Rowan's deductions had many weaknesses.
For example, why would the inhabitants of Shandora 800 years ago have voluntarily built such a secret room?
For example, why didn't the scholars of Shandora, after discovering the strangeness of the text, choose to destroy it? Instead, they carved a chilling "Run away!" on top of it.
But Rowan's words did indeed offer everyone another way to think.
…
"These neat characters are the key?"
Crocodile looked back at Robin beside him and asked, "Hey, what does it say on here?"
Under the influence of Rowan's Conqueror's Haki, Robin's emotions finally stabilized again, and she finally had the energy to look up and examine the text on the wall carefully.
This time, Robin saw more from what was on the wall.
Although most of the content was covered by messy scratches, as if someone didn't want anyone to know what was on the wall and deliberately did it.
But based on the few surviving words, Robin could still roughly grasp the content.
"This is a… introduction?"
"An introduction? An introduction to what?" Crocodile asked.
"A tree."
Robin looked at the text on the wall and slowly said:
"—This character is the one that appears most frequently on the wall."
Crocodile became more and more curious. "What is this content about?"
"I need some time!"
Robin looked around, confirmed the direction of her research, and then propped herself up to begin studying the ancient text on the wall.
After that, no matter how Crocodile asked, Robin was already engrossed in her research and didn't answer.
Seeing this, Rowan arranged for several White Berets guards to stay with Robin, and also to monitor Robin's physical condition, to prevent the Sea Prism Stone from causing irreversible harm to Robin, who was a Devil Fruit user.
"The investigation will probably take a long time. Let's wait outside."
Rowan said to Crocodile.
Crocodile was clearly a little surprised.
After all, without Rowan's Conqueror's Haki covering the area, even he would have found it difficult to stay in the room for a long time, let alone Nico Robin.
But Rowan seemed to have expected this. He gently beckoned with a finger.
Swish!
Countless grains of sand spread out from Rowan's body, forming a sand replica beside Rowan that looked exactly like him.
Crocodile had seen Rowan use this move before, so he wasn't too startled.
But… he had a vague feeling.
It seemed he was about to feel very annoyed.
Crocodile's intuition was always accurate.
The sand replica raised its right hand, and sand extended from its finger to form a sign. Sand characters appeared on the sign.
The content was the same as before:
The investigation will probably take a long time. Let's wait outside.
"Hmm…"
As expected, no matter what, he would feel very annoyed!
Crocodile flicked the ash from his cigarette and left the room, following the sand replica.
As for Rowan's main body, he sat cross-legged on the ground, using his own Conqueror's Haki to forcibly create a space for Nico Robin to research.
Just right.
Robin needed time to carefully study the ancient text in this room.
And Rowan also needed a relatively quiet place to specifically ponder the "chess piece" he had placed in the North Blue.
…
Not long ago, Rowan was in Alabasta and sent a sandstorm towards the North Blue.
That sandstorm was named "Messenger."
Now, the "Messenger" was about to reach its destination—the Germa Kingdom!
…
The events that followed were the Messenger arriving at the Germa Kingdom, then proceeding to Vinsmoke Judge, and finally making him "calm down" and agree to negotiate.
At this moment, about a week had passed since Nico Robin buried herself in the research of that Sea Prism Stone room.
As the world's top archaeologist, without exception, coupled with the stable research environment Rowan had created for her, Robin's research had achieved initial results.
…
Germa Kingdom, aboard a ship.
Rowan's sand messenger and Judge sat facing each other.
Unlike the prior tension, the atmosphere between the two could be described as very delicate.
It was understandable. Before, they were fighting fiercely, but now they were sitting together calmly.
This was something others couldn't understand.
Let alone others, even Vinsmoke Judge himself wasn't quite used to the current atmosphere.
But the fact was, the current messenger—or rather, Ryan Rowan—was explaining some incredibly significant secrets to Judge!
Sea Prism Stone passage?
Sea Prism Stone room?
Ancient text?
Any one of these was a major piece of news that could involve the major powers at sea, and even the World Government!
Was Ryan Rowan's brain broken to casually tell someone who was just his enemy such significant news?
After Rowan finished explaining the Four Seas Alliance's exploration of the room, he gestured with his hand.
This was a sign that he wanted something to drink.
A negotiation always required offering the other party something to drink—whether it was poisoned or not, it was basic etiquette.
Judge's gaze shifted, and he increasingly felt that the situation was not right. But he endured the sense of dislocation and strangeness, waved his hand, and arranged for a clone soldier to bring tea.
Rowan took the tea and smiled in thanks, looking like a completely different person from the messenger who had previously trampled half of the Germa Kingdom.
Judge looked at Rowan and slowly said in a low voice:
"What is written in the text in that room? What did you discover?"
Rowan didn't answer directly but suddenly splashed the tea in his hand onto the sand table between the two of them.
Splash!
The intricate sand table was hit by the tea, and its various precise simulated landscapes were destroyed.
"You…"
Judge's eyes widened, thinking Rowan was about to turn hostile on the spot.
But Rowan then pointed a finger at the sand table.
Sand-Sand Fruit, Erosion, activate!
Sand began to spread over the sand table, turning everything on it into yellow sand.
Only the parts wet by the tea remained unharmed.
Water—that was the Sand-Sand Fruit's only weakness, but now it seemed to be the key to Rowan's string of actions.
Under Rowan's control, surrounding sand began to spread.
Gradually, some "branches" made of sand appeared on the sand table.
These branches extended from the parts moistened by the tea, eventually forming a giant tree—relative to the sand table.
This tree stood in the sand, giving Judge a feeling of inexplicable yet vaguely significant importance.
It possessed an extremely strong presence, like putting a Giant warrior among a group of children.
"This is the 'tree' you mentioned?"
Judge frowned and asked, "What kind of tree is this?"
But Rowan's next answer made Judge's expression change dramatically.
"This tree bears a type of fruit."
"And this fruit, we call it—the Devil Fruit."
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