Kaidou's appearance temporarily saved Perospero, resulting in BIG MOM not personally seeking him out. If Perospero had encountered a furious Charlotte Linlin, the outcome would have been uncertain.
Similarly, Queen was also worried about their captain's attitude. However, compared to Perospero's unease, Queen was more relaxed. At worst, he'd get beaten up for a few days. It's just being beaten, something he was already used to. Still, saying it out loud felt a bit pathetic.
The treasure map was in Olga's hands as she directed the navigators and helmsmen on the ship to correct their course.
There aren't many genius navigators, but plenty of people have a basic understanding of navigation. The reason Olga was directing the route was that the text on the map was unintelligible to others,
Alkemi Island disappeared over a hundred years ago, and the language they used differed greatly from modern ones, categorized as an ancient language.
Though the Pirate World has a unified language, many islands have their own dialects and local scripts, each island possessing its unique culture.
These scripts have some commonalities, and the patterns on that treasure map belong to an ancient script. Although it's different from Alkemi's script, it's still a form of pictographic writing.
Relying on her understanding of Alkemi's script, Olga could make educated guesses and translate almost accurately. Just as there are several ways to write the character "hui," such similarities existed in ancient scripts too.
Recognizing even half of the script allows one to roughly guess the pronunciation and meaning of the characters, gauging the general direction from context, discrepancies notwithstanding.
The merchant had earlier given it away as a freebie because they couldn't understand such objects. Anything ancient was not something the World Government wanted to spread.
With even Alkemi Island gone, it's not the only island of its kind to disappear, which is why many such scripts have been lost. Only a few places dedicated to history can decipher them.
However, not being able to translate these scripts doesn't impede studying the nautical chart. By comparing the positions of islands and sea currents, one can always find the route, but being literate makes it more convenient and effortless.
"Why does this look so fake to me?"
Queen looked at the map with suspicion. His reason for being on the ship was his claim to be a treasure hunting expert. How does one prove expertise? By nitpicking. If he couldn't find any flaws, would he still be considered an expert?
"Tch, old man, you can't even read these words, so how do you know it's fake? Anyway, we're just trying our luck; why not take a look?"
"Kid, you're still too young and naive to understand the dangers of this world."
Among all the officers, Asie was the only one who wouldn't clash with Queen. The two had similar traits, like narcissism and blind self-confidence. Of course, Asie couldn't beat Queen; his combat power was equivalent to an ordinary grunt.
To put it more accurately, it was less than an ordinary grunt. He hadn't slimmed down yet, and his physique didn't offer much advantage in battles.
Adding to the intern's group pet status, Olga was getting along well with the Hundred Beast Corps.
"But what does it say on here anyway?"
"I can't quite make it out, but the basic idea seems to be... the Eternal Grand Treasure. That should be it, right?"
"The Eternal Grand Treasure? That sounds even more like a scam."
Rumors like these pop up on the sea from time to time, like the Golden Apples and such. Those are just urban legends. Asie's pure gold is considered one way to achieve this, but no one knows whether pure gold has limits.
The Op-Op Fruit's Eternal Life Surgery is the most reliable known method, but only the fruit's possessor or someone who's undergone the surgery would understand the specifics.
Many treasure maps come with eye-catching allure, promising treasures big enough to buy the world or the great secrets of eternal life--things Queen had seen before.
But he only spoke dismissively; he didn't want to return to be reprimanded by Kaidou just yet.
The pirate ship bearing the Hundred Beast flag sailed on the open sea. In New World's waters, a pirate flag is the best passport. When the pirate crew's own strength is sufficient, as long as they don't provoke others in pirate territories or encounter reckless ones, things generally remain peaceful.
This is an unspoken agreement among great pirates. Constant fighting doesn't benefit the territories or themselves.
As long as no lines are crossed, many matters can be negotiated. Like the banana negotiations between Kaidou and Charlotte Linlin, parties take what they need through discussion. Usage of brute force alone to solve issues is for the lowest form of pirates.
...
After a period of sailing, Arceus and the others neared their destination. At this time, the sky had been covered by clouds, but it was only layers of clouds without the sign of impending rain.
In ordinary seas, thick clouds typically herald torrential rain, but here in the New World, all navigational knowledge is challenged.
At this moment, Olga was on the phone seeking Asie's assistance because she really couldn't decipher a few words' meanings. She was only 8 years old before Alkemi ceased to exist, and she hadn't fully learned the language. Some complex characters were unrecognizable to her.
After leaving, with Alkemi gone, Asie didn't continue teaching her those things but instead studied new scripts with her.
With Asie's external support, she finally figured out the meaning of the last part of the map.
"The wings at midnight pierce through the clouds, moonlight guides the final path, that's probably what it means."
"Midnight? Moonlight? Are we supposed to wait here until midnight?"
"I guess so... there's a gap in this treasure map. It marks the location of the last island but only guides people to the vicinity. After that, it's just this sentence."
"Then let's wait. Since we're already here, one more night doesn't matter."
They anchored the ship and waited for midnight to arrive. The dense clouds obscured the moonlight, but when midnight came, the sky split, and moonlight poured out in a straight line, reaching far into the distance.
Faintly visible, it seemed as though something flew through the clouds, creating the gap in them.
"No matter how many times I see it, nature truly is remarkable," Olga remarked, marveling at the strange sight.
However, Queen's focus was different from Olga's. He had a feeling that the clouds were strange, as though they weren't ordinary clouds.
Then, a mournful wail echoed from the sky, followed by a shadow that fell onto the Hundred Beast's ship.