"Kuina? She had only just arrived in the Rainbow Country when Yemu-sama introduced us. Like Reiju, Yemu-sama values her highly. He has even entrusted Wano Country to her protection now."
"Wano Country!"
Hearing that name, Zoro seemed to think of something. His brows furrowed slightly as he asked, "Can you explain it to me? I always see that country mentioned in the newspapers, but I don't really know the details. And the papers say she's a descendant of the Shimotsuki clan. Are there people with the surname Shimotsuki in Wano Country too?"
"Oh!"
Zoro's question surprised Robin a little, but she quickly understood.
"You didn't know? That isn't too strange. The World Government is very good at hiding information. In that case, I'll explain it to you. Consider it preparation before you enter the Grand Line."
Robin's words immediately drew everyone's attention.
"Wano Country is a nation of samurai in the New World. It's famous for producing powerful samurai and Seastone. The country is ruled by a leader known as the shogun, and beneath the shogun are five daimyo. To put it simply, you can think of them as the officers of a pirate crew. The Shimotsuki clan is one of those families. Kuina's grandfather, Shimotsuki Kouzaburou, was the most famous swordsmith in Wano Country fifty years ago. Later, however, he left the country without permission. Now that Kuina has returned, you could say she has gone back to her homeland."
"Huh? That old man?"
Zoro was stunned. The three swords he carried had been given to him by that very old man.
"I see. So the legend is true? The legendary samurai who slew a dragon, Ryuma, was born in Wano Country!"
"That's right. Ryuma is a legendary samurai of Wano Country and a symbol of its samurai spirit."
"Then Kuina must be very happy now. She can cross swords with powerful swordsmen every day. I wonder if she's already reached that point..."
Zoro muttered quietly.
"How should I put this?"
Robin looked around at everyone on the ship, then finally turned to Zoro.
"I don't mean to look down on any of you, but with your current strength, you may be able to make your way through the first half of the Grand Line. But if you enter the New World, you are far from strong enough. That includes Mr. Luffy."
Robin's words startled everyone present once again.
"Um, you're not joking, are you? Luffy is already really strong, and he's a Devil Fruit user..."
Usopp pushed Luffy forward as if trying to reassure himself.
"Unfortunately, no."
Robin was blunt.
"I'm being very serious. None of you have even mastered Haki. If you run into ordinary enemies, you may be fine. But against a truly powerful opponent..."
"Haki? What kind of power is that?"
Zoro froze. He had never heard that word before.
"That? Unfortunately, I'm not good at fighting, so I don't know much about Haki. If you're interested, you'll probably have to ask someone else."
After saying that, Robin clearly did not intend to continue on the topic. Instead, she looked at Nami and said, "So, when do you plan to set off? I'm not in a desperate hurry, but the sooner we reach Angel Island, the better."
Robin's words brought everyone back to their senses.
Everyone looked toward Luffy.
Luffy did not waste time and quickly made up his mind.
"Yosh! In that case, let's set off now."
...
Amid Luffy and the others' cheers, the Going Merry carried everyone through the Gate of Heaven and finally entered the Rainbow Bridge.
No propulsion was needed. Though it looked like clouds, the naturally flowing cloud sea carried every ship upward against the pitch-black sky, as if they were sailing into the stars.
"This is amazing!"
"Well, the rest of the trip will be rather dull. If you have nothing else to do, you can go back and rest. If everything goes smoothly, we'll reach Angel Island tomorrow morning when the first ray of sunlight shines in."
Inside one of the Going Merry's rooms.
After parting from Nami, who still seemed a little wary of her, Robin looked around the somewhat simple cabin, placed her small bag on the table, and settled into the chair beside it.
"The Straw Hat Pirate crew? They really are interesting."
Just then, a ringing sound came from her chest.
She took out her Den Den Mushi. After answering, a slightly anxious voice came through.
"Robin-chan, are you almost here? We're all waiting for you. Without you, none of us can enter the Island of the Gods."
"I'm very sorry. Please wait one more night. I'll arrive tomorrow morning."
"That's good, then! But don't do this again next time. Ever since Professor Clover and your mother, Dr. Olvia, started focusing on the school, the House of Archaeology has been missing someone to actually lead things. This chance to lead an independent expedition is very important for you. You know that because of Dr. Olvia, many people are watching you."
Robin was silent for a while before slowly saying, "I know. Don't worry, there won't be a next time."
"Good. Get some rest. We'll wait for you. Good night!"
"Good night."
After hanging up, Robin looked around the empty room, then went to wash up and rest.
...
No matter how beautiful or breathtaking a sight was, once someone had seen it enough times, they would eventually get used to it.
That was how it was for Robin, but not for the members of the Straw Hat Pirate crew.
Out on the deck, they looked at the surrounding ships. Like stars, they followed the rainbow cloud bridge straight into the sky and vanished into the starlight. The Straw Hat Pirate crew felt as though they were in a dream, and no matter how long they looked, they never grew tired of it.
If the Rainbow Bridge was already this beautiful and stunning, then what kind of place would Angel Island be?
At that moment, Nami seemed to think of something and took out the ticket she had just bought that day.
The front of the ticket indeed showed Angel Island.
It was an enormous, beautiful island resting amid a massive mass of clouds, formed entirely from cloud layers. It looked just like heaven.
Then she turned the ticket over and noticed that something was written on the back as well.
She looked closely and saw several lines.
"Angel Island Travel Warnings:"
"1. The cloud sea within Angel Island's range is made of different types of clouds. Some clouds cannot be walked on. Please do not wander around at will to avoid accidents."
"2. The cloud sea within Angel Island's range, like the Calm Belt, is home to enormous sky island creatures. At the same time, the cloud sea suppresses Devil Fruit users. Please follow the designated routes to avoid accidents."
"3. The Island of the Gods outside Angel Island is the home of Angel Island's local residents: the Skypieans and the Shandia. Please respect one another and do not enter or disturb them!"
"4. Because Angel Island is located high in the sky, the air is thin. Please prepare oxygen in advance!"
"5. Please strictly obey local laws. Violations will be punished severely!"