One Piece: Mandala Swordsman

Chapter 99 The World Is Always Absurd

"I'm sorry you spent so much money," Robin said with a hint of guilt on the way back to the hotel.

"You made me so much money, and you thanked me instead. Robin, you're such a good kid."

Although it was a little strange to hear these words coming from a girl who was about the same age as him, Robin still felt a sense of warmth from them.

The countries in the Western Sea are still quite chaotic, especially the Kingdom of Palomino, where gangs are rampant. For safety reasons, it's best to avoid going out at night.

So Roman specially booked a high-end hotel with a high level of security and a very quiet environment.

The staff were very thoughtful. After learning that the room was booked by two young girls, they not only put up cute stickers in the room, but also sprayed stevia-scented perfume and arranged floral art pieces.

The whole atmosphere was both childlike and elegant.

As for Bucky, he seems to have discovered something interesting and won't be back tonight. Anyway, that lucky guy can always escape danger wherever he is, so Roman doesn't bother to worry about him.

Today, she specially ordered a premium set meal for Robin, featuring domestic cattle raised on unpolluted grass, using the nutritious hind leg meat, served with a high-quality sauce, and accompanied by exceptionally fresh and tender green vegetables to cleanse the palate.

Although she was about the same age as Robin, she was about 30 centimeters taller than Robin, but even that height was not considered tall in a world where children grow up wildly. Robin, on the other hand, could only be described as weak, innocent, and pitiful, especially with her slightly sallow face and frail figure, which always made people feel like she was about to faint.

Although he knew Robin would grow up to be a tall, 188cm tall beauty, Roman still hoped she could gain a little weight now.

Robin was initially shy about Roman's kindness, but after three rounds of persuasion, she finally agreed to accept it.

Everyone with fighting ability is a big eater. Even though Robin is thin and short, she can't escape this rule. Watching Robin devour her food like a whirlwind, Roman was afraid it wouldn't be enough, so he urgently asked the front desk to order another serving.

Having resolved their basic living problems, the two began to pursue a higher spiritual realm.

The two of them opened their own books.

In order to prevent the books from being damaged, the two of them wrapped them in black and gray cardboard respectively.

After all, so much money was spent, Roman himself would feel heartbroken if he didn't take good care of the books, while Robin simply loved taking care of them.

There are nearly two hundred member states under the banner of the World Government, and almost every one of them has a naval base permanently stationed there.

However, even an omnipotent and all-powerful world government cannot completely control the world.

There are also many more non-member states, and islands that have never been brought under the jurisdiction of the world government.

Correspondingly, these countries will not have naval bases.

The Navy's protection is only for countries that pay enough Heavenly Gold each year, or for islands that do not have royalty and cannot attend the World Conference but can still provide physical goods to the World Government each year.

Therefore, naval maps have a significant drawback: incomplete information regarding non-member states and uninhabited islands.

There is almost no detailed information about the local climate, specialties, or marine characteristics.

Roman found this incomprehensible.

What is a map? Scientifically speaking, a map is a graphic or image that selectively represents certain phenomena in the world in two-dimensional or multi-dimensional form and means according to certain rules. It has a strict mathematical foundation, a symbol system, and textual annotations, and can use map generalization principles to scientifically reflect the distribution characteristics of natural and socio-economic phenomena and their interrelationships.

The fact that the map wasn't updated in detail because of the division of territories has led to gaps in knowledge about many areas.

Roman couldn't understand it at all. Even if non-member states weren't protected, basic communication was still necessary. Even just having a navy stationed there as a formality would have been fine.

Otherwise, why would so many islands still need to request protection from pirates?

They even used pirates to form armed forces.

For example, the famous Whitebeard suffered from poverty because his country was a non-member state, which forced him to become a pirate.

This disastrous consequence stems from the world's arrogance. Regardless of who is in power, an understanding of the world's regions is essential.

It may be difficult for an individual to fulfill the dream of traveling around the world, after all, Roger spent almost 30 years to complete this task, but there are still all kinds of adventurers in this world, and there are many navigators like Nami who are passionate about sea charts.

By bringing together a wealth of knowledge, one can eventually create a map of the world.

Robin, too, had long been immersed in the ocean of knowledge.

The leisurely time spent reading was a distant memory for her. Even though she worked day and night at her aunt's house, she would still be scolded. However, after coming into contact with books, she made full use of her talent and gained the attention of Dr. Clover. Other doctors also liked her and were willing to share their historical knowledge with her.

When she came into contact with history, she realized that the world she lived in was just one process of history, and the footsteps of history never stop for anyone.

The more I research, the more I realize that the pain I'm currently fixated on is utterly insignificant in the face of a broader historical context.

So Robin really loves history, loves the amazing eras described in those texts, loves the solemn and weighty feeling, and loves the spiraling ascent.

The fact that she was able to discover the blank century despite the doctors' concealment wasn't entirely due to her own abilities; in fact, it was largely thanks to her intellect.

As she approached the period of the blank century, she increasingly felt that a person seemed to have emerged in history, uniting many forces to achieve a grand ideal.

But like beads suddenly breaking from a string, that person's influence vanished during the Void Century, replaced by the descendants of 19 kings who became the World Nobles and established a World Government. The written language also underwent significant revisions, differing greatly from the ancient script.

This eerie sense of fragmentation made Robin realize that a magical history had been erased, and a powerful figure had been forcibly eliminated—a history that the World Government feared deeply and was unwilling to touch.

That's why they fear those who can interpret history, and they've even made themselves the children of the devil.

The political motives behind this made Robin understand many things during his years on the run.

For me, the best way to survive is to find someone who understands the Poneglyphs and dares to oppose the World Government, and then cooperate with them.