"Ssh!"
The now-smaller dragon perched on Crocodile's shoulder looked down at Edno and let out a mocking snort.
Jason ignored it. He bent down, grabbed the giant ape by its right leg, and dragged him over to Rojen. "This guy has some strength, but he's still far from a match for us."
Rojen nodded. The sudden appearance of the giant ape had disrupted their plans and even injured Chaporos and Daz, making for an unexpected complication.
Afterward, Jason carried the Poneglyph over to the group. They found vines growing along the surrounding walls and used them to tie Edno up securely.
Everyone's attention then turned to the Poneglyph. Apart from Robin and Lordling, however, none of them could understand the strange characters carved into the black stone. All they could do was stare blankly at it.
The area fell completely silent.
As Lordling slowly deciphered the writing, shock gradually washed over her face. Robin's eyes were filled with the exact same astonishment.
"What exactly does it say? Why are the two of them looking like that?" Jason was confused.
Trens shook his head, indicating he had no idea either. Then he caught sight of Rojen from the corner of his eye and froze, his captain remained remarkably calm facing the Poneglyph, a faint smile resting on his lips.
After a long while, Lordling gritted her teeth and exchanged a look with Robin, as though the two were silently debating what to do.
"What does it say? Can you read it?" Jason asked curiously.
Neither of them answered.
Trens's eyes flickered as he studied their expressions, sensing that something was up.
"Looks like it contains something interesting," Crocodile observed, equally perceptive. He smiled, but said nothing more.
The atmosphere grew increasingly tense.
Rojen stayed silent as well, letting Lordling and Robin communicate through their eyes. He already knew what was written on the Poneglyph, and as far as he was concerned, it wasn't a problem.
"We are the ones who record history, and we stand together with the ringing of the bell."
At last, the silent exchange between Lordling and Robin ended. Robin gritted her teeth and shook her head, silently pleading with Lordling.
Lordling nevertheless spoke in a low voice as she gently traced the sentence at the top of the Poneglyph.
"The ones who record history? Does that mean the people who created the Poneglyphs?" The others were puzzled.
"And what this Poneglyph records next... will shock the entire world," Lordling took a deep breath, her voice soft and her hands visibly trembling. Her eyes kept wavering, as though even now she hadn't fully decided whether to reveal the truth.
Rojen's eyes sharpened as he stared at Lordling.
"No! Don't say it!" Robin suddenly shouted, her eyes squeezed tightly shut. She was extremely agitated, desperately trying to stop Lordling from going any further.
"Robin?" Everyone looked at her in confusion, wondering what had brought on such a sudden reaction.
"This is something that could destroy the world! You can't tell them!" Robin stared desperately at Lordling.
By now, Chaporos and Daz Bonez had also regained consciousness. Sensing the strange atmosphere, they quietly watched from the side.
Robin's outburst had plunged the entire area into silence, leaving only the sound of heavy breathing.
After a long pause, Rojen finally spoke. "What is the answer?"
Lordling closed her eyes. "As Robin said, what is recorded here is something capable of destroying the world."
She deliberately avoided Robin's gaze. Robin didn't understand the bond Lordling had formed with Rojen and the crew. Even though the Poneglyph recorded a matter of immense gravity, Lordling didn't hesitate to trust them.
"Destroy the world?" The crew was stunned, all eyes fixed on Lordling.
"Yes. In ancient times, there were several extremely destructive weapons in existence. Each possessed enough power to destroy an entire island with a single attack." Her trembling voice carried revelations that left everyone speechless.
"How is that possible?! Weapons like that existed in ancient times?"
"And what this Poneglyph records..." Lordling gritted her teeth and took a deep breath.
"No! Don't say it, Sister Yiluelder!" Robin shouted, her eyes brimming with tears. She couldn't forget the past, a single Buster Call had been enough to turn Ohara into hell. If such terrifying weapons were ever brought into the world again, what kind of disaster would they cause?
"The weapon recorded here is one of them!" Lordling ignored Robin's plea and finished what she had started.
"My God!"
"What exactly did we find?!"
"If we can take control of a weapon like that, wouldn't we be unstoppable?!"
As expected, Lordling's words immediately stirred the crew into a frenzy. A weapon capable of world destruction, an Ancient Weapon of such overwhelming power. There wasn't a pirate alive who wouldn't want to possess it.
A sharp gleam appeared in Crocodile's eyes. Having spent time in the New World, he understood exactly what such a weapon represented. Trens's eyes also shone, a slight smile forming at the corner of his mouth.
"Quiet. It's only a weapon," Rojen spoke calmly.
His words carried Haoshoku Haki, instantly suppressing the excitement surging through the crew and restoring silence.
"This weapon is called Poseidon, the Sea King."
Hearing the name Poseidon stirred everyone's emotions once again, but under Rojen's stern gaze, nobody dared speak a word.
"I can't tell you the specific details," Lordling said, turning toward Rojen.
He smiled and answered softly, "You did well."
Such critical information couldn't be revealed carelessly. By mentioning Poseidon at all, Lordling had shown how much she trusted the crew, and by keeping the exact details secret, she showed how much she had grown. Many years had passed, and Lordling was no longer the naive girl she once was.
At that moment, the others noticed a small line of text carved into the stone alongside the ancient script.
"I came here and carried these words to their final destination. Pirate Gol D. Roger!"
Jason stared blankly as he finished reading it out loud. Then, suddenly realizing what it meant, he turned toward Rojen in shock. "Roger came here too! Captain, your big brother was here!"
Rojen wasn't surprised in the slightest. He simply smiled. "Of course he came here."
With that, he turned and led the group away. "We've already gotten what we came for from the Poneglyph. It's time for us to take care of something else."
"Something else?" The crew was puzzled, but nobody asked any further questions.
Back in front of the black stone, Robin wiped away her tears, her small face turning cold and expressionless.
"Robin," Lordling called out apologetically.
"You shouldn't have told them," Robin said coldly.
"Isn't this something they deserve to know?" Lordling asked in return.
"This is something that brings only disaster. If the information gets out, the consequences will be unimaginable," Robin replied.
"I trust them." Lordling paused, then gave a gentle smile.
Robin didn't answer. She simply turned and walked away, leaving a quiet whisper behind in the wind:
"I don't believe it."
(End Of This Chapter)
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