A few days after the secret meeting with the future Admirals, I left the "Beatrice" at a secure dock, crossed Mary Geoise, and requisitioned a warship from a branch on the other side. Now, I find myself sailing across the West Blue.
"I still don't quite understand, Captain. Why head for Ohara?"
The man asking was my new second-in-command, Lieutenant Rapanui Pasqua. He's a rugged, sun-tanned veteran with cool sunglasses and a wealth of naval experience.
"Fleet Admiral Kong mentioned something that caught my interest," I lied smoothly, sipping coffee while watching a mouse nibble a biscuit on my desk. "Just doing some due diligence."
KNOCK, KNOCK!
"Captain! Target island in sight! Please report to the bridge!"
I stood up. Ohara. The island of archeology, home to the "Tree of Knowledge," and the future site of the most tragic Buster Call in history.
If I can prevent it—or at least save the books and the people—I'll be massively changing history. Plus, I need to see Robin.
Her current age is the only "clock" I have to measure exactly how long I have until Luffy sets sail.
On the bridge, I took the telescope. There it was: the massive, ancient tree towering over the landscape.
"Lower all sails. We drop anchor here and wait for nightfall."
"We aren't landing, sir?" Rapanui asked.
"I have some scouting to do first. Activate the Video Transponder receiver. I'm sending Kafu in."
I walked to the deck and whistled. Kafu spiraled down and landed on my arm with a sharp cry. I checked the cameras and microphones mounted on his harness.
"Listen up, Kafu. Circle the island. Capture every angle of the coastline and the central tree. When you get back, there's a big bowl of minestrone waiting for you."
"QUAAAK!"
He took off, a streak of metallic feathers against the sky. God, I love how smart animals are in this world.
Shadow over the Library
Night fell, and the moon rose over a dark, silent sea. The borrowed Marine ship sat several kilometers offshore with its lights extinguished.
"Lieutenant, you have the watch," I said, adjusting my gear. "I'm going in alone."
"Is that wise, Captain? We could send a landing party."
"I need to be quiet. Just stay ready."
I wasn't wearing my usual steel armor or Marine coat. I was clad in a deep navy-blue infiltration suit with thick gloves, sturdy boots, and mechanical night-vision goggles pushed up on my forehead. I didn't even bring my mace—just a few pouches of gear.
I leaped into the air, using Geppo to kick my way toward the island. I landed silently in the upper branches of the Tree of Knowledge.
The library inside was dark, the scholars long since gone to bed. I closed my eyes and focused my Observation Haki.
One... two... a dozen presences in the basement levels.
"Going underground, huh? Figures," I whispered. I reached into a pouch and pulled out a small, grey mouse. "Alright, Ishizumi.
See that small hole by the window? Get in there and unlock the latch from the inside. Do a good job, and it's premium cheese for you back at the ship."
"SQUEAK!"
Ishizumi, the "Stone-Colored Mouse," scurried off. I'd spent months training the rodents on my ship out of boredom, and it turns out they're better than any high-tech drone for this kind of work.
A moment later—click. The window swung open. I retrieved Ishizumi, tucked him back into his pouch, and slipped inside.
The library was breathtaking even in the dark. Rows upon rows of books from every corner of the world. I pulled down my night-vision goggles.
Through the green-tinted lens, the scale of the collection was even more impressive. I moved like a ghost, my boots making zero sound on the wooden floor.
I needed to find the entrance to the basement—the place where they studied the Poneglyphs.
I let Ishizumi out again to sniff for drafts or hidden mechanisms while I scanned with my Haki. Suddenly, I felt a presence moving upward from below.
I scrambled up a bookshelf and pressed myself against the ceiling, using a vacuum-grip technique with my palms to stick to the wood like a gecko.
A hidden door behind a desk swung open. A man stepped out, looked around, and exited the main library. I waited until he was gone, then dropped down.
The "door" was just a bookshelf. I stared at the spines, trying to remember the sequence from the manga. Before I could guess, Ishizumi scurried over and began hopping between specific books.
Red, green, red, yellow, indigo, indigo, blue, green... and then red and yellow at the same time.
"SQUEAK!" Ishizumi nodded proudly.
"Good boy," I noted the sequence in my head but didn't open it. I didn't want to risk being caught tonight. I just needed the location and the method.
I slipped back out through the window. Before returning to the ship, I made one more stop. I scouted the path where I'd seen a young, black-haired girl walking earlier that day, and located the house where her relatives lived.
I have to talk to her tomorrow... I thought, looking at my reflection in a window. Between my 3-meter height and my rugged "Dull Bear" face, I wasn't exactly approachable.
I hope I don't make her cry. I've got a terrible track record with kids.
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