Robin walked toward the center of the hidden chamber. She stopped in front of the massive stone block.
The stone glowed. It radiated a deep, dark red hue. Carved symbols covered its flat surface.
Robin placed her hand on the cold stone. She traced the letters with her fingers. Her eyes darted back and forth across the text.
"This is not a history text," Robin stated. Her voice echoed in the cavern. "It does not speak of the Void Century. It speaks of a location."
Inuarashi walked up behind her.
"You read the ancient text," Inuarashi noted. "You are truly from Ohara."
"I am," Robin said. She turned around. "What is this stone? I have never seen a red Poneglyph."
"It is a Road Poneglyph," Inuarashi answered.
Law stepped forward. He pulled his sword closer to his shoulder. "A Road Poneglyph? What does it lead to?"
Nekomamushi walked over. He crossed his arms, his new left arm flexing easily.
"It leads to the end," Nekomamushi declared loudly. "It leads to the final island. It leads to the One Piece."
Silence dropped over the room like a heavy weight.
Luffy stopped cheering for the ninja. He turned around. His eyes locked onto the red stone.
Usopp froze. Chopper dropped his jaw. Franky stopped posing.
"The... the One Piece?" Usopp stammered. He pointed a trembling finger at the stone. "You mean that rock tells us where it is?! We found the map?!"
"Not the entire map," Inuarashi corrected. "There are four Road Poneglyphs in the world. This is only one of them."
Inuarashi stepped to the side. He drew a square in the dirt with his sword scabbard. He poked four holes in the dirt, one at each corner.
"Each red stone points to a specific location in the sea," Inuarashi explained. He drew a line connecting the top left hole to the bottom right hole. Then he drew a line connecting the top right hole to the bottom left hole.
The two lines crossed in the exact center of the square.
"When you find all four locations," Inuarashi said, pointing to the center cross, "you draw a line between them. The place where the lines intersect is the final island. Laugh Tale."
The Straw Hat Pirates stared at the dirt drawing. They looked back at the red stone.
The reality hit them.
They were not just wandering the sea anymore. They held a piece of the final puzzle. They were directly on the path to the Pirate King's throne.
"Four stones," Nami said. She stepped to the front of the group. Her eyes narrowed. "We have one. Do you know where the other three are?"
"We do," Nekomamushi nodded. "One is missing. Its location remains unknown to the world. But the other two are claimed."
"Claimed by who?" Zoro asked. He rested his hand on Sandai Kitetsu.
"The Emperors of the Sea," Inuarashi stated flatly. "One is held by Big Mom. The other is held by Kaido of the Beasts."
The room grew tense. Law gripped his sword tighter. Stealing from one Emperor was suicide. Stealing from two was madness.
Luffy stared at the red stone. He tilted his head back. He grabbed his straw hat.
He started to laugh.
"Shishishi!" Luffy chuckled. The chuckle grew into a loud, echoing laugh. "Kaido and Big Mom? They have the stones?"
"They do," Nekomamushi warned. "They guard them fiercely."
"That makes things easy!" Luffy grinned widely. He punched his palm. "We just have to beat them up and take their stones! We don't even have to search for them!"
Law groaned. He pulled his hat over his eyes. "You make it sound like we are robbing a fruit stand."
Zoro grinned. He pushed his sword slightly out of its scabbard. "Two Emperors. Good. I was getting bored."
Sanji pulled a cigarette from his pocket. He placed it in his mouth and lit it with a quick snap of his lighter. He exhaled a cloud of smoke. "Looks like we have a busy schedule."
Dorry and Brogy burst into booming laughter. "Gahahaha! The captain challenges the rulers of the sea! This is true piracy!"
Oimo and Kashii slammed their weapons against their shields in agreement. Franky struck a super pose.
Nami looked at the dirt drawing. She looked at Inuarashi.
"Wait," Nami said. She crossed her arms. "I remember something. Crocus told us about this. Back at the Twin Capes."
Inuarashi blinked. "You know Crocus?"
"We met him at the lighthouse at the entrance of Grand Line," Nami said. "He told us the Log Pose would eventually lead us to the end of the Grand Line. But he said that final island wasn't the end of the journey. He said the true end required a different path."
Nami pointed at the red stone. "The Log Pose resets at the end of the magnetic lines. It doesn't point to Laugh Tale. We need these stones to find the coordinates."
Inuarashi and Nekomamushi stared at the orange-haired woman. They exchanged a look.
"You understand navigation on a fundamental level," Inuarashi praised. "Most pirates sail blindly until their compass fails them. You see the true path."
"She is a genius," Nekomamushi agreed. "A true navigator."
Nami smiled. Her cheeks flushed slightly. She waved her hand dismissively. "Oh, it was nothing. Just basic deduction."
Usopp jumped up. He pointed at Nami. "That's right! She is the best navigator on the sea! She will guide the Pirate King!"
Chopper bounced up and down. "Nami is amazing! She knows everything about the ocean!"
Sunny appeared next to her. "The best navigator for the best ship! Go Aunt Nami!"
Luffy grinned. He walked up behind Nami.
"Yeah! Nami is the best!" Luffy cheered.
He raised his hand. He slapped Nami on the back.
Smack.
It was a heavy, rubbery slap. It pushed Nami forward a step.
Nami kept smiling. She adjusted her posture. "Thank you, Luffy."
"You always know where to go!" Luffy cheered again.
He slapped her back again.
Smack.
The hit was harder. Nami stumbled forward. Her smile strained. She gritted her teeth.
"You're... welcome," Nami managed to say.
"We would be lost without you!" Luffy yelled, entirely oblivious.
He pulled his arm back. He swung it forward.
Smack.
The slap echoed in the cavern.
The smile vanished from Nami's face. A dark shadow fell over her eyes. She cracked her knuckles.
"Luffy," Nami whispered.
"Yeah?" Luffy smiled.
Nami spun around. She punched Luffy directly on the top of his head.
The punch lacked Haki. It lacked Devil Fruit power. It ran purely on navigator rage.
Luffy's head slammed into the stone floor. The rock cracked. Luffy lay twitching, a massive red bump growing on his skull.
"Stop hitting me, you idiot!" Nami screamed, her teeth turning into sharp triangles.
Zoro chuckled. Sanji swooned.
Nekomamushi watched the display. He turned his attention back to Robin. His face turned serious.
"Nico Robin," Nekomamushi said. His voice rumbled deeply.
Robin looked at the giant cat mink. "Yes?"
"You must be careful," Nekomamushi warned. "You are a survivor of Ohara. You can read the ancient text. For years, the big pirates ignored you because you hid in the shadows. But now, you sail with a crew that makes noise."
Inuarashi nodded. "The Emperors have the stones. But they cannot read them. When they realize you can decipher the Poneglyphs, they will not just try to kill your crew. They will hunt you. They will try to capture you and force you to read for them."
Robin looked at the red stone. She remembered her childhood, running from every organization in the world.
She turned away from the stone and looked at her crew.
She saw Luffy pulling his head out of the floo, Zoro arguing with Sanji, Chopper and Usopp inspecting Raizo's ninja scrolls. Ben leaning against the wall, watching them all with a calm demeanor.
Robin smiled.
"I am not worried," Robin said softly. "I have a very strong crew. They will protect me."
The crew heard her.
Zoro immediately looked at the ceiling. He rubbed the back of his neck. A faint pink tint appeared on his cheeks. "Tch. Whatever."
Sanji turned around kicked the dirt. He tried to hide his massive, swooning grin. "Anything for you, Robin-chan."
Chopper started doing his happy dance. His body wiggled back and forth. "I'm not happy you praised us, you jerk! You can't flatter me!"
Franky rubbed his nose. "Super embarrassing."
The giants, Dorry and Brogy, scratched their beards. They looked away, chuckling awkwardly.
Luffy stood up. He rubbed the bump on his head. He looked at Momonosuke.
The young boy stood near Kin'emon. He looked at the floor. He looked sad. He remembered his father. He remembered Kaido.
"Hey, Momo," Luffy called out.
Momonosuke looked up.
"Kin'emon asked me to help beat Kaido," Luffy said. He crossed his arms. "But I won't do it."
Kin'emon gasped. Kanjuro dropped his brush. Raizo froze.
"Luffy-dono!" Kin'emon cried. "Why?! We need your strength!"
"You are not the boss," Luffy told Kin'emon. He pointed at Momonosuke. "He is the boss. If he wants my help, he has to ask me himself."
Momonosuke's knuckles whitened as he gripped his kimono. He trembled, haunted by the crushing heat, the terror, and the vivid memory of the giant dragon that had reduced his castle to ash.
"I... I am just a child," Momonosuke stammered.
"You are a coward," Luffy said bluntly.
Nami gasped. "Luffy! Don't say that to him!"
"It's true!" Luffy argued. "He cries all the time! He hides behind Kin'emon! If he is the Shogun, he needs to act like one!"
Momonosuke gritted his teeth. Tears fell from his eyes. He hated Kaido. He hated Orochi. But he hated his own weakness most of all.
He balled his hands into fists. He took a step forward.
"I am not a coward!" Momonosuke yelled.
Luffy stared at him. "Then prove it."
Momonosuke ran forward. He jumped. He swung his small fist.
He punched Luffy in the stomach.
Luffy did not flinch. He let the boy hit him.
Momonosuke hit him again. And again. He cried as he punched the rubber pirate.
"I want to defeat Kaido!" Momonosuke screamed. His voice echoed in the cavern. "He killed my mother! He killed my father! He destroyed my country! I want to avenge them! But I am too small! I am too weak!"
Momonosuke stopped punching. He grabbed Luffy's shirt. He looked up, his face covered in tears.
"Please!" Momonosuke cried. "Please help me! Lend me your strength! Help me defeat Kaido!"
Luffy looked down at the crying boy.
The harshness vanished from Luffy's face. He smiled, reached out and placed his hand on Momonosuke's head.
"Sure," Luffy said simply.
Momonosuke gasped. He wiped his eyes.
Luffy turned to Law. He turned to the minks and the samurai.
"We are going to beat Kaido!" Luffy announced loudly. "We will form an alliance! The Ninja-Pirate-Mink-Samurai Alliance!"
Law sighed. "You just named everyone in the room."
"It's a good name!" Luffy argued.
Inuarashi and Nekomamushi smiled. They drew their weapons and raised them in the air.
Kin'emon, Kanjuro, and Raizo drew their blades. They cheered.
The alliance was forged in the dark cavern beneath the Whale Tree. They had a target. They had a path.
"Let's go back up," Ben said from the stairs. "We have work to do."
They climbed the stone stairs. They took a few pics of the Poneglyph. They stepped back out into the dense forest of Zou.
They walked back toward the ruined city.
As they reached the edge of the trees, a group of minks ran toward them.
It was a polar bear mink in an orange jumpsuit. A human in a hat. A human in a cap.
Bepo. Shachi. Penguin.
They ran toward Law.
"Captain!" Bepo yelled, throwing his arms out.
Law stopped walking. He let the bear mink hug him. Shachi and Penguin crashed into him a second later.
Law pushed them off gently. He adjusted his hat, tried to look stoic, but a small smile betrayed his relief.
Luffy walked over. He looked at the Heart Pirates.
Law crossed his arms.
"Straw Hat-ya"
"These are my subordinates," Law said casually. "The Heart Pirates."
"Yo," Luffy waved.
Bepo gasped. Shachi's jaw dropped. Penguin grabbed his head.
"Captain!" Shachi yelled. "That is a terrible introduction!"
"We have names!" Penguin cried. "We have ranks! You just called us subordinates!"
Bepo turned around and faced the forest. He slouched forward, a dark aura of depression surrounding him. "He doesn't care about us. We are just tools."
"You are so cold, Captain!" Shachi accused, pointing an angry finger at Law. "If you keep treating us like this, we will mutiny! We will overthrow you!"
Law stared at them. He closed his eyes. He shook his head slowly.
"Idiots," Law muttered.
Ben stepped forward. He walked past the arguing pirates. He looked at the ruined city of Kurou.
The poison gas was gone. The minks were healed. But the buildings lay in piles of rubble. The streets were destroyed.
"We need to fix this," Ben said.
Ben looked at his hands. He felt his magical core. The Golden Fleece had drained him. Healing hundreds of dying minks took a massive toll on his prana reserves. He could not cast large-scale reconstruction magic.
Ben turned around.
"Nami," Ben called out. "Robin. Vivi. Bonney. Chopper. Come here."
The five crew members walked over.
"What is it, Ben?" Chopper asked.
"I am out of mana," Ben explained simply. "I used it all to heal the minks. I cannot fix the city."
"Use the magic I taught you and repair them" Hearing that all five of them and take out the wands Ben had made for them.
"Reparo," Robin said calmly.
A spark of white light shot from the tip of the wand. It hit the pile of stones.
The rubble shifted. It didn't just move; it flew.
The heavy stone blocks lifted into the air. They moved backward, reversing the destruction. The cracked stones fused together. The mortar sealed itself. The wooden beams snapped back into place.
In ten seconds, the watchtower stood perfectly intact.
The minks standing in the courtyard gasped. They rubbed their eyes.
"Magic!" a dog mink barked.
Nami grinned. She pointed her wand at a row of ruined houses. "Reparo!"
The houses rebuilt themselves. The roofs reformed. The doors reattached to their hinges.
Vivi pointed her wand at the shattered bridge. "Reparo!"
The bridge fused back together, spanning the gap effortlessly.
Bonney laughed, waving her wand wildly at a pile of broken statues. "Reparo! Reparo!"
Chopper pointed his wand at the medical clinic. "Reparo!"
The clinic rebuilt itself perfectly. The broken glass windows reformed into solid panes.
The five crew members walked through the city. They waved their wands like conductors leading an orchestra. The ruined city of Kurou rose from the ashes. The streets smoothed out. The claw marks vanished from the walls.
The minks cheered. They wept, as they watched their home return to them in a matter of minutes.
Luffy watched the city rebuild. He smiled.
Luffy jumped onto a newly repaired stone wall. He cupped his hands around his mouth.
"ALRIGHT!" Luffy roared. "THE CITY IS FIXED! EVERYONE IS HEALED! IT'S TIME FOR A BANQUET!"
Nami stopped waving her wand. She turned around and glared at her captain.
"Luffy!" Nami yelled. "We just had a massive banquet in Dressrosa! That was only a few days ago!"
Luffy tilted his head. He blinked.
"That's right!" Luffy agreed loudly, completely missing her point. "It's been a few days! I am starving! Bring out the meat!"
Sanji sighed. He rolled up his sleeves. He started walking toward the newly repaired kitchens.
"I'll get the fire started," Sanji muttered.
The minks cheered louder. The pirates laughed. The alliance was formed, the city was saved, and the meat was roasting.