for her attempt to maintain her composure in front of the king, she would have already rushed to the Poneglyph and begun studying it.
"King Cobra, some time please," Ren said calmly, indicating that he needed some personal time with Robin. He didn't want him to overhear their next conversation.
"Take your time," Cobra nodded and left. After making sure Cobra wasn't eavesdropping using Observation Haki, Ren nodded to Robin.
Robin rushed to the Poneglyph and began examining it with great interest and curiosity. To her, this stone was the culmination of 20 years of her hard work.
Her trembling hand touched the Poneglyph, ensuring her imprint in those distinctive inscriptions, inscriptions she could read.
"Mom... I've started to approach my goal..." A sad and melancholic voice escaped her; tears gathered in the corners of her eyes.
Ren looked at the scene with a slight sigh. Robin's reaction was reasonable and natural.
She had been searching for this for decades, and now she has reached it "easily." All she had to do was join Ren. Thinking about it, it was surreal for Robin.
The innocent hadn't died, and she managed to find the Poneglyph. This was the best possible outcome.
Quickly, Robin reverted to her archaeologist persona, ignoring her sadness, painful memories, and the moment of parting with her mother. She began reading the inscriptions in her mind.
Minutes passed, and neither Robin nor Ren moved from their spot, as if they were frozen in place.
For Robin, it was evident that her mind was fully focused on the complex symbols before her, trying to unravel the mystery surrounding them and uncover the secrets of this world.
With each symbol she deciphered and translated, her eyes widened gradually!
"Have you discovered what this Poneglyph is talking about, Robin?" Ren's voice came to snap her out of her dreams.
She turned towards him and saw his gaze. There wasn't any curiosity as she expected. Why? Don't tell me he... Does he know how to read Poneglyphs?!
The sudden realization struck Robin's mind. It was a bold guess, but she expected anything from the person in front of her.
No, he couldn't possibly learn how to read Poneglyphs. No one can teach it in this world except for me, and he's clearly not from Ohara. So it's impossible--
But Ren's voice interrupted her thoughts, shocking her: "The stone, it talks about Pluton, right? One of the ancient weapons."
"!!!"
'He really knows!!' Robin thought in her mind as her eyes widened intensely while she stared at him. After several attempts to calm her emotions, she asked with a slightly trembling voice, "H-How can you read them?"
"Heh, you have to discover that for yourself." He smiled and then approached her, looking at her disappointed expression, finding it somewhat cute.
Ren wasn't lying. He received a notification from the system a while ago:
¶[-Ding! Congratulations host, for completing the hidden mission "Interact with the First Poneglyph" and acquiring:"All Languages Skill".]
¶[-All Languages: A skill that allows the user to understand all languages in this world once activated, with no side effects.]
The description was short and simple. This skill was extremely useful. Although Robin was with him and could read the Poneglyph for him, reading it himself would be good too, right?
'He can really read Poneglyphs... That's unbelievable!' Robin murmured in astonishment. The shock wasn't from disbelief or anything like that but...
To understand, Robin had been carrying a heavy burden and great responsibility since she was 8 years old.
She was the only one who could read Poneglyph inscriptions thanks to the education she received from Ohara scholars, so if she died, this legacy would disappear.
With the World Government's strictness on this matter, they wouldn't allow anyone to learn Poneglyph inscriptions again.
What does this mean? This means that someone else shares this burden she carries? Does this mean she can die? No matter if she dies, she will die content knowing that "the legacy" will continue.
"It seems you're thinking about some pessimistic things." Ren said with a slightly annoyed tone.
"How did you know..."
"Your expression is easy to read, Robin. You're like an open book."
"..."
Robin remained silent and didn't know how to respond. Then suddenly, Ren brought his face close to hers; he was very close, so much so that she could feel his breath gently hitting her face.
Blushing with embarrassment, she tried to divert her attention from the current situation, but Ren's stern voice came again, "Don't even think about death."
"..."
It was just one sentence from him, but it carried a strong and firm tone, as if he was the one deciding her life or death. Robin didn't know how to react again and remained silent, with red cheeks on her face.
"By the way, Pluton isn't in Alabasta."
He said, catching her full attention once again.
"R-Really? How did you know..." She wanted to ask, but then remembered the number of times she asked this question and chose silence instead of embarrassing herself.
"I know its location." He dropped another bomb on her.
"You know the location of a legendary weapon?!" The cold façade on Robin's face disappeared already, replaced by an expression of shock and awe on her beautiful face. There was no doubt; she knew Ren doesn't lie and won't lie. It wasn't far-fetched for him to know the location of an ancient weapon given the knowledge he possesses, but it was still shocking!
"Of course, I know, and I will go there someday." Ren's voice carried a touch of anticipation and excitement.
But before going to the location of Pluton, wano, he likes to be stronger than himself several times at least so as not to be beaten by Kaido like a child.
*Sigh...*
A soft sigh escaped Robin's mouth; she looked at her leader with a mood of admiration and respect, then said, "Thank you."
"For what?" Ren pretended not to know what she meant, wanting to play with her a little. She was too cute.
"For bringing me to this place... You know , my dream... I've been waiting for this moment for a long time..." A genuine smile formed on Robin's face for the first time
"Your smile is very beautiful."
Ren ignored her words and focused on her sweet smile; it was truly captivating.
"Um... Really, Ren." Robin blushed slightly and called him by his name.
They were alone here, so there was no problem with that, and her addressing him in this way made her feel closer to him.
"Alright, Robin... Do you want me to tell you another shocking information?" Ren smiled and decided to surprise her again.
"What?" Robin asked in confusion, wondering if there was something more shocking than what she had experienced today.
But she listened quietly to Ren; she had been a good listener.
"I know the locations of many other Poneglyphs."
Immediately after his words, Robin, who was close to Ren, froze again, seemingly tired of screaming "What?!" So, she just sighed and looked at him deeply.
"Oh Ren... I really want to know who you are."
She said softly as she looked at him, he was taller than her so she had to raise her head and look at his towering figure.
"So, what do you think about getting to know each other more?"
Ren said playfully, but with a serious expression on his face, lowering his head in front of her and staring at her perfect form; everything was perfect in the woman in front him.
"..."
Robin hid the blush on her cheeks and then returned to her usual self, saying, "Well, that would be great~."
"Anyway, Ren, I'm really excited to see the rest of the Poneglyphs..." She changed the subject back to the Poneglyphs again.
"I'll show them to you at the right time; there's another one in Alabasta."
He stepped away from her and placed his hand on the Poneglyph symbols, carefully reading them.
Excitement surged in Robin's heart once again; everything seemed surreal and like a dream. For 20 years, her search had been fruitless, but after joining this man, she was able to found two Poneglyphs in just a few days!
Thinking about it, Robin's cold heart became warmer, and she felt even more grateful.
[-Loyalty: 95%]
Ren smiled as he examined Robin's Status; this girl was starting to accept him and forget her past.
But Ren knew there was still some regret in her, so he would make sure to remove it one way or another, to make her his own exciting archaeologist.
"Copy this Poneglyph, Robin." He looked towards her, and she nodded, about to start, but then she stopped again and said, "Aren't you going to copy it too, Ren?"
"No need for me to do that; I've memorized these inscriptions well, down to every detail, and I can't forget them even if I wanted to."
Photographic memory was like cheating; it was like a new private space that appeared in his mind alongside the original memory. Anything he saw or read was stored there, so he could return to the photographic memory and write the Poneglyph symbols anytime he wanted.
"Alright..." Robin didn't know how to respond, but she knew that Ren didn't deceive or lie; she would believe anything he said, except if one day he told her he could revive the dead or something like that.
'I don't think he will say something like that on the first case...' She think in her mindm
And so, several minutes passed, and Robin finished copying and translating the Poneglyph into writing, then Ren summoned King Cobra afterwards.
---
"King Cobra, you know the danger surrounding Alabasta, and this stone is in the royal tomb, right?" he said seriously, and the next conversation seemed to determine the fate of the entire country.
Robin watched from the sidelines, tensing up involuntarily when she heard Ren's words and remembered Ohara.
She didn't want that to happen to anyone else because she knew the horror of Buster Call.
King Cobra had a serious expression on his face as he listened to what Ren would say next; having this Poneglyph in his palace always made him uneasy.
Sometimes, questions like: What if someone discovered it? What if the World Government found out about it? What would be the fate of millions of his people in Alabasta?
This fear and tension became even stronger when he discovered Crocodile's goal. Ren had told him everything about Crocodile's goal, which was why he allowed him to see the Poneglyph. His favor in saving Alabasta was also decisive, and above all, Vivi trusted Ren, so he decided to take the risk.
But regardless, when he learned of Crocodile's goal, he couldn't help but feel a deep fear creeping into his heart.
Since an organization as Baroque Works could find out about the Poneglyphs in Alabasta... couldn't a massive organization like the World Government do the same?
It was clear that they could, and Cobra knew that that day would be the day of Alabasta's doom.
This conclusion only increased the worry in his heart, so he listened to Ren's suggestion calmly, but his eyes widened when he heard what he said, and he began to think deeply.
"Do you want to take the Poneglyph away from Alabasta...?" Cobra said deeply, placing his hand on his chin, seeming to ponder the matter and not outright refusing.
But then he shook his head and looked at Ren.
"But there's a problem with this. Let's assume I agreed. How will we be able to transport this Poneglyph outside without being noticed?" Cobra said.
Robin, who was also shocked by Ren's suggestion, was extremely excited in her heart at the thought of having a Poneglyph in front of her that she could study more deeply whenever she wanted. But Cobra's words dampened her excitement before it could be reignited by Ren again.
"I have a way, look."
Saying that, Ren touched the Poneglyph with his right hand, and immediately after, a blue light emanated from his hand, covering the large rock in a fraction of a second, making the Poneglyph disappear from its place, leaving only an empty space.
"!!!!"
"T-This...!"
Both Robin and Cobra looked at this magical scene in shock. The first thing they thought was, is this a Devil Fruit power?
"Don't look at me like that, this is one of my tricks." Ren smiled and snapped them out of their astonishment, then said to Cobra, "I think there's no problem now, right?"
Cobra sighed, no one knew whether it was a sigh of relief from the pressure that had been lifted from him or sadness for the legacy of his family. He looked at the Black Death then said:
"I think so..."
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Author's gossiping.
900 PS = Bonus chapter.
1400 PS = Bonus chapter.
