The One Piece

Chapter 7

"Wait a minute, Vegapunk! If Ohara received a Buster Call because of that, that means people who learn about this..." Sanji trailed off, causing all of us to be alarmed at what it could mean.

"Yeah, they'll be killed." Shaka replied bluntly.

"GYAHHH!" Usopp held his head, crying out.

I let out a sigh, crossing my arms. "What's you think he was going to say? That we'd be invited to dine with the Celestial Dragons?" I glanced over at Usopp. "They'll silence anyone to make sure information doesn't get out."

"Hey! We didn't even ask! Why did you tell us about it?!" Sanji shouted at Shaka.

"Damn! I've heard it!" Usopp shouted. "I've heard it so... Let's forget it! I don't know anything!" Usopp fell back, smashing his head into the ground over and over. "I didn't hear anything! I don't know anything! I didn't hear a thing! Forget it!"

Shaka spoke up once more. "Calm down a little. I said it was just a theory."

"This is horrible! I don't want to die!" Usopp exclaimed as he stopped bashing his head.

"Now, Nico Robin." Shaka turned to look at Robin. "If Ohara was destroyed because of this theory, don't you think that means the Government has admitted it to be true?"

I glanced over at Robin, seeing the look on her face as it wavered slightly before hardening her gaze. Vegapunk. Whose side are you on anyway? The scholars of Ohara continued to study the valuable materials and made a theory... With a position as high as yours, should the Government tell you?"

"No, they didn't tell me anything..." Shaka told her. "The rule still stands. While I am affiliated with the Government, I'll be killed if I mention it."

"Like you just did..." I mumbled under my breath, placing a hand on my hip.

"Then I don't wanna know!" Usopp sprung up, shouting at Shaka. "This is like torture! Get me out of here!"

"Then how did you find out about the kingdom?!" Robson asked Shaka. "The books that Ohara acquired all over the world must be..."

"The will of Ohara lives on." Shaka replied. "That day, the world was thrown into confusion... Ohara, an academic island with the most advanced knowledge in the world, was destroyed overnight leaving just one girl behind... Ohara was accused of being an evil group of scholars plotting to overthrow the World Government."

I noticed Robin had a frown causing me to worry. "Robin?"

She knitted her eyebrows together, must be thinking back on that day as Shaka continued. "Several months after the incident, I visited Ohara. Because I knew the late Professor Clover, the archeologist czar, so I wanted to lay flowers."

"You knew him?!" Robin asked in surprise.

"Yeah. He was obsessed with the Hundred Year Void, and went on adventures to scour the world for documents about it. He was arrested by the Marines, and jailed ten times... And he became the most famous archeologist in the world. Eventually, scholars who were impressed by him came together at Ohara, and the island became the center for archaeology. You can say the tragedy occurred because he was talented."

That's the sad reality of the world we live in. The more you learn or find out about things from the past or that the Government tries so hard to hide. They are quick to act and take drastic measures to stop it from spreading... even wiping an island off the face of the earth.

Shaka had begun to walk back to the door he came in. "When I set foot on Ohara, the place was an absolute disaster. Even the Tree of Knowledge was burned to the ground, and it seemed like everything was reduced to ashes. But when I walked deeper into the island, I witnessed something astonishing. A vast amount of books of all kinds were submerged in the lake at the center of the island!"

———

To say we learned a lot of information was putting it lightly to say the least. The fact that the books of Ohara were saved by the giants of Elbaf and that was when the Revolutionary Army was founded. Meaning, all of Ohara's research still exists out there.

"Damn Iva... I didn't know he was a founding member of the Revolutionary Army." Sanji muttered out.

I nodded my head, placing a finger on my chin. "Yeah, the first impression he gave off didn't really scream 'founder of the Revolutionary Army' to me. Hell, I was shocked when I found out he was in the Revolutionary Army." I thought to myself. Once I did find out, it made sense why he went through such lengths to help and save Luffy during the war.

"Luffy's dad is so passionate!" Nami exclaimed, gripping her hands into fists.

"Wait a minute! Did you just say Elbaf?!" Usopp gasped out in surprise.

"I feel like my brain's gonna explode!" Franky cried out. "Why did Kuma help us?! Why did you modify Kuma? Vegapunk."

"I didn't know Dragon-San and Dr. Clover had such a relationship." Robin said, wiping the tears out of her eyes.

Ignoring Franky's question, Shaka explained once more. "The books of Ohara certainly should not be found by the Government... But I went to Elbaf in secret out of my own interest... And I read all the documents."

I widened my eyes as he said this. "Wait- you don't mean..."

Shaka looked in my direction, nodding as he pointed to his head. "So, the mystery of the world that Ohara unraveled lives on in my brain and I've been working on that research."

"Could I ask you something?" Robin spoke up. "That strange man with bandages all over his body... That captain of the Giants who hauled out the books from Ohara... The name of the Giant Captain is... Saul, isn't it?" Robin smiled, tears running down her face.

"He is hiding now." Was all Shaka replied with, confirming her question. "I must keep it a secret from everyone.

I smiled at Robin as she let out a relieved chuckle. I've never seen her as happy as she was in this moment, knowing the man that saved her life, who was thought to be dead, was still alive.

"Thank you, Vegapunk, for not letting the battle of the people of Ohara be in vain." Robin thanked as she wiped her tears away.

"I'm well versed in all branches of study. It's the way of a true scholar." The door Vegapunk stood in front of, opened up.

Hearing a noise, all of us looked to our feet. "What is it?" Nami asked.

Next thing I know, each of us began to move once more. "The shoes are moving on their own!" Usopp cried out as he was drugged across the floor.

"I can't release you guys but follow me. There's something I want to show you." Shaka said as we made our way down the hall.

———
Published: 04/12/2024