"What does this mean?" Rosen frowned at the unfamiliar script—aside from the letter D, he couldn't recognize any of it. It didn't resemble Poneglyph writing either.
"'Cruiser Guardian.' Judging by the literal meaning, it should mean guardian of the airways," Robin translated, looking at the rusted robot that had now been shackled with seastone cuffs.
"Why did it attack us?" Rosen dissolved the sand prison. Since the machine was already captured, there was less reason to worry.
Given how cunning it had behaved earlier, it likely possessed the intelligence for communication.
The robot opened its mouth, flailing its limbs wildly in agitation and frustration. But all that came out was mechanical static—not a single coherent word. Rosen frowned. Had it deteriorated that badly?
"Looks useless now. Maybe it's just broken. Let's destroy it," Hathaway said, raising her sunblade.
"So this is a robot? It's so strange," Natalie said curiously, reaching out to poke it. A sharp shard of metal cut her finger, and a drop of blood fell.
"Ow, that's sharp," she said, pulling her hand back, surprised by the metal's edge.
"D… D… D…" As Natalie's blood seeped into the robot's metal casing, the Cruiser Guardian suddenly uttered the letter D. The voice was distorted and filled with static, but the sound was distinguishable.
And it stopped struggling.
"D?!" Rosen's expression changed. He knew what the letter D meant in this world—it represented a clan powerful enough to threaten the rule of the World Government, often called the "Enemies of the Gods." People of this bloodline possessed extraordinary potential.
Whether it was Luffy, Pirate King Roger, Rocks D. Xebec, or Blackbeard Teach, anyone bearing the name D was no ordinary person.
Based on speculation and the World Government's paranoia, it was likely that their dominion originated from wresting control away from the D clan during the lost century. Some even suspected that the so-called kings of the World Government were once servants of the D family, which is why they feared them so deeply.
And now this robot said "D" after touching Natalie's blood?
"What's wrong?" Hathaway noticed Rosen's serious expression and asked.
"I'm thinking... This machine might have been here guarding the sky path for centuries. Its creator could have been someone from the D clan. Maybe it was designed to protect the air route, but something happened and its mission was changed—perhaps some major incident," Rosen speculated.
"D? I've occasionally seen people with the letter D in their names in ancient texts, but the World Government seems to deliberately obscure their existence," Robin added, still uncertain of the D clan's true power.
"Of course. The World Government considers them natural enemies. They've threatened its rule many times. Most people don't even know the Pirate King was Gol D. Roger—not Gold Roger. The government likely suppressed that," Rosen explained.
"Natural enemies... of the World Government? Why?" Robin was shocked. Could people of the D clan truly pose that much danger? She recalled the Revolutionary Army's leader was also a D.
"I'm not sure. But the Poneglyphs might hold records of the D clan's deeds. The void century in history is surely connected to them. Maybe the World Government replaced their rule. Just a theory—but that's something you'll have to investigate."
"I will," Robin nodded solemnly.
"But why did it say that now?" Robin wondered aloud.
"Natalie's blood must've been recognized. Since it's a robot, it likely has an identification system. If that's true, then the technology from centuries ago might not be inferior to today's," Rosen guessed. Clearly, the World Government had hidden far more than they knew.
Now Rosen wasn't sure whether to destroy the robot. If it had been an enemy, he wouldn't have hesitated. But this was a machine, incapable of emotion.
"You were talking about D?" Hathaway asked, sounding unsure.
"Yes. By the way—does your name contain a D, Natalie?" Rosen suddenly asked. It might have been Natalie's blood that triggered the robot's reaction. Though the voice was garbled, it had clearly said "D."
"I'm not sure," Hathaway said. "But my mother told me before she died that our bloodline, and some of the Lantis people, carry hidden names—including the letter D. It's also my hidden name."
"You're a D too?!" Rosen was stunned. Maybe that explained Hathaway's immense talent at such a young age.
"Mhm." Hathaway didn't think it was anything special.
"I have it too! I'm Andes D. Natalie! Grandpa Hodman told me, but said never to tell anyone. He didn't know the reason—it's just something passed down. But you're my uncle, so it's okay!" Natalie walked around the robot curiously.
"Andes D? Could you be from Skypiea? But... you don't have wings. Maybe it's just a coincidence in the name?" Rosen was surprised. They had once found the sunblade at a location connected to a letter. Robin still held that letter.
And the name of the letter's author had been Andes D. Manxeni.
"What do you think?" Rosen turned to Robin.
"If it could speak properly, it would be easier. Natalie, ask it why it attacked us," Robin said after a moment of thought.
After all, she had been the one to trigger its response earlier.
"Okay… Hey, metal guy! Why did you attack us?" Natalie called out.
The robot tried to speak again but only produced static. Then, using its metal finger, it scratched ancient writing into the floor.
"What does it say?" everyone looked to Robin.
"Pirate ship. Kill. At all costs. D. Inheritor. Key activation," Robin read aloud.
Clearly, this Cruiser Guardian was ancient, but its recognition system remained highly functional. Rosen even wondered if it was once a human transformed into a machine.
It had likely existed for so long that its brain had slowed down. But from the way it had tried to make them fight each other, this wasn't just a mindless automaton—it had tactics.
"The key... inheritance... Skypiea... ancient..." Rosen looked serious. "Robin, do you think this key might unlock or control an ancient weapon?"
Robin's expression changed.
"Boss, your thinking really jumps around, but I can't say you're wrong. It's possible," she admitted. She didn't know how Rosen's mind made such leaps—but they often led somewhere.
Robin didn't realize just how imaginative Rosen's mind could be. Living in this world, her thoughts tended to follow its norms and logic.
"Natalie, ask it to take us to where it lives," Rosen said with anticipation. If this robot could only be activated and communicated with by someone of D blood, then its home might hold even more secrets worth uncovering.
(End of Chapter)
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