"Is that the Ancient Text?"
Hina's eyes brimmed with curiosity:
"What exactly is written on it?"
"Hina is curious."
"No idea, I can't read it," Dier replied casually. "If you're curious, go ask Robin later."
"Why haven't you learned it? Hina wonders."
"Why should I learn it?"
Dier was even more puzzled than her. Was Ancient Text important?
Not to him.
First, he had no desire to go to Laugh Tale. Second, he wasn't interested in the Void Century.
The only Ancient Weapons that intrigued him were the two he already knew about.
Pluton was in Wano Country, its blueprints currently in Tom's possession, later passed to Iceburg, and then to Franky.
Poseidon was the mermaid princess Shirahoshi, who hadn't even been born yet.
Uranus was presumably in the hands of the World Government.
As for the rest, he couldn't care less.
"Um, may I ask what's written on it?"
Sally shuffled closer cautiously, interjecting timidly.
Having guarded the Poneglyph for years, she naturally wanted to know its contents now that she had the chance.
"Why ask me?"
Dier spread his hands and shrugged:
"Go ask Robin. It's her choice."
Whether to share or not was entirely Robin's decision. Their relationship had always been one of partners, not superior and subordinate.
The translation progressed swiftly, with Robin memorizing every word.
She directed the sailors to erect ladders and cover the massive stone with paper, making rubbings of the Ancient Text as backup.
After completing this task, she skipped over to Dier cheerfully, smiling brightly:
"All done, let's go."
"Alright, let's go."
Dier reached out and ruffled her hair before turning to Sally:
"You lead the way to your tribe."
He'd promised to help the children leave this place. Now that everything was settled, it was time to honor that promise.
Sally nodded emphatically, setting aside the Poneglyph matter for now.
Compared to those meaningless symbols, the children's safety took precedence.
She waved her hand, pointing in a specific direction:
"Follow me."
The forest remained somewhat gloomy, yet Robin felt inexplicably happy, even humming softly to herself.
Though the inscription hadn't revealed anything crucial, it still marked their first step forward.
Now everything seemed delightful to her eyes.
The beautiful trees. The gentle sunlight filtering through the canopy. A stunning ten-meter-tall yak covered in white fur.
Robin froze, her pupils contracting as she stared at the right side of the forest.
A colossal beast stood in a distant clearing, stretching its neck to nibble on tender leaves from the treetops.
Its flowing white coat billowed in the wind, giving it an almost sacred appearance.
Half-lidded eyes suggested it was basking in the sunlight, paying no attention to the group.
"Dier, over there!"
Robin rushed to Dier's side, all joy vanishing as her face turned pale.
This was her first time seeing such an enormous bovine creature on land;
its size nearly rivaled that of the giant Saul whom she knew.
Though the creature appeared docile, Robin remembered Sally's warning before they entered the forest:
"If you encounter a Long-haired Yak, run immediately."
Dier glanced sideways and spotted the yak too, his eyes clouding with concern.
He wasn't worried about his own safety. If it came down to a life-or-death struggle, he was confident he could finish off that ox completely.
Though the fighting style would be far from elegant.
But the others were different—just the residual shockwaves from the battle could cause them heavy losses.
"I'll have some sailors take you and Hina back to the ship first. Once you're back, sail further out to sea."
Judging by its appearance, that long-haired ox didn't seem like the swimming type.
As long as they stayed far enough from the shoreline, sufficient water depth would ensure their safety.
Robin nodded firmly, knowing now wasn't the time for hesitation. She immediately pulled five sailors and Hina away from the group.
Her memory was excellent; she didn't need Sally or the others to guide her back to the coast.
Their movements naturally caught Sally's attention, allowing her to spot the beast in the forest.
"That's the yak I mentioned. If it notices us, it'll attack like crazy."
Sally moved to Dier's side and whispered with a grim expression:
"After lunch, it chooses a sunny spot to sleep;
That's when you should take the children away."
"What about you?"
Dier kindly reminded her: "We can take more people. You adults can come too."
Though there wasn't enough food on the ship, they could have supplies delivered from Coron Island.
With both sides making the journey, they'd meet up in about two and a half days.
Even if they didn't rendezvous smoothly, it wouldn't matter—five days without food at most wouldn't kill anyone.
Besides, he had some special fishing tricks.
If Sally and the others wanted to leave, he could guarantee their safe passage, though they might suffer a bit along the way.
"We're sick. We can't leave."
Dier: "?"
Damn, you're sick and didn't say so earlier!
He quietly distanced himself from Sally while covering his mouth and nose with his sleeve, asking muffled:
"What exactly are the symptoms? Is it contagious?"
People in the Pirate world rarely fell ill, but when they did, it was never minor.
The only sick person he could remember was the future Nami;
She'd contracted some incurable disease on the Ancient Island, and would have died there if not for that 100-year-old witch.
"It's not contagious."
Sally ignored his cautious movements, lowering her head to explain:
"About half a month ago, a fish covered entirely in muscles washed ashore;
That fish was enormous, so we dragged it back to the village to share;
Everyone got a bowl of fish meat, even the children;
Three days later, Trelo, our strongest warrior, fell ill—his muscles began rapidly atrophying;
Then, the other adults in the village started showing the same symptoms, with the strongest affected first;
A week later, only children and elders remained healthy on the island.
This disease strips away all our muscles;
Until finally, we can't stand, can't chew or swallow, left lying on the ground like invalids waiting to die."
"So you're only having us take the children? What about the elders?"
"Those old fools are stubborn. They keep going on about ancestral traditions, saying they'd rather die here than leave."
At this, Sally grew angry, grinding her teeth as she said:
"They claim this is Divine Punishment, our ancestors' displeasure;
So we should leave the children behind to keep guarding that worthless rock;
They say the ancestors would be satisfied seeing this, and their illness would suddenly be cured."
"I don't give a damn what they say! The chief died as a man, and before his death, he passed his authority to me. Now I can do whatever I want!"
"Wait!"
Dier suddenly raised his hand to interrupt, catching the key point in her words.
"Your chief was a man?"
Ever since landing, he had only seen women—female warriors. He had assumed all the men on the island were already dead.
"Of course he was a man. The Forest Follower Tribe honors men—the chief has always been male."
"But that strange illness is far worse for men. It can take a life in just four or five days."
"To live longer, most of the men on the island changed their gender."
—All of them, right?