"Great!" Nami clapped excitedly, her orange hair fluttering in the desert heat. "Now that Crocodile has been dealt with, no one can stop us from digging for treasure in the plaza!"
She grabbed Ron's arm and impatiently dragged him towards the center of the plaza. "Come on, let's go, I can't wait any longer!"
Vivi blinked her large, sea-blue eyes, looking confused. "Wait… there's treasure under my plaza?" She turned to Koza and other Alabasta ministers. "Did you know about this?"
Koza and the others exchanged glances, shaking their heads.
The old minister Igaram stroked his beard and muttered, "This old man has served the royal family for decades, and I've never heard of anything buried under the plaza…"
Smoker's temples throbbed as he watched this group about to start digging for treasure again.
He irritably ran a hand through his white hair. "Just caught a Shichibukai, and now I have to watch these lunatics dig for treasure…" But he still helplessly waved his hand and ordered, "All Marines! Maintain vigilance! Surround the plaza!"
Tashigi quietly reminded him, "Colonel, aren't we here to stop them?"
Smoker grunted, biting his cigar. "Can you stop them?" He glanced at Ace and Luffy, who were eagerly rubbing their hands. "Instead of wasting effort, it's better to keep an eye on them, lest they dig up something terrifying again."
In the center of the plaza,
Nami had already impatiently arrived at the exact spot according to the treasure map!
"It's right here!"
The treasure map in her hand instantly transformed into a glittering golden shovel!
Ron nodded, mentally prepared. "Then let's begin." He looked at Vivi. "Princess, the plaza ground might need to be temporarily damaged."
Vivi quickly waved her hand, very magnanimously. "Please, go ahead! Compared to your contributions to Alabasta, this little thing is nothing!"
The people of Alabasta were enthusiastic, eager to get closer and watch this exciting treasure hunt. Many had already crowded to the front row, craning their necks to get a better look.
"Let me through! Let me see!"
"Is there really some treasure?!"
"If there's treasure, it can be a thank-you to these benefactors."
"Yes, they deserve it."
"….."
However, to everyone's surprise, several members of the Straw Hat Pirates unusually retreated to the edge of the plaza.
Sanji, with a cigarette in his mouth, had retreated fifty meters away; Zoro, with his sword, leaned against the farthest stone pillar; even Usopp, who usually loved to join the fun, was now hiding behind a thick wall, only peeking out half his head.
"Hey! Your companions are digging for treasure, why are you all so far away?" an Alabasta youth called out, puzzled.
Sanji blew a smoke ring and said meaningfully, "Kid, I advise you to stay far away too."
He pointed at the excited Nami. "Who knows what kind of bizarre thing she'll dig up this time? If it's an ancient bomb, we won't even have time to run."
Zoro coldly added, "Last time, she dug up lonely souls and wild ghosts. That scene still feels cold even thinking about it in the desert."
As soon as he said this, the crowd that had been packed in the front row immediately stirred.
Seeing this, Smoker immediately directed the Marine to maintain order. "Everyone, step back! Maintain a safe distance!" He released white smoke to form a barrier. "This is not a joke!"
At first, a few young people were dismissive. "What's there to be afraid of? What danger could there be—"
Before he finished speaking, Nami had already dug down with a shovel!
Bang! The ground began to vibrate violently. Now, no one needed to be told; all the citizens scrambled backward, and the scene was chaotic for a moment.
Vivi watched from a distance, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. "Everyone, don't panic! Evacuate in an orderly fashion!"
Just then,
A dazzling red light burst forth like a surging torrent, so intense that half the sky was dyed red by this sudden glow.
The treasure was about to appear!
Everyone held their breath, even Usopp, who was hiding the farthest away, couldn't help but lean out halfway. The air was filled with a tense yet expectant atmosphere, and even the hot desert wind seemed to still.
Amidst this dizzying red light, an enormous black stone monument slowly emerged from the glow.
The black stone monument exuded a steady and solemn oppressive feeling, floating quietly in mid-air. Sunlight spilled upon this black stone monument, and its dark surface gleamed under the sun's reflection.
And on the surface of the monument, some ancient texts were faintly visible, as if these characters had traveled through time from a distant past, mysterious and ancient.
Some of the characters were clearly discernible, but many were covered by moss, as if shrouded by a mysterious veil.
It was a Poneglyph!
"This… this is…!" Smoker's pupils constricted, completely unaware that his cigar had dropped from his mouth. He stammered, "Connect to Fleet Admiral Sengoku immediately! Quickly!"
Tashigi's beautiful eyes were also wide, completely unable to believe what was before her. Her hands trembled as she took out her Den Den Mushi and dialed, projecting the Poneglyph through a visual Den Den Mushi.
Princess Vivi covered her mouth, her sea-blue eyes reflecting the ancient stone monument. "A Poneglyph?… Such a thing was hidden beneath Alabasta's royal palace plaza…"
Robin had silently appeared beneath the Poneglyph at some point. She tilted her head back, her slender fingers tracing the floating ancient characters in the air, her eyes gleaming with the characteristic fervor of a scholar:
"This is incredible… The preservation status is simply perfect…"
Ron was not surprised by Robin's appearance, a slight smile playing on his lips. A Poneglyph—wasn't this the perfect bait to attract this archaeologist?
"Huh? What's this?!" Nami stomped her foot in frustration, hands on her hips. "We went through all that trouble just to dig up a broken rock? I thought we'd at least dig up a few chests of gold and jewels!"
Ron chuckled and shook his head. "The value of this thing is far greater than a few chests of gold." He turned to the monument. "But we can't take it with us, Nami, hurry and make a rubbing."
"No need," Robin's voice came, soft yet firm. "All these characters have already been imprinted in my mind."
Ron turned to look at Robin, only to see the archaeologist giving him a meaningful smile.
Sunlight filtered through the floating monument, casting dappled shadows on her delicate face. "Mr. Ron, you wouldn't mind if I studied this Poneglyph, would you?"
Seeing the familiar glint of obsession with historical truth in Robin's eyes, Ron nodded knowingly.
"Go ahead. However…" He meaningfully glanced at Smoker, who was frantically making a call. "Our time might be running out."
....
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