"Sky island…can an island really float?" Luffy couldn't help but wonder beaming brightly at Robin's repose to the chaos that was the ship suddenly falling on top of them…
"You're telling me that ship and skeleton fell from up there?" Equally as baffled, Usopp joins in.
"There's nothing that looks like an island up there." Zoro frowns scowling at Robin.
"No it's more like…a floating sea." Robin describes.
"Sea?" Nami exclaims.
"That's even more confusing." Sanji says.
"Is there really an island floating on top of a floating sea?" Luffy wonders.
"It's what I read about…" Robin smiles shyly softly at the murky memory of being in a home for once not having to do the chores, simply read away to her hearts contest, her chest aching of longing form the murky memory of it all…
"What kind of books did you get that from?" Nami scowls eyeing Robin.
"Oh it was a rather unique book." Bemused, Robin smiles slightly mischievously even.
"That doesn't make me feel any better…" Brow furrowed, Nami grumbles but before more could be said...
"Alright let's go everyone upwards we go full speed ahead!" Luffy dictates determined to head to Sky island…
The boisterous blizzard brushes through the hair of the blondish pink haired woman making her way through the snowy sheets below dragging her feet through the thick foliage of the snowy sheet below brow furrowed from the crisp chill cheerily crawling down her spine similar to a chill as she stands before the stone of blue brow furrowed. Her hand softly on the blue brick of sorts softly scanning the indented words within, words lost throughout ages as she sighs.
"Still not what I need." Ann mutters disappointed drenched into her tired tone as she turns her back to the stone snow coating it as she makes her way back to her small ship of sorts, adjusting the strap of her back simply staring ahead as she tries to manoeuvre through the treadmill of snow. She grimaces briefly by the gurgled groan of her stomach shyly placing her hand on her stomach. She should probably eat something soon, she had some food from her bag she could use but she doubted she could eat in here…
"Huh?" Ann perks up at the small squeak of a voice, her brow furrowed from it as she gingerly places her hand to her head. Did she…hear that? Where was it coming from? Frowning, she couldn't help but wonder worry even from the tone of the voice it didn't sound well, the meek little help hadn't helped either…
The determined woman makes her way through the stone slowly closing her hues focusing firmly on the voice following it, feeling it out until making it to a cave. Cheerily, she smiles at the convenience ignoring her sharp shuddering form, holding her frigid freezing form when entering the cave, on guard just in case that is until…
"Huh?" She finally finds the voice…the voice…of a penguin.
Surprised, she stares at the sleepy looking penguin looking rather thin surprisingly where was its family? Frowning, she looks around spotting none perplexing her. Was this little guy on his own? She couldn't help but feel her heart ache at the poor little girl drowsily looking around for some sort of food…perhaps they had gone out hunting? Quietly, she watches the penguin sleepily look around still finding nothing…to her surprise they don't seem to notice her.
"Uh…hey?" Shyly, she calls out to the creature jolting up at her voice turning to her.
"I'm not here to hurt you I just need a place to stay until the blizzard chills…sorry I mean stops um here a peace offering." Smiling, she takes out her bag, the penguins eyes expanding at the box of food she hands over to the penguin perking up at the sight.
She smiles softly seeing said penguin happily dig into the food, still she couldn't help but eye the penguin it was different from the ones she had seen, penguins of this kind should be bigger than this…that's what she recalled from her time on the Oro at the least…then again she was a kid everything was taller for her it wasn't exactly a fear nor challenge to be taller than it is now she supposed. Still she couldn't help but feel the shy spark of worry when watching the penguin devour the food when was the last it ate? She couldn't help but worry…
She glances behind her towards the outside of the cavern, it wasn't that bad, she could fish for some food. She stands surprising the penguin.
"I'll be right back." Smiling, she promises the penguin to her surprise offers her some bone on meat having eaten most of it if not for this singular piece.
"Oh thanks. You liked it?" Smiling, she takes the piece, taking a bite watching the penguin nod.
"Yeah Roux is great when it comes to cooking." She smiles before turning to exit the cave or so she thought, she blinks befuddled by the grip on her trouser leg turning back to the pensive penguin.
"I'll be back I promise." Softly, she sets her hand on the penguin perhaps puberty hadn't kicked in yet…she couldn't help but woder while seeing the late bloomer feeling the penguin slowly but surely scuttle over to her following her regardless…
"Could it be…you can read those characters!?" In awe, the Skypieans say shocked watching as Robin reads the Poneglyph in Skypea.
"Posedion the ancient weapon named after a God…its whereabouts…" Robin reads out loud, holding her bag slumped over her shoulder staring at the Poneglyph before her as the Skypieans watch on…
"What did she say?" One of the Skypieans exclaims.
"Posedien?" Perplexed, another adds.
"Ancient weapon?" Another arches a brow.
"Why is it talking about that?" The leader demands from Robin simply staring at the stone slab.
"Another weapon…separate from Pluton that I read about in Arabasta…Internally, Robin reads, a shy bead of sweat sliding down her tense temple.
"I hear that one shot from Pluton will completely destroy an island…" Crocodile's voice rings in Robin's ears as she stands before the Poneglyph.
"To think there are such dangerous things in a world waiting to be found…! Robin furrows her brow by the thought.
"Just as I thought this is a disappointment…" Robin furrows her brow turning towards the people and her back to the Poneglyph.
"This isn't what I want to know. Robin goes to leave when…
"Hey aren't those the same kind of characters o that engraving next to it?!" One of the Skypieans points out perking Robin's interest.
"What?" She turns on her heel towards the glistening golden slab.
"Gol D. Roger!? What!?" Robin reels back by the message mystified.
"I made it here I will guide this text to the ends of the earth pirate Gol. D. Roger
"King of the pirates…! Could this mean that he came to this sky island too!? What on earth do these words mean!? No more important why can he use these characters?" Confused, Robin couldn't help but ponder perplexed, her hues dilating when seeing such language used by the king of pirates perplexed perturbed even how the king managed to do that.
"I guess I have no choice." Ann hums as she takes out the fishing rod from her bag, the penguin scuttling behind her, watching her following her through the blazing blizzard as the two fish…
"Huh? Oh are you going to fish too?" Amused, Ann watches the fish after a couple moments of her sitting waiting for a bite to see the fish following her actions surprisingly making a rod out of some sticks and string from nearby how they managed to do that, Ann did not know but she was impressed to say the least. The penguin quietly nods copying her as the two fish, Ann unable to not call the penguin by her side cute as she silently starts to fish, the penguin by her side doing just the same.
"So it says Roger…" Robin jolts up at the voice turning towards an elderly looking bandaged Skypieans wearing a heavy layer of armour as he sits perched upon a tree as a wind brushes through the island.
"You know him!?" Robin turns on her heel towards the old man.
"He's a blue sea pirate who came to this sky more than "0 years ago…I don't know how he reached this bell… But this sure is indelible proof that he did." The old man recalls brow furrowing from the murky memory of it all.
"…come to think of it there're two kinds of Poneglyph stones. Ones with information and others that indicate their whereabouts and this stone is one of the ones with information." Robin admits to the old man to the whole group leaf's brushing by the embedded message left in the glistening golden slab.
"I made it here I will guide this text to the ends of the earth guide this text guide…it couldn't be…could the Rio Poneglyph be…!? Robin reads brow furrowing from the last message left as the fragile feathers of leaf's descend down delicate from the high heavens as Robin reads the passage attempting to deduce what she could from Roger's message, a bright burst of wind hits her like a lighting bolt or a light bulb moment or sort as it seemingly clicks within her, her hues dilating, letting loose such words in a weak murmur too much in shock to control herself at this breakthrough of sorts.
"Chief of Cyadia this piece of historical text…has already served its purpose." Politely, she calls out to the chief turning on her heel to face him, her back turned to the stone slabs of sorts behind her.
"It's purpose?" Perplexed, the confused chief eyes Robin staring at him.
"Yes, the true historical text is the combined result of these tablets of truth refer to by the tablets of clues. Surely the pirate king has recovered the tablet of truth that this tablet here refers to…yes there are many tablets of truths around the world and one must like them together to get the records of the lost history…" Robin realizes after decoding the information given to her from said slab, her hues widening in awe at the realization as she fills him in, thinking towards the thread linking all the Poneglyphs together similar to a spiderweb almost as she comes to this conclusion.
"In other words we…no longer…we no longer need to fight…? So…the wishes of our ancestors have long been fulfilled…!?" Hopeful, the chieftain gasps almost anxious, begging beseeching at the thought at the hope of stopping such fighting, frail feeble tears threatening to fall from the hope of stopping such bloodshed as he closes his eyes trying to stop the tears that are freely falling as he tries to compose himself.
"Chief!" Concerned, his people call out to the man on his hands and knees discarding his staff, the sharp sob breaking through as the man cries relieved at the news.
"Hang on!" Another anxious voice rushes over to the chief's side.
"…That is correct." Calmly, Robin reveals confirming it to them.
"Thank goodness, thank goodness! It's been fulfilled!" The chief cries slamming his hand to the ground just relieved to have learned the news feeling the heavy weight of the burden begin to leave him as he cries his people surrounding him worriedly while Robin smiles softly happy for the chieftain and his people.
"That also means that I must follow the guidance given by the tablets I have read so far to the ending point of the Grand Line…Robin realizes internally as she turns to leave, having played her part in all of this finally getting one step closer to her dream however before she can leave…
"Tell me Miss, the boy wearing the straw hat…he reminds me of Roger are they related or are my senses getting dull with age?" The old man with the cape and white haired pulled into a ponytail wearing his armour asks Robin, still perched upon the tree branch as he looks down at the woman below.
"His name is Monkey D. Luffy I think he is an interesting person." Robin smiles softly at the thought of said straw hat boy.
"D…it suits him to have a name of just one letter…" The old man exclaims.
"Yes, that will surely be a great point in history." Robin agrees.
"Seems those with that initial tend to still seem they have the same initial all three of them." The old man smiles softly.
"…Three?" Robin perks up at the old man's words.
"He had brought another with him, a young girl." The elderly man reveals to Robin, fussing with his beard by the thought of the young girl, a spry young thing, leaping form one tree to the next with the captain laughing and the others fretfully fussing over her happily playing tag with the other Skypea children and children on the crew.
"Is that so…perhaps that is why they are so similar hahha…." Robin smiles softly bowing her head at the information…
Perhaps or perhaps the connection between them is another lost history…Robin couldn't help but think as the chief comes over to talk about gold, hoping to repay back the debt they owed the straw hats…
"There we go…" Smiling, Ann after returning to the cave pokes at the flickering flames of the fire prodding poking it, trying to keep it alive as best she can with her supplies, the penguin by her side shyly comes inside with the fish they had taken.
"I know you can eat these raw but I'd rather not." Ann admits as she takes one of the fish leaving the rest to the penguin silently staring watching her.
"It's better to cook it when you have a stomach like mine. I'll admit it isn't going to be to Roux's level but it's something." Smiling, she tells the penguin to her surprise doesn't eat the fish simply watches her cook the fish a still silence falling between both of them as Ann continues cooking…
Loudly, the circus crew cheer as they gather around those performing, once muscular man with a moustache blows into a candle igniting a fierce flamethrower of sorts shooting out of his mouth mesmerising the crowd of adults as another balances on top of another holding a pint of bitter. Beaming, Buggy smiles at his crew partying having the time of their lives all except one…
"It's no time to horse around you… If you can't find out where Luffy is how exactly are you planning to beat him?" A familiar woman with ruby red lipstick and long black hair reminds them, she sits upon a purple pinkish seat resembling the tied up blouse of sorts she wears with a white base and purplish lilac cow like patterns to it. She wears bright blue pearl earrings with yellow mustard beads bracelets and a matching necklace with a polka dot ruby red and white bikini top, and tight Capri-length pants.
"Don't be so uptight Alvida nothing's wrong with having fun for now right?" Beaming, Buggy smiles at Alvida attempting to cheer up the party pooper sternly scolding and reminding them of the task at hand.
"Luffy you say? If you wanna see Luffy I'll tell you where he is." A certain ruby red beaded necklace wearing male offers standing up adjusting his hat with a familiar bright blue smiley face and sad face as the man eating the food stands, holding his hand, making sure it doesn't fall as he turns to the beaming Buggy.
"See? He'll tell us Luffy's whereabouts…who the hell are you!?" Happily, Buggy points out only to falter furrowing his brow by the stranger on ship, on the stowaway with a certain tattoo marred into his back.
"Oh sorry for interrupting your party. I was brought forth by the quite appetising smell of food. My name is Ace nice to meet you." Politely, the man bows his head, removing his hat from his head to bow before Buggy being all formal flabbergasting Buggy.
"Oh no need to be so formal nice to meet you too…wait…you sure I haven't seen you someone before?" Befuddled, Buggy asks as he eyes the boy before him unable to not notice the eerily familiar freckles, feeling something nagging at him as if it were on the tip of his tongue.
"Hm? Afraid not never seen you in my life." Bluntly, Ace swiftly shuts down.
"Hmm…Really? I swear I've seen you somewhere before though…you look…familiar…wait I'm asking you what' you're doing here!" Buggy insists rubbing his chin confused eyeing the boy, he looked so familiar but from where? Urgh it was on the tip of Buggy's tongue!
"Like I said I'm Ace." Ace repeats once more.
"Tch I don't care about your name what a flashy insolent attitude!" Annoyed, Buggy soon snaps scowling at Ace.
"Captain! That guy…it's fire fist! Fire fist Ace! He's the captain of the whitebeard's second unit!" One of Buggy's subordinates, the one from back at Loguetown perturbed points out. He is a tall slender man with a unique hairstyle that covers half of his face. He has light green hair where it is shaved and dark green where it is longer. He is usually seen wearing a large blue and white checkered scarf that covers the lower portion of his face, a sleeveless purple coat, reaching down to his knees, white pants larger near the end and held up by a light blue sash, and white shoes. His hair is particularly interesting in its design, long on one side and a parallel shaved design on the other.
"Oh you know my boss? That's cool!" Ace beams brightly perking up at the name.
"Hmm…" However Buggy doesn't bat an eye to it, his hues narrow firmly focusing on the boy before him, swearing he had seen him somewhere before but before he could figure it out…
"He fell asleep!" His crew cry out as said stranger soon goes to sleep, a nose bubble moving up and down…
"That nose though…its familiar…" Frowning, Buggy hums holding his chin confused.
"This is a great opportunity any way you look at it. If we defeat Fire Fist Ace we'll become instantly famous!" Another one of Buggy's crew mates rush over to him however…
"And…hat…wait a minute…H-H-HAAAAAT!" Buggy soon reels back as he eyes the boy's hat…
"C-Captain!?" Confused, concerned even his crew eye the terrified Buggy.
"Buggy look at my new hat!" The young girl with perky pin pigtails rush over to Buggy's side holding the hat happily to her head, a hat with bright beads of ruby red and two faces one smiling one sad.
"It looks stupid!" Beanie Buggy barks at her.
"You're stupid!" She swiftly shouts back.
"N-No way she did it…she had a kid!? Buggy reels back by the news, brow furrowed, she had said her dream was to have one…but so young? What the heck was Ann thinking!? Still he couldn't attack him…he was already in her bad book with spreading about their first kiss for some extra Berri plus it was quite the brag around bars…surprisingly to attack her kid…no way…still how could he explain this to them?
"Buggy what's this I hear about you hurting my kid?" The sweet sickening sadistic smile of Ann visualises in Buggy's head his body shuddering shaking scared at her sweet sickly voice, already hearing the ring of metal.
"EEP!" A shy shudder crawls down Buggy's spine at the thought however his crew on the other hand…
"Captain…!" His crew insists irritating him.
"I said no! Listen up guys remember this flashily! No matter what happens never mess with the Whitebeard Pirates! Whitebeard is a legendary monster he's the only one who fought neck and neck with Roger, the King of the Pirates. He's now without a doubt the world's strongest pirate! He's the man closest to that secret treasure, One Piece! And above all Whitebeard never forgives the killing of one of his own. Never! He's that kind of man." Buggy uses that lie well it wasn't a lie but the real fear was of their game of slice and dunk…Buggy shuddered at the murky memory of the barrel his decapitated head would be in…
And that kid is the kid of the devil…! Internally, Buggy couldn't help but eye the kid, a part of him pitying the father for having to deal with Ann on a basis…
"You know an awful lot about him…" Alvida's voice snaps Buggy out of his fretful fear.
"Of course…long ago I met him in person here on the Grand Line…" Buggy reveals.
"Oh you know my boss?" Beaming, Ace smiles innocently unaware of the pure paranoid coursing through Buggy when just seeing her…and that smile, that creepy, creepy, creepy…
"He's awake!" His crew call out snapping Buggy out of his fearful thoughts of said smile.
"Hey you guys don't be shy it's a party let's have some fun!" Ace stands smiling at the terrified crew.
"Uuh…he's right! We were having a party right!? Hey you drink quite a bit! Drink more!" Buggy smoothly slides in terrified as he offers more booze to the boy whose mother could tear him to pieces…
"Oh you guys have a lion? Come jump through this fire hoop!" Happily, Ace ignites said hoop as Rich looks fearful but…
"Okay show him Rich!" Buggy swiftly slaps said lion's back terrifying the lion when seeing Buggy's ice cold glare of do it or I'll kill you as the so called party continues…
"Well that should do…here. You need this more than me." Ann stands smiling setting down her fishing rod as she turns to look back at the now clear way she just had to get to her boat and continue on her search…
"…" Surprised, she perks up at the penguin wading over to the entrance too making her sigh sadly.
"I'm afraid you can't come. You still have to wait." Sadly, she sets her hand over the penguin's head.
"Look everyone has their own turn. Be patient and wait, it'll come naturally you're just too young right now, that's why you have to stay here to grow big and strong, the waves of the seas are too much for you at your stage." Softly, she stops the penguin crouching down trying to explain to the teeny tiny penguin the news.
"…" The pained penguin bows their head.
"Aw don't give me that look you're time will come I know it. Just as I know that we'll meet again and when we do I bet you'll be so big and strong, strong enough to walk through the sea!" Softly, she smiles assuring the penguin.
…" The pained penguin looks towards its arm.
"Oh you burnt yourself, here." Smiling, she takes out a small frail fabric a yellow with red dots on it wrapping it around the penguin's burnt arm.
"…" The penguin's eyes expand at the bandage of sorts.
"It's not much but it'll do. Maybe you can give it back to me when next we meet…Camel." Smiling, she stands up from her crouched form, turning on her heel heading off leaving the penguin to it…
"Not here either…" Annoyed, Ann huffs as she goes to her boat before releasing a small sneeze.
"Oh god dammit it Roux!" Roaring, Ann scowls at her nose holding it trying to settle it as she then takes off heading off to who knows where…
"Hey Chopper did you find any medical herbs?" Usopp asks Chopper as the group head to reconvene back at the Going Mary through the forest.
"Yep I've got all I need but there might be some much rarer ones on this island and there's something I've been wondering about what is this strange rut ruing through the middle of the trial?" Cheerily, Chopper confirms before falters furrowing his brow by the track mark below as Robin walks on his other side holding a bag of supplies over her shoulder.
"Yeah it's strange it looks like a bicycle track." Usopp agrees as Robin's baby blues narrow at the track line but before more could be said…
"HEEEEY!" The trio perk up at their captain's call overpowering the soft snores escaping the tall towering figure, sleeping mask on in a world of his own…
"Luffy?" Robin raises a brow by her captain confused.
"He's been doing this since seeing that boat…" Zoro sighs standing by his captain's side pointing towards the boat shooting past them.
"ANNNN!" Luffy calls out frantically waving his arms out towards the ship oblivious to the faint flinch of Robin from that name watching the boy soo stretch his arms out towards the ship, the two oblivious to the soft snores swiftly stopping from the name alone.
"Stupid map…urgh let's see…" Scowling, the pink haired woman grumbles looking through the small black book in her pocket, clicking her tongue tense as she with a quill of sorts from her pocket, swiftly crosses out the numerous names of islands, tapping the tip of her quill towards the last two possibilities, water 7 and Banaro but before she could decide which one to go to…
"Eh?" The woman jolts up at the arms suddenly wrapping around her.
"Ann? Who's Ann?" Innocently, Nami ponders perplexed.
"Ann what a lovely lady name!" Sanji smiles lovestruck by the name below.
"OIII! ANN!" Luffy calls out to the currently confused woman her heart dropping at the familiar voice and familiar stretchy arms around her.
"Oh no, no, no, n-Luffy don't you! LUFFY!" Angrily, Ann raises her voice to the ass however it falls to deaf ears as next she knew she was flung forward towards the island pulled into the crazy chaotic nature of Luffy, her head hitting the tree she was throw into before swiftly sliding down.
"Ann!" Happily, Luffy beams brightly at her wrapping coiling his body around the glaring glowering girl.
"Luffy…how dare you harm a lady!" Sanji scowls kicking the boy aside however his body remains firmly coiled around the rather done looking woman arching a brow by the blonde bashing Luffy's head to the side with a firm kick.
"But I was so excited to see her!" Luffy whines.
"That doesn't mean you just grab me dumbass!" Agitated, Ann slides one arm free from the snake like hold, grabbing the boy by his cheek pulling it.
"OW! OW! OW!" Luffy whines while his cheek is being tugged.
"How many times have I told you!? You don't grab people! Didn't Dadan teach you anything!?" Agitated, Ann snaps scowling tugging at his cheek making him cry out.
"Ann I'm sorry let go! I'm sorry!" Luffy cries terrified as the boy's cheek is tugged while he has his arms and well stretchy body around her however the two while arguing are oblivious to the stunned stares of Robin falling flat to her knees shaking at the phantom figure from the past while another simply stares peering through the sleepy mask now on his head, a small smirk crossing his lips at the animated pirate pair.
"You made me leave my ship in the sea!" Scowling, Ann glares at Luffy.
"I'll get it I'll get it." Luffy promises.
"You bloody better wait how the hell will you!? You're an anchor!" Agitated, Ann snaps scowling at Luffy as just then…
"Uh…" Usopp blurts out.
"Hm?" Humming, Ann arches a brow by the voice.
"'Scuse me but uh who are you?" Usopp queries.
"Oh I'm…wait you're Yassop's kid aren't you?" Ann perks up at the sight of him.
"You know my dad!?" Hopeful, Usopp beams brightly at the hope.
"Course she does she's…" Smiling, Luffy begins but…
"Portgas D. Ann the left hand of the yonko red haired Shanks." Immediately, Ann's heart drops at the voice just as Nami's furrows her brow by the eerily familiar name…
"Oh you got to be shitting me." Miserably, Ann mutters miserably, hues narrowing at the man stepping away from the stone snapping Nami out of her thoughts.
"Sadly you could say our paths have crossed." Annoyed, Ann grumbles glaring at the ass just as she hears the soft sound of someone falling, her hues turning to widen when seeing the familiar figure now shaking on her behind.
"Robin's really scared of him who is he?" Nami couldn't help but ponder taking note of the petrified Robin.
"…Robin?" Alarmed, Ann jolts up at the name, her hues widening when noting the terrified woman before her having falling on her behind trembling from the sheer sight of him.
"A marine. Marine headquarters Admiral Aokiji…" Anxiously, Robin answers as next Ann knew she was dealing with Admiral Aokiji.