"..."
Seeing Robin involuntarily wrap her arms around herself, trembling violently, Wright extended his hand, summoning a flame of "Eternal Fire" and guiding it toward her.
The warmth of the "Eternal Fire" gradually calmed Robin's shivering. She closed her eyes, immersing herself in a warmth she hadn't felt in over a decade—
Vice Admiral Wright's ability could even affect the mind!
Robin snapped awake, but the way she looked at Wright was no longer filled with the same lifeless despair—Vice Admiral Wright was different from the rest of the Marines.
"I am sorry about what happened in Ohara…"
Wright's words made Robin's pupils contract instantly.
"Sorry? No!"
Robin's expression stiffened. "That matter had nothing to do with you. You don't need to take responsibility for what the Marines did!"
"How much did you even know about what happened back then? You weren't even in the Marines at the time!"
Wright gazed at Robin deeply, then shifted his attention to Cobra, who wore a solemn expression—clearly, he was also aware of what had transpired in Ohara.
"I know far more than you can imagine."
"Vice Admiral Saul, Spandine, Nico Olvia, Professor Clover, the ancient language, the Poneglyphs, the Ancient Weapons, and…"
Robin trembled again, her eyes filled with disbelief. Just as she was about to speak, Wright uttered one last term.
"The Great Kingdom."
"!!!"
Cobra could no longer remain composed. "Vice Admiral Wright! The things you're talking about…"
"These are the hidden truths—the key elements of the Void Century that the World Government fears!"
"You…"
Robin was speechless for a long while. The silence in the conference room was suffocating. Finally, she let out a faint, ambiguous smile.
"Vice Admiral Wright… you remind me of Saul from back then."
"You and most Marines are different…"
"I don't know how you came to learn about this information, information that the World Government has sealed away. I don't know what price you paid to obtain it, nor do I know what you intend to do with it…"
"But… as a candidate for Admiral, speaking of such things in front of me—a wanted fugitive of the World Government—and King Cobra, does that not concern you?"
"I trust King Cobra's wisdom… After all, Alabasta is a very special country."
Wright glanced at Cobra, who nodded slightly. "After the Crocodile incident and… some other matters, there are many things I wish to ask the World Government about… but I also know that the time is not yet right."
"So, Nico Robin, perhaps the knowledge you possess will be of great help to us—and to the future."
"Nico Robin, you are a wanted criminal of the World Government. You were involved in Baroque Works' crimes, but in a way, you have atoned for them."
Wright spoke slowly. "You long for companions you can trust, and I understand that. The World Government will not recognize your efforts here, but King Cobra will, and so will I."
"I've already said, out of respect for my senior, Kuzan, I will not act against you for past events. For now, just focus on Alabasta's situation."
"So, can you tell us—what were Crocodile's and your true objectives?"
"I don't believe that the two of you, possessing enough power to bring down an entire nation, would have joined forces without a deeper motive!"
"..."
Robin stared at Wright for a long time before finally making up her mind.
"The Poneglyph—my target is the Poneglyph owned by the Alabasta royal family."
"That's why I originally planned to disrupt Crocodile's scheme and take King Cobra hostage to force him to lead me to the Poneglyph's location…"
Robin gave a wry smile. "But I never expected that Vice Admiral Wright had already accounted for everything."
"The Poneglyph… I see. You, the last survivor of Ohara, the only one capable of reading these ancient texts… It makes sense that you would seek it."
Wright feigned ignorance and turned to Cobra. The king nodded slowly.
"So you can read the Poneglyphs… I had my suspicions before. Alabasta does indeed possess one of them."
"But as kings of Alabasta, our sole duty has always been to guard it. That is all we can do."
"To guard it?"
Robin's smile was filled with an indescribable meaning. "Crocodile's goal was the content inscribed on that Poneglyph. That was the basis of our cooperation!"
"What he sought was the Ancient Weapon—Pluton!"
"..."
That name, carrying an almost indescribable weight, once again plunged the room into silence.
"It seems… the two of you are well aware of what this is—the most fearsome battleship in history, said to have the power to destroy an entire island with a single shot!"
"Ohara was wiped out under the pretext of 'attempting to revive an Ancient Weapon.'"
Wright listened calmly to Robin's words, his expression unreadable. This startled Robin.
"Eight hundred years have passed… Even if it was once the most powerful warship, it's hard to imagine it would still function normally."
"Pluton… Hmph. Crocodile was a fool to believe that a mythical battleship would help him reach the pinnacle of the world."
"It seems Whitebeard's blow hit him harder than I thought—so hard that he's forgotten this is a world where power belongs to the individual!"
"..."
Robin's eyes flickered—she hadn't expected Wright to say something like that.
No one who had ever heard of Pluton had questioned whether it could still function after eight hundred years!
Cobra also returned to his senses, his expression complicated. "So it really is Pluton… I never imagined."
"Then, Vice Admiral Wright, Nico Robin."
Cobra closed his eyes in thought for a moment, then opened them with determination. "This is a rare opportunity—please, follow me… and see what is inscribed on the Poneglyph!"
"!!"
Robin gazed deeply at Cobra—she had calculated everything, but she never expected him to willingly lead her to the Poneglyph!
Did he not fear that it truly contained information on Pluton?
Or did he know it did not?
Or perhaps… he knew it did, yet still chose not to hide it from Vice Admiral Wright?!
Just how much did he trust this Marine Vice Admiral?!
"Well then… Nico Robin, we all eagerly await your ability to unravel the world's mysteries…"
"Since King Cobra has invited us, let's go together."
Wright smiled. Cobra's decision was not unexpected—it was just like him.
…
In the Royal Mausoleum on the western side of the palace, Cobra led Wright and Nico Robin to a concealed staircase.
"The Poneglyph is hidden deep underground."
Cobra stepped forward. "Come… The secret history that has endured for eight hundred years awaits within."
Silently, Wright and Robin followed Cobra through the sand-covered corridors, arriving at a massive door.
Cobra pushed it open, revealing a vast chamber beyond. In its center stood a colossal stone tablet, covered in mysterious inscriptions.
"This is… Alabasta's Poneglyph."
Robin murmured.
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