Chapter 77 - CHAPTER 77 - The Ancient Treasure Site

"You truly are an outstanding archaeologist," Rosen said sincerely. "No, I just tried every known method used to conceal information over the years," Robin replied with a slight smile. "The sky has cleared. That means it's time for us to find this treasure," Rosen said. Now that they had pinpointed the exact location, there was no reason to ignore it. Besides, a treasure originating from Skypiea might contain something interesting. Though it was odd—how did a Sky Island treasure end up in the Blue Sea? Then again, who could say for sure? Perhaps long ago, the connection between Skypiea and the Blue Sea was much more active. "Mr. 5, take a team and bring Daz Bones back to the ship. Stay on high alert. If anything happens, fire a signal flare or contact us via Den Den Mushi." It was impractical for everyone to go treasure hunting—bringing along the injured Daz Bones would be inconvenient. Besides, the ship needed to be guarded. If it was attacked or stolen, it would be a major problem. Although Mr. 5 wasn't exceptionally strong, he could easily handle a hundred ordinary pirates on his own. To most pirates, he was already quite powerful. Mr. 5 nodded. The fact that the Boss entrusted him with the ship's security meant he had earned his trust. Although he was slightly disappointed that he couldn't join the treasure hunt, he accepted the assignment. He would use this opportunity to train further. Lately, Mr. 5 had become obsessed with training, and when a person focuses intently on something, their mind often sparks new ideas. Growth often comes from such moments of intense dedication. With the arrangements in place, Rosen set off with Robin and their aerial scout, Valentine, toward the treasure site. Robin pulled out the latitude and longitude measuring tools. First, she had Valentine fly into the sky to get a bird's-eye view of the island's shape. Using that information, Robin marked the approximate intersection of the coordinates on a blank sheet of paper. Since they didn't have a map of the island, this was the best method available. Had they possessed a proper map, it would have been much easier. "It should be here. Head southeast," Robin concluded. The journey was uneventful, aside from encountering a few wild animals. Although there were two other groups of people on the island, the chances of running into them were relatively low. Boom! Suddenly, the deafening roar of a cannon echoed through the air, startling countless birds into flight. "The cannonfire is coming from the treasure site. We're close," Robin deduced. "It looks like those pirates must have obtained some clues from the slain villagers." Since Urouge had left without taking heavy weaponry, it was unlikely that he was responsible for the cannonfire. Indeed, at the southeastern edge of the nameless island, there was a canyon with a slow-moving river winding through it. The riverbanks were densely covered with clusters of blue mushrooms, giving the area a surreal beauty. Carved into the canyon's cliffside was a freshly dug-out cave, with ropes hanging down from above, leading to its entrance. At the top of the canyon, on an open plateau, over fifty pirate crew members had set up defensive fortifications. Several heavy cannons were stationed along the edge. Using rocks and giant mushrooms as cover, they had constructed makeshift earthworks for defense. Many pirates hid behind these fortifications, forming a curved defensive line. Judging by their well-organized formation, this pirate crew was highly disciplined and skilled in tactical positioning—far from the usual chaotic rabble. The target of their cannonfire was none other than Urouge. After searching through the night, he had finally found a lead—only to be met with a barrage of artillery fire. But with his incredibly tough body, the explosions were not fatal. He blocked the incoming cannonballs with his fists. "Isn't that the fool who claims to be from a Sky Island?" one pirate sneered as the smoke cleared. "He just stood there and took a cannon blast head-on. How stupid can he be?" "Haha! Maybe he's never seen a cannon before!" another pirate jeered. "When the captain ordered us to set up defenses, I thought it was unnecessary. "But it turns out someone really was tailing us. Too bad for them, huh?" "Just in case, let's fire a few more rounds. The captain and the others are already inside the treasure site. "Wonder if they've found anything valuable?" the first pirate said, his tone tinged with envy. They had anticipated the possibility of encountering the Sky Islander, which was why they had fortified this position. Boom! Boom! Boom! Without hesitation, they fired several more rounds. "Captain!" Urouge's crew, hiding behind a large mushroom, watched in concern. Those were direct cannon hits. This was a bad sign. "Pain is a lesson to remember!" Urouge roared from within the smoke and charged straight toward the enemy defenses, unscathed. "He's still standing?! Is he a monster? Keep firing! Now!" the pirate leader shouted in alarm. But even elite pirates, no matter how well-trained, would struggle to withstand a future Supernova. Urouge tore through their ranks like a tiger among sheep. His overwhelming strength sent one pirate after another flying. By the time Rosen, Robin, and the others arrived, the area had already been cleared out. "They found a man-made fissure along the cliffside and blasted it open with explosives. The entrance is now wide enough for passage. The villagers used to call this place a 'cursed land,' so they assumed this must be the treasure site," Urouge explained. It seemed these pirates had some intelligence after all. "I'm surprised you actually found them," Rosen remarked. "Let's not waste any more time. We should head in," Urouge nodded. Now that they had possibly located the treasure, they had to investigate. Moreover, there were still more pirates inside who couldn't be allowed to escape. Urouge couldn't accept the idea of ruthless pirates laying their hands on Skypiea's treasure. "If it's in a cliffside cave, that means the treasure is underground. "That's easy to handle—we don't need to climb down," Rosen said as golden sand began to rise around him. Robin and Valentine exchanged knowing smiles. When it came to stone and earth, their Boss had absolute control. Meanwhile, deep inside the underground labyrinth, a group of over thirty pirates was cautiously making their way through a narrow passage. Behind them lay the bodies of over ten fallen crew members. "This is the seventh level already. "How much deeper does this place go? "We aren't just walking in circles, are we?" Soros frowned. In pursuit of this so-called treasure, they had blasted their way through the entrance and encountered numerous traps. The first six levels contained a maze, a poison gas chamber, a hail of toxic darts, a fire-covered blade tunnel, and more. While most traps could be avoided, some crew members had been caught off guard and left behind. "We should be close now. Damn it—this place must be centuries old, yet these traps still work," muttered the vice captain, who was skilled in scouting and knew a bit about archaeology. "If this turns out to be a dead end, we'll have to recover our losses by raiding another village. That last village barely had anything worth taking. But at least they gave us some useful information. This 'cursed land' might actually hold something valuable." Hiss... Hiss... "Wait. Did you hear something?" The vice captain perked up, sensing a strange noise. "No... I didn't hear anything," another pirate replied, shaking his head. "The ceiling—look at the ceiling!" a crew member suddenly shouted. Above them, the solid stone and earth ceiling had begun to crack. Sand was seeping through the fractures. Was the cave collapsing? (End of Chapter) ========================================================= DROP THEM POWER STONES PLEASE SUPPORT ME ON P@TREON IF YOU'D LIKE ACCESS ON ADVANCED CHAPTERS PAT REON . COM / TurdTranslations (Just remove the space).