After a long while, Olvia's loud crying gradually subsided into sobs, growing softer until it finally ceased.
Only then did Charlie realize that she had fallen asleep leaning against him. She was sleeping deeply, her face streaked with tear stains.
Looking at Olvia, who was fast asleep yet still frowning, Charlie couldn't help but feel a pang of heartache. He carefully picked her up and carried her back to her room.
After wiping the tear stains from Olvia's face with a damp towel, Charlie gently closed the door and turned to head into the kitchen.
Over an hour later, Olvia slowly woke up. As soon as she regained consciousness, she caught the rich aroma of food.
At that moment, Charlie pushed the door open, holding a spatula. Their eyes met, and Charlie smiled, saying, "Sis, you're awake. Perfect timing—let's eat together."
"You've lost at least ten pounds this month. You definitely haven't been eating properly!"
"Of course, it's all my fault. To make it up to you, I'll take care of all the meals at home for the next three months. I'm determined to fatten you back up."
Seeing Charlie's earnest expression, Olvia couldn't help but chuckle and said, "Alright, I forgive you. But remember, this is the last time."
"Yes, yes, of course," Charlie quickly nodded.
"Where's Olan?"
"No idea where he's run off to. Give him an inch, and he'll take a mile. After we eat, I'll go drag him back."
Olvia didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "Alright, stop picking on him all the time. He's your brother."
"Isn't that what younger brothers are for?" Charlie muttered under his breath.
"Oh, really? Are you sure about that?"
"Ahem, well, let's eat quickly before the food gets cold and loses its flavor."
...
After the meal, Charlie made up an excuse and left the house.
He went to a newsstand and casually flipped through the newspapers, pretending to ask offhandedly, "Auntie Merry, are all the recent newspapers here? Which one is the latest issue?"
"Oh, Charlie! Long time no see. When did you get back?"
"All the newspapers from the past month are here. The latest issue is on your right—yes, the one on top. It just arrived this morning. It's big news, you know."
"Yeah, I just got back this morning," Charlie said as he picked up a few newspapers and placed 100 Berries on the counter. "Auntie Merry, I don't need to buy the papers. I'm just browsing."
Merry cheerfully picked up the Berries from the counter and said, "No problem. I'll mind my own business; feel free to look around."
100 Berries was enough to buy ten newspapers. Letting Charlie browse didn't affect her ability to sell them to others.
By then, Charlie's attention was fully on the newspapers. He quickly skimmed through the recent issues and found not a single report about the Valley of the Gods.
"Just as I expected."
Charlie wasn't surprised by this. The World Government was a professional when it came to suppressing information—old habits die hard.
Of course, the World Government was only suppressing intelligence about the Valley of the Gods. The Celestial Dragons' hunting games and their brutal methods of annihilating a country every three years could never be made public. Letting the world know would be detrimental to the World Government's rule.
Moreover, taking things out of context and distorting facts are also specialties of the World Government.
In the latest newspaper issue, Garp was mentioned as having thwarted the Rocks Pirates' attempt to destroy the world and successfully defeated them, earning him the title of Navy Hero.
"A Navy Hero who dares to throw punches at the supreme ruler of the World Government?" Charlie curled his lips into a cold smile.
Sometimes, Charlie couldn't help but wonder if the World Government intentionally used this title to spite Garp.
Others might not know, but how could Garp himself be unaware? What kind of Navy Hero was he? Under normal circumstances, his actions would have definitely led the World Government to label him a defected marine and a heinous great pirate.
Garp knew it, the top brass of the Navy knew it, and the higher-ups of the World Government knew it too, but everyone tacitly avoided mentioning it, acting as if it never happened.
Meanwhile, portraying Garp as the "Navy Hero" served to cover up the truth, pacify the Navy, mitigate the impact of Imu's indiscriminate attack on the Navy at the Valley of the Gods, and severely intimidate other pirates—killing three birds with one stone.
See? Even the Rocks Pirates were wiped out by the "Navy Hero" Garp, let alone you small fries—better behave yourselves!
Thinking of this, Charlie couldn't help but laugh: "Heh, Garp must be furious right now. No wonder he refused promotion to admiral later on."
"By the way, the bounties of Whitebeard, Shiki, Roger, and others have also increased significantly. The Whitebeard Pirates and the Golden Lion Pirates have been established..."
Tucked within the newspaper were several new bounty posters. Whitebeard's title was no longer "First Division Commander of the Rocks Pirates" but "Captain of the Whitebeard Pirates," and the same went for Shiki.
After Rocks' death, the Rocks Pirates instantly fell apart. Whitebeard, Shiki, Charlotte Linlin, and others each established their own pirate crews, embarking on their own legends.
The wheel of history rolled forward, vast and unstoppable. Charlie found himself caught in this torrent—whether to go with the flow or rise with the tide depended on his next choices.
In the world of pirates, there weren't many paths to choose from. One could directly set sail as a pirate, seeking like-minded companions to form their own crew.
Alternatively, one could become a free bounty hunter, acting as they pleased.
Or, temporarily join the Navy, using it as a stepping stone to secretly accumulate strength and develop in the shadows.
Another option was to seek out Dragon and join him in founding the Revolutionary Army.
Of these four paths, Charlie leaned more toward setting sail as a pirate or joining the Navy.
The Revolutionary Army? That was still a distant prospect. Dragon was currently lost, unsure of what to do next. Who knew when he would establish the Revolutionary Army? Charlie couldn't afford to wait.
With only sixteen years left until the destruction of Ohara, Charlie had to grow stronger as quickly as possible. Ohara was his hometown, the place where he had grown up, filled with countless memories. He would never allow anyone to destroy it!
As for stopping the scholars of the Tree of Omniscience and Olvia from researching the Void Century, Charlie would naturally try to persuade them. But what reason did he have to stop a group of historians from pursuing history? They weren't the ones in the wrong!
Besides, the scholars of the Tree of Omniscience hadn't even begun researching the Void Century yet. What was there for him to persuade them about?
What if persuasion fails and backfires, causing scholars to develop an interest in the Void Century ahead of time and begin researching the Poneglyphs prematurely? That would be a complete disaster.
What? Move away?
Olvia would be the first to disagree. Ohara is her roots, her home—she would never leave no matter what.
If Olvia doesn't leave, Charlie certainly won't go on his own either. Besides, if Ohara was destroyed before he crossed over and is still destroyed after he crossed over, wouldn't his transmigration be in vain?
What was the point of racking his brains and going through all that hardship to obtain the Azure Dragon Fruit if not to protect everything he has now?
With that thought, Charlie put the newspaper back in its place and turned to walk into the forest.
He couldn't afford to waste time—he had to seize every moment to grow stronger.
Sitting cross-legged on a large boulder in the forest, Charlie activated the Six Treasures Immortal Thief, converting the nutrients in his body into energy, gradually strengthening his internal organs, meridians, muscles, bones, and skin…
Charlie thoroughly enjoyed this feeling of gradual improvement and steady growth—it gave him a deep sense of reassurance.