I,Akaino will not die easily

Dr. Clover!!? Will everyone die? You're lying, right!? It's just because of deciphering ancient characters!!?" The young Nico Robin stared in panic at Dr. Clover, the elderly scholar who was always smiling kindly, the man she regarded as a grandfather.

She desperately hoped that this old man, who usually leaped out from behind his mountain of books with a bright smile, would once again tell her this wasn't real.

Spandine finally noticed the thin, dark-skinned little girl in the room. His instinctive thoughts told him she was yet another of those kids on this island, captivated and awed by scholars, much like the rest of the island's residents who held these academics in near-religious reverence. They even called them "the pride of this island."

But when he heard this little girl's "naive" question, Spandine, usually arrogant and conceited, felt his anger boil over. These "ignorant, ungrateful, and disrespectful" islanders had been provoking the authority of the government over and over again.

First, by sheltering these scholars for so many years; then, by questioning the government's decisions; and now, even this little brat was brazenly—instead of asking him, a high-ranking officer representing the World Government's authority, she turned her question to their prisoner.

Spandine's veins bulged with rage as he roared, "Listen well, you stupid girl!! These people's goal is to awaken the Ancient Weapons and destroy humanity!!" He expected to see shock plastered across the small girl's face. Instead, what greeted him was her shouting back, full of resolve, "Liar!! They would never do something like that!!"

"That's enough, Robin. There's no reasoning with them anyway," said Dr. Clover, who had been unusually silent since the secret room containing the historical texts had been discovered.

Spandine exploded, "What did you just say?!"

"Communication is connected, sir," a CP9 subordinate discreetly reminded their incompetent superior, urging him to mind his tone. After all, the person on the other end of the Den Den Mushi was among the highest-ranking figures of authority.

Taking advantage of Spandine's momentary distraction, Dr. Clover bent down to whisper to Robin, "Robin, leave here immediately! If you hear what I'm about to say, it will make you guilty too!"

As Robin quietly ran off, the elderly scholar, who had been sitting cross-legged, slowly stood up. He straightened his back, his gaze sharp as he stared directly at Spandine, who instinctively averted his eyes.

"Is the only thing the government fears really just the Ancient Weapons themselves? At least let me speak with the Five Elders—the leaders of this world. Here, on this sacred land of archaeology, Ohara, despite not reaching our ultimate goal, we have formed a hypothesis about the history of the [Void Century]. I must tell them!!"

Spandine ignored Dr. Clover and turned instead to the Den Den Mushi, adopting a tone of obsequious flattery as he reported his achievement: "...Yes, it's confirmed as a capital crime. The evidence is irrefutable. Just awaiting your order."

"So, it's as we thought," replied the Five Elders. Their room was spacious and well-lit, devoid of extravagant decoration. The eldest of them, with hair cascading down like a waterfall, spoke with a trace of regret in his voice, "That's unfortunate. We're truly sorry, but you've violated the laws of the world, and we can't stand idly by."

"Stop your hypocritical pretense, Five Elders!!" Dr. Clover interrupted sharply.

Spandine's eyes widened in disbelief. "Insolent wretch! How dare you speak to the world's highest authorities like that!!"

The Five Elders remained calm. "Dr. Clover of Ohara, a renowned authority on archaeology, your contributions to the world's culture have been great. I know your name… but I never thought you'd walk this path."

Dr. Clover's voice was firm. "History is humanity's collective treasure. No one has the right to stop people from seeking the truth about the past!"

"Reading the Poneglyphs could lead to the revival of Ancient Weapons, plunging the world into crisis! Even if you mean no harm, others might exploit your findings!" the Five Elders countered.

"No matter what happened in the past, it was created by humanity. Everyone must face it! As long as we confront it bravely, we can overcome anything!"

"That's just your personal theory!!!"

"Is it? Or is it that you fear the truth of history will harm your position?"

The Den Den Mushi perfectly relayed the expressions on the other end, and though the Five Elders' faces remained composed, a flicker of shock in their eyes was unmistakable.

Dr. Clover continued, "The content of the Poneglyphs speaks for itself, but their very existence has a purpose. Why did people of the past go to such lengths to carve their knowledge into stone and pass it down? Carving history onto the indestructible stone and scattering it worldwide was to prevent it from being destroyed along with paper records!

"If the people who left these stones were eradicated, their enemies would continue to live on in history. And the strange coincidence is that the end of the [Void Century] was precisely the year the World Government was formed."

The atmosphere grew tense. After a moment of silence, one of the Five Elders asked with a peculiar tone, "What are you trying to say?"

Dr. Clover, sharper than ever, declared, "If the enemies of the [vanished people] are today's World Government, then the [Void Century] is the history they've been covering up!! Studying the ancient texts revealed evidence of a nation—though it no longer exists.

Before being defeated by the World Government's alliance, they engraved their philosophy and the truth of history into the stones."

His words grew increasingly pointed.

"The existence and ideology of that kingdom are the real threats to your World Government! The specific threat remains to be deciphered, but the key to it all is the name of that once-prosperous kingdom—"

"Kill him!!" the Five Elders barked.

Before Dr. Clover could finish, Spandine pulled the trigger, silencing the scholar with a gunshot.

"Doctor!!" Robin, who had been watching from afar with her Devil Fruit ability, cried out and rushed toward him.

"Ohara knows too much. Signal the attack. Don't let anyone escape," the Five Elders commanded, ending the call.

Spandine took out a golden Den Den Mushi, polished as if cast from pure gold, and pressed it decisively.

"Then I'll activate the Buster Call Admiral Sengoku entrusted to me. The rest is up to you all... Buster Call!!"

Lying on the ground, bleeding profusely, Dr. Clover's trembling voice scolded the girl at his side, "Robin, you fool! Why haven't you run yet? Go! Go now!!"

On the naval warships, the silver Den Den Mushi, designed to receive the golden one's signal, suddenly rang. "All ships, prepare to fire!"

With his final orders given, Sakazuki crouched low, legs bent as if in a horse stance, gathering power. A thunderous burst echoed across the deck as he launched himself toward Ohara, the force of his jump causing cracks in the ship's planks.

The Buster Call had begun.