Chapter 143: [142] World Echo
Chapter 143: [142] World Echo
[2100 Words]
In the depths of the sea, where the vibrant colors of coral reefs blend with the faint sunlight filtering through the water's surface, lies the Sea Forest.
This enchanting spot is unlike any other; it is home to a diverse array of marine life, from swarms of dancing fish that sparkle like jewels in the water to massive whales that glide gracefully through this unique aquatic garden, creating a scene that delights the eyes.
In the Sea Forest, a rich and unique life unfolds, harboring secrets yet to be discovered in its corners. Ocean currents have swept many sunken ships into this area, earning it the title of the "Ship Graveyard."
Here, the ancient echoes of marine life merge with the history of the ships that once sailed the ocean waves, battling fate. Yet here they are now, reduced to nearly broken wooden
fragments...
On a green hill at the heart of this forest sits a cemetery containing graves of ordinary shapes, but the most prominent grave is that of the former queen of the Ryugu Kingdom, Otohime. This enclosed tomb is surrounded by a low wall, adorned with an elegant stone carving resembling a vase.
It seemed as if the grave was telling an endless story of deep regret-regret for a person who died before realizing their dream, a person whose kindness and naivety led to their demise.
"Otohime..."
A sorrowful voice came from King Neptune, who was currently with his left and right ministers and Ren, who had brought Robin and Nami with him.
Although Neptune was shocked to learn that Ren was aware of the hidden Poneglyph in the Sea Forest, he accepted this and decided to grant Ren's request to see it.
His island was now under Ren's protection, which was the least he could do. He also truly didn't know what the dangerous pirate might do if he refused.
So here they were, as they headed towards the Poneglyph, stopping in front of Otohime's grave.
King Neptune was, of course, saddened by the loss of his wife, while Ren gazed at the gravestone, where the name of the deceased was carved. His blue eyes, like the morning sky, seemed to be deep in thought.
'Does he want to...?' Nami pondered internally upon seeing Ren's expression, while Robin appeared to be in deep contemplation.
'I should ask him to revive my mother...' Robin had wanted to make this request for a long time but had hesitated. Though she knew Ren could not bring people back to life at will, she understood he could summon her mother's spirit whenever she wished.
Robin was not afraid he would refuse; she knew Ren better after what they had been through, and she knew he cared for her, which made her genuinely love him with all her heart and be willing to die for him. Yet she was hesitant because she was not yet ready to speak with her mother.
She secretly clenched her fist and decided she would ask him once they returned to Alabasta. With this newfound determination in her heart, the group soon resumed their journey and reached their destination.
"Here it is, the Poneglyph, Jamon~" King Neptune looked at Ren, curious if he could read the Poneglyph, or else why would he want to see it.
Ren gazed at the Poneglyph; it was a large rectangular stone, distinguished by its dark blue color that gave it a unique character. Its surface was covered with intricate engravings, which, of course, were in the ancient language.
Robin looked at the stone with burning enthusiasm in her eyes, wanting to begin deciphering it immediately, but she hadn't received a signal from Ren yet.
Nami wasn't particularly interested in history but still gazed at the Poneglyph in admiration. She had heard that these stones could not be destroyed and wondered if she used all her mastery of the lightning fruit, could she destroy the Poneglyph.
Back to Ren, he looked at Neptune and said, "Thank you for leading the way; we already know the way out."
"Y-You...!" The left minister glared at Ren with anger, but soon shrank back in fear under Nami's cold gaze.
Ren's words were clear to Neptune and his companions; he wanted to be alone while interacting with the Poneglyph. The king did not understand why but shook his head in resignation.
"Goodbye then, Jamon~"
"Goodbye." Ren replied, then turned his gaze to Robin, ignoring the three men who had left. Once he was sure they were far away, he spoke, "I really don't want to let them know that you are Nico Robin..."
"I understand." Robin nodded; she knew that revealing her identity meant there was a chance this information could leak and reach the ears of the World Government. Once the World Government learned that Nico Rob , the sole survivor of Ohara, was now under the protection of a Warlord... He would have no choice but to either surrender her or abandon his position as a Warlord.
And of course, Ren would choose to oppose the World Government and relinquish his title as Warlord.
Ren did not want to lose this title prematurely, so he had to be decisive regarding revealing Robin's identity.
"Let's return to the more important topic. Can you translate this Poneglyph?" At Ren's words, Robin snapped out of her thoughts and nodded, "I'll start!"
The enthusiasm she had previously suppressed emerged, and she began deciphering the mysterious engravings one by one.
Meanwhile, Ren was looking at his system interface, a smile of excitement on his face.
¶[-Ding! Congratulations to the host for completing the main mission "Have sex with Robin" and obtaining: "Voice of All Things".]
¶[-Voice of All Things: This skill grants the user the ability to communicate with both living beings and inanimate objects. This skill is extremely rare and allows users to hear and understand messages and communicate with specific creatures or even historical stones like the Poneglyph. This skill is considered a unique form of Observation Haki, enhancing the user's perception and connection with the surrounding world, opening extraordinary possibilities for understanding and interacting with information in unconventional ways.] Once Ren accepted the skill, he took a deep breath and felt a profound sense of calm wash over him. Suddenly, there was an unusual feeling, as if a wave of energy surged through his body, filling him with invisible strength. It felt as though the world around him had become clearer, as if every living being, every stone, and everything had its own distinct resonance, as if everything were speaking in its own language.
"Voice of All Things..." he muttered to himself, feeling that ability flow from the depths of his soul. Ren was 100% sure that he would not awaken this skill without the system, as this ability was rare and inherited; only a select few could possess it, let alone him as someone not
from this world.
"!!!"
Suddenly, faint echoes reverberated in his ears, whispers from the surrounding world. He
could hear the trees groaning, the shells breathing, even the laughter of fish. Everything was speaking in its own special language, as if nature had opened its doors to him. These sounds were extremely distracting, and he felt a severe headache, as if someone were pounding on his head with a hammer.
"So this is the Voice of All Things... I will really need some time to get used to these sounds in my head," he whispered to himself, trying to control when he could listen to the voices and when he could deactivate this skill.
"Are you okay, Captain?" Nami's concerned voice broke into his already chaotic mind, and Robin, who had been focused on deciphering the Poneglyph, looked at him and asked about
his condition.
"I'm fine... Keep working, Robin." The girl nodded to him, wiped the sweat from her brow, and smiled when she saw that she was about to finish deciphering all the engravings. Ren continued to listen, feeling his heart beat in harmony with the surrounding pulses. There was a story being told by every stone and every living being. Unexpectedly, he heard a different voice, a faint one, mixing among the natural sounds.
"I'm sorry..." The voice came as a whisper from the Poneglyph, filled with feelings of regret
and sorrow.
Suddenly, Robin lifted her gaze from the book she was working on to translate the Poneglyph and looked at Ren, then spoke in a beautiful voice, "I'm done! This Poneglyph is actually an
apology message from someone named---"
"Joy Boy."
Ren completed what Robin was about to say. The girl looked at him in shock and confusion, then asked, "Do you know the language of the Poneglyph, Captain?"
Seeing Robin's expression, Ren wanted to tease her but stopped and shook his head, "No, actually, this is a skill called the Voice of All Things... I can hear the voice of everything in this world, including this Poneglyph, and it's clear that its voice reflects its contents." "Wow, does such a skill really exist..." Nami was the first to mutter in astonishment. "So this means, Captain, that you are now able to know the contents of the Poneglyph without
me..." It seemed Robin said this with a calm face, but how could Ren's Haki not feel the
sadness and fear emanating from her?
He sighed and thought that this girl could be really silly at times; he couldn't help but kiss her quickly, causing the woman to look at him with a slight blush.
Nami was naturally jealous of this scene, so she had to peck his lips in a sweet kiss as well.
"But I wonder who this person named Joy Boy is..." Robin refocused on the Poneglyph, "We'll find out in the future. You know now why he is apologizing, right?"
Upon hearing Ren's response, Robin nodded and said, "Because he couldn't bring the Fish-
Man Island residents to the surface, he also said that someone would come to complete whatn/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
he started. I wonder who that is?" Robin looked at him hopefully, wishing he had a guess.
"...."
Ren's expression was strange, and he couldn't help but think to himself, 'Luffy, it seems you will disappoint Joy Boy...'
Then Ren contemplated another matter: should he take this Poneglyph with him?
In fact, Ren wasn't really interested in the contents of this Poneglyph; even the Road Poneglyph wouldn't be that important to him as someone whose ambition wasn't just to reach the final island, but something greater and more difficult.
It didn't take long for him to make his decision. In the end, he would leave the Poneglyph in the Sea Forest and slowly depart from the place with his two beautiful companions. "Captain? What are you doing?" Suddenly, Ren stopped in front of Otohime's grave, drawing
the attention of the two girls.
"I want to have a conversation with the queen of this nation."
Even though he was speaking, he had already activated the skill "Summoning The Spirit of the Underworld," and soon an confused spirit appeared before Ren and the two girls.
"This is truly amazing..." Robin, who had heard about Ren's ability to summon the dead, was astonished because witnessing it firsthand was something entirely different.
Nami had seen this skill when Ren used it to summon Bell-mere's spirit. She smiled like a little girl at the thought of that happy moment. Without exaggeration, it was one of the happiest moments of her life. Of course, she said "one" because the happiest moments were when Ren would passionately make love with her for hours, but that was another topic...
Nami shook her head, dismissing those impure thoughts, and then looked at the interaction between Ren and the spirit.
"Ah... wh-what is this... where am I?" Otohime's spirit spoke in confusion. Her memories were
in disarray, and she felt her "head" spinning and buzzing as if the world was shaking. It was a disorienting and terrifying sensation.
But amidst all this chaos, she heard a strange voice: "You must be confused and don't remember what is happening to you and what your situation is... I'm sorry to say... you are
dead."
"!!!!"
Upon hearing the words of the masculine voice, Otohime's "eyes" widened in shock, and it seemed she began to remember something-no, several things.
In the next moment, she let out a loud scream, filled with pain, sorrow, and regret.
To be continued....
800PS-Bonus chapter.