Meanwhile, the residents of Ape Mountain continued to grow uneasy about the intruders' presence. The Jungle continued to erupt with the cries of the animals and the sound of drums, further alerting Robin to the Danger. Robin could hear her subject's call of peril as she took to the high trees, swinging from the high vines as she ventured deep into Ape Mountain. As she clung to a singing vine, the Jungle Queen directed her worried glance toward the direction of the Gorilla's drumming.
The frantic beating of the Gorilla's drums quickened, reverberating through the trees like a warning call. Robin's heart sank—there was no mistaking the signal. The pirates had reached the ruins. Her fingers tightened around the vine, her mind racing. She was already too late to stop them from entering, but she could still keep them from taking what didn't belong to them.
"I'm already too late," She thought to herself.
Robin paused on a sturdy branch, her eyes locked on the distant ruins she once studied as an archeologist. It wasn't just treasure the pirates sought—it was knowledge, history, and stories long buried by time. The weight of her past flooded her veins. This place was more than a relic; it was a legacy, one she couldn't allow to be desecrated by thieves who only cared for gold.
Robin felt her blood boil. Such an archaeological discovery as the ruins themselves sought after for only the gold and jewels it holds. The true Treasure it has left to be forgotten for all time.
Regardless, it was too late to stop them from finding the ruins; she could still prevent them from stealing from them.
"Robin!"
From above, a small, trembling figure clung to a branch, eyes wide with fear. "Robin!" Chopper's voice wavered as he hugged the tree. His usual bravado faltered, his legs barely holding him steady. "Three strangers went that way!" he squeaked, pointing frantically. "I don't think they found my banana stash, but they're up to something!"
Robin smiled, glancing up at Chopper with an amused smirk.
"Don't worry, Chopper. I'll make sure they don't take anything for anyone," Robin proclaimed.
Robin seized the nearest vine, her muscles coiling with practiced precision. She launched into the air with a fierce jungle cry, her body slicing through the thick jungle mist like a hawk diving for prey. Robin proceeded to swing ahead through the jungle, grabbing one vine after another as she made her way to the ancient ruins.
The Kuja Pirates ventured further into the heart of the lost city, their footsteps swallowed by the silence of centuries. Stone walls, once proud and towering, now sagged beneath the weight of the jungle's relentless grip, vines crawling like veins across the surface. The air was thick with the scent of ancient dust and damp earth, as though the ruins were breathing their last sighs.
Ancient glyphs, barely visible beneath layers of moss, whispered forgotten stories. The air was thick with the scent of damp earth, and it felt like the jungle was holding its breath, waiting. Marguerite couldn't help but take in the sight of this majestic yet idle lost city of Bakuvvu. No longer was the map she was holding held any influence upon her.
They were finally where it had been guiding them all this time, and it was just as mighty and awe-inspiring as they said.
"This place is incredible," She said.
"I'll say. Can you guys believe this used to be a thriving city?" Alphelandra said.
"I wonder what happened to it."
Sweat Pea only shrugged.
"Who knows? I'm just surprised people lived here on this island," Sweat Pea said, scratching her head.
"So where to now, Marguerite?" Alphelandra asked curiously.
Marguerite glanced back at the map and saw what looked like a large temple at the very center of the city. Lowering the map, Marquerite peered ahead and saw the large temple at the city's center. Marguerite momentarily glanced down at the map before looking at the temple again. She had no doubt it was there they would find the deed.
"According to the map, the deed must be in ... there," Marguerite insisted.
The three Amazonians peered forward at the temple. Suddenly, all sense of wonder and awe for this majestic city of Bakuvvu was lost entirely and replaced with that of uncertainty at the Great Temple, guarded by two separate statues of large Gorilla warriors—a looming of darkness coated inside the temple's entrance, adding to their unease.
"Creepy," Aphelandra said.
After rolling up the map and slipping it into the pouch over her hip, Marguerite drew her Boa, which took the shape of a bow. She then slowly approached the Temple Entrance. Sweat Pea and Aphelander glanced at one another before turning to follow her. The two drew their Boas as they entered the temple.
Robin arrived at the gates of the lost city. With a swift swing from a long vine, the Jungle Queen landed gracefully as a tigress. She then raised her gaze to bask at the sight of the mighty city of Bakuvvu. A place that she used to visit most of the time in the jungle.
Though Robin had become one with the jungle, the blood of an archeologist still pulsed fiercely through her veins. The ruins called to her like an ancient song, the knowledge, and history hidden within their walls more precious to her than any treasure. Protecting this forgotten city wasn't just her duty—it was her birthright.
And this city was rich with it.
She had spent her days learning whatever she could about this lost city and people. They said the hieroglyphs that marked the walls and the carvings no doubt told of ancient legends. There was so much to be learned from these people, and it was a shame that it was all forgotten on this remote jungle island. It is ignored by those outside who only lust for the treasure hidden within the temple.
"Tookie, Tookie,"
The call of her majordomo caught the keen ears of the Jungle Queen. Robin glanced up and saw Tookie hovering overhead, continuing to chirp in wearing of the intruders.
"Tookie, do you see them?" she asked.
Tookie nodded his head.
"Tookie, Tookie! Tookie, Tookie!" He said, pointing ahead into the ruins.
"They are at the Temple? I had a feeling that's where they would go," Robin proclaimed.
"Pirates can never resist treasure."
"Tookie, Tookie?" Tookie said.
Robin smiled and nodded her head in agreement.
"Well, I'm not about to let a bunch of pirates steal from Bakuvvu. We'll have to ensure they don't find a single gold coin," Robin proclaimed.
With that, the Jungle Queen raced through the city's mighty gates and into the ruins.
The temple's interior swallowed the pirates in a veil of black shadows, the walls seeming to close in as they ventured deeper into the labyrinthine tunnels. Their torch flickered, casting eerie, dancing shapes along the overgrown stone, and the air grew colder with each step, heavy with the weight of something ancient and forgotten. Over the years, the hallway had become coated with jungle vegetation and fallen debris, along with the supposed human remains of the once-thriving people of this lost city. They passed by several chambers filled with all sorts of treasures. Marguerite glanced into one of the chambers, seeing the amount of gold and jewels inside.
"Look at this," Marguerite breathed, her eyes gleaming as the torchlight flickered off mounds of gold and glistening jewels. For a moment, even the map seemed to lose its importance in her hands. "Enough treasure to make Amazon Lily the wealthiest kingdom in the seas.
"You think we should bring some back to Amazon Lilly?" Sweat Pea asked.
"Hey, yeah! I'm sure Hancock would love to have some of these jewels," Alphelandra insisted.
Marguerite paused, turning back to them. Like her fellow Amazonians, she, too, was tempted by the many riches within this temple. No doubt the Empress would as well appreciate it. However, as tempting as all these Gold and Jewels were, they were not the ones they sought. For all the treasure this temple possessed, it could not compare to the deed of Ape Mountain.
"Yeah, we definitely should. But first, we need to find the deed before we think about the rest of the treasure," Marguerite insisted.
Marguerite turned to gaze down the hallway. There, she noticed what looked to be a small white light listing from down the way.
"What is that?" Aphelandra asked.
Marguerite shook his head.
"I don't know. But that might be where the deed is," Marguerite said.
As they ventured deeper into the shadowed hallways, the air grew colder, each step heavier as if the walls themselves were watching. The flickering torchlight revealed a vast chamber, the stone floor blanketed with moss and debris. At its center, an idol loomed—a figure of gold, its two ruby eyes gleaming in the darkness like blood-stained stars. Marguerite's breath hitched. Whatever lay within this chamber was far more valuable than any chest of jewels.