I Am Honkai

The crimson-tinted visors of countless Astartes soldiers fixed their cold, unyielding gazes upon Robin. Guided by a black-armored Black Templars officer, she stepped into the central area of the Imperial encampment. Each glare was like a frosted dagger, piercing her with its frosty disdain.

"You're a scholar? This young?"

A tinge of surprise flashed across Alyssa's youthful, delicate features as she looked at the elegant black-haired woman brought before her.

Robin stood tall and composed, her skin delicate and flawless, her sleek black hair swept back into a stylish coif, with sunglasses resting on her forehead. She wore a dark blue vest and a flowing pink-and-orange floral skirt, her entire appearance radiating summer vibes.

Her look was in stark contrast to the studious image Alyssa had in her mind—a stereotype shaped by her upbringing under Selene's rigid tutelage.

Forgive poor Alyssa for her ignorance. Raised under Selene's diligent care, her education had been meticulous and demanding. The scholars and private tutors who had taught her were all strict, elderly individuals with stern expressions, so much so that Alyssa automatically associated scholarship with age and solemnity.

Years earlier, when Selene had been a carefree girl, rebellious against unnecessary etiquette, she had hated such stringent methods. Ironically, Selene eventually came to embrace those same practices and applied them in double measure to Alyssa's education.

Young and glamorous tutors? Unthinkable!

Whether it was the venerable cultural historians, retired senior military officers like Leiva and Budo, or experts in science and the arts like Dr. Fashion, Selene had assembled a "superstar lineup" to educate Alyssa.

This was the most elite "care package" of instruction, though Alyssa often wondered if it was care or torture.

"Ah... If you're looking for an archaeologist, Your Highness, then I might indeed be the last one alive on the seas."

Robin's calm tone concealed her inner tension. She nodded woodenly in response to Alyssa's incredulity.

After the destruction of Ohara—the island that was once the sacred cradle of archaeology—and the burning of the Great Library of All Knowledge by the Navy's Buster Call, Robin had been branded the "Demon Child" and forced into hiding.

Though the World Government had likely retained secret knowledge and hidden scholars, with Mary Geoise reduced to rubble by orbital bombardments, those individuals were likely dead or scattered.

In fact, Robin might very well be the only living person who could still read the ancient texts.

"Fine. What's your name? Start translating this red cube."

Alyssa waved dismissively, pointing toward an enormous stone monolith being wheeled in by two Astartes soldiers.

The object was immense, a perfect cube hewn from bluish-gray stone. Its rough, algae-streaked surface bore countless mysterious markings, and its mossy texture exuded an air of age and solemnity.

"So it really is a Poneglyph..."

Robin whispered to herself as her fingers grazed the cold, jagged carvings.

"My name is Robin, Your Highness. If I'm correct, this should be a Poneglyph. I can only interpret it partially—much has been lost due to the World Government's strict suppression of knowledge."

As her hands moved across the surface, Robin felt faint vibrations emanating from the text. Those vibrations carried with them an emotional resonance—a mix of hope, determination, and an unyielding promise.

But then, as though interrupted mid-sentence, the waves of emotion turned somber, radiating regret and heartbreak.

"Joy Boy... Was this his apology?"

Robin's soft murmurs were lost on Alyssa, whose impatient voice shattered her reverie.

"So what does it say? Is there any treasure mentioned? If it's valuable, I'll take it as a gift for Her Majesty!"

Robin exhaled slowly, calming herself as she turned to Alyssa with a conflicted expression.

"Your Highness, I regret to inform you that this Poneglyph does not contain any treasure-related information. Instead, it is an apology—a message left by someone named Joy Boy.""An apology? How dull."

Alyssa's mood visibly plummeted. Her twin ahoge locks drooped pitifully, perfectly mirroring her disappointment. She waved her hand dismissively.

"Alright, forget it. Troops, prepare to board. Sanguinius just sent word that the campaign in the New World is nearly complete. Everyone, ready for our return to the capital!"

"Yes, Your Highness!"

At Alyssa's command, the encampment erupted into disciplined motion.

Treasure hoards were hauled aboard transport ships. Captured mermaids, selected for their beauty, were shackled and led in orderly columns. Astartes units lacking traditional loot had even begun harvesting coral structures and dismantling sections of Fish-Man Island itself for transport.

The entire operation was akin to a swarm of locusts leaving behind a barren wasteland.

Amid the chaos, Alyssa's gaze fell once more upon Robin, along with the kneeling Neptune and Jinbei.

"About what you said earlier... Who is this Joy Boy? And why was this Poneglyph left in the Sea Forest? Explain. I'm curious."

Alyssa's inquiry was directed at Robin for the first part, while the latter portion clearly sought answers from Neptune and Jinbei.

"Joy Boy was a figure from 800 years ago, during the Void Century. He made a promise to the 'Poseidon' of that time—a mermaid princess capable of commanding the Sea Kings."

Robin's voice was steady, though tinged with faint melancholy.

"But it seems he failed to fulfill that promise. This Poneglyph is essentially an apology. Unfortunately, the information here is sparse, so my interpretation is mostly conjecture..."

Her words trailed off as she turned toward Neptune, shifting the weight of the conversation to the aging monarch.

Caught in Robin's verbal redirection, Neptune's burly, fish-tailed frame tensed. His expression darkened before he released a resigned sigh.

"Your Highness... The Sea Forest, where the Poneglyph resides, is a sacred place to my people. It serves as a graveyard and holds deep cultural significance. As for Joy Boy, he left that monument and also entrusted us with an artifact—Noah, the Ark."

Neptune's voice was tinged with regret as he continued.

"Joy Boy's promise to our ancestors was that the Fish-Men and Merfolk could one day live under the true sunlight—where humans, Fish-Men, Longarm Tribe, Longleg Tribe, Giants, and Dwarves... all races could live equally under the sun."

"And it is said... that there's a prophecy. One day, Joy Boy will return."

"Pfft—!"

From his comfortable spot nearby, Leiva could no longer hold back his laughter. The sound escaped him like a burst of steam, a dry chuckle of amusement as his hand briefly covered his mouth.

"You really believe that?"

He motioned for his adjutant to pour him another cup of tea, took a small sip, and shook his head.

"It's absurdly naïve."

Pointing to the coral-encrusted ground beneath their feet, Leiva gave a deliberate cough before speaking again.

"Let me raise a very real question. This planet, without a doubt, has a vastly greater sea surface than landmass."

"I don't know about the other strange species you mentioned, but your Fish-Men and Merfolk can live underwater—a feat that ordinary humans cannot achieve."

"And this Joy Boy of yours wanted to move your underwater species to the land, to compete for living space on land? How noble of him to give away resources that weren't his to begin with. A redistribution like that? It's doomed to fail. The imbalance is inherent."

Leiva took another sip, his tone almost casual, yet his words carried weight.

"Your world doesn't even have the capacity to expand outward. The territories you know of are already limited. Land is scarce as it is. For humanity to share it with others? Unthinkable. No wonder Joy Boy failed to keep his promise—he essentially made himself an enemy of all humankind."

His voice was calm but firm, laced with the quiet, almost cruel pragmatism of a seasoned commander.

It was true that some human noble families ruled vast domains, areas seemingly sufficient to spare. Yet the question remained: Why should they share it?

No peasant resents owning more farmland. No capitalist despises additional wealth. No noble considers their estate overly vast.

"The world isn't a utopia. Humans aren't angels."

"Heroes and devils are rare; most people are ordinary, and ordinary people don't voluntarily cede their own interests. They might not intend harm, but they're far from altruistic."

Leiva's sharp gaze swept across the room before settling on Alyssa.

"Conflict arises when benefits are unequally distributed. That's the reality of life—whether it's between species, factions, nations, or even individuals. Without addressing this core issue, no matter how close people may seem initially, time will unravel those bonds into discord."

It was obvious these words weren't directed at Neptune or Jinbei, but rather at Alyssa.

After all, one of Leiva's tasks was to teach the young princess about military strategy and governance.

"Hmm... That makes sense."

Alyssa pressed her fingers together thoughtfully, mulling over Leiva's words.

Then, with a tilt of her head, she asked, "But, Leiva, why does it seem like Her Majesty doesn't bother with problems like Joy Boy's? I don't see any ministers opposing her decisions, either."

Leiva froze, his teacup halting mid-air.

"Ahem... Her Majesty is... a special case. It's a matter of absolute power. The comparison doesn't hold."

Unless, of course, one wanted to be wiped out of existence, along with their entire family exterminated.

Satisfied with his response, Alyssa shrugged off her curiosity and nodded, dismissing the topic with a flick of her head.

Joy Boy... Who was he? Was he a figure of the past or someone destined to appear in the future?

With that thought lingering, Alyssa issued a decisive command.

"Station the Blood Angels at the orbital bastion. They're to monitor the entire planet. If Joy Boy dares to show himself, eliminate him on sight."

Disinterested in the rest of Joy Boy's tale, Alyssa turned toward Neptune and his tearful family, signaling that it was time for their departure.

"Jinbei, was it? Regarding the Fish-Men... implement an eleven-for-one conscription. You'll oversee it personally. I trust you understand my meaning."

Her voice carried the weight of finality.

"Effective immediately. You have two days to complete it. Afterward, they'll be taken off-world to a newly established Forge World, where they will repay their transgressions against the Empire through a lifetime of labor. Being made slaves is already an act of mercy"

Jinbei's broad shoulders trembled as he pressed his head to the coral floor.

"Understood... as you command."

His voice was strained, the veins on his neck bulging as he struggled to suppress his grief and fury.

Satisfied, Alyssa didn't linger. Turning sharply on her heel, she left without looking back.

In her path, Robin, who had been serving as an interpreter, fell silent. Without complaint, she allowed herself to be led away.

Inside the landing craft, the rumble of its engines vibrated through her body as they ascended. Robin closed her eyes, a single, stark realization weighing on her mind:

Power is the foundation of all things. Without power, even the noblest ideals are nothing more than dreams on the chopping block.

With the arrival of an empire far mightier than the founding twenty kings of the World Government, Joy Boy's ideals seemed more unattainable than ever.

The landing craft pierced the Fish-Man Island bubble, ascended through ten thousand meters of ocean, and finally broke through the sky's surface. At long last, it docked aboard an Imperial battleship.

Stepping out onto the cavernous deck, Robin shielded her eyes momentarily from the harsh, artificial lights. The vast expanse of the ship was filled with rows upon rows of Astartes warriors and mortal auxiliaries standing in formation.

Something caught her eye—a shimmering blue hue in the distance.

She approached the massive arched viewport, her breath hitching at the sight beyond.

Through the transparent pane, the vast expanse of space stretched endlessly. Suspended within it was a vibrant blue world, its surface marked by scattered continents and glistening seas.

"It's breathtaking... So beautiful and so vast. Is this... our world?"

Her eyes traced the long, thin crimson strip of the Red Line encircling the planet, dotted with countless specks of black—perhaps ships, cities, or fortresses.

Suddenly, a familiar, almost mocking voice disrupted her thoughts.

"Yo, Nico Robin. Long time no see."

The voice sent a chill down Robin's spine. Turning slowly, she didn't even need to confirm its source.

"Aokiji?! Why are you here?"

From across the deck, the tall figure of Kuzan approached leisurely. His hands were stuffed into his pockets, and his relaxed gait made it seem as though he had just stepped out for a stroll.

Dressed in a white V-neck shirt beneath a dark green coat, with black trousers and sturdy boots, his signature round sunglasses completed the look.

"Why wouldn't I be here? Oh, right. I resigned as a Navy Admiral, but both the old and new Fleet Admirals called me back, so I didn't have much choice. Next thing I knew, I ended up here."

Kuzan shrugged nonchalantly before leaning casually against a nearby railing.

"But what about you? What brings you here? Don't tell me... you're heading to the Imperial Capital too?"

Robin hesitated, then gave a small, almost imperceptible nod.

"Mm."

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