[POV: MARC]
Confrontation with Luffy
Barely had I stepped out of the tomb when Luffy charged straight at me.
"MARC!" he yelled, clearly furious. "WHY DID YOU STOP THE FIGHT?! I WAS GOING TO BEAT HIM!"
I looked at him calmly."No, Luffy. You weren't going to beat him."
"YES I WAS! I HAD MY SEASTONE GLOVES!"
"And he still would've killed you."
The entire crew was now surrounding us. Nami, Zoro, Sanji, Usopp, Chopper. All of them stared at me, waiting for answers.
"Marc," Nami said tensely. "What exactly happened? Why did you make us run into the Foundation like that?"
I sighed and sat down on a fallen slab of stone.
"Alright. I'll explain."
The Explanation
"The guardian of the royal tomb you nearly encountered… is an immortal monster."
Usopp swallowed loudly. "Immortal… like you?"
"Yes. But far worse."
I raised my hand, counting on my fingers.
"First: he can run at a speed close to sound. You wouldn't even be able to see him move."
Chopper was already trembling.
"Second: he possesses strength as monstrous as Luffy's grandfather."
Luffy recoiled sharply. "AS STRONG AS GRAMPS?!"
"Yes. Garp the Fist. Abel could fight him on equal footing."
Silence fell. Even Zoro looked impressed.
"Third," I continued, "he can create weapons from nothing. Blades that can cut anything. Even the most durable materials."
"Like… like Mihawk?" Zoro asked, suddenly very interested.
"Worse. His blades are conceptual. They don't cut physically. They cut… existence itself."
Nami, Chopper, and Usopp immediately huddled together, shaking in fear.
"A MONSTER LIKE THAT EXISTS?!" Usopp screamed."AND YOU BEAT HIM?!" Chopper added, eyes wide.
"I sent him back into his coffin. Temporarily. He'll resurrect in a few hours."
Sanji lit a cigarette, lost in thought. His face was dark.
He's realizing just how dangerous this world really is, I thought.
The Royal Invitation
Vivi approached timidly. "Everyone… my father invites you to dinner. To thank you for saving Alabasta."
Luffy's eyes lit up instantly. "FOOD?!"
"LUFFY!" Nami shouted, punching him. "We just talked about an immortal monster and all you think about is eating?!"
"But I'm hungry…"
Zoro chuckled. "At least some things never change."
We followed Vivi through the ruined palace corridors to a grand dining hall.
The table was enormous. Covered in dishes. Meat, fish, fruit, vegetables, fresh bread, desserts. A true royal feast.
Luffy was the first to sit down and immediately began devouring everything.
"SO GOOD! MORE!"
The others followed. Zoro ate calmly. Nami sampled each dish delicately. Usopp and Chopper stuffed themselves. Sanji ate distractedly, still lost in thought.
But before I could sit down, King Cobra pulled me aside.
The King's Revelation
He guided me to a secluded corner of the hall, away from prying ears.
"Marc," he began in a low voice. "There's something you need to know."
"About Abel?"
"Yes. The Five Elders… the Gorosei… they're aware of his existence."
I froze. "What?"
"That's why they left my family alone all these years. As long as we stayed on our land. As long as we kept Abel confined."
"They knew from the beginning…"
"Yes. We have a tacit agreement with them. We don't reveal the secrets of the Void Century. We keep Abel contained. And in return, they don't touch us."
I clenched my fists. "Those bastards…"
The king nodded sadly. "The World Government hides many things. Anomalies. Secrets. Truths that could destroy their power."
"Thank you for telling me."
"Be careful, Marc. If the Gorosei learn that you took Abel… they'll hunt you down."
"Let them try."
I returned to the table, my mind boiling.
Dark Reflections
I sat down and ate mechanically, but my thoughts were elsewhere.
The Gorosei know anomalies exist. They've captured them. Sent them to Vegapunk. Or destroyed them.
They're doing the Foundation's work… without understanding it.
A dull anger rose within me.
These people thought themselves all-powerful. They decided the fate of anomalies without understanding their nature. Without protocols. Without precautions.
How many catastrophes have they caused?How many Keter-class SCPs have they accidentally unleashed?
I looked at the crew eating happily.
Luffy was laughing. Usopp was telling lies. Chopper was reshaping his hat to amuse Vivi.
They didn't know. They didn't understand the scale of what was happening in the shadows.
And it was better that way.
The Next Morning
We all slept in the palace's guest rooms.
Soft beds. Clean sheets. Luxury we hadn't known in a long time.
Morning came quickly.
King Cobra joined us for breakfast. His expression was grave.
"I have bad news," he announced.
"What?" Vivi asked.
"Marine Headquarters is sending reinforcements to Alabasta."
Nami froze. "Reinforcements?"
"Yes. They lost almost all their men here. Hina and her troops were decimated. They want to know what happened."
"WHAT?!" Usopp panicked. "ARE THEY GOING TO ARREST US?!"
"Probably," Zoro replied calmly.
Luffy jumped to his feet. "THEN WE'RE LEAVING! NOW!"
"LUFFY, WE JUST WOKE UP!" Nami yelled.
"WE DON'T HAVE TIME!"
The crew sprang into action at full speed.
Sanji packed food. Nami checked the maps. Zoro prepared his swords. Usopp gathered his inventions. Chopper organized his medical supplies.
And me? I made sure all my SCPs were properly contained.
Farewells
We gathered at the palace entrance, ready to leave.
Chaka and Pell escorted us, carrying our bags.
King Cobra and Vivi waited for us.
"Thank you," the king said, bowing deeply. "You saved my kingdom. I'll never forget it."
"NO PROBLEM!" Luffy replied with a big grin. "IT WAS FUN!"
Then everyone turned.
Vivi had no bag.
Luffy tilted his head. "Hey, Vivi? Why aren't you carrying anything?"
Silence fell.
Vivi lowered her eyes, tears beginning to fall.
"I… I can't come with you."
"WHAT?!" Usopp exclaimed.
"My country needs me. My father needs me. I have to stay here."
She looked up, smiling through her tears.
"But… these days with you… were the best of my life."
Nami was already crying. Chopper too. Even Sanji's eyes shone.
Luffy stepped forward and placed his straw hat on Vivi's head.
"We'll always be friends," he said simply. "Always."
Vivi burst into sobs. "YES!"
Luffy took back his hat and turned to us. "ALRIGHT! LET'S GO!"
And with that mysterious power Luffy possessed—this charisma that could turn tears into smiles—everyone left smiling.
Return to the Merry
The king lent us giant ducks that ran at incredible speed.
"Karoo will guide you!" Vivi shouted.
"QUACK!" confirmed the leading duck.
We mounted the ducks and sped across the desert.
During the ride, a thought struck me.
I forgot to ask the king to station a Foundation base here.
With all the noise we caused in Alabasta, leaving such a visible trace of the Foundation would draw suspicion.
The Gorosei. The Marines. Remaining Baroque Works. Too many eyes.
No. Better to stay in the shadows.
We reached the Going Merry by late afternoon.
The sun was setting, painting the sky orange and red.
"WE'RE BACK!" Luffy yelled, jumping onto the deck.
I released Mr. Fish, Walter, and SCP-999 from the Foundation.
They had been confined for several days due to the desert heat.
"FINALLY!" Mr. Fish exclaimed, breathing in the sea air. "I FELT LIKE I WAS SUFFOCATING!"
Walter squeaked happily and jumped onto Usopp's shoulder.
SCP-999 bounced everywhere, thrilled to see everyone again.
Conversation Between Sanji and Mr. Fish
The Merry left the river and sailed toward the sunset.
In the kitchen, Sanji was preparing dinner.
Mr. Fish entered and sat at the counter.
"Sanji-san," he began politely. "How was your journey?"
"Good," Sanji replied, chopping vegetables. "Intense, but good."
They talked about everything and nothing. Alabasta's food. Local spices. Cooking techniques.
But Sanji was distracted.
Mr. Fish noticed. "Is something on your mind, Sanji-san?"
The cook stopped. He set down his knife and lit a cigarette.
"Mr. Fish… these high-security SCPs… are there many of them?"
"No. They're very rare."
"Marc described Abel to us. An immortal monster. Fast. Strong. Able to kill anyone."
"Abel is a special case," Mr. Fish explained. "He once worked for the Foundation. He's an old SCP. One of the most dangerous."
"And are there others like him?"
"Yes. But few. The Foundation keeps them all contained."
Sanji slowly exhaled smoke. "In situations like this… who knows the most about these things?"
"Marc. The Director. He knows all the protocols. All the weaknesses. All the dangers."
"Then we'd have to ask him for help…"
"Exactly."
Sanji clenched his fists. "But I'm not ready to ask help from a man who commands an army of clones."
Mr. Fish looked at him compassionately. "I understand your reservations, Sanji-san. But Marc isn't an enemy. He protects humanity in his own way."
"By imprisoning people. By experimenting."
"To understand. To protect. The Foundation isn't perfect. But it's necessary."
Sanji didn't reply. He continued cooking in silence.
Night Falls
Everyone went to bed.
Luffy collapsed into his hammock, snoring instantly. Walter curled up against him.
Zoro slept sitting up, as always.
Nami counted her newly acquired berries stolen from Alabasta.
Usopp checked his inventions.
Chopper read a medical book.
SCP-999 slept in a corner, purring softly.
And me? I entered the Foundation.
I had things to give. Things to do.
[POV: ROBIN] The Night in the Cell
Despite earning merit and being allowed to read more books, Robin was still a Class-D.
So she still slept in a cell at night.
But that night was different.
Footsteps. Synchronized. Methodical.
She opened her eyes.
Guards stood before her cell. Silent. Motionless.
CLANG.
The door opened.
A guard motioned for her to follow them.
Robin stood slowly, cautiously. What's happening…?
They guided her through dimly lit corridors. Not a word. Not a sound.
Until the cafeteria.
Lit only by a few dim lights.
And at the center…
The Director.
Marc.
The Night Meeting
Robin approached slowly, a playful smile on her lips despite the situation.
"Ara ara… the Director calls me to serve him at night?"
Marc didn't react. His face remained perfectly neutral.
"Sit down," he said simply.
She obeyed, sitting across from him.
"You've improved well," Marc began. "Your clones now last thirty seconds. Your reading speed has increased. Your knowledge has expanded."
"Thank you," she replied cautiously.
"That's why I'm giving you your first real assignment."
He took out an envelope and placed it on the table.
Robin opened it.
Photographs.
Photos of the Alabasta Poneglyph.
Her eyes widened. "This is…?"
"The Poneglyph of the royal tomb. I photographed it before leaving."
Her hands trembled slightly as she held the photos.
"You… you're giving this to me…?"
"Yes. Translate it. Document it. That's your specialty."
Tears welled up in Robin's eyes.
Her dream. Discovering the Void Century. Understanding lost history.
Even though the Foundation's library had given her documents from that era—stories of forgotten peoples, vanished civilizations—it wasn't the same.
Those spoke of social history. Culture. Daily life.
But not politics. Not the major events that shaped the world.
The Poneglyph held the truth.
"Thank you…" she whispered. "Thank you so much…"
The Surprise
"That's not all," Marc said, standing up.
"What…?"
He guided her out of the cafeteria.
Through the corridors.
To the personal quarters.
Robin frowned. Why is he bringing me here…?
They stopped in front of a door. Number 47.
Marc pulled out a keycard. Level 1. CONFIDENTIAL.
He handed it to her.
"You've worked well. You're entitled to a new room."
Robin took the card, stunned. "A… a real room?"
"Open it."
She swiped the card. BEEP.
The door opened.
Inside…
A comfortable bed. A desk. An empty bookshelf waiting to be filled. A private bathroom. A virtual window displaying a beach landscape.
"This… this is for me?" she whispered, tears now flowing freely.
"Yes. You're no longer in a cell. You're now an official research assistant."
Robin turned to thank him.
But before she could speak—
SMACK!
Marc slapped her butt.
She jumped, spinning around, face flushed.
"WHAT—?!"
Marc looked at her with a playful smile. The same one she had given him earlier.
"Welcome to the staff, Robin."
Then he left, leaving Robin completely stunned.
She brought a hand to her backside, still in shock.
Then she smiled despite herself.
"Ara ara… the Director does have a sense of humor after all."
She entered her new room and closed the door.
For the first time in years…
Nico Robin felt safe.
[END OF CHAPTER 41]
[DEPARTURE FROM ALABASTA]
VIVI: Remains in Alabasta (emotional farewell)
ROBIN: Promoted to Research Assistant (private room)
SANJI: Doubts about Marc and the Foundation
REVELATION: The Gorosei know about anomalies
MR. FISH, WALTER, SCP-999: Back on deck
ROBIN'S NEW MISSION: Translate the Alabasta Poneglyph
TOTAL ANOMALIES: 15
NEXT DESTINATION: Jaya → Sky Island
THREATS AHEAD: Marine reinforcements, Gorosei