In truth, the scholars of Ohara were well aware that the Void Century was a taboo for the World Government, and their research into the ancient language had always been conducted in secrecy.
But their voyages across the sea had still left too many traces.
Originally, this exploration team would soon be captured. Only Olvia would be released by Saul, and Ohara would then face the Buster Call.
Now that Rowan had intercepted this team of scholars who understood the ancient language, he needed to keep some of them.
The Revolutionary Army was still growing, and so was he.
The destruction of Ohara could not be stopped, and the scholars of the Tree of Knowledge would never listen to persuasion. They would only argue their case to the very end.
But what they would never understand was that reason required strength. Without strength, no one would calmly sit down and discuss right and wrong with you.
Inside the wooden house, the scholars who had been seated all stood up, their emotions boiling over.
"Foolish? You think history itself is foolish?"
"I heard what those people said outside. You are their teacher, aren't you? Passing down knowledge and history to the future, is that foolish to you?"
"You want to overthrow the World Government, but how do we know you won't become the next one? The next twenty kings? The next Celestial Dragons of Mary Geoise?"
"Without the record of history, you will become tyrants just the same!"
"This is absurd!"
"Let us go! We're returning to Ohara!"
Rowan waited until their voices quieted before speaking.
"So what will you do when you return? Die together with the knowledge you cherish, and leave a world where no one can read those texts ever again?"
"Once the World Government confirms that Ohara is researching the Void Century, that island's fate is already sealed. What exactly are you hoping for? That standing in front of the cannons will make them hesitate?"
"You will all be killed, and the knowledge stored in the Tree of Knowledge will be destroyed. Is that truly what you want?"
Silence fell.
They all knew their lives meant nothing to the World Government. They also knew their deaths would be meaningless.
But even so, they could not accept the destruction of knowledge.
"What else can we do?" Olvia asked, staring directly at Rowan. "We are only scholars. We have no power to resist them. But even so, we are willing to give our lives to protect Ohara's knowledge."
Rowan raised a hand and tapped his temple. "Knowledge is stored here. You record it, compile it into books. Those books can be burned, but you are the ones who can recreate them."
"I've never understood why you gather in Ohara. When you lack strength, touching something like this requires extreme caution."
"Leave Ohara. Pass your knowledge on to the future. That is the choice I'm giving you."
Rowan glanced at Kuma. "You've already experienced how we brought you here from Water Seven. That same method can be used to move Ohara's books. But I need people who can understand them, and pass them on."
Kuma, who had been silent until now, stepped forward after a moment of hesitation.
"Spark has always told us that revolution requires blood and sacrifice. There has never been a revolution without death. But sacrifice must have meaning."
"The knowledge in your minds is important to the future, but your lives mean nothing to the World Government. I may not be smart, but even I know this is not worth it."
The discussion continued for a long time.
After their initial resistance began to waver, the scholars started asking questions one after another.
What concerned them most was the Revolutionary Army's structure and ideology.
From day to night, the conversation never stopped.
In the end, eight scholars with different areas of research chose to stay.
Among them was the bespectacled man, Birsar.
The rest would return to Ohara.
Kuma and Dragon would go with them, to try and persuade Professor Clover to evacuate both the books and the scholars.
Rowan knew that while the books might be saved, many scholars would refuse to leave.
They believed they were right.
They believed they could preserve the knowledge.
Perhaps the name "Tree of Knowledge" itself represented the will they had inherited.
Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
Sengoku, who had just taken over as Fleet Admiral, frowned as he read the report.
After a long silence, he set the document down and looked at Tsuru, who had just returned from Water Seven with Borsalino.
"There was no sign of Golden Lion Shiki. But the floating ship, and the bubble that carried it away, was clearly the ability of the Paw-Paw Fruit."
"The Paw-Paw Fruit…" Tsuru's gaze turned sharp. "Seventeen years ago, it was stolen by pirates and vanished ever since. That same incident also involved a Mythical Zoan, which was later eaten by Kaido."
Sengoku nodded. "Float reduces weight, and the Paw-Paw Fruit launches it. Combined, they allow massive objects to fly. If this is coordinated, it will become a major problem."
He paused slightly.
"And there's more…"
A portrait was taken out.
A cloak, a white mask, the same figure seen at the port.
"Based on the investigation, this is the image we obtained. And clearly, this person has already touched the nerves of the Celestial Dragons. Appearing again so soon… that suspected multi-ability user."
"And the World Government is placing great importance on that flying ship. Just now, they have issued an order to the Marines… to deploy a Buster Call."
"Buster Call?!"
Tsuru's expression tightened. She knew exactly what that meant. It was an order to completely annihilate an island.
But at a time like this, who exactly was the target?
Sengoku stood up, noticing her confusion. "I don't know either. The order was issued without details. Clearly, they don't intend for the Marines to know the target."
Tsuru began flipping through the reports in front of her.
She pulled out one submitted by Rowan's warship.
An exploration team?
Suspected to have been captured because he took interest in a woman?
If she remembered correctly, that brat was not even twenty yet.
"Can we identify where this exploration team came from?"
Sengoku shook his head. "CP has sealed the information. Even the Marines on the training ship don't know. As for Rowan… he claims he knows nothing. Just that there was a white-haired woman on board who was very beautiful…"
He paused, then frowned.
"Absolutely disgraceful."
Inside the Fleet Admiral's office at Marineford, Sengoku held Rowan's report, his eye twitching slightly.
Putting aside the origin of that exploration team, which might be tied to the reason behind the Buster Call, the mere fact that Rowan arrested an entire ship for personal reasons was already damaging the reputation of the Marines.
Since Roger's final words at Loguetown, more and more people had taken to the sea as pirates.
With insufficient manpower, even member nations of the World Government could not always be protected.
The reputation of the Marines was already declining.
If something like this were exposed as well…
"The identity of that exploration team is being covered up by the World Government. The training camp has also issued a gag order. But you know what the lower-ranked Marines are like," Tsuru said calmly.
She clearly did not like Rowan, at least not in this matter.
Sengoku thought for a moment before speaking. "Once the training camp ends, send him back to West Blue."
Tsuru shook her head. "He belongs to the World Government. At a time when a Buster Call has just been issued, if we try to send him away, that brat will find a way to stay. The World Government won't agree."
"And don't forget, he's been labeled a monster among this batch of trainees. The last one to receive that title… was Kuzan."
She continued, "Kuzan, Sakazuki, and Borsalino earned that title mostly because of their Logia abilities. And even Kuzan is nearly ten years older than that brat."
Sengoku fell into thought.
On this sea, those who mastered Haki and developed their abilities to a high level were undoubtedly strong.
But compared to Devil Fruits, Haki was even more important.
The best example was Garp. Back at God Valley, he had crushed Rocks with nothing but his fists.
Tsuru glanced at Sengoku. "Since we can't get rid of him, it's better to think about how to make use of him. The positions of the three Admirals are already decided, but we still need strong mid-level forces."
Sengoku nodded slowly.
After a moment, something seemed to click in his mind. He slammed his hand onto the desk.
"Where the hell is that old bastard?! Why isn't he back yet?!"
Tsuru leaned back in her chair. "I heard your supply of senbei ran out, so he doesn't feel like returning. He also wants to use up all his accumulated leave."
Sengoku clenched his fists, veins bulging on his forehead, but eventually let out a sigh.
What could he do? They had been comrades for too long.
Knock knock.
"Come in."
A communications officer entered, saluted, and handed over a document.
Sengoku read through it quickly, and the anger he had just suppressed flared up again.
A request for aid from a World Government member nation, along with a direct communication from its king, demanding immediate Marine support.
"Revolutionary Army…" Sengoku muttered.
The name appeared clearly in the report.
East Blue, Foosha Village.
"Waaah… waaah…"
The loud cries of a baby echoed.
A tiny hand slapped against a large face with a crisp sound.
Garp did not mind in the slightest. Holding the baby tightly, he grinned. "Ace, I'm your grandpa. Grandpa, grandpa…"
Outside the wooden house, Portgas D. Rouge was hanging clothes to dry.
Seeing Garp playing with Ace, she smiled softly before continuing her work.
From the events in the South Blue, Rouge had learned about Kuzan from Garp. She was grateful to that Marine.
If he had not spread word of the World Government's actions in advance, both she and Ace might have already died.
At that time, she had even prepared herself to hide and delay Ace's birth, just to sever any connection between his birth and Roger.
This child would inherit Roger's will.
And one day, he would become the freest man on the sea.
A ray of sunlight passed through the hanging clothes.
Rouge felt that her current life was good.
Because Ace had lived.
"Old bastard! Taking advantage of me!"
"Old dog! You just raised your generation out of nowhere!"
"You want my son to call you grandpa? What are you trying to do, you bastard Garp?!"
"Do you want me to call you father?!"
A cloaked man wearing a mask crushed the tree trunk beside him with one hand.
Roger had just returned from seeing his son, and he was forcing himself to suppress his anger, afraid of being detected by Garp.
Now, all he could do was vent his frustration on the tree instead of rushing out to beat that old man.
After being sent to Sabaody, Roger had hesitated for only a few days before asking Rowan to send him to Loguetown in the East Blue.
Since there was no coordinate set in Foosha Village, he had taken a ship there manually, which led to the scene just now.
When Roger arrived at the village, the marked kunai he carried had also been brought along, allowing Rowan to witness everything.
Rowan patted Roger on the shoulder, a faint smile on his face. "Not bad. After fighting him for so many years, he finally got one over on you. I'd say that evens things out."
He added casually, "Once your son grows up and gets used to calling him grandpa, what will you do when you meet him? Call him godfather?"
Roger slapped Rowan's hand away and sat down on the ground, clearly annoyed.
But no matter how frustrated he felt, he knew he could only endure it.
He could not even meet Rouge or Ace.
Because he understood Garp well.
The only reason Garp agreed to take care of them was because it had been Roger's dying wish.
If Garp found out he was still alive, and saw how chaotic the seas had become, there was no doubt what would happen.
Garp would chase him like a mad dog again.
And Rouge and Ace would be put in danger once more.
After a long silence, Roger stood up. "Let's go."
Rowan paused. "Not staying a few more days?"
Roger grinned. "I'm the freest man on the sea. Seeing them once… is enough. Rouge is living well, and Ace will grow in his own way. I can't interfere with that."
He continued, "Even if I've already died, my life still belongs to this sea. And when Garp is no longer around… I'll come back and teach my son myself."
Roger looked at Rowan. "With your ability, coming back is just a moment away, right?"
Rowan clicked his tongue. "Honestly, people like you have no sense of responsibility."
He turned away slightly. "Come on. I'll take you to meet our people."
----------
Patreon Advance 30 Chapters: patreon .com/OneFic