[3 Days Later]
Silent and still. The large island of Ohara, which was filled with liveliness just three days ago, had none of such quality remaining.
The buildings—diced and destroyed. Not even a single one was spared, and this signaled the ruination of the so-called daily lives of the Oharans.
However, Nico Olvia, who just arrived at this island, noted as she continued her run toward the huge tree of knowledge, 'And yet, I don't see any blood or corpse... Saul, did you reach here before I did?'
Boom! Kicking the door that lied at the base of the tree of knowledge, Olvia—momentarily disregarding the wreckage—entered the place. And she has come to see, the scholars who were injured and wrapped around the bandages.
"...I thought," One of them, whose eyes widened upon coming to sight Olvia, exclaimed, "You were caught by the marines...?!"
"Olvia..."
"Olvia-san...!!"
"So that Marine ship we previously sighted... were you the one on it?!"
Not paying attention to their words, Olvia asked with a mix of confusion and shock, "What... happened here...?"
Then, Dr. Clover, the man whose beard and hair altogether resembled a clover, and had bandages wrapped around his entire body, answered gravely, "...A pirate raid."
"What?!"
"Everything that you've seen on the outside, was the work of one enigmatic and bizarre pirate. He made a deal with us, that... in exchange for the lives of the civilians, we are to hand over this island. The wreckage of the island is just the warning sign." Clover, closing his eyes, replied solemnly, "Within a week, he will be back with his crew."
"...A pirate... now, of all times...?"
Clover, opening his eyes back, then asked, "Olvia... why are you here?"
Olvia, upon hearing Clover's question, calmed herself down. Deciding to temporarily forget the event that happened while she was away, she said sternly, "...Did you read the newspaper? The team searching for the Poneglyphs, which left this island six years ago..."
She bit on her lips, expressing frustration. Her fists tightened and shook, expressing anguish. As if trying to tone down the pain in her soul, she let out a breath before continuing,
"...has been obliterated—all but myself. All thirty-three of them. I was captured, too."
Clover's eyes narrowed, "Then..."
"And after carefully examining our slaughtered comrades' belongings... the government managed to figure out that we are from Ohara."
As the scholars listened silently, Olvia, unable to contain her emotion, let out tears. Covering up her face, she bawled, "I don't even know how I can make any excuses anymore... this land is now in danger because of us...!!"
"Stop that!!!" Clover yelled firmly, looking straight at Olvia, "It's nobody's fault. Those who left for the sea and those who stayed here are all on the same team. You're the one who's had a hard time!"
Olvia raised her head up with sorrow, "Doctor..."
"From the beginning... the government has labeled this island, Ohara, as a threat. An island where scholars from all over the world have gathered... and continued to study about the history..." Clover then smiled gently, "perhaps, this was bound to happen."
One scholar noted, "I bet that they think they've got us now. They won't miss this chance..."
"Yes, but we've got the info before it's too late. They'll eventually wipe out everyone who claims to be a scholar in Ohara!!" Olvia, ridding herself of the negative emotion, shouted in restored urgency, "So everyone... hurry up and leave this land!!"
However, even after her statement, the scholars didn't move. Instead, Clover stated,
"You're right. This time, it seems, we can no longer elude the eyes of our investigators... if the government is already planning to kill us."
Olvia shouted, "Then hurry—"
"But Olvia, I..." Clover turned his back, staring at the massive reservoir of books, "I cannot run away, abandoning all these treasures of mankind. You should've known that."
The scholars all grinned, and one said firmly, "Same for us, Olvia."
"I've no idea what the government has in mind, but if we run away, we can't protect the precious histories stored here."
"We'll just do our best this time, too."
Olvia looked at them with sadness, "Everyone..."
Clover then let out a chuckle, "And how ironic, for that pirate's attack to lead to the escape of the civilians..." Lowering his head, he said firmly,
"No one died three days ago. Robin too evacuated along with others." Placing his hand on his chin, Clover reminisced with a smile, "And speaking of that incomparable genius... she's a lot like you when you were a child..."
"...No need to speak of her. As long as she's safe..." Olvia said softly, "...then that's enough for me. Once I've stepped onto this path, I am a stranger to her. I cannot make her the daughter of a criminal."
Boom! Then, the door broke open again, by another scholar who entered the room with a panicked expression. As everyone turned at the man, he shouted,
"Dr. Clover!! There's a ship with the World Government flag on it this time!!!"
Clover answered calmly, "For the government's ship to come all the way to West Blue...indeed, this is a very serious situation—"
Olvia, who immediately took out the rifle from her back, shouted grimly, "Everyone, listen!! You're neither my friends nor my acquaintances!! Please remember that!!"
Without hesitation, she began to run outside.
"Olvia!! Wait!! What're you doing?!!" Clover shouted, but Olvia ignored his shout and continued her charge.
__________
At the shore of Ohara, one huge ship arrived. On its body, the word 'World Government' was engraved. From within, many men wearing black suits stormed out, fully armed. In the middle, three men, who seemed to be the executives of this operation, casually walked out of the ship.
"Hey!! Notify headquarters, we're here." One in the middle, the man who went by the name Spandine, bickered, "Haa... so troublesome. I wonder if this'll get me promoted or something—"
They were the Cipher Pols, the secret agents who work for the interests of the World Government. The official units are divided into ranks all the way from CP1 to CP8, with a higher number granting higher authority. Then there were two unofficial units, CP9 and CP0; Spandine was a member of CP9, and the one in charge of the current investigation at Ohara.
One on Spandine's right commanded, "Take anybody referred to as a 'scholar' into custody—" before stopping in midst of his order, as,
"W-what is this?!"
they came to sight the devastating ruination in front of them.
"The trees covered the view when we were on the sea, it seems..." The one on Spandine's left said while adjusting his glasses.
Spandine, who had a cold sweat running down his side, exclaimed with astonishment, "Oi oi, you're kidding me... right?"
In front of him lied, a pirate flag that was embedded. The black flag had a jolly roger—a skull that was grinning at him.
"S-sir!" One agent then stopped in front of him and reported strictly, "There is no sign of life in this town! It seems that a pirate invasion recently occurred, but we are unable to confirm if the casualty arose!"
"Tch..." Spandine, snatching the pirate flag by its wooden pole and slamming it on the ground, growled, "Damn it!! Don't tell me that even the scholars got away!! How can this—oh?"
Spandine then raised an eyebrow, as he sighted many scholars, tied by a rope, being dragged out from the tree of knowledge. Gone was the anger, and now, with his face slowly forming a grin, Spandine walked toward the tied-up scholars,
"Never mind, I suppose~!"
__________
[Somewhere in West Blue, Nearby Ohara]
"Vice Admiral Kuzan!" Captain Happy who was seen to be standing atop the deck of the warship under Kuzan's command, saluted at Kuzan who was found lying on his lounge chair.
Kuzan groaned in annoyance, "...What is it?"
"Chief Spandine of CP9 has arrived at Ohara!"
"Who's that...?" Kuzan's face wrinkled up in a frown, "Did you have to wake me up, just to tell me that, asshole?!!"
Happy immediately took a step back in nervousness, while sweating profusely, "I... I'm terribly sorry, sir!!"
Gion, who was leaning by the rail, was looking down at the water with a darkened expression, '...Smoker, where have you gone to? You aren't dead, are you?'
However, their ship wasn't alone. With them were nine other warships, where four more Vice Admirals and the divisions under their command were situated. Looking at Kuzan's antics with amusement, Bayard, one of the five Vice Admirals, commented,
"Why, you seem to have changed, Vice Admiral Kuzan."
Kuzan didn't even bother to respond but continued his slumber.
"...Don't bother. As long as he fulfills his duty, what's there to complain of?" On another ship, the other one, who was seen with slicked-back light hair, sunglasses on his eyes, and a black suit underneath his justice coat—Vice Admiral Tensei, said stoically, "Let him be."
"Haha, I suppose," Bayard laughed, before turning his head to his right, "And I believe that it's been a long time since I've seen you."
Said man was wearing a dark-coloured fedora hat—similar to the one that Bogard wears, coupled with blue shirt and brown pants underneath his justice coat. He went by the name Tokikake, and has only recently been promoted to the rank of Vice Admiral.
"U-urp—hang on, Bayard-san. I—I ate too much," Tokikake said with a pale face, with his body hanging by the rail, "I think I'm—urp—gonna throw up..."
"You surely haven't changed since the last time I saw you."
And on one warship that lied at the right end of ten warships that lined up, there stood one silent man. His appearance was covered by a white cloak he wore underneath the justice coat, but it wasn't enough to cover his chiseled body. With his arms crossed, he firmly stood without engaging himself in a conversation. His eyes were focused on the horizon in front of them—the direction in which Ohara lied.
Vice Admiral Sakazuki, who also went by the code name Akainu. No one in here would doubt that he was the strongest among them.
And Kuzan, who opened his eyes behind his sunglasses, looked warily at Sakazuki. Then, moving his gaze at the horizon which Sakazuki was glaring at, Kuzan couldn't help but think,
'...Where have you gone off to, Smoker?'
__________
"GYAAAAA!!!!" Spandine, who fell on his back, screamed in terror, "You shot me!! I'm through! It's all over for me damn it...!!! Please tell the higher-ups to give my son... my seat as chief..."
At some distance away from Spandine, there stood Nico Olvia, who was holding onto the rifle with its smoking barrel pointed at the fallen Spandine.
The one on his right facepalmed, "Chief. Please look carefully. It merely pierced your coat sleeve."
"...Oh," Spandine sat up with his eyes on the hole in his coat, "you're right."
Olvia muttered, "...My next shot won't miss—"
Click.
Olvia then realized, that she was surrounded by many Cipher Pol agents, who were pointing their firearms at her.
'Since when...?'
Laughing in mockery, Spandine stated, "Muhahaha, the one who compounded her crimes by breaking out of the marine prison, just so happened to come to this island... Nico Olvia!"
"The woman who continued to deny any relation to the scholars of Ohara, and yet she came here of all places... almost as if she were asserting that it was her hometown. Additionally, our investigation on your team has confirmed that you too committed the same crime as this place's scholars..." Spandine stroke his beard in an exaggerated manner, "Hmm... what a striking similarity..."
Olvia glared at Spandine, "Just because I'm here doesn't mean you'll be able to prove something."
"And it doesn't matter—"
Just when Spandine stated impassively, a Den Den Mushi that the man with glasses on his left was holding, rang.
"—Oh?" Spandine turned to the Den Den Mushi with a grin, "And here's the call."
Behind Spandine and his two executive members, there were archaeologists, all tied up and bound. They were sitting on the ground, gazing with still faces as Olvia was being apprehended by the Cipher Pol agents.
<
"Yep, speak," The man with glasses stated.
<
Olvia's eyes widened. She thrashed, but to no avail. The scholars' heads simply lowered, accepting their fate.
As the call was cut,
"MUHAHAHA!" Spandine laughed while standing back up, "Well now, Oharan scholars...
we have officially made the decision for your execution!"
Then, forcibly morphing his face to a feigned sadness, Spandine shook his head, "Look. This is just my job. You conducted your research to awaken the powerful weapons, you wanted to kill many people! How sad it is, to lose the greatest scholars of the world!"
Clover, who was sitting in silence, then spoke up, "The government's afraid... but not of the weapons..."
"Huh?" Spandine raised his eyebrow, as Clover continued,
"Before my death, let me speak with the heads of the world, the Gorosei."
Clover looked at Spandine without an ounce of fear,
"For a long time now, Ohara, the holy land of archaeology has continued its research. The dream is only halfway there, but I have created a hypothesis about the 'One Hundred Years of Blank Pages,' which I wish to report!"