The story was finished.
A brief silence fell over the beach.
Dr. Clover and Olvia looked at each other, their eyes filled with shock.
The Void Century... was that really the story?
The so-called Void Throne had actually been occupied long ago?
The World Government that claimed to have "no king" actually had a true king secretly manipulating everything from the shadows?
And all of this had been erased from history.
Dr. Clover took a deep breath.
The information Raiver had shared corroborated with the clues they had previously obtained from studying the Poneglyphs.
The logic was consistent and could explain many previously unanswered questions.
Additionally, the content recorded on the parchment Olvia had acquired today was largely the same.
However, that parchment only covered up to the establishment of the World Government by the twenty kings, without including Imu's story.
Now, Raiver finally stated his purpose:
"My request is—Imu's true identity and detailed information about the Devil Fruit she consumed."
He looked at Dr. Clover:
"Your Ohara is said to have a 5,000-year legacy, the world's largest library, housing ancient texts from across the globe.
You should be capable of researching this information from historical records, right?"
Knowing your enemy is key to defeating them. If they could uncover Imu's true identity and her Devil Fruit Ability, they might find a way to completely eliminate her.
What made Imu troublesome was not her formidable strength, but her immortality.
Even if they exhausted all efforts to destroy her body, she could still resurrect.
After hearing this, Dr. Clover remained silent for a moment, then nodded firmly.
"Since you are willing to protect our Ohara, we will spare no effort to fulfill your request."
Raiver shared his speculation:
"Imu's true identity and Devil Fruit Ability might be found within the Void Century, or perhaps in even earlier historical records."
"If Imu wasn't the first to consume that Devil Fruit, then the fruit must have appeared earlier in history.
After all, when a Devil Fruit user dies, the ability reappears elsewhere, forming a new fruit until the next person consumes it."
"You can use keywords like pentagram, immortality, and demon to search for information related to that fruit."
Dr. Clover carefully noted this down.
At that moment, Raiver raised his right hand, and a powerful Conqueror's Haki erupted from within him.
Instantly, the sky and earth changed color.
Bzzzt—!!!
Countless black and red lightning bolts crackled and raged across the sky!
The sea churned, and fierce winds howled!
Dr. Clover and Olvia widened their eyes, their bodies trembling uncontrollably.
They could feel the cataclysmic power swirling around them, yet it did not harm them.
Under their gaze, Raiver began storing this Conqueror's Haki.
He withdrew the countless black and red lightning bolts from the sky, condensing them in his palm.
The immense power, capable of destroying an entire island, gradually compressed and solidified in his hand.
In the end, it transformed into a small sphere.
The size of a quail egg.
Black and red all over.
Faint arcs of electricity danced on its surface.
Raiver handed this small sphere to Dr. Clover.
"This is my strongest Conqueror's Haki, stored within this sphere."
He explained:
"If you encounter danger, gently hold this sphere and imagine your enemies.
The sphere will release Conqueror's Haki, knocking the enemies unconscious."
"If one day, your research into the Void Century is discovered by the World Government, and Ohara Island is surrounded by Navy warships, on the verge of destruction—"
"Then crush this sphere with force, and it will ensure Ohara remains safe and sound."
Dr. Clover tremblingly extended both hands and took the sphere.
It was light, almost weightless.
But Dr. Clover knew that within this tiny sphere lay one of the most powerful forces in the world.
He couldn't help but swallow hard.
"Your Grace... this... this is too precious..."
"Keep it," Raiver said. "It would be best if you made it into a pendant and wore it around your neck."
Dr. Clover nodded solemnly.
He tightly gripped the sphere in his palm, then bowed deeply:
"Thank you, Your Grace!!"
Olvia also bowed alongside him.
Raiver looked at them and finally nodded.
"Go now. I await your good news."
...
One month later.
New Fish-Man Island had undergone earth-shaking changes.
One month ago, when the massive Space Gate opened in the plaza of Fish-Man Island, countless fish-men and mermaids passed through it with anxious hearts.
Then, they saw sunlight, flowers, and true land.
At that moment, countless people wept.
This was the first time the fish-man race truly possessed a "home on land."
Today, one month later, rows of houses had been built across the island.
Though not particularly luxurious, they were sturdy and warm enough.
The streets were lined with corals and undersea plants transplanted from Fish-Man Island, complementing the flowers, grass, and trees on land.
At the docks, fishing boats of various sizes were moored.
Some fish-men were busy unloading the day's catch, their smiles brighter than the sun.
In the plaza of Fish-Man Island, the massive Space Gate still stood tall.
Fish-men and mermaids came and went, some carrying luggage, others hauling goods.
Some simply passed back and forth, experiencing the wonder of moving from the seafloor to land and from land to the seafloor.
Dragon Palace City, observation deck.
King Neptune and Queen Otohime stood side by side, overlooking the busy and lively scene before them.
"I never imagined..."
Neptune murmured, his eyes filled with emotion.
"In just one month, over a third of our people have chosen to immigrate to New Fish-Man Island.
At this rate, in another six months, the number of immigrants will exceed half."
Otohime gently leaned against his shoulder, a relieved smile on her face.
"Fortunately, we received the help of His Majesty Raiver.
Otherwise, who knows how long it would have taken to realize the dream of fish-men living on land."
Neptune fell silent.
He recalled the history passed down orally by the successive kings of Fish-Man Island.
Eight hundred years ago, Joy Boy had also wanted to relocate Fish-Man Island to live on land.
He had made many efforts for this, but ultimately, he had not succeeded.
As an apology, he left an Apology Text for the mermaid princess of that time, carved into a massive stone.
That stone remains to this day in the restricted area of Fish-Man Island—the Sea Forest.
Neptune had imagined countless times what exactly happened eight hundred years ago that prevented even the legendary "Liberation Warrior" from fulfilling this wish.
And now, Raiver has accomplished it.
In the simplest, most direct way possible.
A single door.
That's all.