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Chapter's Events:
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[The Ocean Forest… Deep within the forest depths…]
"This feels a little different from the other poneglyphs…"
"…The ones I've read up until now…"
Robin sat cross-legged directly before the massive stone, brushing the moss away with her fingertips as her eyes scanned its surface.
"It's almost like… a letter."
"A letter of apology, no less…"
The words etched into the ancient stone surprised her. Never before had she encountered such a tone—less like a record of facts and more like a voice speaking directly across time.
"Who could be apologizing…?" she whispered.
"And… to whom?"
Her lips shaped the name aloud, tasting its weight on her tongue:
"…Joy Boy."
A thousand questions spun through her mind. Who was this man? What crime or failure was he atoning for, eight centuries ago?
…
[The Ocean Forest — elsewhere]
Hody Jones's live broadcast flickered out. The air seemed to lighten for a moment, and then Luffy burst into laughter, thumping his chest.
"Did you guys hear that?! My bounty's four hundred million now! When did it go up?!"
"Is this really the time?!" Nami snapped, veins popping in her forehead.
"He's openly picking a fight with us," Sanji muttered, cigarette smoke curling from his lips.
Jinbei, calm as ever, folded his arms. "Your actions in the war pushed your reputation sky-high. Though once you pass three hundred million, the increases slow down."
"Still," Luffy declared, slamming fist into palm with a grin, "if it's a fight he wants, then we'll give him one!"
The spark in his eyes left no room for doubt—he was ready to crash straight through Hody Jones.
— — — — — — — — — — — —
…
Marijoa, in the Empty Throne Hall, the atmosphere curdled. The Five Elders trembled as if submerged in a frozen abyss.
From the dais above them, black-crimson lightning tore loose, shredding the skies above the Holy Land. Conqueror's Haki, violent and absolute, rattled the very foundations of the world.
Imu's voice cracked the silence. Since the moment she saw that name in the manga—Joy Boy—her fury had been uncontainable.
Eight hundred years of suppression, of careful erasure, of silencing every whisper… undone by a single mention. And worst of all, it came from the manga she had once been addicted to, a cruel reminder of the truth she had tried to bury.
"Joy Boy…" Imu's eyes narrowed. She no longer saw Robin speaking the name; she saw Rob himself—the man who dared bring these forbidden histories into the open.
Saint Warcury swallowed hard, sweat dripping down his temple. "Unbelievable… It seems the world will hear that name again, after eight centuries…"
His fellow Elders remained frozen, fear painted across their faces. For a brief, terrible moment, Imu considered burning them all down, reducing them to skeletons where they stood. The killing intent pressed on them like a tidal wave; even Warcury faltered.
And then, just as suddenly, it lifted. Imu's calculating gaze returned. As much as she despised their weakness, she could not afford to discard her tools. Rob and his hunters were growing in power with each passing day. Every ounce of strength would be needed.
A cold smile curled her lips. "Fufufu… To think I would see this name again. Joy Boy… did you leave behind an apology to Poseidon? Apologizing for what—for failing to fulfill your promise?"
Her eyes glowed faintly, as memories of the Void Century clawed at her mind.
"…And where is the red poneglyph?" she muttered. "I was certain it existed here."
Reports from CP0 confirmed it once rested in Fish-Man Island beside the other stone. But with Rob's Art Store, his sky port, and his hunters entrenched there, extracting it was impossible.
"Perhaps, in the manga's timeline, someone already moved it. After all, Roger copied it without taking it away."
She leaned back on the throne, voice like steel. "No matter. I will not allow your manga to reveal more secrets, Rob-chan…"
…
Erhara, West Blue.
Clover's voice shook as he spoke. "Joy Boy… the man the World Government did everything to erase… the very core of the Void Century's events."
Gasps circled the room. Vegapunk's eyes gleamed with restrained awe, while Issho stroked his chin in silence.
"Such a man apologizing, through a poneglyph? To whom?" Issho finally asked.
Vegapunk answered softly. "To the mermaid princess who bore the title Poseidon. The queen of Fish-Man Island of that era. A failure of a promise… that is what he sought forgiveness for."
"I see…" Issho nodded gravely. Mihawk inclined his head as well.
Doflamingo cackled from the shadows. "Fufufu… I can almost hear the Five Elders gnashing their teeth. One by one, their precious secrets are being dug up for the entire world to see. Isn't it delicious?"
His father, Homing, frowned. As a former Celestial Dragon of the Donquixote line, he knew more than most. "If Joy Boy was the enemy the twenty kingdoms united against… could it be that he was the strongest of his age?"
"No," Mihawk replied flatly. "If he had been the strongest, he would not have fallen."
…
The New World. Urura Island, Kaido's encampment.
Kaido laughter ceased. The sake jar slipped from his hand, shattering against the ground. His eyes widened.
"…Joy Boy."
Beside him, King—Alber—stared at the manga in silence, his usual composure faltering.
That name was no mere legend to him. Joy Boy had been the symbol of rebellion, the first true pirate to sail the seas, a man whose will threatened to tear the world apart. Even after centuries, the Government had failed to fully extinguish his shadow.
"And now… it returns," Alber whispered, a dangerous smile tugging at his lips. "I always believed, Kaido-san, that you were meant to be Joy Boy of this era. Perhaps I was wrong. Perhaps the true one is finally revealing himself through this manga."
Kaido's grin returned, fierce and hungry. "Wororororo! Joy Boy, huh?! If Alber reveres you this much, then I want to meet you myself…!"
Alber nodded. "Joy Boy may have failed… but even in failure, he laid the groundwork for victory in the future. And it seems… that future is now."
Kaido crushed the remnants of the jar beneath his heel. "Whether I am Joy Boy or not, I'll make sure we live long enough to see his success. That much is certain."
"Yes," Alber agreed, eyes gleaming. "Whether in manga or reality, one day we will hear the Drums of Liberation sound again."
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Upcoming chapter titles (spoilers):
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Chapter 953: Jimbei's Opposing Stance.
Chapter 954: The Real Challenge in the New World.
Chapter 955: Exposed for What He Truly Is.
Chapter 956: Hody is the Hatred of the Fish-Man Race Accumulated Across Generations.
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