I,Akaino will not die easily

On the northwest coast of Ohara Island (Saul's hiding spot), there was no need for the ordinary person to climb high and gaze far.

Haguar D. Saul, relying on the excellent vision granted by the massive body of the Giant race, had already captured the faint and blurry silhouettes of warships in the distance.

As a former Vice Admiral of the Navy Headquarters, Saul couldn't help but break into a cold sweat.

Being a former insider, he was naturally familiar with the Navy Headquarters' methods.

The deployment of a fleet of this scale clearly wasn't a casual matter; it indirectly proved the Navy and the World Government's firm determination regarding this military operation.

"This is really bad..." The clearer his understanding of the combat power of this naval fleet before him, the more he could feel the fear.

At the base of the Tree of Omniscience in the center of the island, a group of government agents, all dressed uniformly in black suits and wearing gentleman's hats, was busy gathering scholars together while dispatching personnel to intensify their search of the library.

The ancient books, which people usually handled with utmost care to avoid damage, and the meticulously written manuscripts were casually tossed onto the floor.

As time passed, the destructive searches grew even more exaggerated. Tall bookshelves were toppled, raising clouds of dust.

Government agents kicked open one storage room after another, each containing rare and valuable ancient artifacts, leaving everything inside in complete disarray.

No one came to stop them because those who dared had already been detained outside.

Outside the library, the government agents responsible for supervision stood in a circle. The scholars were forced to sit on the ground, waiting for their trial.

The only one still standing within the circle was a thin, dark-skinned little girl whose height barely reached that of a seated adult.

"Robin, leave quickly. Go to the evacuation ship,"

urged the tall and thin elderly scholar, who remained calm despite being surrounded by dozens of flintlock rifles.

His peculiar hairstyle, resembling a clover, was highly recognizable no matter where he went.

Dr. Clover, a titan in the field of archaeology and an authoritative scholar, looked sincerely at the stubborn little girl in front of him.

"No!! Even on that ship, no one would be kind to me... I... I want to stay here with everyone! And besides, I'm just like everyone else—I'm also—"

"Robin!! That's enough. You must leave!!"

Dr. Clover abruptly raised his voice, cutting off the words the young Robin was about to blurt out.

If this little girl admitted here that she was also a scholar, even if the surrounding supervisors didn't believe that a skinny, dark-skinned eight-year-old could earn a doctorate and prove her status as a scholar, they would still, for safety's sake, detain her as well.

If that happened, things would really go south!!

Before Dr. Clover could say another word of persuasion, bursts of wild, arrogant laughter interrupted him.

"Wowahahaha, how's it going?!" Spandine, flanked by two CP9 elites on either side, loudly inquired of the personnel in charge of the library.

"Rest assured, sir!!"

Receiving the answer he wanted to hear, Spandine nodded in satisfaction. Looking at the group of scholars being held together, he deliberately spoke with feigned regret,

"Who would've thought... that there were still beasts lurking in the forests of this island? She nearly killed me!"

As if his emphasis wasn't enough, the scholars sitting on the ground had already noticed what Spandine's bodyguards were dragging along.

"Olvia!!!"

"!!!"

As Spandine's words fell, the CP9 member dragging Nico Olvia tossed her battered and bruised body harshly to the ground in front of them.

"Ugh..." The violent impact on the ground caused more blood to spill from Olvia's wounds. Nearly unconscious, she was painfully awakened by the sharp agony, letting out a faint groan of anguish.

Spending was brimming with smugness.

"She's a fugitive from the Navy. A few days ago, all her companions were executed for the crime of deciphering ancient scripts. If any of you have ties to this woman, things will become much easier."

Nico Robin turned her head to look at the woman lying lifelessly on the ground. Her impression of the World Government grew even worse.

"How cruel, even to women..."

Having spent her life without seeing much of her mother, who had been abroad for research, Robin didn't even remember what she looked like. Naturally, she didn't know that the battered woman before her was the mother she had longed to meet. The young Robin wasn't aware, but the scholars around her were fully cognizant:

"We can't let this child witness her mother's death before her own eyes!! Absolutely not!!"

The scholars' thoughts were unusually unified. Determined, Dr. Clover called out to Robin in a hurried yet stern tone,

"Robin! Quickly go to the evacuation ship! Hurry!" Otherwise, it'll be too late—this resolute old man silently added this final thought.

Hearing the name "Robin," the nearly unconscious Nico Olvia regained her awareness. She strained to lift her head, her chin pressing against the grass as she looked at the daughter who didn't recognize her.

"She's grown so much..." Olvia thought.

"Boom!!" A violent noise erupted from a corner of the Tree of Omniscience's roots. The explosion's firelight and smoke abruptly shattered everyone's train of thought.

"Bastards!!" "What do you think this library is?!"

"What are you doing?! Stop it!!" The scholars' furious shouts rose in succession.

Even Dr. Clover, who had mentally prepared for the worst, couldn't help but sweat anxiously. "Such barbarity!! I never imagined it would go this far!!"

"Brr-brr-brr-brr..." The Number 9 Den Den Mushi suddenly rang. Spandine picked up the receiver. "Hello!"

"Sir, we've made a discovery! There's a secret room underground. Inside, there's a giant stone suspected to be a Poneglyph, along with research notes on ancient scripts!"

Clack! Spandine slammed the receiver down and sneered. His already sinister face now resembled a demon straight out of hell.

"Hahaha! Scholars of Ohara, your death sentence is confirmed!! Today, it's truly unfortunate that the world's foremost archaeologists will all perish here together!!"

In the waters near Ohara, ten warships had already completed their formation.

"Vice Admiral Sakazuki, the formation is complete."

"Has the order been given?"

"Still waiting!"

Sakazuki gazed toward the Tree of Omniscience, lost in thought. How could he maintain a low profile while staying on the sidelines for now?

In the original story, Akainu was criticized for, among other reasons, his decision to bombard the evacuation ship during the Buster Call, leading to the deaths of all civilians who had boarded from Ohara.

This showcased his philosophy of "Absolute Justice."

However, modern reincarnators, influenced by the age of information explosion and various ideologies, found themselves unable to be so ruthless.

What Sakazuki needed now was to come up with a reasonable excuse to maneuver and create leeway for himself, without obstructing the mission of the Buster Call.

"Get me in touch with Vice Admiral Kuzan."

"Yes, Vice Admiral Sakazuki."

"....."

".....Hello, Sakazuki?" Kuzan's lazy voice came through the receiver.

"It's me. I'll need your help with the next step of the operation...."