A slightly flashy pirate ship sailed across the calm seas of the West Blue. The fierce skull symbol on its sail had been split in two by a clean sword slash, and the torn fabric now drooped listlessly in the wind.
On the ship's figurehead, Aaron Kyle lay stretched out, completely at ease. Nearby, Dracule Mihawk was meticulously wiping his black blade, Yoru. Squatting by the ship's rail, Gecko Moriah finally broke the silence with his unique, grating laugh.
"Gehehehe! Hey, Kyle, why are we going to Ohara?" Moriah turned around, his face a mask of confusion. "That place is full of nothing but a bunch of bookworms and archaeologists. What's so fun about that? Is there some kind of treasure hidden there?"
Hearing this, Mihawk paused in his task, his sharp, hawk-like eyes turning toward Kyle. He didn't say a word, but his gaze clearly asked the same question.
"Well, don't be in such a hurry," Kyle's lazy voice drifted out from under the straw hat covering his face. "I'm taking you to see a special, limited-time attraction." A fleeting thought crossed his mind of great towers he'd once seen fall. Some sights, once missed, were gone forever.
Meanwhile, in the bottom hold of the ship, a group of bruised and swollen pirates huddled together, trembling. This was their ship, but now they didn't even dare to breathe too loudly.
A first mate with one eye lowered his voice and spoke to his captain, who was cowering in the corner. "Captain, there are still over fifty of us, and there are only three of them! We should ambush them when they're not looking and just swarm them..."
Slap!
Before he could finish, the captain smacked him hard on the back of the head, hitting him with enough force to nearly pop his remaining eyeball out.
"Have you lost your mind, you idiot?!" the captain hissed, gritting his teeth in frustration. "Did you get a good look at who those three are?!"
He tremblingly pointed a finger up toward the deck. "The one lying down is Aaron Kyle, the 'Wave Guiding King,' who walked away from Marineford without a scratch! The one with the sword is the famous rookie, 'Hawkeye' Dracule Mihawk! And that huge guy is 'Moonlight' Moriah, the one who can control shadows!"
The captain grew more agitated as he spoke, spit flying from his mouth. "Any one of those three could take us, this ship, and everything on it and feed us to the Sea Kings! You want to sneak attack them? What are you gonna use, your eyeball?!"
The one-eyed first mate was stunned silent by the shouting. Cold sweat instantly soaked his back. He took a shaky breath and collapsed to the floor, muttering with lingering fear, "Just being the boatmen for these three gentlemen is the greatest honor of our lives... Just surviving is a victory... As expected of our wise and powerful captain!"
A few days later, the island of Ohara, the "Island of Knowledge," came into full view. It was a beautiful, green island. In its center, a colossal tree rose from the ground, so massive it seemed to connect the heavens and the earth. This was the world-renowned "Tree of Omniscience." The air was filled with the scent of old books and fresh plants, a stark contrast to the smell of gunpowder and blood that usually followed pirates.
"Gehehehe, it really is a peaceful place," Moriah commented, which was a rare observation for him.
Mihawk, on the other hand, just looked up at the giant tree, a flicker of awe flashing in his eyes. Kyle half-wondered if he was thinking about trying to cut it down.
Kyle led the other two on a stroll through the town. He bought a local specialty, takoyaki, and shared it with them. Moriah ate them one after another with great enjoyment, while Mihawk tasted his more delicately, though his eyes seemed to say, "This isn't bad."
People bustled through the streets. Scholars walked by in deep discussion, holding thick books, while children played by the roadside, their faces bright with happy smiles. Everything seemed so peaceful and beautiful. And soon, all of it would be utterly destroyed by merciless cannon fire. Under the Buster Call, there would be no survivors.
Kyle casually led the two down a quiet path until they arrived at an open, grassy field. The afternoon sun was warm, and a gentle breeze made the grass rustle. At the edge of the field, a small figure sat all alone.
It was a little girl, no older than eight. Her black hair was a bit messy, and her skin was pale, as if she didn't get enough to eat. She was holding a book that was thicker than her entire upper body, reading with such focus that she didn't notice the three men approaching.
Nico Robin.
Kyle stopped walking. Moriah and Mihawk followed his gaze, and a hint of surprise appeared on their faces. It was strange to see a child reading all by herself in a place like this.
Perhaps it was their shadows falling over her, blocking the sunlight, that finally made little Robin look up. When she saw the three "uninvited guests" standing before her, her clear eyes instantly filled with panic and suspicion.
One was a dark-haired man who looked cynical but carried himself like a nobleman. Another was a swordsman with eyes as sharp as a hawk, giving off an aura that warned everyone to keep their distance. And the last one... was an unusually tall, frightening-looking giant. These were not people from her town.
Little Robin's first instinct was to run. She snapped the book shut, hugged it tightly to her chest, and scrambled to her feet, turning to flee into the nearby woods. Years of being called a "monster" by other children and pushed away by adults had made her terrified of strangers.
Kyle watched her go, sighing to himself. Even on an island dedicated to knowledge, you could still find ignorance. All because she had eaten the Flower-Flower Fruit, this child, who should have been laughing and playing in the sun, was treated like a monster and forced to live in the shadows of loneliness.
Just as Robin's small figure was about to disappear into the trees, Kyle spoke in the gentlest voice he could manage.
"Little Robin, wait a moment."
His voice wasn't loud, but it carried clearly to her ears. The girl's steps came to an abrupt halt. Her entire body froze.
He… how does he know my name?
Were they sent by the scholars? Or were they just another group of adults who wanted to chase her away for being a monster? Fear and confusion battled inside her small heart. She didn't turn around, but her little shoulders trembled slightly as she hesitated, unsure if she should keep running or not.
Kyle didn't move any closer, making sure to keep a safe distance. He put a harmless, friendly smile on his face.
"That book looks very interesting," he said softly. "Can you tell me its name?"
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