Chapter 395: Adventure on Zou (Part 7)The aftereffects of the banquet hit the next morning in a way that could only be described as devastating, completely flattening the Straw Hat Pirates."Water... give me water..."Usopp was sprawled on the floor like a dehydrated salted fish, his face pale and his lips cracked from dryness.Last night, in order to maintain his image as the "Great Captain with 8,000 Subordinates" and a god of wine in front of the Mink Tribe's youngsters, he had insisted on a drinking contest with several burly Bovine Minks.The result was that he couldn't even lift a finger now, and his head felt like a hundred Frankys were simultaneously hammering away at a construction site.On the other side, Zoro's situation wasn't much better.He wasn't shouting, though; he just lay spread-eagled in the courtyard, his chest heaving with heavy breaths, covered by a blanket gifted by the Guardians.His three swords were neatly lined up by his head, looking very much like three sticks of incense offered to a "fallen" drunkard.Meanwhile, the other protagonist of the revelry, Luffy, sat energetically on the roof, rubbing his sunken belly and letting out a soul-piercing cry toward the sky:"I'm—starving—!!!"A night of wild partying had successfully flushed the tiny bit of "consensus" they had managed to reach yesterday right down the drain.The matter of the alliance had once again fallen into a stalemate more troublesome than a swamp."So—"Trafalgar Law sat at the temporary war council table with a dark expression, tapping his finger on the surface—'tap, tap, tap'—each sound echoing like a throb in his own temples."Our current situation is that the King of the Day is a broken record who only says 'wait,' and the King of the Night is a drunkard who only says 'drink.'""Then there are my allies: one hasn't woken up from his hangover, one is still sleeping, and the other has nothing but meat in his head. We're stuck here, is that it?"His tone was icy, and the killing intent in his eyes caused the surrounding temperature to drop several degrees.He swore that as soon as he left this godforsaken place, he would give himself a full cardiac exam. Immediately! Right now!In the midst of this despairing atmosphere, a crisp and confident voice broke the silence."Honestly, this is so inefficient!"Uta leaned against the doorframe with her arms crossed, her red-and-white hair particularly dazzling in the morning light.Dressed in a stylish flight jacket and short skirt, she looked out of place in this primitive forest environment, yet she formed a beautiful scenery of her own.Her Violet eyes were filled with helplessness."This kind of psychological barrier caused by past tragedies can't be fixed just by talking.""What Duke Inaran and Master Nekomamushineed is a 'resonance' that touches the soul! How about I hold a concert for them?""One performance of 'New Genesis' and I guarantee they'll shake hands, make up, and look toward the future together!!!"Law: "..."He decided to take back what he said earlier. The person who needed a cardiac exam most was himself. Now, immediately, right now! His heart was about to explode!!!"Hey! Uta! Does that mean we can have an even bigger banquet?"Luffy poked his head over the roof, his eyes sparkling.Just as the meeting was about to hurtle toward the bizarre direction of "how to use a concert to scam more meat," an elegant and calm voice pulled everyone's attention back."Everyone, perhaps... we don't need to obsess over convincing them anymore."Nico Robin walked over, wearing a deep purple long dress that accentuated her breathtaking curves.The morning light filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting spots of light on her fair skin and enveloping her in an intellectual aura.She wore her usual composed smile, but her deep blue eyes burned with an unprecedented flame called 'desire.'"At the banquet last night, I heard an interesting rumor from the members of the Guardians."Her voice was light, yet it instantly quieted everyone down."They said that in the deepest part of the Whale Forest, inside that sacred tree called 'Whale,' there is a massive red stone that their ancestors have guarded for generations—one that no one can read.""Red... stone?" Luffy scratched his head, looking puzzled.But Trafalgar Law's pupils constricted sharply the moment he heard those words!"Nico-ya,"Robin ignored the others; her gaze was fixed directly on Law, her voice carrying an almost imperceptible tremor."I want to go see it."This was no longer a request, but the uncontrollable instinct of a scholar facing the ultimate truth!Boss Master Nekomamushi held a natural respect for scholars, especially a female scholar as beautiful and wise as Robin.After hearing Robin's request, the boisterous King of the Night simply let out a ma~ssive yawn and waved his hand dismissively."Garchu~! Go if you want to! That hunk of rock has been sitting there for hundreds of years anyway; it's useless for anything other than a backdrop.""Pekoms! You lead the way!"Thus, under Pekoms's guidance, Robin set off alone toward the deepest part of the forest known as the "Holy Land."It was an incredibly quiet journey; the further they went, the more the outside clamor faded away.Ancient trees blotted out the sun, and the air was filled with the scents of earth and vegetation, along with the heavy fragrance of "history."Finally, Pekoms stopped before an ancient tree so massive it seemed to connect heaven and earth.The shape of the tree resembled a giant whale leaping out of the sea, brimming with majestic vitality.In the belly area of the "Whale Tree," there was a naturally formed large hollow.The moment Robin stepped into the hollow, her breath hitched.Inside, there were no ornate decorations, only a massive, ancient, deep-red cubic stone monument standing silently, its color like congealed blood.Upon the monument were carved lines of the ancient script she knew so well and desired so deeply!"This... this is..."Robin felt as if her heart had been seized by an invisible hand!She reached out a trembling hand, her fingertips touching the cold stone surface with the piety of a pilgrim.That familiar texture, that unique material, those characters pointing toward the end...An indescribable ecstasy erupted from the depths of her soul like a volcanic explosion!She could no longer maintain her composure and elegance as an archaeologist; tears suddenly burst from her eyes!These were not tears of sorrow, but of extreme joy at finally seeing the dawn of her dream after half a lifetime of hardship!"Road... poneglyph..."...When Robin reappeared before everyone, her disheveled state gave them all a shock.Her elegant long dress was stained with dirt, her usually perfectly groomed hair was a bit messy, and her face, which always wore a composed smile, was now filled with excitement. Tear streaks hadn't dried yet, and her cheeks were flushed with a lovely red from exhilaration."I found it!!!"She rushed before the crowd and, in a voice that was nearly choked with emotion yet incredibly clear and trembling, announced the news that could overturn the world!"It's a 'Road Poneglyph'!!!""One of the four roadmaps pointing to 'Laugh Tale'!!!"As soon as these words were spoken, the entire place fell into a dead silence."Road... what now?"Zoro looked bewildered.Usopp, on the other hand, was scared out of his wits:"What?! Points to Laugh Tale?! Are we really going to a legendary place like that?!""I've suddenly come down with 'I'll-convulse-if-I-get-near-the-Final-Island' disease! Aaaagh! o(╥﹏╥)o"However, one person understood the weight of those words perfectly.Trafalgar Law!He stood up from his seat with a snap, and his perennial ice-cold expression shattered completely at that moment!In its place was a terrifying glint mixed with shock, ecstasy, and greed!Stalemate? What bullshit stalemate!Compared to this thing in front of them, the conflict between those two kings was as laughable as children playing house!He grabbed Luffy's shoulder, his voice slightly distorted with excitement:"straw hat-ya! We don't need to worry about them anymore! We have more important things to do!""We'll go rub this poneglyph immediately! And then—"His eyes flashed with the precision and madness of a surgeon."Once black leg-ya gets his hands on the Road Poneglyph held by BIG MOM!""It won't be too late to take the one Kaido has once we reach Wano Country! By then, we'll have three Road Poneglyphs!""We don't need to beg them for anything; we just need to walk our own path!"Everyone's gaze focused on Luffy.Luffy listened to Law's excited plan.Then, he grinned and broke into a smile."Oh—""Okay! Let's do that!!""Everyone! Get ready to set sail! Our next goal—""Wano Country... and the poneglyphs!!!"