At the port of Ohara, Spandine stood in stunned silence as a line of heavily armed soldiers moved stacks of books from the island onto a large ship anchored nearby.
"Who are these people? And what the hell are they doing?" Spandine muttered, glancing questioningly at a subordinate beside him.
The subordinate quickly responded, "Sir Spandine, I heard it's His Highness Claudius who's on the island."
Spandine felt a pang of dread. The presence of Celestial Dragons complicated everything. Even though he hadn't seen this particular ship before, the flag it bore was unmistakable, no one in their right mind would dare interfere.
"Why didn't anyone inform me sooner?!" Spandine snapped, masking his unease. "Get moving, take me to him at once!"
Meanwhile, inside the Tree of Knowledge, Claudius was gazing around in awe at the massive, hollowed-out tree that served as Ohara's legendary library. Shelves upon shelves of ancient tomes and scrolls stretched up to the ceiling, housing humanity's forgotten cultures and wisdom. The sheer volume of knowledge amassed here was breathtaking.
As he observed, Stussy approached quietly, stopping beside him. "Your Highness, our men have found the renegade Giant Vice Admiral—Jaguar D. Saul—hiding on the west coast."
Claudius glanced at her and nodded. "I see."
"Do you wish for him to be apprehended?" Stussy inquired.
Claudius shook his head dismissively. "Let's not get sidetracked. The priority right now is to evacuate all these books from the Tree of Knowledge. Also, hand me the Den Den Mushi."
Stussy handed over the Den Den Mushi she carried, and Claudius dialed a number. After a few rings, a lazy voice picked up, sounding as though the speaker had just been woken up.
"Kuzan?" Claudius greeted with a slight smile.
At that moment, Kuzan was lying sprawled out on the deck of a warship stationed around Ohara, a sleep mask pushed up onto his forehead. Recognizing the voice on the line, he seemed a bit surprised.
"Your Highness Claudius?"
"That's me," Claudius replied with a grin.
"So… you're actually on Ohara?" Kuzan asked, amused.
"Of course. If you're all planning to blow this place to pieces, someone has to be here to rescue these precious artifacts before they're lost forever. You know me, always looking out for the world's cultural treasures," Claudius joked.
Kuzan chuckled. "I didn't think of that angle."
"Well, I didn't call to discuss my library. Sengoku requested that CP-X assist Marine with a certain… problematic situation. Specifically, your wayward friend, Jaguar D. Saul. If I remember correctly, you two were close, right?"
Kuzan fell silent, clearly uncomfortable. After a moment, he admitted, "Yes… Saul and I are good friends. We've been through a lot together."
"Then I'll leave his fate in your hands," Claudius said quietly.
There was a pause before Kuzan replied, "Wait… does that mean… you know where he is?"
"He's on Ohara, hiding in the forest along the western coastline. But it's not my place to interfere in Marine matters. That's between you and him," Claudius said, his tone carefully neutral.
"Thank you, Your Highness," Kuzan replied solemnly. "I'll handle it."
As they hung up, Claudius looked down at the phone worm, musing to himself. "Was that too harsh? After all, they are friends…"
Stussy, who had overheard, gave a small smile. "I think Your Highness was quite considerate. Precisely because they're friends, you gave Kuzan the chance to settle this himself."
"Maybe," Claudius murmured, before his attention shifted to Dr. Clover, who was walking towards him, holding the hand of a young girl with short, dark hair. The girl looked around in confusion, clearly unsure of what was happening.
"Nico Robin," Claudius whispered to himself.
"Hm? Did you say something, Your Highness?" Stussy asked, not quite catching his words.
"Nothing important," Claudius replied, smiling faintly.
Dr. Clover approached him and spoke in a calm, yet urgent tone. "Your Highness Claudius, I see that you're a man who values culture and knowledge. Otherwise, you wouldn't be here, trying to save these books. So… I have a request."
"Go on," Claudius said, nodding.
Clover took a deep breath. "I'd like to entrust this child to your care. Her name is Nico Robin. She's a gifted child, with an insatiable curiosity for knowledge and culture."
He didn't mention that Robin was already an accomplished scholar in her own right, despite being only eight years old. To him, she was like a granddaughter, and now, in these final moments, he wanted to ensure her safety.
Claudius looked at Clover, slightly bemused. This was the same man who'd resisted him only moments before, yet now he was entrusting a child to his care. The irony was not lost on him.
"And why, exactly, should I accept this request?" Claudius asked, his tone softer than his words.
Clover hesitated, then replied, "I noticed Your Highness has a deep respect for books and knowledge. Surely a grand library like yours could use a skilled caretaker. Robin has spent her whole life here in the Tree of Knowledge, she knows these books inside and out. I believe she could be of great help to you, guiding you through the collection, finding whatever you need with ease."
Claudius was silent, looking at Clover for a long moment before his gaze dropped to Robin. The little girl was watching them with wide, apprehensive eyes, uncertain but trusting in her mentor.
Finally, Claudius let out a small smile. "You make a compelling argument."
Clover's shoulders slumped with relief, a small smile of gratitude crossing his face. For him, Claudius was Robin's best chance of survival. Despite her young age, she was already a true Ohara scholar, and he wanted a piece of Ohara to live on, even if it had to be through her.
He knelt down beside Robin, speaking softly. "Robin, I've entrusted you to this gentleman. His status is very high, he'll keep you safe. From now on, stay close to him, do as he says, and don't cause any trouble, alright?"
Robin looked at him with teary eyes. "What about you, Grandpa Clover?"
Clover forced a gentle smile. "I'm staying here in Ohara, my dear."
"But… I want to stay too," Robin said, her voice trembling.
He hugged her tightly, whispering in her ear, "Robin… from now on, you are Ohara."
Claudius gave them a moment, his gaze drifting back to the diminishing rows of books. Just then, an overly familiar, sycophantic voice grated on his ears.
"Your Highness, there you are!"
Claudius turned to see Spandine hurrying over, practically tripping over himself in his eagerness.
"Hahaha, Spandine," Claudius greeted him with a knowing smile. "Looks like you're the CP lead for this operation?"
Spandine, ever obsequious, nodded rapidly. "Yes, thanks to Admiral Sengoku's recommendation, I was assigned as the overseer for this Buster Call. Quite an honor."
"Well, do a good job and it might get you some recognition back in Mariejois," Claudius replied, nodding.
Spandine laughed nervously, quick to agree. Then, after a moment of hesitation, he cautiously asked, "If I may… Your Highness, what exactly are you…?"
"Oh, this?" Claudius gestured to the books being loaded onto his ship. "I'm simply salvaging some of these cultural artifacts. No need for you to concern yourself, go ahead and complete your mission."
Relief flooded Spandine's face. "Of course, Your Highness. Thank you for clarifying."
Just as Spandine was about to turn away, Claudius spoke up again, as if remembering something. "By the way, Spandine, have you ever considered a position in CP-X?"
Spandine's eyes widened in shock, his face lighting up with excitement. "Your Highness… are you serious? A chance to serve directly under you?"
Claudius clapped a hand on Spandine's shoulder, smiling in that charming yet unreadable way. "I've always appreciated your skills and loyalty. I think you'd fit right in."
In that moment, Spandine's mind whirled with thoughts of his impending success. There was only one thought echoing in his head: I'm about to make it big!
***
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