The next morning.
Inside the "Tree of Knowledge" on Ohara, in the Director's office of the Great Library.
An elderly man with distinctive clover-shaped hair and glasses was absorbed in a book when—KNOCK, KNOCK!—a frantic pounding came at the door.
"Doctor! Professor Clover!"
"What is all this commotion? What's happened?"
"A Marine ship has dropped anchor off the western coast! It's only one vessel, but we should be on alert just in case..."
"I see. Assemble the scholars immediately. It may be another inspection."
Professor Clover, the authority of the archeological world and leader of the scholars, closed his book and tucked it onto a shelf. He fell into a silent, grim meditation.
Clover was world-renowned for his contributions to culture, but his current source of anxiety was the secret research he and his team were conducting: the deciphering of the "Poneglyphs," the stone monuments inscribed with an ancient script.
By decoding them, they sought to bridge the "Void Century"—a hundred-year gap in recorded history.
Ordinarily, history is just history. But the World Government had declared the study of the Void Century or the ancient script a capital offense, punishable by death.
The official reason was that deciphering the stones could revive Ancient Weapons, but the scholars cared nothing for weapons; they were simply seekers of lost truth.
They knew the risks, and they were prepared to lose their heads for their work.
"This visit... perhaps a ship searching for Poneglyphs was captured elsewhere," Clover mused. "If they find a link to us, they will use it as an excuse to crush Ohara."
"Don't worry too much, Professor. It's not certain they're here for an investigation."
"I hope so. Regardless, tell everyone: stay away from the basement. Act as you always do. Do not give them a reason to be suspicious."
Encounter on the Hill
While the scholars were thick with tension, a meeting was taking place on a small hill a short distance from the village.
"Hello there, little lady."
"Who are you, mister?"
The "Dull Bear" had successfully intercepted the black-haired girl.
Rewinding time slightly: Krieg had landed on the western shore. He figured that since scholars are intellectuals, they likely wouldn't appreciate a display of brute force. Appearance is everything in diplomacy, so he decided to dress the part.
He left his heavy armor and his mace on the ship. Instead, he donned a sharp black three-piece suit under his Marine coat.
He sent two squads ahead toward the Tree of Knowledge to act as a formal vanguard, while he went to find Nico Robin.
He found her exactly where he'd seen her the day before: leaning against a tree, absorbed in a book.
How do I even start? He thought. A massive man approaching a lone child... if she screams for help, I'm done for.
Still, he couldn't just stand there. He approached and knelt down to bring himself closer to her eye level, which, considering he was 3 meters tall, still made him a giant.
"Hello there, little lady," he said in his best "non-threatening" voice.
The girl looked up from her book, her eyes wide. "...Who are you, mister?"
She had glossy, shoulder-length black hair, a simple sundress, and eyes that shimmered with intelligence. This was unmistakably a young Nico Robin.
Man, she looks sharp... wait, 'mister'? He shook off the minor blow to his ego.
"I'm a Marine from the Grand Line. My name is Krieg. What's your name?"
"Robin."
"Robin, huh? Do you like books?"
"Yes."
"That looks like a difficult one. Can you read it?"
"Yes."
"That's impressive. How old are you, Robin?"
"Six."
Six years old! Krieg's internal gears began to turn. If she was 28 during the Alabasta arc... that means we are currently twenty-two years before the start of the original story! He might be off by a year or two, but he finally had his timeline.
"Is that your book, Robin?"
"No, I borrowed it from the library. And I'm not 'little lady,' I'm Robin."
"My apologies, Robin. Do you go to the library often? I actually have some business with Professor Clover there."
"You're a guest of the Professor?"
"I'm hoping to meet him. Would you mind showing me the way?"
"Okay. This way."
Robin closed her book and stood up, leading the way toward the giant tree. As they walked through the village, Krieg noticed other children pointing and whispering. "Monster!" "Demon girl!"
"What are those kids talking about?" Krieg asked, narrowing his eyes.
"They think I'm creepy," Robin said matter-of-factly. She casually sprouted several extra arms from her shoulders like flower petals.
"Huh... the Hana Hana no Mi."
Robin paused, looking up at him. "Am I not creepy?"
"Not really. In the Navy, you see Devil Fruit powers all the time. It's not that rare. Kafu!"
WHIRRR-QUAAAK!
Kafu swooped down and landed on Krieg's outstretched arm.
"This guy has a power, too. Even though he's an animal."
"Whoa...!"
For a moment, the intellectual mask slipped. Robin's face flushed with excitement as she reached out, hesitatingly, to stroke Kafu's metallic feathers. In that moment, she looked exactly like what she was: a six-year-old girl.
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