When the golden ship, the Ark Maxim, cleaved through the clouds and descended over Mock Town, bathed in the golden glow of the setting sun, the entire area fell into an eerie silence.
Every pirate seemed frozen by a spell, gazing up at the colossal golden ship glowing in the twilight.
"G-gold?"
"I'm not seeing things, am I? The whole ship is…"
After a brief moment of shock, greedy roars erupted one after another.
Countless pirates drew their swords, closing in on the Ark like bloodthirsty sharks.
But in the next second, a wave of Conqueror's Haki erupted. All the pirates lost consciousness once again.
"Haha, Captain, your way of greeting is still so… unique," Ace laughed heartily on the deck.
"Manners are a strategy for maintaining distance from fools. And this is my manner," Setsuna said with a faint smile. He had no interest in greeting these pirates.
Seeing the familiar scene reenacted, Robin and the other two quickly approached the golden flying ship.
"Captain, we were in Mock Town…" Robin began her report, but her gaze was immediately drawn to the square stone slab behind Setsuna.
"That is… a Poneglyph?" Robin's mind was in turmoil, 'Where had the Captain and the others gone these past few days? How did they suddenly bring back a Poneglyph?'
Before she could ask, she saw Setsuna pick up the Poneglyph.
"No need to tell me about Mock Town. Report everything to Ace," Setsuna said, then jumped into the sea, holding the Poneglyph.
"Captain is so cunning, going to train underwater himself and leaving the chores to me," Ace shook his head, frustrated.
Robin couldn't help but ask, "Vice Captain, what is that stone?"
Ace explained casually, "That? That's the Captain's punching bag."
Robin was at a loss for words, 'The Poneglyph, the bearer of history, was being used as a punching bag? That was far too disrespectful to history.'
Robin sighed inwardly, then felt a surge of concern, 'Won't the Poneglyph be damaged by the Captain?'
Although Poneglyphs were said to be indestructible, her horizons had broadened recently. She knew how terrifying the destructive power of a powerhouse at Setsuna's level could be. What if the people who claimed the Poneglyphs were indestructible were simply ignorant?
Robin resolved secretly, 'I must decipher the Poneglyph before the Captain destroys it.'
…
That night, a figure stealthily infiltrated Setsuna's room.
Robin tiptoed, holding her breath, her hand touching the cold stone, intending to decipher the Poneglyph using braille-reading methods.
But the next moment, a 'Purupuru' sound actually rang out in the darkness.
The Den Den Mushi was answered. Setsuna's first sentence froze Robin's blood.
"Five Elders, hello. Not sleeping yet, are you?"
The Den Den Mushi conveyed a slightly weary voice from the other side. "I've gathered the other four. What is it? Speak."
"I want to report someone to you. This person is connected to the Poneglyphs."
Hearing Setsuna's words, Robin completely collapsed to the floor, her mind filled with a single thought, 'It's over. But perhaps it's for the best. I should have died long ago.'
The Five Elders instantly perked up. "Who?"
"Yours truly."
Robin's 'emo' moment was interrupted. She raised her head in confusion.
The abrupt turn of events was deafening in the silence on the other end of the Den Den Mushi.
After a long moment, one of the Five Elders asked, suppressing his anger. "Are you mocking us?"
"Mocking? What gives you that idea?" Setsuna said with a laugh. "This is just a law-abiding citizen's concern after accidentally violating the law."
"In that case, hand over the Poneglyph in your possession to the World Government."
"That's possible. But you'll have to exchange it for another Poneglyph."
The Five Elders were also confused by Setsuna, "What do you mean?"
"This is a training method Vice Admiral Garp taught me. There's no better punching bag in the world than a Poneglyph," Setsuna stated frankly.
"That bastard Garp again!" There was a wave of anger from the other side of the Den Den Mushi. If they didn't need Garp to gloss over the events of God Valley back then, they would have long ago kicked this rock in the toilet ditch aside.
After calming down, the Five Elders asked, "You really only use the Poneglyph for punching practice?"
Setsuna chuckled. "I know what you're worried about. Don't worry. I am a true 'model citizen'. I have zero interest in the Pirate King or the Void Century. If you want the contents on the stone, you can send someone to make a rubbing here."
Well, what he was interested in was the position of [King of the World].
Hearing Setsuna say this, the tone of the Five Elders softened considerably. "A rubbing won't be necessary. Just ensure the existence of the stone is not known to others."
Setsuna raised an eyebrow, 'Did the Five Elders already know about the Void Century, or did even they not want to know about it?'
"Enough of this boring interlude. Time for the main event."
Hearing Setsuna say this, the Five Elders on the other end also paid close attention.
'If the Poneglyph was just an interlude, what could the main event be?'
Setsuna questioned seriously. "When exactly are you going to send me the world's most outstanding chefs you promised?"
The Five Elders were momentarily speechless, 'This was your main event?'
But it had to be said, the more unreliable Setsuna seemed, the more reassured they felt.
"We aren't sure what standard constitutes the most outstanding chef either. So, a chef competition has been organized in the Gourmet City, Pucci. The champion will be the person you need."
Setsuna nodded slightly. "You've been thoughtful."
"If there's nothing else, we're hanging up."
Setsuna showed concern for the elderly. "You gentlemen sound rather weary. Is there anything this newly appointed Warlord can do to share your burdens?"
Hearing Setsuna volunteer, the Five Elders on the other end were quite gratified.
Look, this is the model Warlord.
The voice from the Den Den Mushi became even more amiable. "There are indeed some troubles. Crocodile resigning from the Warlord's position has damaged the World Government's prestige. And then there's that Giant Warrior Pirate Fleet that came out of nowhere, forcibly invading Enies Lobby, causing the World Government to lose our reputation."
Setsuna feigned 'shock'. "Under the World Government's rule, such rebellious elements still exist? I will not permit it!"
"Well said!" The Five Elders praised, "If you encounter them in the future, you may arrest them directly."
Setsuna promised. "Rest assured. Fighting evil is my specialty."
The Den Den Mushi call ended. The room lights came on.
Robin looked at Setsuna with astonished eyes, 'Clearly, both Crocodile and the leaders of the Giant Warrior Pirate Fleet had set sail because of Captain… yet Captain could still act so righteously indignant… It was so bad… but I loved it!'
Setsuna looked at Robin, who was sitting slumped on the floor, and chuckled softly. "Launching a night raid on your Captain's quarters, Miss Robin, your hobbies are truly special. Coming to my room so late… could it be you want to give me a lesson in ancient script?"
Robin's cheeks flushed slightly, but she quickly composed herself, "Captain, you knew my identity all along?"
Setsuna said nonchalantly, "You didn't hide your name. Is it strange that I know your identity?"
"Then why didn't Captain hand me over to the World Government? If my existence were discovered, the World Government would surely be furious, wouldn't they?" Robin mustered her courage and looked directly into Setsuna's eyes.
"You overestimate your importance. If the World Government were truly determined to capture you, you would have been caught long ago. After all, no one would think an eight-year-old child could decipher the ancient script that many historians couldn't," Setsuna said offhandedly.
Robin's heart shook. She wondered if the scholars of Ohara, who all knew she had passed her doctoral exams with perfect scores and become an archaeologist, never informed the World Government.
Setsuna continued. "Perhaps the lower echelons of the World Government would still spare no effort to capture you. But in the eyes of the higher-ups, your importance might be less than that of a single Poneglyph. Of course, that's provided you don't expose your ability to decipher the ancient script yourself."
"Alright, go back and rest. Although I'm not interested in ancient history, you are my crewmate after all. Since you're on my ship, you're under my protection. The World Government cannot capture you at will. You can let go of your burdens and live like an ordinary person."
"Live… like an ordinary person?" Tears welled in Robin's eyes. That was far too extravagant a wish for her.
She leaned on the stone slab to stand up, her eyes filled with gratitude. "Captain, thank you…"