Recording all the necessary data from Asuka Island took half a month of dedicated work.
The process was tedious but necessary. Marcus had to map out underground mineral veins, measure depth and density, and document everything in detail. By the time they were finished, one thing was clear: Asuka Island's underground mineral reserves were more than three times greater than Arabasta's.
Which made sense, given how the island had formed.
Unfortunately, the island's inhabitants had no smelting technology. They were a spiritual people, focused on tradition and ritual rather than industry and development.
Though even if they did have such technology, he doubted it would change their way of life much. These people had spent centuries maintaining their traditions. That kind of dedication didn't disappear just because you suddenly had access to better resources.
"So you're really planning to keep your traditions and wait another hundred years?" Robin asked, looking between the old woman and Maya.
The old woman nodded slowly. "This land has been protected by our people for generations. It's become more than just duty, it's who we are. If we abandoned it now... in another hundred years, no one would remember the story of the Shichiseiken and the Queen."
Maya seemed to come to a realization as she listened to her grandmother speak. Her role wasn't just about sealing away dangerous artifacts. It was about protecting history, and preserving the past so it wouldn't be forgotten.
Robin found herself thinking about the Poneglyphs. Was that what the ancient stonemasons had wanted? To preserve history by carving it into indestructible stone?
Maybe her role was similar to Maya's, but different in execution. The island shrine maidens guarded their history through ritual and isolation. Her purpose was to interpret those ancient texts and share their stories with the world.
"That's an admirable goal. But what if... I wrote down your story? The tale of the Queen and the Shichiseiken. That way, it could be passed on to people beyond this island."
"You'd do that?!" Maya looked shocked.
Robin smiled warmly. "You guard history. I record it. Together, we can make sure more people know these stories."
The old woman was clearly moved by Robin's offer, but hesitated. "The Queen's story... I'm not sure people would accept it. Or even want to hear it."
She had a point. The tale of the Shichiseiken and the Queen wasn't exactly an uplifting narrative. From beginning to end, it was a story about a woman who had consumed human souls to sustain herself. Not exactly the kind of tale that got passed down through cheerful bedtime retellings.
Robin shook her head gently. "Whether history is pleasant or unpleasant doesn't matter as much as ensuring people know it happened. As for whether the story is attractive or not... that's secondary. Just like you chose to protect this history despite knowing its dark nature, someone else might choose to preserve it too. The sea is vast, and humanity is diverse. Maybe somewhere out there, someone will hear the Queen's story and understand her perspective. Maybe they'll even speak up for her."
The old woman considered this for a long moment. Finally, she nodded.
Their people were dwindling year by year. At the current rate, they might vanish entirely within the next century. But if their history could survive through written records... then maybe their disappearance wouldn't mean the end of everything they'd worked to preserve.
"Alright. Thank you for this."
Robin pulled out paper and a pen, shaking her head with a soft smile. "I'm a historian. Understanding and recording history is what I do. No thanks necessary."
The old woman began to speak. Robin's hand moved steadily across the page.
She'd heard a rough version of the story before. But this was the complete account, passed down through generations of shrine maidens.
---
High above the island, Nami lay flat on Kira's back, surveying the terrain below.
"Is this the whole island?" she asked, sketching rapidly on her mapping paper. Her tongue stuck out slightly in concentration as she worked to capture the island's geography.
The rest of the Straw Hats were scattered across Asuka Island. Luffy was probably eating something. Zoro was likely lost somewhere. Sanji was gathering information about local cuisine. Usopp was exploring and collecting materials for his inventions.
But two crew members had returned to the ship earlier than the others.
The first was Shira.
She walked across the deck. That's when she spotted Vivi standing at the ship's railing, staring out at the ocean.
She approached quietly and stood beside her, following her gaze out to sea.
"What's interesting about the ocean?"
Vivi glanced over, not surprised by the snow woman's sudden appearance. "I've been thinking about something."
"What?"
"Well... if..." Vivi started, then suddenly stopped and turned to look at Shira more carefully.
Shira tilted her head, not understanding why Vivi was studying her so intently.
"Marcus created you, right?"
"Yes. My creator gave me life." Shira nodded seriously.
"Do you have any special feelings toward him?"
"Special?" Shira looked puzzled. "What do you mean?"
"I mean... you know, like... That heart-fluttering kind of special feeling."
Shira considered this seriously for several seconds. "My heart beats faster when I see my creator. But it also beats faster when I see you. Is that what you mean?"
"No, that's not..." Vivi sighed, realizing she was talking to someone with the emotional intelligence of a young child. "I'm asking about romantic feelings. Between a man and a woman."
"Oh." Shira thought about this. "If my creator wanted that kind of relationship, I would accept it."
"That's not what I'm asking!" Vivi covered her face with her hands. "I'm asking if YOU have those feelings for him. Actually, forget it. Why am I even discussing this with you?"
Shira had only existed for a few weeks. Despite her mature appearance, she was essentially still a child learning about the world. But then her lips curved up in what might have been a smile, though it was hard to tell with her usually stoic expression.
"Do you want to be in a romantic relationship with my creator?"
Thump.
"N-no! What are you saying? I don't, that's not... you're completely wrong!"
Shira's smile grew slightly. "Is my creator not handsome? Is he not strong? Should I tell him you're interested?"
Hearing what sounded exactly like a child threatening to tattle, Vivi panicked and grabbed Shira's hand.
"No! Don't say anything to him! And I'm not... I mean..." By now, her entire face and ears were burning red.
"You don't want my creator to know, do you?"
Vivi stared at her. "Where did you learn to say something like that?"
Instead of answering, Shira simply took Vivi's hand. "Am I wrong?"
"What are you doing?"
"Let me hug you."
Without waiting for permission, Shira pulled Vivi into an embrace.
"Eh? Eh?!"
Vivi flailed awkwardly for a moment, but when she realized Shira was just holding her peacefully, she relaxed slightly.
After a few seconds, she sighed and gently patted Shira's head. "You really are just a child, aren't you?"
That's when Marcus emerged from his quarters and spotted them on the deck.
"Uh... what are you two doing?"
Vivi stiffened the moment she saw him, quickly looking away, unable to meet his eyes directly. "This is... well, Shira wanted to..."
Before she could finish her explanation, Shira interrupted calmly, "Creator, hug me."
Marcus looked confused. Since when did Shira like physical affection? She usually maintained emotional distance from everyone except during combat situations.
Still, he didn't refuse.
The nearly two-meter-tall snow woman stepped forward and embraced him. Her touch was cool and smooth, like touching polished ice that somehow didn't burn with cold. He instinctively patted her back.
The embrace lasted only a few seconds.
"Finished." Shira stepped back.
Marcus didn't think too much about it. People liked all kinds of things. If Shira enjoyed occasional hugs, that was fine. It just seemed at odds with her ice-queen demeanor.
"Sorry about that," he said with an apologetic chuckle, looking at Vivi. "Even though I created Shira, I don't actually understand her behavior very well. She's still developing her own personality."
Vivi kept her head lowered.
"What's wrong with your face?"
Marcus looked at Vivi. Something was clearly bothering her.
"It's nothing major... It's just that back when you lost control before, I didn't really help much. So I wanted to talk to you about my future, whether or not I should eat a Devil Fruit."
"Mm, that is an important question," Marcus nodded thoughtfully.
"Is it... difficult to decide?" Vivi asked nervously.
Marcus shook his head. "There are plenty of ways to get stronger. The simplest way is just good old-fashioned training. Alvida spends every day in the training room. You've probably seen her routine on the ship."
Vivi nodded. She had indeed noticed.
Alvida's training hours could rival Zoro's dedication, which was saying something. Everyone knew Zoro either trained or slept every day, there was no in-between for him. His only other activity was drinking a bit of sake here and there.
Alvida's way of relaxing after her brutal training sessions was taking long baths. Otherwise, she was one of the absolute training maniacs on the ship.
Actually, because of Alvida and Zoro's dedication, the crew had naturally fallen into a fixed daily training schedule. This was especially true during long stretches at sea when boredom could become a real problem.
The routine went like this: after breakfast, the women's group would organize joint training sessions. They'd start with stretching exercises, then move into the breathing and Haki techniques from Crocus' notes. By noon they'd finish up, and the afternoon was reserved for fun and relaxation.
It had become such a natural part of ship life that nobody even questioned it anymore.
At first, Vivi had struggled to keep up with the pace. But after sticking with it for a few days, she'd discovered something surprising, there was a satisfaction in pushing herself.
"I do train regularly. But maybe I just don't have much talent for it."
The truth was, her progress with both the breathing techniques and physical conditioning had been pretty impressive. Compared to her time with Baroque Works, when she'd been lucky to get any real training at all, her improvement had been astronomical.
But when she looked around at her crewmates, all that progress seemed to evaporate. Next to Zoro's ridiculous strength, or Chopper's medical skills, or even Nami's rapidly developing navigation-related abilities, she felt like she was barely keeping pace.
Marcus understood that feeling all too well. It was like studying your ass off for a test and getting a 98, only to discover your classmate scored a perfect 100 without breaking a sweat. That kind of comparison could really mess with your confidence.
"The other major path to power is eating a Devil Fruit. That's definitely the fastest and most obvious power boost you can get. But here's the real question, do you actually want one? Have you thought about what kind of ability would suit you?"
Vivi was quiet for a long moment. Finally, she sighed and shook her head. She didn't really have a clear vision for what kind of power she wanted or needed.
Seeing her confusion, Marcus started running through possibilities in his head. Were there Devil Fruits that would actually suit her personality and skills?
Of course there were. He could think of at least three right off the bat.
The first option: the Pump-Pump Fruit.
Vivi's talent for speeches and rallying people's emotions was honestly better than his own. When she spoke to crowds, people listened. They believed. That made the Pump-Pump Fruit a natural fit for her abilities.
Unfortunately, someone already had that fruit. Dead end.
The second option: the Paw-Paw Fruit.
He remembered reading about this connection in some fan discussions back in his old world. It was the fruit currently wielded by Bartholomew Kuma, one of the Seven Warlords. But more importantly, it was supposedly the same fruit that Queen Lili had used eight hundred years ago to scatter the Poneglyphs across the world.
The Paw-Paw Fruit's abilities were insanely versatile, repelling anything, including abstract concepts like pain and fatigue. Teleportation. Devastating attacks. If Vivi could master something like that, she'd be a powerhouse.
But then there was the third option, and this was the one he actually thought suited her best.
It was an anime-original Devil Fruit, the Whisper-Whisper Fruit.
Of course, he wasn't thinking about the basic version that just let you talk to animals. That would be cute but ultimately not that useful in combat situations.
No, he was thinking about a more conceptually developed version of the Whisper-Whisper Fruit. One that let you hear secret conversations. And most importantly, one that could potentially allow you to hear the whispers of someone's heart, their true intentions, their next move before they even made it.
If that kind of development was possible, the Whisper-Whisper Fruit could be absolutely perfect for Vivi. It wouldn't make her a front-line fighter, but it would make her invaluable in other ways.
The only fruit that could really give Vivi raw combat power was still the Paw-Paw Fruit.
And that one... there was actually a chance of obtaining it someday. Kuma's fate in the original story wasn't exactly happy. When he eventually died, the fruit's power would reappear somewhere in the world as a new Paw-Paw Fruit.
If that happened, and if they were lucky enough to find it, Marcus might be able to get it for her.
From what he remembered of both the manga and anime, even after Kuma lost his personality and became a mindless cyborg, he could still use the fruit's abilities. So the power was clearly separate from the user's consciousness.
As for the Whisper-Whisper Fruit, he honestly had no idea if it even existed in this world. Without that specific plotline happening, who knew if the fruit was even out there?
"What kind of Devil Fruit do you think would suit me?"
Marcus decided to just lay out his thoughts honestly. "I've been thinking about three possibilities. The Pump-Pump Fruit, the Paw-Paw Fruit, and the Whisper-Whisper Fruit. That last one's probably the most interesting option."
Hearing three fruit names she'd never encountered before, Vivi looked stunned. She'd been expecting him to suggest something more straightforward, maybe the Bomb-Bomb Fruit, the Munch-Munch Fruit, or the Shroom-Shroom Fruit. Those were abilities she'd at least heard about during her time gathering intelligence for Arabasta.
"What do they do?"
Marcus gave her a quick rundown of each fruit's basic abilities and potential applications.
When he finished explaining, Vivi surprised him with her response. "If those are the options... I think I'd prefer the Whisper-Whisper Fruit."
"Really? Not the Paw-Paw Fruit or the Pump-Pump Fruit?"
Vivi nodded. "The first two options are definitely powerful. One could enhance everyone's abilities through inspiration and morale, and the other is a pure combat-focused fruit with support potential. But here's the thing, any powerful Devil Fruit requires serious physical strength and training to use effectively. With my current level of strength, even if you gave me an amazing fruit, I might not be able to bring out its full potential. I'd just be wasting it. But the Whisper-Whisper Fruit? That would actually be incredibly valuable for our crew specifically."
She had clearly been thinking about this seriously.
What did their crew lack most?
Combat power?
They had Zoro, Kira, Marcus, Luffy, and Sanji.
Medical skills were covered by Chopper. Supplies and logistics were handled by Sanji, Nami, and Kira.
What they truly lacked was reliable intelligence gathering. As pirates, it had always been incredibly difficult to obtain accurate information about what was happening in the world. They were constantly operating blind, forced to react to situations instead of preparing for them in advance.
That wasn't entirely true, of course. Robin's abilities allowed for a certain level of information gathering. But if Vivi had possessed the Whisper-Whisper Fruit, the crew could have obtained much more accurate and detailed intelligence. And if the fruit had been developed properly, it might even have proved useful in combat situations.
Vivi was really warming to the idea now. "Like you said, if I could hear the whispers of someone's body, I could predict their moves before they make them. And if I could also whisper directly into my allies' ears from a distance, I'd basically become a communications hub for the crew. We have Den Den Mushi for communication, but those can be intercepted or monitored. Whispers would be secure. Regular wiretapping Den Den Mushi wouldn't be able to intercept my whispers at all. Plus, if I develop the fruit even further and learn to hear what Den Den Mushi are saying... our intelligence gathering capabilities would become absolutely terrifying."
This was clearly the optimal solution she had worked out for herself.
"Looks like we're on the same page," he said with a smile.
"Wait, you also think the Whisper-Whisper Fruit suits me best?" Vivi looked surprised. "Usually when people give three options, the first one they mention is what they really think is best."
Marcus chuckled. "That's not always true. I actually do think the Whisper-Whisper Fruit is the best match for you, even though it doesn't have direct offensive power. That's probably not what you originally wanted, right?"
But Vivi shook her head firmly. "Rather than being a fighter, I'd rather be someone who can help the crew more."
Her words came straight from her heart.
Marcus couldn't help but give her a thumbs-up after hearing them. "That's exactly the kind of thinking I'd expect from you."
"Hehe..." Vivi scratched her head, looking a bit embarrassed by the praise.
Then her expression fell slightly. "But a Devil Fruit like that... it's not something you can just get whenever you want, right?"
She had a point. Devil Fruits were called the treasures of the sea for a reason. Even getting your hands on a random one was incredibly difficult. On the black market, even the lowest quality fruit could cost a hundred million berries, and even then, they were rarely available. Finding a specific Devil Fruit? That was like searching for a particular grain of sand on a beach.
Marcus pulled out a cloth and began placing different kinds of regular fruits on it, one by one.
"What are you doing?" Vivi looked puzzled.
"You already know this, right?" Marcus said seriously. "A person can choose a Devil Fruit, but a Devil Fruit can also choose a person. When your wish is strong enough, when your conviction is firm, the fruit will respond to you."
Of course she knew about this. Every royal guardian in Arabasta's history had been chosen by a Devil Fruit that way. But that was under very specific ceremonial conditions. Could it really work for her too?
She found it hard to believe, but seeing his serious expression, she wanted to trust him.
"The fruits in this bundle won't rot," Marcus explained. "Just carry them with you. You don't need to pay special attention to them or do anything specific. If your will is strong enough, it will reveal itself when the time is right."
Vivi nodded.
While Vivi and Marcus were talking on the deck, Shira had quietly climbed up to the lookout tower. She looked down at the two chatting below and muttered to herself, "My creator certainly has a way with people."
A moment later, she noticed Alvida emerging from below deck, walking slowly with one hand on her lower back, looking somewhat stiff.
She glanced at the two on deck who were chatting and laughing together. She didn't interrupt them, just turned and headed back down the stairs without making a sound.
Eventually, the conversation on deck wound down and the two parted ways.
Marcus had only come up because he'd heard voices and was curious who was awake. If Sanji had been around, he would've asked him to make something to eat.
Since the cook wasn't there, he decided to head back down. He was still processing everything that had happened in the Nether last night.
He opened the door to his quarters, and suddenly someone grabbed him from behind.
Marcus jumped in surprise, then realized it was Alvida. "You're up already?"
"Already? Some of us have been up for a while."
Marcus laughed nervously and scratched his head.
She started pulling him toward the Nether portal. "Come on. We need to talk about what happened, and I want to see the results of all that Haki training you were doing."
Marcus didn't resist, knowing she deserved an explanation.
Unfortunately for Marcus' hopes of having this conversation privately, Vivi happened to be passing by at exactly that moment. She'd been planning to change clothes and head to the island, but now she froze, watching the two of them disappear through the Nether Portal.
She swallowed nervously. After what she'd witnessed last night, her mind immediately jumped to conclusions. "Are those two... even after last night, they're going again?"
But then a voice came from behind her. "What are you doing?"
"Wah!" Vivi jumped.
When she turned around and saw Shira standing there, Vivi's gaze darted away, unable to meet her eyes.
"I didn't see anything, I was just... tired, so I was resting here." Vivi laughed awkwardly.
"Really? I thought I heard my creator and Alvida talking just now. Where did they go?"
"Hahahaha, they probably already went ashore," Vivi said quickly. "They skipped the bonfire party last night, and I heard they're planning to explore more of the island today."
Shira watched Vivi fumbling to cover for Marcus and Alvida. She found it amusing, but decided not to tease her further. "Then let's go too."
She took Vivi's hand and led her away toward the women's quarters.
Just like that, no one else knew Marcus and Alvida had entered the Nether.
---
The previous night...
After Marcus had teleported away from Asuka Island using an ender pearl, he'd materialized on the ship's deck. The overwhelming energy from the combined potions was still surging through his body, but now that the immediate crisis with the Shichiseiken was over, his mind was clear enough to analyze what was happening.
The Instant Energy IV had restored his energy completely and then some. But the Vitality Boost VIII had done something else entirely, it had massively amplified his Haki.
His first instinct was obvious: transmute some milk and purge the effect before it caused problems.
But he didn't.
This was a temporary effect. But it had given him something incredibly rare, a chance to experience what having massive Haki felt like. More importantly, all that energy was currently flooding his system uncontrolled.
And that gave him an opportunity.
For weeks now, he'd been stuck at a plateau with his Armament Haki. He could coat his weapons, and even manage partial body coating. But full-body Haki coating, like Vergo could do? That required a level of control and capacity he just didn't have yet.
The capacity issue was being temporarily solved by the potion.
He'd seen what Vergo could do, coating his entire body in Armament Haki so thoroughly that he became basically indestructible. He'd also read Crocus' notes about how coating required not just raw power, but the ability to spread your Haki evenly across your entire body simultaneously, maintaining perfect balance and flow.
Right now, he had more than enough Haki to attempt it. The problem was controlling the flow.
If he purged the effect with milk, he'd be back to his normal capacity.
The energy overflow was uncomfortable, even painful. His body clearly wasn't meant to contain this much power. But he'd endured the Shichiseiken's possession and come out stronger for it.
This was the same principle, just a different type of challenge.
So he'd made a decision: he was going to use this opportunity to breakthrough in his Haki training.
That meant going somewhere he could train without worrying about damaging the ship or being interrupted.
The Nether.
He'd gone through the portal immediately, knowing that every minute counted. The potion effects wouldn't last forever, and he needed to make the most of this window.
The moment he emerged in the Nether, he'd started working. The harsh environment actually helped him focus through the discomfort.
First, he tried the basic technique: spreading Haki from his core outward in all directions simultaneously. It was like trying to inflate a balloon evenly from the inside while the balloon was already over-inflated and ready to burst.
He failed.
The Haki rushed to his right arm, leaving his left side unprotected.
He tried again. This time it pooled in his legs, making them feel like iron while his torso remained normal.
Again. His chest hardened while his limbs stayed soft.
He lost count of how many attempts he made. Sweat poured down his face from the Nether's heat and his own exertion. His body was starting to ache from containing so much power for so long.
But slowly, he started to make progress.
The key, he realized, wasn't trying to push the Haki outward. It was about letting it flow naturally while guiding it with his will, like directing a river rather than trying to move it by force.
He managed to coat his entire right side. Then his left. Then both arms and chest, but not his legs.
He was getting close. He could feel it.
That's when he'd realized the problem with his approach.
Maintaining Haki coating didn't just require capacity and control. It required stamina. Physical stamina. His body had to be strong enough to sustain the coating, and right now, his physical reserves were depleted.
The Haki was still there, overflowing from the potion's effect. But his body couldn't support it anymore.
That's when the real problems had started.
Without his physical stamina to help control it, the Haki began running wild inside him. It was like before with the Shichiseiken. He immeadately transmuted a bucket of milk, and downed it in one go.
His skin's flushed color began to fade, and his breathing steadied. The Haki settled, but he was drained, shirt soaked through. He peeled it off, tossing it aside, revealing a body carved by months of mining and fighting.
That's when the portal shimmered, and Alvida stepped through.