Chapter Forty-Six: The Colossal Stone Monument

He had been here for two days already. After procuring some clothes in the largest nearby city, Kamille left without lingering. Now, he sat alone on a floating carriage bound for Central City, the vehicle sparsely populated with passengers. As he gazed out the window, a subtle and complex thought began to stir within him.

If he ever had the chance to return to Earth, what would it have become? This place seemed almost like a shadow of Earth’s future. But why worry about it? He had no intention of staying here.

The carriage sped swiftly along the wide avenue, the scenery outside a blur. Kamille glanced sideways; the speed of this vehicle rivaled that of sound itself. Such was the power of technology. If those still dwelling on the surface ever learned of this place, he wondered, would they forsake their voyage across the Grand Line and instead choose to conquer this land?

Suddenly, the carriage slowed. Kamille was pulled from his thoughts and looked outside. They had arrived at a station. Not far away, many similar vehicles were parked, and the area bustled with more people than the previous city, lacking the feeling of desolation that had pervaded there.

After disembarking, Kamille surveyed his surroundings and set off in a chosen direction—toward the central city square. In the past two days, he had learned that a massive stone monument stood there, inscribed with something quite intriguing.

Meanwhile, the surveillance system that spanned the city was closely monitoring Kamille, though he remained oblivious. Even if he had known, he likely would not have been too concerned. Having come to understand this world, Kamille felt at ease. His spiritual perception had already scanned the area and found no truly formidable figures—only two or three of notable strength, perhaps on par with the Four Emperors. But nothing worth genuine worry.

At that very moment, those few individuals—who could be called the strongest in this world—were sitting together, eyes fixed on Kamille, whose image was displayed on a giant screen before them. Surveillance cameras switched from one to another, but Kamille’s presence never disappeared from the display.

“What do you all think of this young man?” asked a man in his forties, seated at the head of the table, his expression grave.

A slight pause flickered among the others—several middle-aged men—whose reactions the leader did not miss. Tapping his fingers on the table, he continued, “There’s no record of this young man in our database. He must be an outsider. After centuries of isolation, the arrival of an outsider here is significant. We cannot allow him to reveal the existence of this place to the outside world. Otherwise, our long-standing peace will be shattered. We don’t know how he arrived, but as long as he’s here, we must apprehend him. We can also seize the chance to learn about the outside world. However, this young man is clearly powerful. We must be absolutely certain before making a move. If he escapes, the consequences for us could be grave.”

The others all nodded in agreement. From the records, they knew of the great war centuries ago. Now, with only a few hundred thousand inhabitants left, the city could hardly withstand such devastation again.

Suddenly, a thin elder spoke up, “It seems this young man is moving with purpose. Perhaps we should observe him further, discern his intentions. If we can communicate with him, it would also allow us to learn about the current state of the world outside.”

The leader nodded in agreement. His gaze lingered on Kamille’s figure on the screen, and after a moment’s thought, he declared, “It appears his destination is the central square. Let’s move out now and see if we can make contact. We must be extremely cautious and not let him escape. If he were to get away, the threat he poses would be immense.”

The group rose and headed for the door.

Kamille had been walking for half an hour. Although it was the central city, the place wasn’t all that large—after all, the population was small. Soon, he arrived at the central square, where a fair number of people milled about. Glancing around, Kamille sensed a vague tension in the air, but thought little of it. Lifting his gaze, he saw the enormous stone stele. It stood ten meters tall and over thirty meters wide, ringed by protective railings. Not far off, several fountains played, children frolicked nearby, and young people lounged on plastic chairs, reading or engrossed in small computers. Elderly citizens exercised nearby. Witnessing this tranquil scene, Kamille smiled faintly. Life here was indeed peaceful.

He had originally intended to share what he had discovered with Red and the others, to invite them here. But seeing this serene world, Kamille abandoned the idea. There was no reason to bring the chaos from above down upon this place. Perhaps this was the last pure land left in the world.

Weaving through the crowd, Kamille approached the giant stone stele. Standing before it, he seemed minuscule. He examined the ancient script carved into the monument and smiled knowingly—it was indeed written in an archaic language. Moving to one end, Kamille scanned the text, his brows knitting together. Now, he had a burning desire to see the end of the Grand Line. That Gol D. Roger had returned alive from there made Kamille skeptical; for such secrets to be hidden here was astonishing. Using his Sharingan, he copied every inscription. This way, when he met Robin, he could let her experience the scene as if she were there herself.

Sitting down on a stone bench, Kamille lit a cigarette and drew deeply, worry creasing his brow. He doubted that Roger could have reached that place and returned alive—it must have been sheer luck.

Suddenly, Kamille looked up. The crowd had vanished. Several burly men in suits approached from not far away, while in the distance, hundreds of soldiers had encircled the entire square. Onlookers stood outside the cordon, curiosity plain on their faces, wondering why they had been cleared from the square.

Kamille flicked his cigarette to the ground, crushed it underfoot, and stood. As he watched the approaching men, he recognized them as the powerful individuals his spiritual sense had detected the day before. Clearly, his movements had been completely tracked. Frowning, Kamille thought to himself, “It seems they mean no good. Perhaps it’s time for me to leave this world.”

…There is one more chapter in which Kamille will leave this place, and the secrets inscribed on the stone stele will be revealed in the future—a truly astonishing truth awaits. Please look forward to it!

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