After crossing the Red Line alone, Sali replayed the events in his mind, his irritation growing stronger with each passing thought.
If Gion had not interfered, he would already have a photo of the Heavenly Yaksha without his sunglasses. Showing it to Ash later would have been the perfect trophy.
Instead, aside from giving the Heavenly Yaksha a solid beating and accidentally killing some fool who got in the way, he had nothing to show for it.
The more he thought about it, the more determined he became. Since the world's attention was fixed on the New World, whatever he did here in Paradise would likely go unnoticed.
With that in mind, Sali set his course and headed straight for the Sabaody Archipelago.
Two days later.
While stuffing themselves alongside Bonney, Ash received another call from Sengoku through a Den Den Mushi.
"Hey, old man, what now? White Lion Sali already left the New World."
Ash did not bother hiding his annoyance at being contacted again.
The Den Den Mushi mirrored Sengoku's anger perfectly. "White Lion Sali did leave the New World, only to rampage through the Donquixote Family's operations on Sabaody. If he had just killed those scum, I might have ignored it. But he freed a massive number of slaves, many of whom were already reserved by the Celestial Dragons."
Hearing this, Ash silently approved. Well done, Sali.
He had been wondering about the scattered energy readings he sensed earlier. Each one had been small, but there were hundreds of them, totaling several hundred points. He had initially assumed it was just a coincidence involving the dawn ship and Twin Capes.
Now it made sense.
Keeping his thoughts to himself, Ash replied casually, "Isn't slavery officially banned by the World Government? A Fleet Admiral talking about nobles buying slaves doesn't sound right."
He paused briefly before continuing, "Besides, the one who freed them was White Lion Sali. What does that have to do with me, Heavenly Emperor Ash?"
Sengoku snapped back, clearly frustrated. "If I could find him, I wouldn't be calling you. Tell White Lion Sali that the Celestial Dragons are furious. Have him stay out of sight for a while."
"Yeah, yeah, I'll pass it along if I see him."
Ash responded lazily, then added with a grin, "Want to try some delicacies from Gourmet Island? My treat."
"No time. Eat it yourself."
Sengoku cut the call immediately.
Ash shrugged and put away the Den Den Mushi, completely unbothered by the warning.
Ten days later.
Nami finally completed her full chart of the North Blue. After circling the entire sea, the dawn ship returned to the waters near Reverse Mountain.
Pini, Youki, and Tsuki took the opportunity to revisit their hometown, Diwen Island.
Who could have imagined that in just over two years, a once ordinary village in the North Blue would undergo such a drastic transformation because of a single young man?
Now, standing on the quiet island, the absence of its former liveliness made the change even more striking.
After restocking in the Benbona Kingdom, Dicken and Carina arrived. Together, the group lifted the dawn ship into the sky, crossed Reverse Mountain, and descended at Twin Capes.
Although the space gate allowed them to meet often, having everyone gathered in one place was rare. They decided to hold a lively bonfire party that night.
When Ash heard the news, he brought Bonney along to join the celebration.
With the sun gone, Bonney could finally leave her small castle and interact freely with everyone.
The crew quickly grew fond of the tiny girl with an enormous appetite.
Nico Robin, after spending seven or eight months with them, had also changed. The wariness she once carried had faded.
They had quietly learned about her past and the tragedy she endured. Because of that, everyone treated her with extra care.
Between early August and mid October, while Aokiji pursued Crocodile in Paradise, Ash chose to avoid unnecessary trouble. Though he did not fear conflict, he disliked inconvenience. Instead, he had Sali escort Robin to Sky Island.
That decision served as a clear signal that Robin had been fully accepted. Even the village elders and residents who knew her history began treating her more gently.
The warmth she received, like that given to family, mirrored how the people of Diwen Island had once treated Ash.
After fifteen years of drifting alone, Robin had never experienced such genuine care. It did not take long for her to lower her guard and accept it.
A few days later, when Ash returned to Cathay Village, he brought Robin directly to the golden bell and showed her the poneglyph she had long sought.
After reading the inscription, Robin briefly lost her composure before quickly regaining it.
In that fleeting moment, countless thoughts crossed her mind. She even wondered if Ash's kindness had been nothing more than a means to make her decipher the stone.
The information carved into it was simply too shocking.
Before she could dwell on it, Ash casually read the contents aloud.
"The ancient weapon named after a god, Poseidon, is on Fish-Man Island. This is just an information stone, nothing too special. Take a look at the small lines of text on the wall to the right."
Robin froze. She had never imagined that anyone other than herself could read these ancient characters.
Only then did she recall that when they first met, Ash had clearly stated that he had no interest in such historical texts.
Following his direction, she looked to the side and saw two lines of smaller writing:
"I came here and guided this text to its end. Pirate Gol D. Roger."
Her eyes widened as she turned to him. "The Pirate King, Gol D. Roger. You only mentioned his signature, not that it was written in ancient script. How could he write these characters?"
Ash smiled faintly and replied with a question of his own. "You know about Haki, right?"
Robin nodded.
"There are three types of Haki, each with its own unique properties. Some rare individuals are born with one already awakened."
He continued calmly, "Take Charlotte Linlin, known as Big Mom. She was born with powerful Armament Haki, which is why she earned the title Iron Balloon."
"Another example is Queen Otohime of Fish-Man Island. She was born with Observation Haki strong enough to hear the hearts of others and influence them."
"As for Gol D. Roger, his Observation Haki manifested as the Voice of All Things. It allowed him to hear voices others could not, including the voices of the stones used to create the poneglyphs."
Ash glanced at her. "So it shouldn't be surprising that he could understand their meaning."
Robin listened carefully before asking, "Then you can read this because you also have the Voice of All Things?"
Ash laughed lightly. "I wish. Unfortunately, I don't."
He scratched his head before continuing, "The ones who have it are Sali and Tsuki."
"And to correct you, Roger could not truly read or write the ancient script. He could only grasp its meaning. The actual inscription beside the stone was carved by Kozuki Oden from Wano Country. The Kozuki Clan were the original creators of the poneglyphs, and they have preserved the language across generations."
Hearing this, Robin finally understood something that had been bothering her.
The moment she arrived at Twin Capes, she had essentially been kept under watch. Most likely, Sali had been hearing her thoughts the entire time.
After everything she experienced on Sky Island, Robin finally let go of her remaining doubts. The young man before her truly had no ambition for power or ancient weapons.
He was simply someone who enjoyed good food and lived freely.
Unfortunately, Ash had no idea what she was thinking.
The next day.
After celebrating through the night, everyone packed up and returned to Cathay Village one after another to prepare for the coming New Year.
The dawn ship, however, could not remain docked at Twin Capes indefinitely.
Under Pini and Youki's guidance, it sped toward Whiskey Peak, where it was soon left empty.
Not long after, news spread rapidly across the four seas.
The Heavenly Emperor Ash and White Lion Sali, both Warlords of the Sea, had met at Twin Capes.
Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
Inside the Fleet Admiral's office, Sengoku and Tsuru studied the report with tired expressions.
That brat was becoming more reckless with each passing day.
Still, from an outsider's perspective, both Ash and Sali belonged to the bounty hunter faction, maintaining a neutral stance. It was only natural that they would have some level of connection.
Furthermore, the dawn ship's journey across the four seas was widely known. Now that it had entered the Grand Line, stopping at Twin Capes was the most logical explanation.
At the very least, it was believable enough.
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