"To the Flower Capital?" Ace blinked in surprise.
"I have other business," Roy replied.
"Big Bro, we'll head out first." Ace grinned.
"Captain, are we leaving now, too?" Loxus asked.
"Yeah. We've got our own mission. We already have three Road Poneglyphs. I know where the fourth is."
"Really?!" Loxus's eyes lit up.
"Hahaha! Yep. Just gotta track it down."
"I'd suggest you don't rush." Roy cut in. "Even if you find it, it's useless right now. Stay in Wano a little longer, it'll benefit you."
"Why's that?"
"Can you read the Poneglyphs?"
"...No."
"Then there you have it, you can't read them. Even if you find the last one, what good will it do?" Roy said.
"Hahaha, you've got a point," Ace admitted.
"Right now, the only person who can read the Poneglyphs is Nico Robin," Deuce added.
"Which means we'll have to fight Luffy's crew eventually," Loxus nodded.
"Yeah. I'm going to become Pirate King," Ace said with a smile. "Big bro, we're heading out. Once we find the last Poneglyph, I'll settle things with Luffy; whoever wins gets the One Piece."
Roy had originally intended to send him to find Kozuki Sukiyaki, but this was fine too; let them settle things themselves.
As for Roy, he would find Sukiyaki himself, since he wanted to check on the state of Pluton.
And if his suspicions were correct, Pluton wasn't just some "world-destroying battleship."
Who would've thought Poseidon was the ruler of the Sea Kings? And Pluton, perhaps it wasn't merely a weapon.
Maybe it was something far greater. A ship of hope.
.....
Meanwhile, underground in Wano, Kozuki Sukiyaki was leading Robin and Law to the Poneglyph's location.
Sukiyaki began explaining the truth about Wano when footsteps suddenly echoed behind them.
"The last time I came here was over twenty years ago."
The three of them were startled, quickly turning around.
"Who's there?!"
Law took a fighting stance, while Robin crossed her arms, ready to fight.
"Relax. The three of you wouldn't stand a chance anyway," Roy said as he walked straight toward the Poneglyph.
"Emperor Roy!!" Robin's forehead beaded with sweat, she was shaken.
Law clenched his teeth. Roy glanced at him; he could tell the man had his doubts.
"So, over twenty years ago, it was you who came here, wasn't it?" Sukiyaki asked.
"No, I didn't come, it was Kozuki Oden," Roy said.
"I see… I found a footprint. Aside from the Kozuki shoguns of each generation, no one else should know this place exists," Sukiyaki said.
"That's right. Wano's secret is hidden here. Once upon a time, Wano was incredibly prosperous, living at the foot of the mountains. But later, they were forced to hide away like turtles in their shells," Roy said.
"Why? What exactly happened back then? Why did Wano have to hide?!" Sukiyaki demanded.
"Didn't your son, Kozuki Oden, tell you?" Roy asked with a smile.
"When I came out, he was already dead," Sukiyaki said through clenched teeth, his voice heavy with grief.
"You're pathetic, letting Orochi control you," Roy sneered.
"Yes… If I'd known he was of the Kurozumi family, I should have done as my father did, chased them to extinction," Sukiyaki said bitterly.
"You Kozukis are all pathetic; only your father was a proper man. Sadly, he was mortally wounded by a Kurozumi assassination and died before he could wipe them out completely," Roy said with a mocking tone.
"You… you know about that?!" Sukiyaki exclaimed.
"The Kurozumi family was infiltrated by the World Government, later discovered by your father, who then joined forces with other daimyos to wipe them out. But he paid the price. Unfortunately, you, his son, failed to inherit the strength of the Kozuki name. Under your leadership, your family was at its weakest."
"Still, I'll admit, you inherited your clan's swordsmithing skill. At least you're a decent blacksmith," Roy said.
Sukiyaki lowered his head. He had always loved his craft, and because his mind was focused on such trivialities, Wano had fallen into its current state. Even after the country had been restored, his leadership over the past two decades had caused enormous casualties.
In just over twenty years, Wano's population had dropped by seventy percent. Several daimyos were dead, and even the Kuri family was gone.
"It's my fault. I've failed Wano," Sukiyaki said, kneeling.
"You should tell that to your ancestors, not to me. I'm only here to confirm Pluton's condition," Roy said.
"You know Pluton is here?" Robin asked.
"You don't think you're the only one in the world who can read Poneglyphs, do you?" Roy asked with a smile.
"Wait, you can read the Poneglyphs too?" Robin asked.
"Kozuki Oden spent four years on Whitebeard's ship. The Poneglyphs were left by Joy Boy and crafted by Wano's stonemasons. Strictly speaking, the inscriptions aren't 'ancient text' but moon language."
"You've been to Skypiea, to Shandora, you've seen the Shandoran civilization. It shared a common origin with the sky islands; both descended from the moon's civilization. But their script was long broken, their civilization vanished, regressing to the tribal age."
"Plenty of people can read Poneglyphs, the Kozuki clan of Wano, the royal family of Elbaf. They've all inherited the ability to interpret them. I studied under Kozuki Oden myself. If I'd wanted to reach Laugh Tale, I could have done so thirty years ago, long before Roger," Roy said.
Robin and Law were shaken; this was like a thunderbolt. They hadn't expected Roy to have had the means to reach Laugh Tale three decades ago.
"Why? Why didn't you go? Are you saying you're not interested in the One Piece?" Robin asked.
"It's useless. The ancient weapons can only be activated at specific times. Now isn't the time. What truly matters isn't the weapons, it's the era, the fall of kingdoms. If getting the One Piece could change the world, Roger's crew would have done so already. They wouldn't have had to disband to survive."
"You think the One Piece is something that can control the world? It's really just a naive plan. I'm going to see Pluton now. Once I confirm what it really is, I'll know exactly what the One Piece truly is," Roy said.
...
If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.
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