(A/N: I had to rewrite almost the entire chapter from the very beginning because Wattpad fucked me over and deleted everything I had. It's very frustrating but I'm moving forward, but uh, please have hope for me that this doesn't happen again. Anywho, ENJOY THE CHAPTER!!!)

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Chapter Forty:

" What The Fuck Is A Poneglyph!? "

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(NO POV)

After beating the crap out of Mr. 2, Sanji and Isaac met back up with Usopp, Chopper, and Eyelash who had defeated the likes of Miss Merry Christmas and Mr. 4. Usopp was heavily injured to the point of being wrapped head to toe in bandages, but was still alive and well. "Good to see you're alive, Usopp." Isaac said. "Isaac! Sanji!" Usopp and Chopper exclaimed. "Sanji you're wounded. How did you get so beat up when Isaac hardly has a scratch on him?" Chopper asked. Isaac crossed his arms, pouting, "It's because Sanji wouldn't let me fight until the last minute..." He muttered. 

"The important thing is that we beat him. Here." Sanji tossed Usopp his goggles, much to the latter's delight...That is until they broke. While Usopp mourned his goggles, Isaac, Chopper, and Sanji looked out into the horizon. "It's more of the rebel army..." Isaac said. "I can't believe there's more of them." Chopper added. "Guess Vivi wasn't able to stop the army in time." Sanji said. "Ah, dammit!" Usopp cursed. "Well, let's head to the palace. Maybe there's still a way we can help Vivi." "Right!" Isaac helped Usopp get on Eyelash's back, after a little convincing, and followed Sanji and Chopper into the city.

As they ran around the streets of Alubarna, Isaac could hear sniffling from above him. "Usopp? Why are you crying?" He asked. "I'm not crying, you're crying! But...That old hag said that...Luffy was dead!" Usopp cried. "I wonder if it's true..." Chopper mumbled. "Come on! You guys really believe that?" Sanji asked. "NO OF COURSE NOT! WHAT DO YOU THINK WE'RE STUPID!?" Usopp protested. "ME NEITHER! LUFFY IS ALIVE!" Chopper added. "If that's the case then there's no reason to have brought it up. Let's keep going!" Isaac urged. 

After a short travel to the palace, when they got there, Chopper screamed. "IT'S LUFFY! HE'S ALIVE!" Usopp tumbled off of Eyelash's back, following Chopper who was running to Luffy,Vivi, and a man dressed in white known as Pell. "Vivi's here too!" Chopper exclaimed. "I knew it! Luffy is alive!" Usopp shouted. "You don't look like someone who knew." Sanji said. Vivi looked to them all, "You're here!" She cried. "Are you okay? Where's June?" Sanji asked. "June got hurt trying to fight Miss All Sunday on her own, but she's still alive." Vivi replied. 

Usopp was suddenly knocked over by Nami who had whacked him with a sort of staff. "Nami and Mr. Bushido!? Everyone is alive..." Vivi gasped. "Usopp! Who asked you to create a prop for party tricks!?" Nami shouted. As the others seemed distracted, Isaac made his way towards Zoro, frowning at how beaten up he looked. "Are you okay? How did all this happen?" He asked, reaching his arms out to cup Zoro's face. "I just beat the crap out of Mr. 1, no big deal," Zoro replied, a light blush spreading across his face. Isaac smiled, "Well, it's good to see you're alive and well, at least." He quickly pecked Zoro's cheek before turning back to the rest of the group.

Luffy, who's arms were stretched to reach the top of the palace where Crocodile stood, finally spoke up; "I'm sorry guys. I lost against him once...So this time I won't lose again!" He declared. Zoro smirked, "Then get going already." 

Isaac gave Luffy a salute, "You can leave the rest to us, Cap!" 

Usopp nodded, "If you can't beat this guy, then I don't know who can!"

Luffy looked back at his crew, "I'm gonna put an end to this...For good!" He then launched himself up into the sky, aiming for Crocodile. 

Vivi then proceeded to explain that in 10 minutes, the entire city would be blown up by a giant cannonball. "The attack is scheduled for 4:30. According to what Crocodile said, if the cannon is shot, no one within 5 kilometers will survive!" She explained. "5 kilometers? But that means both the Royal and Rebel armies will be wiped out!" Nami exclaimed. "What the Hell are we supposed to do!?" Usopp cried. "We find the cannon," Zoro said. Everyone turned to the swordsman, confused, "Huh?" 

"We find the cannoneer and stop them from shooting!" Zoro repeated. "Find the cannoneer? But how?" Chopper asked. "Well, not by standing here!" "But if everything around here is going to explode, then that means the cannoneer is far away from here! Otherwise, he'd just blow up with the rest of us! " Usopp pointed out. Vivi shook her head, "No way! The cannoneer is definitely somewhere in the square!" 

"What!? But why? He'd just blow up with the rest of us if he's here!" Usopp protested. "No, Vivi's right. Remember, this is Crocodile we're talking about. He's definitely the type to throw away his own subordinates for personal gain." Isaac insisted. Pell, suddenly drew his sword just as a larger man was about to attack Vivi from behind before he was thrown back by the combined efforts of Zoro and Sanji. 

"Looks like we found you, Princess!"

"I wonder how high we'll be promoted if we kill you!"

"They're Baroque Works' Billions!" Vivi cried. Sanji looked at Zoro, "Looks like we're gonna lose some time." He said. "Right, so let's not waste time by talking." "LET'S GO!" While Zoro and Sanji made quick work of the Billions, the others proceeded into the streets to search for the cannoneer. "Let's split up! We'll need to get out of this dust devil to find anything!" Usopp suggested, and everyone agreed. 

(ISAAC'S POV)

As I ran around the streets of Alubarna, I ended up running into someone else. "OH NO MY GLASSES!" I along with a familiar voice shouted. "Dammit, I don't have time for this!" Isaac cursed before picking up a pair of red rectangular glasses, "What the Hell? These aren't mine?" 

"Huh? These aren't mine?" Said the voice. I saw a blurry figure in front of me and figured the glasses were theirs. "Oh, sorry, are these yours?" I reached out with the glasses in my hand. "Oh, yeah, thanks. And I'm assuming these are yours?" We switched pairs before putting them on and standing up. "Thanks." We said in unison before looking at each other, expressions turning to shock. It was that damn Marine lady, again! "YOU!?" 

"What are you even doing here!? Don't you have better things to do than to follow me and my crew around, Marine Lady!?" I shouted. 

"My name isn't Marine Lady, it's Tashigi!" Marine Lady-er-Tashigi retorted. 

"I DON'T HAVE TIME FOR YOU RIGHT NOW!" We shouted at each other before growing more annoyed.

"NO, I DON'T HAVE TIME FOR YOU RIGHT NOW!" 

"STOP COPYING ME!"

"Sergeant Major Tashigi!" Shouted a Marine officer.

"My, what impeccable timing you Marines have showing up right now." I turned to see Miss All Sunday who currently had Vivi's father captured. "And I see the Sky-Boy is here too. Strange how a Marine such as yourself has seemed to ally yourself with a witch like him." She said. 

"WE'RE NOT ALLIES!" We shouted back in protest. 

"No matter. Get out of the way, we're in a hurry." Ordered Miss All Sunday. "No way! I've heard all about what's going on in Alubarna! We're not moving! Do you have any idea who that man is?" Tashigi said. "Yes, and I don't care. I'm not listening to him, you, or anyone else from the government. And I would strongly recommend that all of you get out of my way." Miss All Sunday replied. I growled, "YOU LET VIVI'S FATHER GO RIGHT NOW OR ELSE I'LL MAKE YOU!" I shouted, drawing my sword. 

"We have no intention of giving in to you!" Tashigi shouted.

"Then I might have to kill all of you." Miss All Sunday said. 

"Wait! Don't worry about me! We've been warned that at 4:30 a bomb is going to be shot into the palace square where the fighting's going on! Please! You have to go stop it now!" Vivi's father pleaded. Tashigi's eyes widen as she pulled out a pocket watch, "That's only minutes from now!" "A million citizens' lives are at stake!" 

Tashigi took a breath, "We'll save you and then stop the attack." 

I glared at her, "I don't need any Marines' help! I can take down this woman all on my own!" I barked. "Once we deal with her, I'll deal with you next, Sky-Boy!"

"Wait! Neither of you know that this woman is-"

"OUT OF MY WAY! TREINTA FLEURS! STRANGLE!" Arms sprouted from Tashigi's subordinates' bodies, strangling them. "Shit! She has Devil Fruit powers!" I hissed. "I said I was in a hurry, didn't I? Don't make me upset." Miss All Sunday said. Several of the Marines fell to the ground, "Sergeant Major! This woman is...Nico Robin!" A Marine exclaimed. "There's no mistake! I found her wanted poster after Captain Smoker had asked me to! She has a bounty and 20 years ago the whole world was talking about her! There was an incident where 20 Marine ships were destroyed. They said it was caused by an 8-year-old girl. The government classified her as a 1st-degree risk and even put a 79 million berry bounty on her head!" 

Miss All Sunday, now known as Nico Robin, seemed increasingly angered, "Stop your useless rambling! Move out of my way or you're all dead!" She shouted. Tashigi raised her arm to her remaining soldiers, "Quick! Take everyone to the square to stop the explosion!" She ordered. "B-But Sergeant Major-" "JUST DO IT! THERE'S ONLY MINUTES LEFT!" "YES MA'AM!"

I rolled my eyes, "You should've saved yourself and gone with your men, Sergeant Major." I said bitterly. "I don't care if you don't need my help! I'm saving King Cobra whether you like it or not!!" Tashigi sneered back. "Now, let him go!" 

Robin raised her hands, crossing them, "I already warned you to move." Arms sprouted from Tashigi's leg, knocking her down and twisting her leg hard enough to hear the sounds of her bones breaking mixed with her cries of agony. As Robin tried continuing, Tashigi crawled to her, grabbing her ankle in an attempts to thwart her. "I won't...Let you go..." She mumbled. "How many times must you try this before giving up?" Robin asked. Arms sprouted from Tashigi's shoulders, beginning to strangle her. I growled, getting ready to attack before Robin looked at me seriously.

"Don't think I've forgotten about you, Sky Boy. Now, I'm going to give you two choices. A: You choose to give up and I won't hurt you or Little Miss Marine any longer, or B: If you attempt to attack me, I make sure you join the Sea Witch in the sky. I'll give you a minute to decide." Robin explained. I felt my body shaking from fear, I was paralyzed. As much as I disliked her, hearing Tashigi in such agony was painful to hear, and I didn't want to end up responsible for her death. After a few moments of thinking, I hesitantly dropped my sword, the metal clattering to the ground. "Fine," I growled. "I give up. Just don't keep hurting her." I said. 

Robin smirked, pleased, "Very well." The arms disappeared from Tashigi's body, and she seemed to have passed out from a lack of air. She then walked towards me slowly, "Oh yes, and one more thing." Arms sprouted from my body, wrapping around me tightly. "HEY! What's the big idea!?" I shouted. "You didn't think I was going to just let you go, did you? Sorry, but I know you'd just run to try and stop the bomb, and I know Crocodile would rather have you alive than dead. Now, get walking or else." She said. I frowned, and begrudgingly followed her and King Cobra.

We were led to what seemed to be some kind of ruins, the architecture was beautiful. "What is this place?" I asked. "It's the royal tomb. Where the bodies of generations of kings sleep. So, Cobra, where's the Poneglyph?" Robin asked King Cobra. 'Poneglyph?' I thought. King Cobra walked towards a statue, using all his strength to turn it horizontally, revealing a trap door with stairs. "The Poneglyph is kept hidden underground." He replied. "Normally, people aren't even aware of the Poneglyph's existence. Many events occur behind the scenes. Just because a country belongs to the World Government doesn't mean that it's king knows what's going on. You aren't to blame. Like most people, you probably didn't know there was someone left in this world who could decipher the ancient writings." Robin explained. 

"So you can actually read the Poneglyphs?" King Cobra asked. 

"Yes. That's why Crocodile and I teamed up." She replied. "It's also why he can't kill me. I'm no use to him dead. Now tell me. Is it true that the Poneglyph in this country tells where Pluton is?" King Cobra shrugged, "I don't know. Alabasta's royal family has been obligated for generations to protect it. That duty is all we know about it." 

"Protect? Don't make me laugh!" We continued down the stairs, "How impressive..." 

"It's behind the doors in the back."  

When Robin opened the doors, I could see a giant stone slab with writing I couldn't understand. "So that's a Poneglyph..." I mumbled. Robin stood in front of the stone, reading it, my curiosity increasing. "Did it tell you everything you wanted to know?" Cobra asked. "Aren't there any others around? Is this all that your country is hiding?" Robin asked. "You're not satisfied? I kept my promise." Cobra replied. "You did..." Robin sighed. I heard footsteps and I turned my head to see Crocodile entering. 

"Just as you'd expect from a national secret...No matter how hard you look, it can't be found unless you already know where it is." He said. "So this is the Poneglyph we're looking for? Now that you have it in front of you, are you able to decipher it?" 

"Yes."

"Very good. Now read it aloud. What does it say?"

"Kahira conquered Alabasta...In Sky Ephemeris Year 239. In Year 260, Taymer ruled the Bitain Dynasty. In 306, the Taff Cathedral was completed in Erumalu. In 325, the hero Mamdin of Oltia-"

Crocodile growled, "Hey, hold on! Is this really all the information here!? I don't give a damn about this desert's history! I want to know about the world's most dangerous military power that's hiding in this country! Where is the Pluton hidden!?" He shouted. "That information isn't on here." Robin replied bluntly. "WHAT!?" "History is the only thing this text contains. Pluton...I didn't see that word mentioned even once." 

Crocodile sighed, "I see...Well, that's unfortunate. You've been an excellent partner, but even so...I think that I'll kill you right here." Robin's eyes widened, "What!?" 

"The agreement we made four years ago has been achieved here. Do you remember the terms of that agreement? I would take you to the Poneglyph and in turn you'd give me the information on the weapon. Your work these past four years has been excellent both in terms of brainpower and command ability. You're usefulness has been enough to keep you around, but in the end, you've spoiled it all! You say the Poneglyph doesn't contain any information on Pluton. Is that true? Or was this the plan all along to hide it from me even if you did find out anything useful!?"

Crocodile narrowed his eyes at her, "Even so, I don't feel any anger towards you. Do you know why, Nico Robin?" Robin smirked, "How silly...We were a team for four years. I knew you'd pull something like this, so I'm more than ready!" She threw a vial of water, shocking Crocodile, and a hand grew out of his shoulder and caught it. "If you get wet then a knife should go right into you!" However, her plan failed as Crocodile quickly turned to sand, dropping the vial. "Dammit! Where'd he go!"

I stared in shock as Crocodile stabbed Robin with his hook, "I'll forgive you for everything, Nico Robin...Because I've never trusted you from the beginning!" He exclaimed. "I now know that from Cobra's reaction that Pluton really does exist. I don't need the Poneglyph, I can find it on my own! Once this country becomes mine it's only a matter of time!" 

Once Robin was down the arms restraining me disappeared and I immediately tried making a break for it, only to be caught by Crocodile, raised up to meet his gaze. "YOU WON'T GET AWAY WITH THIS, CROCODILE!" I shouted. Crocodile smirked, "Oh don't worry, Little Witch. You'll live to see another day, after all, I'm going to have you join me so I can utilize your magic for my own gain!" Before I could react I heard rumbling from above us. "Huh? What's happening!? It's still too early for the attack on the Square!" He glared at Cobra, "It must've been you! What did you do!?" 

"Well, nothing major...You see this underground temple was built so that destroying one small column could upset the balance and destroy it. You will die with me. As the 12th king of the Nefertari family, I can't give this kingdom to the likes of you." Cobra explained. I stared at King Cobra, mouth dropped. "WHAT THE HELL!? SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIIIIIIIIT!" I squirmed trying to escape Crocodile's grasp before the temple collapsed. 

"Impressive. You truly are a model king. Willing to take your own life just to take me down with you! Except, I won't die. All I have to do is change the rocks to sand and I'll escape from here! Your death will be in vain, Cobra!" Crocodile laughed. "Now, in less than 3 minutes, when the Square blows up and the temple collapses, everyone in my way will be blown up in an instant! In that moment, this land will become mine!" 

"You're crazy! Now let me go!" I shouted, still continuously squirming and wiggling. Suddenly a giant hole was busted through part of the stone, causing Crocodile and I to turn, and emerging from the debris was my captain himself!

"LUFFY!"

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TO BE CONTINUED...