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Thoughts of Jin:
So, the 'Second World' mural paints a rough outline of the Void Century.
The war between the oppressors and the enslaved raged on. During this time, through either the research of the ancient humans or sheer coincidence, Devil Fruits came into existence. Furthermore, they discovered life within the 'void.'
Later, the Lunarians arrived. They made contact with certain nations and tribes, bringing with them advanced technology. Together, they built a Great Kingdom—what you might call a 'Kingdom of the Gods'—which would become the D. Clan.
But this alliance shifted with the appearance of Joy Boy, the one who had eaten the 'Sun God' fruit. His dream of liberating slaves everywhere threatened the interests of other nations, and he was soon targeted by a coalition of Twenty Kingdoms.
Or perhaps, the alliance between the Great Kingdom and the Lunarians was seen as a threat in itself, provoking the ire of the other kingdoms. A conflict similar to the one between the Shandians and the Skypieans.
It could have been a war between Lunarians, the people of the Blue Sea, and a third faction—the Half-Moon people, who are now the D. Clan.
In any case, after a century of conflict, the Great Kingdom fell. The Twenty Kingdoms were victorious and established themselves in Mary Geoise, becoming the new 'gods.'
The Void Century war was so devastating that it caused the sea levels to rise, swallowing vast swathes of land. There's also a smaller possibility that it was Poseidon—the first Mermaid Princess—who unleashed her power.
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"Aside from the three parables, the content of the mural itself is fascinating," Jin mused aloud. "—It appears to be a single piece, but each section corresponds to a different parable. You have to look at them in context..."
He continued, thinking through the problem. "The exact timing of the Lunarians' arrival on the Blue Sea is still unclear. It's possible they were already here during the 'First World.' If that's the case, then the 'void' might refer to a subspace—a place where human emotions and desires coalesce and, through some mysterious force, give birth to Devil Fruits."
"The reason I lean toward the Lunarians arriving during the 'Second World' is because of this," he explained. "The lowest level of Elbaf, the underworld, has permafrost that dates back tens of thousands of years. It's known as the 'First World' after the sun died. This implies that the 'First World' is far more ancient—the era when the 'Sun God' first appeared. The era of Nika."
"Based on the ruins in Skypiea and elsewhere, it seems the Lunarians haven't been around as long as, say, Alabasta. The Kingdom of Alabasta was founded 4,000 years ago, which might suggest the 'First World' story has nothing to do with them. But then again, the mural for the 'First World' clearly depicts Lunarians. Perhaps my deduction is flawed."
"If so..." he reasoned, "—then the 'First World' was a war between the oppressive Lunarians and the rebelling people of the Blue Sea. The 'Second World' was a continuation of that war, with the two sides gradually integrating. Joy Boy tried to end the chaos and unite the world, but he was betrayed by his own people and failed."
Saul looked completely lost. 'Lunarians?'
Robin, however, was deep in thought. She had been to Skypiea and had excavated ancient mining ruins in the deep sea. The analysis made sense.
The only thing missing were the details.
Who were the real villains—the Twenty Kingdoms or the Great Kingdom? Or were there no villains at all? Was the entire war just a conspiracy?
The royal family of Alabasta was one of the original Twenty Kingdoms. Why didn't they move to the Holy Land? Why did they return home?
And what was Joy Boy's connection to the Great Kingdom?
Robin's heart began to beat faster.
She had a gut feeling that the Poneglyphs scattered across the world held the answers to these very questions.
She looked at the final "parable."
"The 'Third World'..."
In the chaos, a void remains.
A discordant afterimage.
Remembering the day of promise.
Listening to the voice of the shattered moon.
The Sun God dances and laughs,
Leading the world to its end.
The sun will surely return.
A new dawn is coming.
And they will surely meet again.
"It's a prophecy," Robin said.
Jin nodded. "The 'day of promise' must refer to the deal Joy Boy made concerning the Ark, Noah. It predicts that someone who inherits the will of the 'Sun God' will appear, fulfill that promise, and bring the dawn."
Robin thought for a moment, then shot a glance at Jin.
"Don't look at me," he said flatly. "You know I only believe in myself. The 'Sun God's will'? Some old fossil's last wish? Count me out. Besides, what good is bringing the dawn? If he doesn't establish a new order, does he really think he can change human nature just by laughing? In an era overrun by pirates, is the 'Sun God' just going to smile and everyone will suddenly become virtuous pacifists? What are the pirates supposed to eat? Is he from the Land of Light or something? It's absurd."
Jin knew that the power of will was a real force in this world, but at his core, he was a pragmatist.
Saul was speechless. This king truly was one of a kind, with no reverence for gods or legends.
Robin frowned. But the longer she spent with Jin, the less she believed in the old myths herself. It wasn't just her—even Kuma had come to feel that it was better to rely on his own strength than to wait for some "Sun God." In the past two years, he had grown closer to the Revolutionary Army, his ideals shifting toward a more proactive philosophy.
Just as Nika's will could influence others, so too could Jin's.
"The line that stands out to me," Robin said after a moment, "is 'leading the world to its end.' Does it mean that, just like the First and Second Worlds, the Third World will end in a great war? Will it provoke the wrath of some 'god,' who will then destroy the world with earthquakes and tsunamis? And only after that great disaster will 'the sun surely return' and a 'new dawn' arrive? And 'they will surely meet again'... is that saying the cataclysm will destroy the Red Line, the Calm Belts, and the Grand Line, unifying the Four Seas?"
"That's probably about right," Jin said.
Saul was horrified. "What kind of disaster could possibly do that?"
A flood. The thought came to Jin unbidden. He connected Vegapunk's prophecy with the Ark, Noah. A world-ending flood. Many of the events in this world had parallels in the myths of his old one.
He took it a step further.
The First World was destroyed by a god of the earth, bringing darkness and death—that could be Pluton.
The Second World was destroyed by a god of the sea—Poseidon.
The Third World will be destroyed by a god of the sky—which would correspond to Uranus.
Even if it wasn't exactly that, it had to be related.
"You know the relationship between the tides and the moon, right?" he said with a grin. "Maybe the sky god will just blow up the moon, triggering a massive tidal wave and drowning the Red Line. Then everything would be connected, wouldn't it? You don't think that's what Roger's 'ONE PIECE' is, do you?"
Saul and Robin both just rolled their eyes. The joke wasn't funny.
"Deciphering history is important," Jin said, his tone turning serious. "But what's more important is to live in the present and look to the future."
Even after seeing the mural, even with the possibility of a terrible future, he was still calm, confident, and composed.
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