"Lord Leno, where did you find this Poneglyph?"
Drawn over by the huge noise earlier, Cobbra hurried in—only to find a new stone tablet standing in the grand hall.
Though its design was identical, he was certain this wasn't the one from the royal tomb. This one looked far older, worn to a degree that startled him.
The discovery nearly frightened him out of his wits. Since when were these things so easy to find? Did they grow on trees now?
What did centuries of royal guardianship even mean if they could be "picked up" this easily? His expression grew strained as he looked at Leno, hoping for an explanation.
Leno had no idea what was going through his head. He simply smiled. "Found it in the desert."
Cobra was speechless. That's it?
Seeing his troubled expression, Leno finally understood and snapped, irritated:
"Hey—don't tell me you think these things are common. There are only thirty of them in the whole world! You think they're cabbages?"
That line made Cobra freeze with embarrassment—because yes, that was exactly what he had been thinking.
Just as he tried to change the subject, a woman's doubtful voice came from outside the door.
"What thing… only thirty in the whole world?"
Hina walked in with a tired look on her face. Seeing the massive stone tablet, she froze in surprise.
If she remembered correctly, this tablet wasn't here before. And how did something this huge even get inside?
"Hey, why are you up? I was just about to bring food to your room!"
The moment Leno saw her, he rushed over, wrapped an arm around her waist, and helped her to the table.
"How's your body? Feeling better?"
"It's all your fault. You're like a bull…"
Feeling the eyes around them, Hina glared at him shyly. Her cheeks turned pink as she muttered under her breath.
Her whole body was still aching and weak, her legs trembling. And… and… {{{(＞_＜)}}}!
All because of this bastard—he didn't show an ounce of restraint even though it was her first time.
She steadied her emotions, then asked:
"What were you talking about earlier? It sounded serious."
"Poneglyphs—these giant stones that record history."
After Leno's brief explanation, Hina finally understood their value. Her gaze drifted toward the woman studying the tablet.
Nico Robin. Hina didn't know much about her—just that she was the orphan of Ohara and had been wanted since childhood.
She didn't expect this woman to be able to read ancient text, let alone study it so deeply.
At that moment, Robin finished deciphering the inscriptions. She stood quietly for a moment before returning to the table.
"King Cobra, do you know the origin of the World Government?"
As soon as she sat down, she fixed her gaze on the king of Alabasta—her eyes filled with curiosity, confusion, and above all, shock.
"The World Government? I've read some records…"
Cobra paused, unsure why she suddenly asked that. Was something shocking written on this tablet?
Thinking of history, he sighed and spoke slowly.
"To talk about the World Government, we must go back eight hundred years. It was originally founded by twenty kings."
"As the founders of the new era, they moved their entire families to the Holy Land Mariejois. Their descendants became what we now call the Celestial Dragons."
His words drew stunned expressions from everyone around the table—even Vivi.
"In the years that followed, they ruled the world as its leaders. Within the council, the twenty kings held equal standing. To prevent any one king from becoming a dictator, they created the Empty Throne."
"They swore that no one would ever sit on that throne—and placed the twenty kings' weapons around it, symbolizing that all must stop before the throne."
"Meanwhile, the twenty nations left behind chose new kings. Their lines continued to this day, thus forming the royal families known as the 'First Twenty Lineages.'"
Everyone at the table stared wide-eyed at Cobra. It felt like they had just heard something world-shaking.
Before anyone could speak, Robin broke the silence.
"The Alabasta king of that era was one of the twenty, wasn't he? Then why didn't your family go to the Holy Land?"
"Did something… happen?"
Cobra glanced at Robin, then at the Poneglyph behind her, and finally understood.
"Correct. Queen Lili of Alabasta was one of the twenty. But she chose not to become a Celestial Dragon and returned to Alabasta. The name Nefertari has been passed down ever since."
"So strictly speaking, there are only nineteen weapons around the Empty Throne."
"Wait!"
Nami jumped to her feet, eyes darting between Cobra and Vivi.
"So if things went normally, wouldn't you two be Celestial Dragons?!"
"What?! Celestial Dragons?!"
Chopper nearly fell off his chair. He was eating with Celestial Dragons?!
The moment the name was mentioned, Hancock's eyes dimmed—the painful memories crashing through her mind uncontrollably.
Even Hina looked conflicted. As a Marine, she knew exactly what that name meant.
To think the king before her possessed such noble lineage—the direct descendants of the original twenty kings.
But then why had they fallen so far that even a pirate had nearly destroyed their kingdom?
Seeing the chaos break out, Nojiko sighed helplessly at her sister.
"Quiet down, Nami. Let King Cobra finish."
Cobra understood their shock—anyone would be stunned after hearing this.
But what puzzled him was that Leno, the youngest present, remained completely calm—as if he had known all of this already.
Under everyone's expectant stares, Cobra revealed a surprising truth.
"Actually, Queen Lili never returned to Alabasta. Her younger brother took the throne and continued ruling."
"She herself vanished without a trace. No one ever heard of her again."
"This…"
Robin was stunned. Just when she solved one mystery, another deeper one appeared.
"At the next Reverie, I plan to ask the Five Elders if they have any information about Queen Lili."
Cobra had never stopped searching for his ancestor's trail, but all records before the blank century were erased—destroyed deliberately.
"All the documents only start after the Void Century. Anything earlier seems to have been wiped out."
"I suggest you abandon that plan immediately."