After months of grueling training, it still felt like they were standing in place.
That was the honest impression the Straw Hat Pirates had the moment they reunited with Maude.
The distance between them hadn't shortened. If anything, it had grown wider.
Ordinary people might've felt discouraged—but not the Straw Hats. Instead, they were more fired up than ever.
Maude returned Black Kabuto to Usopp.
The destruction of an entire mountainside with a single strike hadn't come from sheer Armament Haki output alone—it was also thanks to the Sky Island Dials Usopp had incorporated into Black Kabuto.
Having just tested the weapon himself, Maude had come to fully appreciate its capabilities.
"Sky Island Dials… They're incredibly useful tools, yet no one seems to talk about them. Is it because they're just too rare?"
Ever since he decided to transform the Thriller Bark into an airborne fortress, Maude had planned a trip to Sky Island.
It wasn't just for the gold—he wanted to collect as many functional Dials as he could.
Now that he'd experienced their value firsthand, his resolve to reach Sky Island was stronger than ever.
He didn't understand why the major powers of the world hadn't made a move to acquire Dials—but he knew one thing for sure: he would.
And if mass production was possible, he would make it happen.
If not—then he'd seize every last one of them.
"Master, um… Master…"
Usopp's hesitant voice pulled Maude from his thoughts.
"What is it?"
Maude turned to Usopp, a faint smile on his face.
Usopp wrung his fingers awkwardly. "About the next upgrade for Black Kabuto… I'd really like to hear your suggestions…"
"Future upgrades, huh?"
Maude paused in thought, then asked, "If I'm not mistaken, Black Kabuto's frame is made from Adam Wood, right?"
"Yeah!" Usopp nodded vigorously, amazed that Maude could tell just by looking.
Truth be told, Usopp hadn't originally intended to use Adam Wood. It was a stroke of luck—just when he got the idea for Black Kabuto, Franky happened to mention he had some leftover Adam Wood scraps, set aside for ship repairs.
Even luckier, one of those pieces perfectly fit Black Kabuto's structure.
And so, what had once been a pipe dream turned into a luxury weapon crafted from Adam Wood.
Maude looked at him thoughtfully.
"Black Kabuto's durability is already top-tier. Rather than focusing on more structural upgrades, why not channel your efforts into the ammunition?"
"Ammunition…?"
Usopp's eyes lit up as the thought struck him. He'd been so focused on reinforcing the bow that he'd overlooked the potential for custom ammo.
"Good luck."
Seeing Usopp fall into deep thought, Maude smiled encouragingly before walking over to Robin.
He hadn't forgotten the reason for this visit.
Standing before her, Maude said nothing. He simply opened his Shadow Casket and pulled out a partially broken Poneglyph in full view of Robin and the others.
Thud.
The heavy stone slab hit the ground with a deep, muffled sound.
"A Poneglyph…"
Robin's eyes widened in astonishment at the sight.
The others were visibly surprised as well.
Sabo stepped forward instantly, staring in disbelief as Maude retrieved the Poneglyph seemingly out of thin air.
Within the Revolutionary Army, even Dragon himself placed immense importance on Robin—not just for her background and experiences, but especially for her unique ability to read the Poneglyphs.
What had happened during the Void Century?
The Revolutionaries needed that truth.
Why? Because the World Government—strangely obsessed with erasing that history—clearly feared what it might reveal.
And that alone gave the Revolutionaries all the reason they needed to pursue it.
Recovering the Poneglyphs was one of their long-standing goals.
So when Maude pulled one out, Sabo's shock mirrored Robin's.
"Robin," Maude said, gesturing toward the Poneglyph. "Help me decipher what's written on it."
"Of course."
Robin glanced at the missing corner of the stone but agreed without hesitation.
As expected—Maude knew she wouldn't refuse.
All eyes turned toward her as she stepped forward. She placed a hand gently on the stone's surface, fingertips tracing the ancient glyphs carved deep into the slab.
To most historians, the language of the Poneglyphs was an unsolvable mystery. But for Robin, it was as legible as any modern text.
It only took her a moment to translate the contents.
She slowly withdrew her hand, eyes shimmering with emotion.
Seeing her expression, Maude asked, "What does it say?"
"It tells… a story of resistance."
Robin tilted her head slightly, eyes fixed on the ancient characters above, her voice trembling with excitement.
"It speaks of the ancient, now-extinct Great Kingdom—one that vanished 800 years ago. This is the first time I've ever seen something like this."
This woman—hunted by the World Government since the age of eight—had never given up on her pursuit of the Poneglyphs.
But for twenty years, she'd found nothing.
Until she joined the Straw Hats.
In less than a year, she'd encountered the Sky Island Poneglyph… and now this one, brought by Maude.
Compared to the Alabasta Poneglyph that revealed information on Pluton, or the Sky Island one that spoke of Poseidon…
What Robin truly sought was a Poneglyph that chronicled the Void Century.
And this one—this was it.
Seeing her hesitate with just a few words, Maude didn't press. But Sabo couldn't wait. "Robin, can you explain more clearly?"
Maude gave Sabo a puzzled look. In his memory, Sabo had never shown much interest in the Poneglyphs.
Robin nodded gently and continued.
"During the Void Century, there existed a great and little-known kingdom—now destroyed. At the end of that century, the World Government was born."
"While the pieces have always been there, no definitive evidence ever linked that kingdom to the World Government directly."
"But this Poneglyph… this is the evidence. It records that the ancient kingdom was wiped out by the World Government."
Not everyone was interested in history.
So even after Robin dropped this bombshell, the group's reaction was relatively subdued—except for Sabo, whose expression grew serious.
Maude stroked his chin and muttered, "So in the end… history really is written by the victors. But the World Government—rather than write their version—just buried it altogether."
He paused.
"Robin, is there anything else?"
"There's also mention of the Will of 'D'... After their victory, the World Government sought to erase everything tied to the ancient kingdom—just like they do with a Buster Call. They wanted to erase not only history, but all people connected to it."
Robin's eyes fell, her hands balling into fists.
Clearly, the contents of the Poneglyph had stirred memories of Ohara.
"But the World Government failed. Some survived the kingdom's destruction—those who bore the initial 'D.' They didn't stop resisting."
"Even though the battle was already lost, and their efforts couldn't change the outcome, they refused to surrender. In the end, to escape the Government's wrath… they were forced to hide their names."
"Oh?"
Maude raised an eyebrow.
Inside the camp—
While Robin explained the history, Luffy—whose name openly carried the initial 'D'—yawned and picked his nose, utterly uninterested.
Unless it was tied to a particular dramatic memory in Wano, this guy never seemed emotionally invested in anyone else's backstory.
This time was no exception.
But Trafalgar Law, another bearer of the hidden 'D,' listened intently.
Especially to Robin's last words.
His eyes darkened as a flicker of emotion passed through them.
He was a descendant of those who had survived—those who carried the Will of D in secret.
If their ancestors hadn't chosen to hide the name of D back then, perhaps he wouldn't even exist today.
Aokiji tilted his head, silently watching Robin as she effortlessly deciphered the Poneglyph.
Only now did he begin to grasp why the World Government once carried out such ruthlessly unjust acts.
"…Thanks, Robin."
After hearing the full translation, Maude summoned a Shadow Wave, drawing the Poneglyph back into the Shadow Casket.
Robin gazed at Maude in silence before suddenly speaking. "You brought me here for a reason. Helping you read the Poneglyphs—that was your true purpose, wasn't it?"
"That's right."
Maude nodded without hesitation.
A flicker of surprise crossed Robin's eyes. "I didn't expect a man like you to be interested in the True History."
"…"
Maude offered a faint smile, but didn't elaborate.
Beside them, Sabo looked toward Maude, hesitating.
He wanted to ask for the stone tablet—but in the end, he held his tongue.
He knew that if he spoke, Maude would likely hand it over without resistance.
But Sabo quietly buried the thought.
Hours passed. Night began to fall.
Gaya had prepared a sumptuous meal of rhino meat for everyone.
This time, Sanji moved even faster than Luffy—unable to resist, he eagerly took a bite of Gaya's cooking.
"…Huh?"
Sanji's eyes shifted.
The moment the delicious meat slid into his stomach, he clearly felt a surge of energy welling up inside him.
"This is… restorative cuisine?"
As the Straw Hat Pirates' chef, Sanji was deeply shaken.
The rest of the crew paused mid-bite after tasting the rhino meat dishes Gaya had prepared using various cooking techniques.
In terms of flavor, it was on par with Sanji's own.
But more importantly, after eating it, the fatigue from an entire day of intense training seemed to melt away.
This was the first time they had ever eaten something like this.
"Is this medicinal cooking…?" Chopper murmured, peering curiously into the broth in his spoon.
"Chopper, why'd you transform all of a sudden?!"
Startled by Chopper's sudden switch into Heavy Point, Usopp jumped from his seat.
"Huh?"
Chopper blinked in confusion at Usopp, then glanced down at himself—only to shout in shock, "Why did I transform?!"
"Oi! You're the last person who should be asking that!!" Usopp cried out, exasperated.
Zoro spoke with a serious tone. "It's the meat. I can feel power pouring out uncontrollably."
"I feel it too."
Luffy continued to stuff rhino meat into his mouth at lightning speed, barely bothering to chew.
Hearing the reactions of his crewmates, Sanji fell into silent thought.
"This is restorative cuisine."
Gaya glanced at Sanji, her tone calm. "In the New World, where danger lurks everywhere, a chef's duty is far more than just making sure people are full."
"…"
Sanji stared at Gaya in silence. Then, without a word, he picked up his bowl and downed the broth in a single gulp.
In that moment—realizing just how vital restorative cuisine could be—he made a decision.
Even if it meant casting aside his pride, even if it meant asking Gaya to be his teacher… he would learn this cooking technique.
Gaya's carefully prepared rhino feast was devoured in no time.
For Maude and his crew, who regularly ate Gaya's cooking, it was just another meal.
But for the Straw Hat Pirates, it was like a door to a new world had opened.
If Sanji could learn to cook like this, they could gain so much more time each day to train and grow stronger.
Even Luffy—often the slowest to catch on—realized the value of restorative cuisine after that meal.
As night deepened, everyone settled down to rest.
Maude straddled the railing of the balcony outside his room, gazing up at the star-swept sky.
His purpose here was complete. Tomorrow morning, he would head to Skypiea—to collect the gold and Sky Island shells.
Lost in thought, he suddenly heard the door behind him open.
Maude instinctively raised his eyes.
Shakky rushed into the room, her face twisted in panic—an expression Maude had never seen on her before.
It stunned him.
"Rayleigh's in trouble."
She hurried to him, her brows tightly furrowed, her tone tense.
"…What?"
Maude's expression changed the moment he heard her words.
Shakky extended her hand toward him.
In her palm lay a torn and crumpled piece of paper. Judging by the piece that still twitched faintly, it was just barely recognizable as a Vivre Card.
"This is Rayleigh's Vivre Card. Just a few minutes ago, it suddenly split into several pieces."
"What?! Uncle Rayleigh—"
Maude's pupils shrank, locked on the torn fragments in Shakky's palm.
"He's still alive."
Shakky said firmly, "But judging from the Vivre Card's reaction, at the very least… his limbs have been severed. Also… Rayleigh should be with Gaban and Sol right now. Do you have Sol's Vivre Card?"
"…No."
Maude leapt from the balcony railing.
An ominous feeling twisted in his chest.
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