area51novel Page 27
Page 27
Robin is eight years old.
She had grown taller and was no longer the frail little bean sprout that would fall over at the slightest breeze. Although she was still slender, her complexion was much rosier, and her eyes were more serene, carrying a unique temperament that had been nurtured by knowledge.
Life on the cliff had long become a habit. She would go to the Omniscient Tree during the day and return in the evening to eat a simple but satisfying meal with Liu Jiu, and then continue her reading under the lamp or the moon.
Liu Jiu remained silent, but occasionally, he would watch for a while when Robin practiced her "Hana Hana no Mi" (Flower-Flower Fruit) ability.
Her abilities became increasingly refined, no longer stemming from the initial uncontrolled terror, but rather flowing seamlessly into her control. She could precisely extend her arms within her field of vision, picking up books from afar or simultaneously flipping through several pages of documents.
That evening, after dinner, Liu Jiu didn't sit outside as usual, but instead called out to Robin, who was about to go read a book.
Robin walked over, somewhat puzzled.
Liu Jiu stood up and assumed a simple stance in front of her.
"Okay."
He spoke, then began demonstrating several extremely basic movements—blocking, sidestepping, punching, and sweeping kicks. The movements were not fast, but every detail exuded a simplicity and efficiency honed through countless hours of practice.
Robin paused for a moment. She watched Liu Jiu meticulously repeat those monotonous movements, but she didn't really enjoy it. She preferred the quiet ocean of knowledge; fighting and killing were too far removed from her.
But she didn't say it.
Her uncle taught her, ultimately for her own good.
She stood silently to the side, watching carefully and trying to remember the key points of each movement.
"Try it." Liu Jiu gestured to her after demonstrating.
Robin tried to imitate it awkwardly. Her movements were weak and feeble, and her posture was crooked.
Liu Jiu didn't say anything, but walked over and used his hands to correct the angle of her arms and legs, telling her where to put her strength.
His fingers were cool, the touch was brief, and there was no other meaning behind it.
"Practice every day." He said this and then ignored her, sitting down to the side.
From that day on, practicing self-defense became a regular activity for Robin after dinner.
She didn't really like it, but she was very obedient. Every day, she would diligently practice the movements Liu Jiu had taught her many times over on that flat rock. From her initial clumsiness to her later fluency, although she still lacked strength, her posture was already quite impressive.
Liu Jiu simply watched, occasionally offering a word or two of guidance, without saying much.
He knew she didn't like it.
But he also knew that in this world, especially in Ohara, knowledge alone was far from enough.
Some storms cannot be avoided by hiding in a pile of books.
He watched her grow up day by day, watching her immerse herself in the dust of history and the mysteries of words, her eyes clear and focused.
He also noticed that the frequency of the World Government ships appearing on Ohara Island seemed to have increased slightly.
There was a sense of oppressive tension in the air, like the impending storm.
That night, Liu Jiu sat alone on the edge of the cliff, looking at the silhouettes of several ships bearing the World Government flags that were faintly visible on the distant sea, his gaze deep.
Robin was already asleep, and the sound of her even breathing could be heard from inside the shed.
He calculated the time.
What should come will always come.
He gently stroked the hilt of the knife in his hand, feeling its cool touch.
The sea breeze howled, carrying a salty, fishy smell and a barely perceptible...smell of gunpowder.
The morning sea fog had not completely dissipated, casting a damp, cold white veil over the cliffs and sheds.
Robin got up early as usual and was preparing to pack his bag to go to the Omniscient Tree when Liu Jiu stopped him.
"I'm not going to the library today."
Robin stopped what she was doing, puzzled, and looked at Liu Jiu. Her uncle rarely interfered with her going to the library.
Liu Jiu didn't look at her; he was busy packing food and water into the long-unused bag.
"Pack your things." His tone was flat, devoid of emotion. "Take the important books with you."
Robin was stunned.
Packing? Taking books?
"Uncle...where are we going?" she couldn't help but ask, a vague sense of unease creeping into her heart.
Liu Jiu tightened the straps of his bag, finally raised his head, and looked past her towards the misty sea.
"Go to sea," he uttered.
Robin was completely stunned. Set sail? Leave Ohara?
Why? So suddenly?
She opened her mouth, wanting to ask why, but when she met Liu Jiu's calm yet unwavering eyes, all her questions got stuck in her throat.
She was used to obeying.
“…Oh.” She responded softly, suppressing the confusion and reluctance in her heart, and turned to walk into the shed to silently pack her things.
She had few clothes, only two old, patched dresses to change into. Most importantly, she possessed her most treasured books and notes—some of which she was allowed to borrow from professors, but most were historical texts and ancient writings that she had secretly copied down herself. She carefully wrapped them and placed them in a cloth bag.
When she walked out of the shed carrying a bulging cloth bag, Liu Jiu was already standing on the edge of the cliff, and he had dragged the small boat that hadn't moved for a long time to the water's edge.
The sea fog gradually dissipated, and sunlight pierced through the clouds, illuminating the sea and the outline of Ohara Island in the distance, as well as... several warships anchored outside the harbor, flying the World Government flag.
Robin followed Liu Jiu's gaze and saw the warships. He didn't understand why, but he could feel a sense of unease and foreboding.
Liu Jiu withdrew his gaze, looked at her, and explained succinctly:
"Go abroad for a year and broaden your horizons."
He didn't mention a world government or any potential disasters; he simply said, "Let's broaden our horizons."
But as Robin looked at his calm face and the ominous warships in the distance, the unease in his heart gradually subsided, turning into a vague understanding.
She nodded and didn't ask any more questions.
Liu Jiu jumped onto the small boat first and reached out his hand to her.
Robin handed him the cloth bag, then, holding his hand, awkwardly climbed onto the swaying boat.
Liu Jiu raised the small, old sail and adjusted the direction.
The sea breeze blew, billowing the sails, and the small boat slowly sailed away from the cliff where he had lived for many years.
Robin knelt at the bow of the boat and looked back.
As Ohara Island gradually shrank in the field of vision, the enormous canopy of the Omniscient Tree remained clearly visible, like a large, open, dark green umbrella.
There were her beloved books, the doctoral students who cared about her, and the vast world of knowledge she was just beginning to explore...
When will he return?
I feel a little empty inside, as if a piece of me has been ripped out.
But she didn't cry or make a scene.
She simply watched quietly until the island, which held so many of her complex memories, completely disappeared beneath the azure horizon.
She turned around and faced the vast expanse ahead.
The sea breeze blew in my face, carrying a sense of unfamiliarity and freedom.
Liu Jiu sat at the stern, steering the boat, gazing into the distance, as silent as ever.
Robin clutched her cloth bag tightly; it contained all her belongings and her emotional anchor.
Leaving was out of habit, following my uncle's arrangements.
Going to sea is to see a wider world.
As she watched Liu Jiu's composed figure disappear into the distance, the sadness and unease she felt were gradually replaced by a subtle anticipation for the unknown journey ahead.
At least, she wasn't alone.
Chapter 27 Nico Robin's Mother
An unnamed area of the sea.
The sky was overcast, with leaden clouds hanging low over the sea, as if they might collapse at any moment. The waves weren't turbulent, but they carried a heavy, somber force, lapping against the lone little boat in the water.
The boat was small, even more rudimentary than Liu Jiu's, almost just a few planks pieced together, and it was in danger of falling apart at any moment as it rose and fell with the waves.
There was only one woman on the ship.
Her clothes were tattered and stained with blackened blood and white marks from the sea. Her face and arms were covered with small wounds and bruises, and her lips were cracked and peeling. Yet her eyes burned like embers, carrying an almost obsessive determination and a deep weariness.
Nicole Olvia.
She couldn't remember how long she had been adrift at sea.
Moreover, the archaeological expedition team is likely to meet with a grim fate.
She barely escaped the World Government's CP's encirclement and capture, stole this tiny boat that could hardly be called a ship, and with her hazy memories and tenacious will to survive, struggled all the way to the West Sea, towards Ohara.
The food was long gone, and the fresh water was almost gone. Exhausted to the limit, they were only holding on by the will to "go home."
Return to Ohara, return to the Tree of Omniscience, return to... her daughter whom she had been separated from for many years.
She didn't even know what her daughter looked like now. When she left, Robin was so small and soft, only able to babble and reach out for a hug.
Endless guilt and longing clung to her heart like seaweed, suffocating her.
She has to go back.
Even just a glance.
To confirm that she is still alive, to confirm that she is... doing well.
A violent cough suddenly struck her, and she arched her back, coughing so hard it felt like her lungs were being torn apart, a metallic taste rising in her throat. She wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth with the back of her hand, raised her head, and looked out into the gray, misty distance.
The sea and sky blend into one, a despair that stretches to the horizon.
Her vision began to blur, and her consciousness flickered like a candle in the wind.
Just then, at the edge of her field of vision, a tiny black dot appeared.