Zoro let out a dismissive snort, his arms crossed firmly over his chest. "Sounds a lot more useful than a certain long-nosed braggart's system."
"Hey! What's that supposed to mean, Zoro?!" Usopp jumped to his feet, only to immediately shrink back, his voice dropping to a nervous whisper. "But... you have to have dead people to collect these echoes... won't those places be... haunted?"
"Perhaps the great Captain Usopp should perform an exorcism?" he suggested, only half-joking.
*Thwack!*
Nami's fist connected with the top of Usopp's head. "Stop spouting nonsense!" she scolded.
"Oww!" Usopp yelped, tumbling onto the deck and clutching his skull. "Nami, that was too hard! You almost made me 'show off' out of sheer pain!"
"..."
"It doesn't hurt! It doesn't hurt at all!" Usopp chanted, trying to hypnotize himself into believing it.
...
Luffy, for once, was frowning, his straw hat pulled low. "But... for this to work, people have to die first..." he mumbled, his usually boisterous voice subdued. "Doesn't that mean... a lot of people had to die for this power...?"
Ron walked over and ruffled Luffy's curly hair. "Since when has this sea *not* been a place of death?" His voice was gentle, yet carried the weight of hard-won wisdom. "Even if we do nothing, are there any fewer people who want us dead?"
He gestured toward the vast, open ocean. "We merely dug up some stones, and now the Marines hunt us and the Emperors stir. The conflict finds us regardless."
Luffy looked up, the confusion in his eyes clearing like clouds after a storm. "Hmm... Shanks said that those who set out to sea must be prepared to face the consequences of their choices."
"Exactly." Ron's gaze swept over each member of his crew. "We don't seek to harm others without cause, but we will protect ourselves with everything we have. On these waters, survival is the first and most fundamental rule."
Robin added softly, her voice tinged with a familiar sorrow, "Just like the scholars of Ohara... They committed no crime, yet they were met with utter annihilation…"
Sanji exhaled a slow, serious plume of smoke, a rare somberness in his tone. "Rather than agonizing over the nature of the power, it's better to focus on how to survive. Only by staying alive can we achieve our dreams."
Zoro's grip tightened on his sword hilts. "The path of strength is paved with trials. What matters is the will of the one who wields the blade."
Ron nodded in approval. "Well said. As long as your heart remains true, what is wrong with using the resources available to become stronger?"
"I get it!" Luffy's signature grin instantly returned, bursting with renewed energy. "We need to get stronger! So we can protect our nakama!"
"Oh!" Chopper cheered, raising his little hooves in agreement.
Usopp clambered back to his feet, rubbing his head and muttering, "It still sounds a little spooky... but since it's Robin's ability, I'm sure it's fine!"
A genuine, gentle smile graced Robin's lips as she looked at her crewmates. This time, she wasn't alone. With these comrades and this newfound ability, she could finally, truly—live.
"Then what are we waiting for?!"
Usopp suddenly sprang up again, his excitement returning in a wave as he waved his arms dramatically. "Let's turn back to Loguetown! That's where the Pirate King was executed! Imagine gathering *his* attributes! That would be incredible!"
Before he could finish, Robin gently shook her head. "The system has a temporal limit. It only registers those who have passed away within the last two and a half years."
"Ah... right..." Usopp deflated like a punctured balloon, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. "I got a little carried away..."
A brief, comfortable silence fell over the deck, filled only by the sound of waves lapping against the Sunny's hull.
"Actually, you don't need to go looking for it so deliberately~" Nami suddenly looped her arm through Robin's and winked. "Even if we can't power-level right away, it's okay! You've got me!"
"Robin, want to go treasure hunting with me?" Nami continued brightly. "Who knows, maybe we'll dig up some dead people along the way!"
"..."
An eerie, profound silence instantly descended upon the deck. The very air seemed to freeze solid.
...
Marineford · Fleet Admiral's Office
Sengoku finally allowed himself a small sigh of relief upon receiving the report that Kizaru and Aokiji were successfully escorting the ten Poneglyphs.
"Thank goodness they secured all the Poneglyphs. The situation in Alabasta could have been catastrophic otherwise."
Vice Admiral Tsuru, standing nearby, was about to speak when—
"REPORT!" A communications officer practically burst through the door, his voice shaking. "Fleet Admiral! Urgent news! Kaido and the Beast Pirates are fully mobilized! They're breaking through our defensive line in the New World!"
The temperature in the room seemed to plummet. Tsuru's brow furrowed deeply.
Before Sengoku could formulate a response, another officer rushed in. "The Big Mom Pirates are on the move! The *Queen Mama Chanter* has left the territorial waters of Totto Land!"
*Snap.* The pen in Tsuru's hand broke in two. She quickly moved to the large strategic map on the wall. "The convergence point of their projected routes... it's directly along the Poneglyph transport ship's course."
Sengoku's face turned ashen, but the worst was yet to come.
"The Red-Hair Pirates and the Whitebeard Pirates are on an intercept course! A major alliance is suspected!" The intelligence officer's voice was thick with dread.
*BANG!* Garp's fist slammed down on the conference table, splintering the solid wood into pieces. "What are those two damn brats planning?!"
"So that's their game..." Tsuru slowly removed her glasses, her voice weary as she analyzed the situation. "Whitebeard is fiercely protective of his crew. And besides that..." She gave Garp a meaningful look. "...Ace is a son he holds particularly dear."
Garp's expression darkened further, his fists clenching audibly. "That damn fool Ace!" he roared, his voice shaking the chandelier overhead. "How could he let himself get captured so easily?!"
Sengoku's eye twitched. "Vice Admiral Garp. Control yourself."
"The immediate problem is... all Four Emperors are making a move simultaneously. This is unprecedented in the entire Great Pirate Era!"
He turned to the aides waiting anxiously by the door and began barking orders.
"Initiate Red Alert! Recall all personnel on leave! Notify the Science Unit to prepare for deployment! We are potentially facing the toughest battle of our careers!"
...
Jaya Island,
The port was a chaotic tapestry of pirate vessels. Their tattered sails bore ferocious Jolly Rogers, and their hulls, some bizarrely modified, gleamed under the bright sun.
The air was thick with the mingled scents of cheap rum, sizzling grilled meat, and the ever-present salt of the sea.
"Wooow—! It's so busy!" Luffy stretched his neck, his straw hat flapping behind him in the breeze, his eyes shining with excitement. "So many pirates! And so much meat!"
Zoro rested his hands on his three swords, his sharp gaze scanning the port. "Hmph. A real den of scum and villainy." His eyes lingered on a few sword-carrying pirates, a competitive smirk tugging at his lips.
Sanji exhaled a stream of smoke, elegantly adjusting his tie. "I've heard the seafood here is quite renowned. Nami-san~ Robin-chan~ would you care to join me for a meal?" He instantly transformed, his eyes turning into pulsing hearts as he swooned toward the two women.
"Don't change the subject!" Nami retorted, hands on her hips. "You can take Robin-chan. I'm going treasure hunting with Ron-nii."
....
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