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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter One Hundred and Twenty-Two: The Changing Winds
Xiaqiu sailed through the waves with Nico Robin, heading towards their destination. Instead of going directly there, he first veered forward and to the right, making a detour outside the storm area before returning to the island.
It took a full four hours for Xiaqiu to reach the island. As he climbed up, Nico Robin descended with some difficulty.
Xiaqiu looked at Nico Robin and raised his arm, curiously writing on the ground, "Are you okay?"
Nico Robin saw the writing but did not respond; instead, she stared at Xiaqiu.
"What’s wrong?"
Xiaqiu wrote another line on the ground.
Nico Robin looked at him and asked, "Can you talk now?"
"Talk?"
Xiaqiu was slightly taken aback, looking at Nico Robin in confusion.
Nico Robin immediately replied, "When you saved me earlier, you said something to me."
Xiaqiu tilted his head, gazing at her as he wrote on the ground, "What did I say?"
"You told me, 'Hurry up, five ships are coming behind us,'" Nico Robin said softly.
"Mm?"
Xiaqiu recalled what had happened at that moment. When he went to find Nico Robin, he instinctively shouted a few times. What was that about?
"Talk?"
Xiaqiu tilted her head, opened her mouth, and slowly said, "I... seem to..."
"You can really talk now."
Xiaqiu immediately froze in place.
"Qiu, didn't you know this before?" Nico Robin asked with a frown.
Xiaqiu quickly shook her head. Just as she was about to write something down, she slowly said, "I didn't know. At least until today, I couldn't talk."
Xiaqiu speculated that her ability to speak must be due to another evolution. It could be the Evolutionary Energy provided by Daz Bonis, or perhaps the energy from Colonel Penn and Brigadier Madson had not manifested yet.
To be able to talk, three key factors are needed: vocal cords, a tongue, and cognitive ability.
First are the vocal cords; one must have the ability to produce various syllables. Dogs sometimes mimic human sounds but are limited by their vocal cords and cannot replicate them perfectly.
Xiaqiu had consumed many humans and Fishmen. While the Evolutionary Energy they contained was minimal, the more she consumed, the more she accumulated.
However, the accumulated Evolutionary Energy was limited. Unlike physical structure, it was difficult for her body to grow new parts that required significant transformation.
Yet, her vocal cords and other body structures that did not require major changes had begun to develop.
Seven months ago, Xiaqiu could produce sounds, albeit with only two simple syllables.
Next is the tongue; it is an essential part of speech. Parrots can talk because they have thick, rounded tongues that assist in producing sound.
Xiaqiu's tongue was not particularly large but was robust and incredibly flexible, allowing her to manipulate sounds effectively.
Finally, there was the matter of cognitive ability.
Cognitive ability represents the capacity to grasp language, such as with Hominidae, Chimpanzees, Macaques, and so on. Initial studies indicated that modern Chimpanzees could not speak due to their vocal cords and oral structure. However, it was later found that some species, like the Macaque, could produce sounds like a, e, u, and i—these vowels.
The reason Macaques do not speak is due to insufficient cognitive ability.
Many people consider Chimpanzees to be intelligent, comparable to the wisdom of a few-year-old child, but what they can do falls short of children of similar age. This is because, structurally, Hominidae are inferior to humans; for instance, differences in cerebral cortex and chromosomes lead to significant gaps in cognitive ability, logical reasoning, and thinking skills.
Parrots have a different throat structure than humans but can mimic speech; they do not truly understand what they are saying or its significance.
As for Xiaqiu, he embodies the essence of humanity, possessing sufficient cognitive and comprehension abilities.
Moreover, having mastered language and developed the corresponding sonar system organs made speaking not too difficult for him.
At that time, he could not write and needed to get Nico Robin to follow him. The only option was to shout out loud, leading him to exclaim a phrase.
Animal language contains thoughts. In this world, some individuals understand animals' thoughts by listening to their language—like Chopper, Jinbei, most Merfolk, and some members of the Fishmen Tribe.
Of course, in the world of One Piece, speech is not fundamentally different from vocal cords or cognition; there is even a Starfish that believes itself to be human and can speak as a result.
Xiaqiu realized this and fell into a frenzy of joy. "I spoke! I spoke! I can talk!"
"Mm."
Nico Robin felt the tremor in his voice and took a step back slowly. She looked at Xiaqiu with surprise but felt more joy than anything else.
She had never seen an animal that could speak before. However, knowing that Xiaqiu possessed intelligence comparable to that of humans made it understandable.
More importantly, being able to talk meant they wouldn't need to write for communication anymore; interactions would become much more convenient.
Xiaqiu happily moved around for a while, then looked at Nico Robin and asked, "By the way, Nico Robin, you weren't hurt just now, were you?"
"No."
Nico Robin shook her head and smiled, saying, "Thanks to Qiu, I was able to escape."
Xiaqiu asked again, "Then how's the injury on your hand?"
Nico Robin's hand was wrapped in bandages, but given the amount of blood on the island, her injuries seemed serious.
"Most of it is just superficial wounds. A few more serious ones have been stitched up. The injury on my palm might be a bit severe, but after treatment, it's fine now."
Nico Robin smiled and then looked at Xiaqiu with a serious expression, asking, "Qiu, you’re injured too. Are you alright? Do you need to find some medicine?"
Xiaqiu's head injury had already healed somewhat, but the scales were still torn and it looked like he had some wounds.
Xiaqiu shook his head and said, "I'm fine, really. I just need to eat something. Hmm, I'm hungry now; I'm going to hunt."
With that, Xiaqiu plunged into the sea and disappeared beneath the surface. He hunted a fish and swallowed it down as Evolutionary Energy began to heal his wounds.
After doing this three or four times, he would be fully recovered.
Once Xiaqiu finished eating, he returned to the shore and looked at Nico Robin, asking, "Nico Robin, can you manage here by yourself?"
"Hmm?"
Nico Robin turned to Xiaqiu and asked, "Qiu, what are you planning to do?"
"I plan to scout the surrounding waters to see if they come here. If possible, I will lead them away," Xiaqiu said.
This island was nearly a hundred kilometers from Alabasta, with many islands in between. It was also off the main shipping routes, situated between two paths. The weak magnetism here would not be detected by navigational instruments, so generally, no one would come this way.
However, it was better to be safe than sorry. Xiaqiu still intended to return and check, trying to divert them.
"Qiu, please be careful," Nico Robin said, looking at Xiaqiu.
"Don't worry. If I can't handle them, I'll just dive underwater; they won't be able to hurt me," Xiaqiu replied before turning and swimming into the ocean, heading back the way he came.
...
"Yes, yes, I understand. I accept this outcome," Tina said softly.
In the medical clinic of Alabasta's Rapeseed Flower City, Tina lay on the bed with a blanket covering her hips while her legs remained exposed, wrapped in bandages around her thighs. She held a Transponder Snail in her hand, listening intently to the voice coming from it. Finally, she said, "I will do my best to cooperate."
After finishing her sentence, Tina hung up the receiver on the Transponder Snail, her expression somewhat troubled.
Beside her, Captain Gulf looked at Tina cautiously and asked, "Colonel Tina, what happened at headquarters?"
Tina sighed and replied, "Since I was injured and defeated by Nico Robin, others will be responsible for pursuing her while I hand over the Fleet at Branch Base to them for support."
“Colonel Tina is just taking a break.”
Captain Gulf looked at Tina and said, “I wonder which big shot from headquarters is coming after us?”
“General Sicily is in charge, along with Brigadier Disley,” Tina replied.
“General Sicily, huh? His strength is formidable, but underwater…”
Captain Gulf frowned. That giant beast was incredibly powerful; Brigadier Madson couldn't defeat it, and even a Major General might struggle against it in the water.
Tina waved her hand dismissively. “It's not primarily about fighting the giant beast; it's about capturing Nico Robin. If it decides to run, very few can stop it. But if it chooses to protect Nico Robin, then it has a weakness. As long as we have enough battleships equipped with specialized weapons, and with General Sicily on our side, killing it wouldn't be too difficult.”
At this point, Tina paused and added, “More importantly, the forces pursuing them aren't just the Navy.”
“Who else is there?” Captain Gulf asked curiously.
Tina answered, “There are also the three pirate factions wanting to become the Seven Warlords of the Sea. The Naval Headquarters has made an agreement with them: if they bring back Nico Robin's head, they can become one of the Seven Warlords.”
“Is that so? Then Nico Robin is in serious trouble,” Captain Gulf shook his head.
Tina sighed. “It’s just that I can’t capture her myself.”
…
In the land of white earth, Baldigo.
“Sir, we have news from ahead. Nico Robin attacked Alabasta's Rapeseed Flower City and destroyed three battleships. At least one Rear Admiral and a Colonel are dead,” a soldier reported hurriedly as he looked at the tall figure entering the office.
“Nico Robin Attack Rapeseed Flower City?”
A tall figure slowly spoke, a hint of confusion in his voice. “Killing Crocodile is not a problem; that man has committed many crimes and deserves to die. But why would Nico Robin Attack the city? According to the information we received earlier, she has been living in the underground world, yet she seems to be harming people like Young Master.”
“People always change.”
Beside him, a girl wearing a round hat said, “Since Eight, she has lived an eighteen-year life on the run. In such an environment, not many can remain unchanged.”
The tall figure nodded and looked towards the distant figure leaning back in a chair with his legs propped up on the table. “Sabo, you and Kera should head to Alabasta to investigate this matter. If she really did Attack civilians, then bring her back. If not, help her evade the Navy. Her identity is special, and having killed a Rear Admiral and a Colonel, the Navy will surely mobilize significant forces to pursue her. Alone, even with a powerful beast, it will be difficult for her to escape their pursuit. We couldn’t pinpoint her location before, but now it’s much simpler. Save her, then ask if she’s willing to join the Revolutionary Army.”
“Leave it to me.”
Sabo slowly stood up, stretched lazily, and said, “Kera, let’s go prepare; we’re heading to Alabasta.”
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