The books from the Tree of Knowledge were quickly taken by Claudius and his crew. Once he had what he came for, Claudius decided he wouldn't get further involved in the events about to unfold on Ohara. The rest was bound to get messy, and he preferred to avoid the hassle.
Walking toward the port with Spandine, Claudius observed as CP-9 agents and Marine soldiers kept tight control over the scholars who had been detained in the Tree of Knowledge. It was only a matter of time before they discovered the ancient text hidden beneath the tree.
Following behind them, Stussy held onto little Robin, who kept looking back, clearly distressed. Just as they neared the port, Robin spotted a familiar figure in the distance, one she'd only seen in faint memories, but that still held a place in her heart. She watched as the woman hurried towards the Tree of Knowledge, looking frantic.
Claudius noticed too and raised an eyebrow. The woman had silver hair and a sharp, fox-like expression—distinctly resembling Robin's future self. This must be Nico Olvia, Robin's mother.
Spandine saw her as well and let out an angry shout. "Nico Olvia!!!"
"Mom!" Robin cried out, her voice high with emotion. She didn't need any more confirmation after hearing Spandine's outburst. That was her mother.
Olvia stopped in her tracks as she heard Robin's voice, her eyes widening in shock as she looked at her daughter in the arms of strangers. She didn't know why Robin was with these people, had they captured her to use as leverage?
"Mom?" Spandine glanced between Robin and Olvia, putting the pieces together.
Claudius watched in silence for a moment before giving Stussy a small nod. Stussy understood and released Robin's hand, letting her run over to her mother. Robin flung herself into Olvia's arms, and the two embraced tightly, Olvia's face streaked with tears as she held her daughter close.
Spandine, his irritation momentarily masked by curiosity, glanced at Claudius. "She is the fugitive from Marine."
Feigning ignorance, Claudius asked, "Is that so?"
Spandine quickly confirmed. "Yes, it was because of her that we were able to confirm Ohara's suspicions in the first place."
Claudius nodded. "Well, it looks like you have your hands full here. I'll leave you to it. I'm heading back to Mariejois."
"Understood, Your Highness," Spandine replied, almost too eager to please.
Claudius continued, "Once everything's wrapped up here, make sure to finish your work at CP-9 and bring Robin to me in Mariejois. Oh, and don't forget to bring Lucci as well."
Spandine nodded eagerly, his face lighting up with the prospect of a promising future under Claudius. "Yes, Your Highness! I'll arrange everything. I also have some capable subordinates in CP-9… I was wondering if…"
Claudius waved a hand, signaling he wasn't particularly bothered. "If you think they're up to the task, bring them along. I'm assigning you to set up a specialized intelligence division similar to CP's structure under CP-X. You'll be responsible for it."
Spandine was visibly thrilled. "Thank you, Your Highness! I promise to serve you well. Once I finish up matters here, I'll report to Mariejois without delay!"
Claudius nodded, his expression one of mild approval. "I'm counting on you."
Satisfied, Claudius turned and walked away with Stussy and the rest of his entourage, leaving Robin and Olvia to share a final moment together. As far as he was concerned, Robin was in no danger. His own orders and Spandine's presence were enough to ensure her safety.
Watching Claudius disappear from view, Spandine turned his attention back to Olvia. In another scenario, he would have treated her as any other fugitive, capturing or eliminating her without a second thought. But now, knowing she was the mother of the child Claudius seemed to have taken an interest in, he hesitated. He didn't want to risk offending the young Celestial Dragon.
Is this some kind of test from His Highness? Spandine thought, overanalyzing the situation. After a brief pause, he muttered to himself, Maybe I'll just detain her instead of executing her outright. That way, the World Government gets their prize, and Claudius's protégée doesn't lose her mother completely. Everyone wins.
Unaware of Spandine's internal conflict, Claudius had already boarded his ship, the Prometheus. As the ship pulled away from Ohara, he walked briskly towards the library that had been constructed onboard. The sight of row after row of books lining the shelves brought a genuine smile to his face.
The library was nearly two-thirds full, filled with the rescued knowledge from the Tree of Knowledge. Claudius was thrilled, picking up a random volume and skimming through its contents. The book contained information he had never encountered before, insight into different cultures, ancient records, and mysteries lost to time.
"'The History of the Land of Flowers,' 'The Fairies of Dressrosa,' 'Nefertari, the Descendants of the Twenty Kings'..." he murmured, reading off the titles. A spark of excitement lit in his eyes.
The depth and range of these records were astounding, covering the histories of countless nations and regions. It truly was a treasure trove of human culture and knowledge.
"With all this," Claudius muttered to himself with satisfaction, "I could train an entire generation of scholars… ones who'll be loyal to me."
The Prometheus sailed further from Ohara's shores as Claudius continued his exploration of the library. Nia walked in quietly, carrying a steaming cup of tea, and smiled when she saw her master's enthusiasm.
"Your Highness, would you care for some tea?" she offered.
"Ah, Nia," Claudius said, taking the cup from her with a grin. "What do you think? Isn't this library magnificent?"
Nia looked around, clearly impressed. "Indeed, Your Highness. I just didn't expect that even the entire Tree of Knowledge couldn't completely fill these shelves."
Claudius chuckled. "True. We should keep adding to this collection. If we come across more rare books or even records from other races—like from Fish-Man Island—we'll bring those in as well."
They chatted a bit longer about future plans for the library. Then, a thought struck Nia, and she hesitated before voicing it. "Your Highness… as we left the port, I noticed Marine and the CP agents were organizing some evacuation vessels. Do you think they're… planning to do something drastic?"
Claudius took a thoughtful sip of tea. "And which Vice Admirals are leading the Buster Call this time?"
Nia replied, "It's Kuzan, Sakazuki, Onigumo, Strawberry, and Doberman, if I'm not mistaken."
Claudius sighed, the weight of realization settling in. "Well, that's quite the lineup."
"Hm? What do you mean, Your Highness?" Nia asked, slightly puzzled.
Claudius didn't answer directly. Instead, he glanced back at the distant shores of Ohara. In the quiet that followed, faint sounds of explosions and cannon fire reached their ears, echoing over the water.
***
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