novelnext Chapter 106 Pluto, the King of the Underworld
Chapter 106 Pluto, the King of the Underworld
Cobra's first thought was of how Bai Yu and his group looked when they first entered Alba.
Bai Yu is calm and reserved, with an air of composure in every gesture, yet he also possesses a gentleness that is not easily noticed; Robin, despite bearing the title of the son of a demon, is always composed and open-minded, and the hidden pain in his eyes and his obsession with history when he mentions Ohara are not something that a schemer could fake.
The woman named Rangiku was carefree and cheerful, sitting on a stool and biting into a date without any sense of caution. Kanna was innocent and naive, with only snacks and novelties in her eyes, pure and untouched by worldly dust.
As for Retsu Unohana, she seemed gentle and modest. These details flashed through his mind one by one. She was completely different from the label of a dangerous person. Instead, she seemed more like a group of travelers with sincere hearts and their own principles.
He then thought of his country's situation. Alabasta was located in the desert. Although it had gained stability through irrigation canals and new oases, it was still not well received by the World Government, despite being a member state of the World Government.
Bai Yu and his group dared to openly request an audience and frankly share the historical text. This openness is far more reassuring than those world government officials who, under the guise of justice, interfere and demand heavenly gold.
Refusing would temporarily avoid the risk of offending the World Government, but it might also mean losing a potential trust. Moreover, he himself harbored an unspeakable curiosity about the history passed down through generations of nations, especially about where Queen Lily had gone.
More importantly, he saw certainty and restraint in Bai Yu's eyes, and felt a pure reverence for history rather than a covetousness for power in Robin's words.
As king, what he feared most was not the status of a wanted criminal, but the attempt by someone to exploit history to endanger the peace of Alabasta.
If Bai Yu and his group truly coveted power, they could have sought it secretly instead of openly requesting an audience.
If Nico Robin only wanted to use the Poneglyphs to achieve her evil goals, she wouldn't have shown genuine respect when discussing people's livelihoods.
After a long while, Cobra slowly raised his eyes, the hesitation in them had completely disappeared, leaving only a gentle firmness.
He looked at Bai Yu and said in a calm tone, "Mr. Bai Yu, Ms. Robin, I have pondered this for a long time. The Poneglyphs are the heirlooms of Alabasta, carrying our country's past and hiding unknown secrets. To be honest, we have protected those ancient texts for generations, but we have never been able to fully decipher them, and we have regrets in our hearts."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over the crowd, and continued, "My agreement to take you there is not out of disregard for the World Government's attitude, but because I trust my judgment. You are not evil people who covet power. Mr. Shiraha and Ms. Robin's honesty, and your concern for the people's livelihood, all make me willing to give you this trust. However, I have one request: during the interpretation process, if any core secrets of Alabasta are involved, please keep them confidential. Also, whatever is recorded on the stone tablet, please do not use it for anything that endangers peace."
A barely perceptible glint flashed in Robin's eyes. He rose and nodded slightly. "Your Majesty, rest assured, my obsession with the Poneglyphs is solely to uncover the truth of the Void Century. I have no desire for any power, nor will I do anything to harm Alabasta."
Bai Yu nodded in agreement: "We understand Your Majesty's concerns. We promise that we will never divulge Alabasta's secrets, nor will we use any historical secrets to incite conflict."
Upon hearing this, Cobra laughed heartily, his tense expression completely relaxing: "Alright, it's a deal! Icarum, please step aside. I'll lead everyone to the Royal Chamber, where the Poneglyphs are hidden."
Although Icarum still had concerns, seeing that the king had made a decision and that Bai Yu and his group indeed had no obvious malicious intent, he bowed and replied, "Yes, Your Majesty."
The royal secret chamber is located in the deepest underground palace of the royal palace. It is built of thick sandstone, and flames have been rekindled on both sides of the passage. The flickering firelight makes the ancient murals on the walls even more mysterious.
The murals depict scenes of life of the desert's early inhabitants, including the hardships of digging canals to bring water, the joy of celebrating a bountiful harvest, and the solemn vows of the royal family to protect the stone tablet.
At the end of the passage, a stone gate carved with lotus and eagle reliefs stands before you, echoing the reliefs on the Albanian city gate, only appearing more ancient and imposing.
In the center of the secret chamber, a huge stone tablet stood silently, its surface covered with dense ancient characters, which were the very historical text that everyone was looking for.
The characters are twisted and intertwined, seemingly chaotic, yet they exude a solemnity and weight from ancient times. The stone tablet gleams with a faint stone luster, still steadfastly fulfilling its mission of bearing history.
Robin strode forward, his gaze fixed on the words on the stone tablet, his eyes filled with excitement.
She reached out and gently brushed her hand across the cold, etched marks.
She deciphered the text word by word, softly reciting the ancient characters. Though her voice was soft, it clearly echoed throughout the secret chamber: "This records the whereabouts of the ancient weapon Pluton... Pluton, slumbering beneath the land of Wano Country, is a warship with world-destroying power, capable of easily overturning the entire world..."
"Pluto?"
However, Kobra simply stared calmly at the stone tablet, his face showing no emotion.
He gently shook his head, his tone calm: "World-destroying power? It means nothing to me. What the people of Alabasta need is not hegemony, not conquest, but a peaceful life, a sufficient water source, the lively atmosphere of the market, and sweet candy in the hands of children. No matter how strong Hades' power is, it cannot bring the bougainvillea by the canal to bloom year after year, nor can it bring the people peace and stability."
As the King of Alabasta, his lifelong desire was nothing more than to protect the people of this desert land, shielding them from sandstorms and the ravages of war. The ambition to conquer other lands never took root in his heart; the desire for hegemony was far less appealing than a bowl of chilled coconut juice.
Robin has now deciphered the scattered records related to the Void Century. Although he has not obtained the complete truth, he has gained new clues.
She raised her head, her eyes showing no concern for Hades' whereabouts: "What I'm looking for has never been some ancient weapon. What exactly happened during the Void Century, and why the World Government deliberately covered up the truth, is what I really want to know. Hades' power is insignificant to me."
Bai Yu, out of curiosity, leaned forward to take a look and listened to the explanation. He simply smiled faintly and said, "Hades? It sounds powerful, but in my opinion, it's not as powerful as Kanna when she goes all out."
As soon as she finished speaking, Kanna, who was biting into the remaining candy eagle in her hand, looked up at her and her little face was full of seriousness. She swung her short legs and said, "Kanna's lightning can destroy everything." As she spoke, she subconsciously puffed out her cheeks, as if she was about to unleash lightning at any moment.
Kobra was taken aback by what he heard, then laughed, taking Bai Yu's words as a joke to reassure him.
He shook his head, the last trace of worry in his eyes completely disappearing: "Mr. Baiyu is quite the joker. However, hearing that you all have no interest in Hades, I am completely relieved. I was worried before that you would eventually covet this power and go to Wano Country to cause trouble, but now it seems that I was overthinking it."