Chapter Seventy-Seven: The Stone Tablet

Four pirate ships sliced through the waves, forming a single line as they sailed toward the distant island ahead. Camus stood at the bow, gazing calmly at the island not far away. Beside him, Robin stood just behind, her eyes fixed on the man she loved, a captivating smile gracing her beautiful face.

“Time passes so swiftly. This world truly makes me reluctant to leave, ah!” Camus turned his head, looking out over the vast sea with a tone filled with admiration.

Robin smiled gently and stepped forward. Camus reached out, drawing Robin into his arms, gently tapping her forehead before turning his gaze to the horizon.

“Camus, what kind of world is yours?” Robin suddenly looked up at him, her eyes full of curiosity and interest. She had heard Camus speak of it, but had no idea what his world was truly like.

Camus’ gaze grew distant, watching the occasional lightning flash overhead. “It’s been over a hundred years. I left there a century ago. I wonder what changes have taken place since then?”

...

Two days later, the four ships approached Laugh Tale.

Behind Camus stood Robin, Ice Phoenix, Hancock, Nami, and Nojiko; their faces were tense. The closer they drew to the One Piece, the greater the strange sense of oppression became, pressing down unbearably.

Camus glanced at the other three ships. Red watched the group with a hint of amusement, clearly already aware of what awaited them. Judging by Red’s relaxed demeanor, there seemed to be no real danger here.

Bang!

The four pirate ships docked together.

Everyone disembarked, stepping onto the ground of Laugh Tale. Those pirates who had never been here before erupted into cheers—their dreams were about to come true. Camus and Red exchanged a glance and shook their heads slightly, making no move to restrain them.

Camus looked ahead. The island stretched out of sight, vast and sprawling. The last time Camus had come here, he’d explored and discovered the island had a diameter of nearly a hundred kilometers, making it the largest of all islands on the Grand Line. Dangerous currents surrounded it, and any ship entering would never return safely—only the channel guarded by Sea Kings allowed passage. Even those with abilities such as the Light Fruit, capable of flight, couldn’t get in. After breaking through the currents, Camus had sensed a thin but incredibly resilient barrier, invisible to the eye. He’d had to exert seven-tenths of his strength to break through, and upon inspecting the breach, he saw it instantly restored itself as though it had never been damaged.

“Everyone, be quiet.” Camus turned, his aura subtly emanating. The rowdy pirates fell silent at once.

Whitebeard, Red, Luffy, and the others all turned curious eyes to Camus, waiting for his next words. At this moment, Camus was their guide, Red being the exception.

Camus stood firm, surveying the pirates, and spoke slowly, “Here, I don’t want to see any bloodshed. Just follow my lead. What you deserve will be given to you.” With that, he turned and walked deeper into the island. Robin and the other women followed first, then Luffy and the rest exchanged glances and came along. No one objected; after all, if Camus and his companions wished to kill them, it would be easy. The fact he hadn’t claimed the One Piece for himself was already generous.

This island was nearly entirely covered by desert. Upon setting foot on it, the oppressive aura vanished completely. Looking into the distance, several kilometers away, one could see the ruins of ancient buildings, their age uncertain.

Their footsteps stirred the sand, and everyone behind Camus advanced almost without breathing, the sound of walking evoking a strange excitement. They were about to reach the location of the One Piece—how could they not be stirred?

Soon, Camus and the others arrived at the ruins. It was clear these destroyed structures had once been an immense palace complex; from its scale, one could tell how luxurious and magnificent it had been. On the collapsed walls were ancient patterns—reliefs of birds, beasts, and marine creatures, none of which anyone recognized. Clearly, these species had vanished from the world, either extinct or hidden away.

Robin’s mother examined the surroundings, her face alight with fascination. The creatures and unknown script on the fallen walls captivated her. Robin, seeing her mother’s expression, couldn’t help but smile wryly. With a flash of light in her hand, she produced a book and handed it to Olvia. This book was compiled the last time Robin came with Camus, recording all the script and carvings found here.

Soon, Camus reached a plaza—a circular space, not large, about a hundred yards in diameter. In its center stood a massive stone monument, carved with ancient writing.

Camus walked up to the monument, glanced at the pirates, and began to read aloud the inscription.

...

“In the year ooo1, the D clan discovered this island. It possessed rich mineral deposits and a bounty of delicious foods. After three years of war, they finally conquered it and established the Kingdom of D here.

Three hundred years later, gods descended from the heavens. After an endless blaze of light, the world was transformed—sea water engulfed villages and land, the climate became strange and unpredictable, and creatures mutated, growing giant and fearsome. We had no choice but to abandon this place and seek a new home upon the sea.”

As Camus’ voice faded, the pirates below stood utterly stunned.

“How can that be? Are there really gods in this world?!”

The pirates grew frantic. Hearing the name of the D clan, they knew this must be a closely guarded secret. But what followed left them completely confused—gods? Could such beings truly exist?

Suddenly, Camus released his aura, silencing the chaos and masking their panic. They all looked to him, Whitebeard and the others included, none believing in the existence of gods.

Camus looked at them. He knew well that gods did exist—and in numbers that would terrify—but this was not the place to say so.

“Gods? What gods? There are no gods—only meteorites from beyond the sky. The blank hundred years after the impact became that lost century. The World Government doesn’t know the cause, so they sealed the truth. If people believed gods existed, their own authority would become meaningless. But gods simply cannot exist.”

...

That’s all for today. Due to overtime, time was short, so this is all I could manage.

Please click, recommend, and add to your favorites!