Inside the subterranean mausoleum—the Altar of Burial.
The heavy stone doors sealed away the surface's chaos, leaving only a deathly silence and the dust of ages.
King Cobra, battered and bruised, had been forced to lead the way to this secret chamber housing Alabasta's greatest secret.
Before him, the rectangular monolith carved with ancient glyphs—the Poneglyph—stood silently in the shadows.
Nico Robin stood before the stone, her eyes scanning the complex script.
"What does it say? Read it!" Crocodile barked from behind her, his eyes shimmering with unbridled greed.
Robin remained silent for a moment before speaking calmly. "It records the history of Alabasta... the dynastic successions of this nation, and the deeds of the kings..."
She did not utter a single word regarding the Ancient Weapon "Pluton." Instead, she wove a fabrication of harmless historical records.
The facade finally crumbled.
"Enough." Crocodile's expression darkened instantly, his fanaticism replaced by icy murderous intent. He tore away his remaining mask of civility. "If there is no Pluton... then this country is nothing but a troublesome sandbox. And you... no longer have any value alive."
Shhh. The outer casing of Crocodile's golden hook popped open, revealing the venomous, razor-sharp stinger. He stared coldly at Robin's back. "I have no interest in sharing a country. As a partner, you've outlived your usefulness."
The hook sliced through the air, aimed directly at Robin's heart with lethal precision. In that split second—
CLANG!!!
Sparks flickered in the darkness. A sharp, ear-piercing metallic ring echoed through the cavernous hall. A pitch-black kunai appeared out of thin air, wedging itself perfectly into the curve of the golden hook, halting the fatal strike.
"Who?!" Crocodile's eyes narrowed.
"Don't be so impatient, Sand Crocodile." Viktor's silhouette emerged slowly from the shadows atop the Poneglyph. He crouched on the summit of the stone, looking down at Crocodile with a playful smirk. "Even though this big sister is reading a fake history..."
Viktor pointed to the monolith beneath his feet, his words hitting like a physical blow. "This stone right here actually does record the specific location of the worst battleship in history—'Pluton'."
"What?!"
The statement was a thunderclap. Robin's calm composure shattered instantly; her pupils shook violently as she stared up at Viktor in disbelief. He... he can read the Poneglyphs?!
That was impossible. Aside from the scholars of Ohara, no one in this world should be able to decipher those characters!
The killing intent in Crocodile's eyes instantly pivoted back to feverish hunger. He glared at Viktor. "You know?! Where is it?! Tell me now!!"
"Telling you wouldn't matter." Viktor shrugged, leaping down from the monolith to land between Robin and Crocodile.
"Because it's buried so deep you could never dig it up in this lifetime. Besides..." Viktor looked up at the ceiling, which was beginning to vibrate. His lips curled. "Your opponent... has arrived."
As he spoke—
BOOM!!!!
The thick stone ceiling overhead buckled and burst. Rubble rained down like hailstones. Amidst the swirling dust, a figure carrying a massive wooden barrel—his belly swollen round from drinking his fill of water—plummeted from the sky!
THUD!!! He slammed into the ground in front of Crocodile, splashing water everywhere.
"CROCODILE!!!!!"
Luffy pushed himself up, snapping his head toward the Warlord.
Pshhh—!! He spat out a mouthful of water, spraying it directly into Crocodile's face. Luffy wiped his mouth and stood up.
Though his stomach was as round as a beach ball, his eyes were ferocious, burning with the fire of inevitable victory. "This time... I definitely won't lose!! I've seen through your true form!!"
Though his Haki awakening had faltered during his near-death experience, Luffy had brought the simplest, most effective weapon: water—and a will for his friends that would never waver!
Crocodile wiped the water from his face, his skin turning a sickly shade of livid purple as a vein throbbed in his temple. "You again... you immortal cockroach! Straw Hat... GET OUT OF MY WAY!!"
"Gum-Gum... WATER PISTOL!!"
Without further words, the two collided. Water-soaked fists struck the Sandman's physical form with heavy, meaty thuds that echoed through the hall.
On the other side of the battlefield, Viktor did not intervene in the fated duel. He turned toward the still-stunned Robin.
"Alright, big sister." Viktor brushed the dust off his hands, smiling. "I'm quite interested in this rock, too. Shall we talk?"
Robin stared at the mysterious youth. The shock in her eyes gradually faded, replaced by an extreme coldness and wariness.
This boy was too dangerous. Not only was he powerful, but he knew the secret of the Poneglyphs—and he knew she was lying.
"Who are you?" Robin's voice was low. "I am the only survivor of Ohara. How can you read the Poneglyphs? And why do you know I'm hiding information about Pluton?"
Viktor didn't give a direct answer. He merely gestured to the stone behind him. "Who I am isn't important. What matters is... big sister, why don't you re-interpret this stone for me? This time... can you read it for someone who actually 'knows the business'?"
At the phrase "knows the business," a flash of killing intent crossed Robin's eyes. Since he knew too much, he was the ultimate threat. No matter who he was, he had to disappear here.
"I'm sorry. Even though you helped me..." Robin crossed her arms over her chest. "But those who know too much usually don't live long."
"Thirty Fleur: Clutch!!"
Petals swirled. On Viktor's body, thirty white arms sprouted like rapidly growing buds. They locked onto his neck, joints, and spine with terrifying speed, forming a perfect submission hold.
"Goodbye, mysterious boy." Robin's eyes turned cold as she exerted force. "Snap!!!"
CRACK-CRUNCH!!!
As Robin pulled, the "Viktor" engulfed by the arms let out a sickening sound of splintering bone. His body twisted into a grotesque, impossible angle.
However, Robin's expression changed instantly. The sensation... was wrong!
POOF!!!
A cloud of white smoke erupted from the "corpse." When it cleared, Robin realized with horror that the person whose joints she had just snapped wasn't Viktor at all—it was a piece of rotten wood, shattered into several segments.
"This is..." Robin's pupils contracted. In her years as a fugitive, she had seen countless Fruit users, but she had never seen something this bizarre. "A Devil Fruit? No... what kind of trick is this?"
"That was quite a passionate hug, big sister."
A playful voice drifted from the top of a towering stone pillar on the far side of the hall. Robin snapped her head up. Viktor was crouching on the pillar, completely unharmed, even giving her a small wave.
"If it's just that level of 'joint-lock,' you won't catch a Shinobi."
BOOM!! Another explosion rocked the center of the hall as Luffy sent Crocodile crashing into a wall.
"Looks like the fight over there is reaching its climax." Viktor looked down at the fierce struggle, his Three-Tomoe Sharingan spinning slowly. "It seems our conversation needs a simpler, more effective method as well."
🌟 The story is already written… waiting to be unleashed. Claim early access on Patreon: [email protected]/Master_Studios677
🔓 You hold the keys to bonus chapters:💬 10 reviews ignite 1 bonus chapter🔷 100 Power Stones summon another
🔥 Your power determines how fast the tale unfolds.