Taking advantage of the chaotic situation, Ryu stealthily dove underwater, feeling around until his hand touched the giant Seastone prison—then, with a touch, it vanished into his storage. With the half-conscious Mr. 3 in tow, he swam back to the surface.
"Ryu! You finally made it out! We thought you'd drowned down there!" Nami said, patting her chest in relief as Ryu emerged, holding Mr. 3.
Ryu felt a bit speechless, just as Chopper arrived, riding a massive Moving Crab, ready to continue the chase after Crocodile.
"So, how does this seafood taste?" Ryu eyed the enormous crab, a bit too eagerly.
"You just have to boil it over high heat and slap it on the grill," Sanji muttered through his cigarette.
"Can we eat it?" Luffy's mouth was practically watering.
The Moving Crab resisted the urge to flee, edging back only a little, thanks to Chopper's calming presence. It was indeed a sturdy creature.
"Stop saying such terrifying things! We need it to get to Alubarna!" Nami scolded, punching Luffy and Sanji but wisely refraining from hitting Ryu.
"You all go on ahead. I'll take care of this guy and catch up. Oh, and I'll also hitch a ride on your free transport," Ryu said, lifting Mr. 3.
With a nod, Luffy and the others boarded the crab and dashed off. Meanwhile, Ryu made his way to the Marine outpost, handing Mr. 3 over to the officers and instructing them to transport him to Port Katorea, where his ship was docked.
Glancing at his inventory, where the Seastone prison now took up nearly half the space, Ryu chuckled to himself. Installing a Seastone prison on his warship had taken considerable effort and credit, but now, with this portable version, he could easily hold even more high-bounty Devil Fruit users.
After all, Devil Fruit users always had higher bounties—like Mr. 3, who had just netted him a nice 3,200 diamonds. That was the reason Ryu had followed Sanji into the casino basement. He hadn't expected to come away with Crocodile's Seastone prison as a bonus, along with the diamonds, which brought his total back over 10,000. Tempted to try his luck with the treasure lottery, he dismissed the idea, deciding that such a sacred activity shouldn't be rushed.
As he hurried toward Luffy's location, Ryu arrived just in time to witness the beginning of Luffy's duel with Crocodile. Sensing Luffy's resolve to handle it alone, Ryu exchanged a few words with him before heading off in the direction Robin had taken.
"Hey there, beautiful. Mind giving me a lift?" Ryu asked as he landed on Robin's massive turtle-driven carriage, where she was calmly sipping tea and reading.
"I'm afraid we're headed in different directions," Robin replied smoothly, unfazed by his appearance.
"Oh, is that so? Well, I have a bit of free information for you. If that doesn't change your mind, then I suppose I have nothing left to say," Ryu shrugged.
Robin set down her book, shifting in her seat with a slight smile, gesturing for him to continue.
"According to Luffy, while they were traveling from Yuba to Rainbase, they accidentally fell into a cave. Inside, there was a massive square stone with unfamiliar characters engraved on it," Ryu said with a grin.
Robin's expression changed instantly as she leaned forward. "The exact location?"
"You know, with Luffy's personality, expecting him to remember coordinates is nothing but wishful thinking," Ryu said, shaking his head. "So, want to try your luck?"
Robin took a deep breath, poured a cup of tea for Ryu, and then commanded the giant turtle to change course, heading straight for Yuba.
When they returned to the spot where Luffy had fought Crocodile, the battle was over. Luffy's head was the only part visible above the sand; the rest of him had been buried completely.
"What exactly is it that people with the 'D' initial are trying to accomplish?" Robin asked, stepping down from the turtle carriage. She walked over to Luffy, pulling him out of the sand and handing him his hat.
"Thanks," Luffy murmured softly.
Just then, a man in a white cloak holding a long sword approached, his gaze fixed on Robin. "What did you do to Princess Vivi? I know your abilities now—I won't be as easy to defeat this time!"
"I didn't expect you to wake up so quickly," Robin replied. "But it's good timing. This kid is the pirate who has been protecting your princess all along. I'll leave him to you." With that, she returned to the turtle carriage and prepared to leave.
"Why did you save him?" Ryu asked quietly.
"You mentioned that the information was from him, didn't you? Consider it returning the favor. Besides, even if I hadn't stepped in, wouldn't you have saved him anyway?" Robin smiled.
Ryu just chuckled, then raised his teacup and took a sip.
An hour later, the giant turtle was resting in the desert, its occupants—Robin and Ryu—nowhere to be seen.
"Have you found the answer you were looking for?" Ryu asked, glancing at Robin, who was deeply engrossed in deciphering the ancient Poneglyph.
"Aren't the Marines strongly opposed to people learning about this history?" Robin said without looking up.
"You're mistaken. That's the World Government, not the Marines," Ryu replied seriously.
"Is there a difference?" Robin asked, casting a sardonic glance at him.
"There's a world of difference," Ryu replied, his eyes narrowing.
Robin looked at him, surprised, then laughed softly. "Let's go. There's nothing here that answers my questions."
Ryu nodded, and the two returned to the turtle carriage.
As they set off again, Robin glanced at him with a knowing smile. "Aren't you curious about what it says?"
"History represents the past," Ryu replied, taking a sip from a flask he had pulled from his bag. "Since it's already past, it holds no meaning for me. I care only about the future."
Robin wasn't surprised to see him produce items seemingly out of thin air; instead, her interest was piqued by the flask itself.
"This is from my homeland," Ryu said, handing it to her with a smile. "It's rare now, so I treasure it."
He knew what Robin was thinking, so he offered it freely.
"As a historian, I can tell this wasn't made in the East Blue," Robin remarked, taking one look and identifying it with confidence.
"I never said my homeland was the East Blue," Ryu said, a bit wistful. "My true homeland can't be found anymore, so I consider that place my home now."
..............
Currently chapter 72 in patreon.com/CuteSelfieCat