"Where… am I?"
Olvia slowly opened her eyes and found herself lying on a soft bed inside a small wooden house.
"I'm… not in Ohara?" she whispered, her memory flooding back in fragments. "Oh right… I was supposed to be killed back then…"
She remembered the flames, the bombardment, the cries. The World Government had issued a Buster Call to erase Ohara and its scholars for researching the forbidden Void Century.
"You're awake," came a calm voice.
Kaoru Tsubasa walked in, carrying a bowl of steaming fish soup and some grilled fish on a wooden plate.
He had wanted to prepare something better for her, but after the Navy's attack, Ohara had been reduced to ashes—nothing was left but scorched earth. Kaoru had already deduced that within a month, the entire island would sink beneath the sea.
"You are…?"
Olvia's expression hardened as she noticed the pure white mask covering Kaoru's face. Her body tensed. "Are you with CP?!"
Across the seas, only Cipher Pol agents wore white masks like that. Pirates wouldn't dare use one—it was the symbol of the World Government's assassins.
Kaoru sighed, setting down the food. "You really think you'd still be lying here safe and sound if I were CP?"
Olvia hesitated. That… made sense. If he were truly one of them, she'd already be in chains or dead. The thought made her cheeks flush slightly with embarrassment.
"Alright, eat," Kaoru said softly. "You've just recovered. Your body's still weak—take it easy."
She nodded and picked up the bowl. The warmth of the soup comforted her more than she expected.
Just as Kaoru was about to leave, Olvia called out, "Wait!"
He paused, turning back slightly. He already knew what she wanted to ask.
"H–How… how is Ohara?"
Kaoru looked at her for a moment, then said quietly, "This is Ohara."
Olvia froze. "What?"
She rushed past him and ran outside without even thinking about her frail condition.
The moment she stepped out, her heart shattered.
"What… what happened here?" she whispered, her voice trembling.
All she saw was blackened soil and burnt ruins. Even the Tree of Knowledge, the heart of Ohara, had been reduced to ashes.
Kaoru followed her outside silently.
"The Demon-Slaying Order really… destroyed everything," Olvia murmured, falling to her knees.
Her voice broke as she looked around in disbelief. "Then… are there any survivors? Anyone at all?"
She still held onto a faint hope. Before losing consciousness, she had placed her daughter—Nico Robin—on a lifeboat and prayed she'd escape.
Kaoru finally spoke, his tone steady. "Yes. A little girl was rescued by Vice Admiral Kuzan."
Olvia's head snapped up. "A little girl…? What did she look like?"
"She looked a lot like you," Kaoru said.
Tears welled up in Olvia's eyes. "Robin… it's Robin!" Her hands trembled as relief flooded through her. "Thank goodness… thank goodness she's safe…"
The next day, Kaoru stood by the shore, looking out at the calm sea.
"So, you want to leave Ohara with me?" he asked.
Olvia nodded. "Yes. But I want to see Robin."
Kaoru hesitated. He had already told her about Robin's fate—how the girl would live a harsh but extraordinary life. He'd even sent someone to watch over her from the shadows.
"I know," Olvia said quietly, reading his thoughts. "I won't disturb her path. But I at least want to see her… just once."
Kaoru nodded slightly. "Alright. Let's go."
He reached into his system space and pulled out a sailing ship, which expanded in a flash of light and settled onto the sea.
Olvia's eyes widened. "Your ability… it's incredible. You can create things out of thin air?"
Kaoru only smiled faintly and didn't answer.
Though he could fly, Olvia couldn't—and without the Wind Ring, sailing was their only option.
A few days later, they reached the island Vice Admiral Kuzan had directed Robin to.
There, in a quiet corner of the island, a small figure sat hidden among the rocks—Robin, her tiny shoulders trembling.
Olvia's heart ached at the sight. Every instinct screamed for her to rush forward and hold her daughter.
"Olvia," Kaoru said, stopping her gently.
He shook his head. "If you appear before her now, both of you will be hunted. The World Government won't rest until you're both dead."
Olvia clenched her fists but slowly nodded. "You're right… I'll wait until she's grown. I can't risk her life."
Kaoru smiled faintly beneath his mask. "That's the right choice."
"Let's go," he said, and the two quietly left the island, disappearing into the sea mist.
Weeks later, Kaoru and Olvia finally arrived at the Sabaody Archipelago. Their ship docked at Island 13.
"Let's go meet an old friend," Kaoru said, glancing toward a small bar tucked between two buildings.
He pushed open the creaking door of Xia Qi's Bar. Inside, the air smelled faintly of tobacco and aged rum. The room was empty—eerily quiet.
Olvia frowned. "Why is no one here?"
A woman's voice answered from behind the counter, smooth and cool. "Because most people don't have the guts to walk in here."
She exhaled a thin trail of smoke, watching them calmly. "So, what'll it be? Drink or trouble?"
"I'm looking for someone," Kaoru said.
"I only serve wine," she replied flatly. "Not people."
Kaoru ignored her tone. "I'm looking for Silvers Rayleigh."
The woman's eyes narrowed slightly. "I'm sorry. Rayleigh's not here. He's… out. And I don't know when he'll be back."
Kaoru said nothing, but beneath his mask, a faint smile formed.
He knew Rayleigh was closer than she claimed.