"Master, the Sea Forest is a forbidden area of Fish-Man Island. It is located behind Fish-Man Island, a region enveloped by special ocean currents, and it is also the most treasured place by the successive royal families of the Ryugu Kingdom."
"Aside from the royal family, a small number of research scholars, and guardians, few others approach this area."
Otohime walked beside Brian, her voice calm yet carrying a hint of complex emotion.
Her face no longer held the fragility and hesitation of the past, replaced only by absolute loyalty to Brian and a thirst for power.
The death of her family had completely severed her ties to the past. She was now a Beast Girl candidate under Brian, a follower of the New World's order.
Thus, Otohime had also changed her form of address, calling him "Master" like the other Beast Girls, familiarizing herself with it in advance.
Brian nodded without looking back, swimming forward calmly. "I know. Forbidden areas often hide the most valuable secrets. The secrets of Fish-Man Island are far more important to me than gold."
Seeing Otohime, Brian felt a slight sense of regret in his heart.
If he could obtain a Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit on Fish-Man Island this time, perhaps Otohime could make use of it.
But an Ancient Type would be completely unworthy of Otohime's potential.
And an Insect-Insect Fruit at that—it really felt out of place.
Of course, he had also been pondering what kind of Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit would be more suitable for a mermaid like Otohime, who possessed such high potential.
A Mermaid Fruit? A Dragon-Dragon Fruit? Or a Snake-Snake Fruit? Perhaps even higher-tier ones like Angel or Fairy Fruit?
Everything would depend on future gains————
Berlos and Agni followed closely behind Brian, one on each side, remaining vigilant.
The faint, flickering flames on their bodies illuminated the dim light of the deep sea, their auras powerful and steady.
The four of them did not alert anyone on the island, silently entering the forbidden area of Fish-Man Island.
Passing through a narrow channel carved out by coral reefs, the scene before them suddenly opened up.
It was a sight that should not exist in the deep sea.
Enormous roots stretched down like an inverted city, extending infinitely from above and deeply rooted in the seabed. These tangled and coiled roots formed a massive, almost impenetrable natural dome.
Through the gaps in the roots, one could see the light from the deep sea above, forming countless beautiful and dreamlike beams in the seawater.
This was the Sea Forest. Unlike the vibrant colors of coral reefs, it carried a sense of historical weight and silent antiquity.
"Master, we're here," Otohime whispered.
Brian stopped, his gaze piercing through the layers of roots to see the abandoned giant ark deep within the forest.
"Noah—" Brian softly uttered the name.
This colossal ark, marked with traces of time, floated silently at the center of the forest. Its immense size was awe-inspiring, like a floating island.
Agni suddenly let out a low hiss, her intuition telling her that this ark was filled with an aura of danger.
"No need to be tense, Mia. That's just an empty shell left behind by history," Brian reassured her. His Observation Haki had already enveloped the entire forest, and he had detected no noteworthy life forms.
In the original story, there were indeed scholars who stayed in the Sea Forest for research—such as Dan and the former Tom.
Aside from them, there were also numerous guards stationed there, prohibiting others from entering the Sea Forest.
But now, decades earlier, and with Fish-Man Island having undergone significant upheaval, the Sea Forest was completely deserted at this time.
The group swam into the vast "hall" formed by the roots.
Inside the Sea Forest, silence reigned, broken only by the echoing sound of flowing water.
Otohime's voice carried a hint of longing: "I've always wanted to come here once. Legends on the island say that this place holds guidance that can lead the world toward true peace."
"Peace." Agni sneered, her eyes glinting in the water with a trace of disdain. "What a hypocritical word. It only allows the weak to accept their fate of enslavement with peace of mind."
Otohime did not refute her. She merely lowered her head slightly.
Now, she deeply understood the cruel truth in Agni's words. Peace required absolute power to sustain it.
Brian paid no attention to the conversation between them. He was only interested in power and history.
His gaze locked onto the massive stone tablet hidden beneath the ark "Noah," concealed by roots and the passage of time.
It was the forbidden object guarded for generations by the Neptune family.
"Otohime, take me there," Brian commanded.
Otohime immediately obeyed, swimming toward the bottom of the ark "Noah."
The closer they got to the area wrapped in roots, the more turbulent the water currents became, as if a force was resisting external investigation.
When Otohime pushed aside the final layer of thick roots, the massive stone tablet, glowing with an eerie light, finally appeared before Brian's eyes.
It was entirely crimson, not made of ordinary stone but of an unidentifiable, peculiar substance. The tablet bore no images or decorations, only ancient and deeply engraved characters.
This was indeed the Road Poneglyph—the Red Stone!
"As expected, according to history, you really are here at this time."
Brian whispered softly, his excitement intense, his heart pounding violently at this moment.
The World Government, the Navy, and even all the ambitious figures in the world could wage a war for this stone.
Four Red Stones, pointing to the final island, Laugh Tale!
Brian fully expanded his Observation Haki, attempting to decipher the ancient characters on the stone tablet.
"Master, this is—" Otohime stared at the stone tablet in shock.
She had never imagined that such a thing existed within the Sea Forest. It was awe-inspiring.
Just looking at it felt like a cleansing of the mind and spirit.
"This is a Poneglyph," Brian's voice was hoarse and low, filled with supreme satisfaction. "And it's a Road Poneglyph."
Berlos and Agni also approached cautiously. They could sense the immense and ancient flow of information contained within the stone tablet, which instinctively made them uneasy.
"What a pity. Without the ability to read the ancient script, it's completely incomprehensible."
After scanning several times with Observation Haki, Brian shook his head regretfully. It was truly a pity.
He could sense the vast flow of information within the Red Stone, as if it originated from ancient times.
But it was indeed a shame—he couldn't understand a single word.
Clearly, deciphering the Poneglyphs was a world-class challenge. He needed a professional interpreter, such as Nico Robin from the original story.
He slowly circled the Red Stone, imprinting every detail deeply into his mind.
"Laugh Tale..." Brian murmured the name softly.
He gazed intently at the Red Stone for a long while before issuing an order.
"Berlos, Agni, take this Red Stone away. In the future, this stone will prove to be of astonishing value."
"Yes, Master."
Berlos and Agni nodded. Berlos, the muscular Beast Girl, stepped forward and forcefully dragged out the massive stone slab.
Then, the four of them left as quietly as they had arrived.
They departed with nothing but a huge stone in tow, leaving everything else untouched.
Of course, there was nothing else of value left in the Sea Forest—only the remnants of shipwrecks remained.
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