West Alubarna — Royal Tomb
"So this is the place..."
Robin glanced around the area.
"The Royal Tomb. The resting place of Alabasta's kings throughout history."
Her eyes sharpened as she looked directly at King Cobra.
"Where is the Poneglyph?"
After a moment of silence, Cobra walked toward a nearby statue.
It was a white sculpture shaped like a creature with the head of a cat and the body of a fish.
Cobra placed his hands against it and slowly rotated it counterclockwise.
Immediately—
The grassy ground split open, revealing a hidden passage.
"A secret staircase?"
Robin raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised.
"Your secrecy measures are rather impressive."
"The Poneglyph lies deep underground," Cobra sighed, as though he had already accepted his fate.
Clack.
Clack.
Clack.
The two descended the stone steps.
"Ordinary people don't even know the Poneglyph exists," Cobra said slowly.
"And in this world, almost no one can read it."
"So why would you...?"
"No."
Robin smiled faintly.
"In this world, nothing is truly impossible."
A mysterious glint flickered in her eyes.
"...Wait."
Cobra's voice suddenly changed, filled with both shock and fear.
"Are you saying you can read those characters?"
After all, the secrets recorded on the Poneglyph could shake the entire world.
"Yes," Robin answered calmly.
"That is precisely why Sir Crocodile cooperates with me."
"And also why he cannot kill me."
She suddenly stopped walking.
"The Poneglyph in this country... most likely records the location of Pluton, doesn't it?"
"I don't know."
Cobra shook his head, trying to suppress the fear and unease in his heart.
Finally, the two reached the deepest chamber of the royal tomb.
Before them stood a massive stone slab engraved with strange ancient characters.
Robin's expression finally changed.
"Yes..."
"This is the Poneglyph."
Meanwhile, Cobra quietly sat in a corner.
His face was gloomy, his thoughts unreadable.
Road to the Royal Tomb
Elsewhere, on the road leading to the Royal Tomb—
Tashigi crawled forward slowly, supporting herself with her elbow.
Her eyes grew increasingly determined.
"Nico Robin..."
"I will definitely... capture you!"
Just then, a gust of sand blew past.
Tashigi sensed something and slowly raised her head.
The color drained from her face.
A tall figure appeared through the swirling sand.
Sir Crocodile.
His brown coat was torn and ragged, and his body was stained with dried blood.
Yet the aura surrounding him remained terrifying.
Like a wounded dragon that could still crush ants beneath its claws.
"Crocodile!"
Shock surged through Tashigi.
"Hahaha... looks like you were beaten by that woman."
Crocodile looked down at her with mocking eyes.
"I didn't expect the Marines to chase me this far."
"So tell me... how is your boss doing?"
He sneered.
"That smoking bastard... did he run away?"
"You—!"
Tashigi clenched her teeth.
The pain wracking her body prevented her from moving, while unwillingness burned fiercely inside her.
Crocodile laughed mockingly.
"Stray dogs have no right to talk about justice."
"That is the nature of this sea."
"You should go back to the shore and debate your justice there."
"Hahahahaha!"
He casually stepped past Tashigi and walked toward the Royal Tomb.
He could not wait any longer.
High Above the Desert
Meanwhile—
High above the scorching desert, a white falcon soared through the sky.
On its back lay a boy covered in blood.
Drip.
Drip.
Under the blazing sun, Monkey D. Luffy slowly opened his eyes.
"Thanks... Pell!"
Blood dripped from his wounds, staining Pell's pure white feathers red.
"It is us who should thank you," Pell said solemnly.
"But are you truly going back to fight Crocodile?"
He turned his head, looking at the severely wounded boy.
"You have already done more than enough for Alabasta."
"Perhaps... this is simply the fate of this country."
Without realizing it, Pell had begun speaking with deep respect.
He did not want to see this innocent boy sacrifice himself for a country that was not even his own.
"Hehe..."
Luffy smiled faintly.
"Pell... it's my body."
"How I use it... isn't up to you."
Memories flashed through his mind.
Vivi's desperate plea.
A nation on the brink of collapse.
The stubborn determination of its people.
In that instant—
It felt as if an invisible power surged through his body.
Crack.
A sound like chains breaking echoed within him.
An invisible wave of energy swept through the surrounding air.
Conqueror's Haki +0.1
Gum-Gum Fruit Power +0.1
On the status panel:
Conqueror's Haki: 30.0 — IntermediateGum-Gum Fruit: 30.0 — Intermediate
Luffy muttered softly,
"Compared to Vivi..."
"And the people suffering in this country..."
"These injuries are nothing."
Inside the Royal Tomb
Robin stood before the massive Poneglyph, studying it intently.
"Does it contain what you're looking for?" Cobra asked.
Robin did not answer.
She simply ran her hand gently across the ancient carvings.
But her dark-blue eyes rippled with emotion.
Clearly, the contents of the stone had shocked her.
Perhaps even frightened her.
After a long silence, Robin sighed.
"Unfortunately..."
"This is not what I have been searching for."
At that moment—
Footsteps echoed down the staircase.
Crocodile's sinister face appeared before them.
"So this is a national secret, huh?"
"No matter how desperately I searched, I never would have found this place without knowing the mechanism."
He walked toward Robin, barely containing his excitement.
"So... this is the Poneglyph, Nico Robin."
"You look rather miserable, Desert King."
Robin glanced at the injuries covering Crocodile's body.
Hidden deep in her eyes was a trace of disappointment.
If Crocodile had died...
She would have been happier.
"Yeah," Crocodile sneered.
"Being beaten like this by some unknown brat... what a disgrace."
He wiped his scarred face, dried blood staining his clothes.
"But enough about that."
His expression twisted into something greedy and feral.
"Now tell me—"
"Where is Pluton?!"
Robin instinctively stepped back when she saw the obsessive madness in his eyes.
The Ancient Weapon had clearly become his obsession.
Once I obtain it...
I will be invincible.
"There is no information about it here," Robin said calmly.
"What?!"
Crocodile's smile froze.
"This Poneglyph only records history."
"The word 'Pluton' does not appear anywhere."
Robin carefully watched Crocodile's reaction.
"I see..."
"So that's how it is."
Crocodile's eyes filled with bloodshot rage.
"What a pity."
"Even though you were once an excellent partner..."
"...I'll still have to kill you here."
He slowly approached Robin.
"So tell me..."
"Did this Poneglyph truly not mention Pluton..."
"...or were you planning from the beginning not to tell me?"
His golden hook swung upward, knocking Robin's hat away.
Robin retreated until her back hit a stone pillar.
"Cobra's expression already gave it away," Crocodile said coldly.
His palm gathered swirling sand.
Then he swung his arm.
A massive sand blade shot forward.
"Desert Spada!"
BOOM!!
Robin barely dodged.
The blade sliced through the ground and stone pillars as easily as cutting tofu.
Rumble...
Suddenly, the entire tomb began to shake.
"Was that you?" Crocodile demanded.
"What did you do, Cobra?!"
Cobra lay collapsed on the ground, staring calmly at him.
"Nothing serious."
"I simply removed one of the support pillars of this underground sanctuary."
"The balance has already been broken."
"This place will soon collapse."
"You will all be buried here with me."
He declared solemnly,
"I swear in the name of the twelfth king of the Nefertari family—"
"I will never hand this desert kingdom over to you."
"Hahahahaha!"
Crocodile laughed in furious amusement.
"How interesting."
"My partner betrays me... and even a mere king dares to plot against me."
"You people really don't take me seriously!"
His eyes turned blood-red.
He slammed his hand into the ground.
"Ground Death!"
The earth, pillars, and stone around them instantly turned into sand.
A massive sand vortex spread outward from Crocodile.
Robin and Cobra immediately felt the moisture rapidly draining from their bodies.
Crocodile grabbed Robin by her slender neck.
"What's wrong?"
Robin struggled desperately as suffocation closed in.
For the first time—
She felt despair.
She had underestimated the power of a Seven Warlord of the Sea.
"Nico Robin," Crocodile said calmly, "I actually admire you."
"You know when to advance and when to retreat."
His gaze swept across her figure.
"If you tell me where Pluton is... I'll forgive your betrayal."
"Not a chance," Robin replied without hesitation.
"Heh."
Crocodile sighed in disappointment.
His hand slowly turned into sand.
The shadow of death loomed over her.
Robin closed her eyes in despair.
Is this the end...?
Mother... Professor... Saul... I'm sorry...
I... can't keep living.
BOOM!!
A powerful shockwave suddenly erupted.
Robin's eyes snapped open in disbelief.
A white gust of air blew through her long black hair.
Clack.
A pair of wooden sandals landed on the ground.
A figure drenched in blood stood before her.
Blood and sweat dripped endlessly from his body.
The black-haired young man looked at her—
And smiled.
Despite being covered in wounds, his smile shone like sunlight.
"Nico Robin..."
"Nice to meet you."