Rolan had clearly heard Zunesha's voice.
"Since you can hear the Voice of All Things, you are one of those entrusted with this world."
He found it slightly strange. Logically speaking, his ability to perceive Zunesha's voice should have stemmed from his Electromagnetic Fruit. Yet Zunesha had assumed it was the Voice of All Things.
Rolan did not bother correcting it.
The result was acceptable, and that was all that mattered.
They would be obtaining another Road Poneglyph.
Previously, in Totto Land, they had already taken a rubbing of Big Mom's Road Poneglyph. Zou's was now secured as well, and Kaido's would not pose much difficulty either.
Out of the four, only the one whose whereabouts were unknown remained, the Road Poneglyph that had once been kept in Fish-Man Island.
Rolan suspected that it had likely been moved to Elbaf.
The land of giants was troublesome, but it was inevitable.
"Remember the path along the vines," Nekomamushi said as he led them forward. "Follow them upward and you'll reach it."
Enel looked up at the enormous whale-shaped tree towering above them and raised an eyebrow.
"So the Road Poneglyph was hidden in a place like this? Why not underground?"
Crocodile let out a low chuckle.
"I told you to use your brain," he said dryly. "This place is on the back of Zunesha. There is no underground."
Enel's expression darkened. "Oh? You sound impressive for someone who just likes talking."
Crocodile did not even look at him, his gaze filled with disdain.
"I don't waste effort on idiots."
Their auras flared slightly as the tension between them spiked.
"Enough," Kuro snapped. "Every time. Do you two ever get tired of this?"
They snorted at each other and looked away.
Despite constantly clashing, they were inseparable. Wherever one went, the other was usually nearby, whether they admitted it or not.
Rolan tilted his head slightly, his eyes briefly lingering on Crocodile, who seemed lost in thought.
If he remembered correctly, Ivankov from the Revolutionary Army knew Crocodile's secret.
There was even a strong possibility that Ivankov had reshaped Crocodile's body.
Meaning Crocodile might not have always been a man.
Rolan's lips twitched faintly.
Crocodile felt a chill crawl up his spine.
"Oi," he said sharply. "Rolan, your gaze is disgusting. Don't tell me you swing that way."
"Tch," Rolan scoffed. "Don't flatter yourself."
---
Following Nekomamushi, they arrived at the base of the whale tree's massive tail.
"The Poneglyph is inside this place," Nekomamushi said.
Before Enel could comment, Nekomamushi pressed against a section of the tree's interior. Stone shifted silently, and a concealed doorway opened.
A long staircase spiraled downward into darkness.
"I didn't expect it to be hidden here," Robin said softly. "The most obvious place often becomes the safest."
A secret chamber concealed within the most sacred tree of Zou.
Step by step, they descended.
The sound of footsteps echoed clearly through the tunnel.
At the end of the passage stood a massive red stone, square and imposing, resting alone within the chamber.
Above it, etched into the wall, was a strange symbol.
Robin's eyes widened slightly. She moved forward at once and examined it closely.
"This resembles the crest of the Mink Tribe."
Inuarashi nodded. "That crest has existed for hundreds of years."
"There really is a Road Poneglyph here," Robin said as her fingers brushed over the ancient carvings.
Nekomamushi watched her carefully.
"You can read it?"
Robin turned back toward him.
"Yes."
Inuarashi let out a breath. "As expected of a scholar from Ohara."
Robin paused.
Few in the world even remembered Ohara, yet these two clearly did.
"You know about Ohara?"
"Of course," Nekomamushi replied, tapping his pipe against his palm. "It was once a sacred land of knowledge."
"It's unfortunate," Inuarashi added. "You may be the only survivor left."
Robin's expression dimmed briefly, but she shook her head.
"I am an orphan of Ohara, but its knowledge did not die with it. I passed everything I knew down."
She turned back to the stone and began translating.
No one interrupted her.
After a long silence, Robin finally spoke again.
"This Poneglyph contains coordinates. When combined, they form a map to an island."
Inuarashi nodded. "The Road Poneglyphs exist to guide pirates toward the final destination of the Grand Line."
Everyone froze.
Rolan had never explained this to them.
Nekomamushi continued, "That is why Whale Forest is sacred. Protecting this stone is our duty."
"The end of the Grand Line," Crocodile muttered.
Nekomamushi went on. "There are four Road Poneglyphs in total."
Kuro frowned. "If one marks the location of the Final Island, why are there four? Are some of them fake?"
"None are fake," Nekomamushi replied. "Each marks a separate location."
"And when those four points are connected," Inuarashi added, "the intersection reveals the final destination, Laugh Tale."
Robin's brow furrowed.
"According to the data here, the location is not fixed."
Everyone stiffened.
"What?" Enel said flatly.
"Then what's the point?" he continued, losing interest. "Sounds like a waste of effort."
Kuro shook his head. "If the island were fixed, one Poneglyph would be enough. The fact that there are four means the destination itself changes."
Crocodile narrowed his eyes. "So Laugh Tale isn't always in the same place."
Rolan nodded. "That deduction is correct."
Robin exhaled slowly. "No wonder only Gol D. Roger ever reached it."
---