"Sure enough, these two Devil Fruits were already in Moria's possession," Black remarked, setting the boxes down.
"Maybe they were dug out of some grave," he added casually, a small smirk on his face.
He turned to Aramaki and gave a rare nod of approval. "Well done. Any trouble with Moria?"
Aramaki's expression carried a hint of disdain. "Your Highness, there was a minor skirmish. But honestly, his combat ability is negligible. No Haki at all. I only needed two techniques to defeat him."
Black raised an eyebrow. That was a bit unfair to Moria. Even the weakest of New World pirates still had some level of Haki. But after a brutal encounter with Kaido, Moria had lost his will to fight, leaving him powerless. Kaido's punishment was simply too overwhelming for most to endure.
"Remember, Moria lost his spirit because Kaido killed his crew. That doesn't mean all the New World pirates are weak," Black reminded Aramaki, who seemed to absorb the lesson without protest.
Life returned to its usual rhythm afterward. Black resumed his routine of training, strengthening his abilities, and exploring the unique customs and landscapes of the islands he visited.
The next morning, before the sun had even risen, quiet breathing came from Stella's room.
Suddenly, the door creaked open. Peeking her head out, Perona's pink hair glinted in the dim light. She cautiously scanned the surroundings and, seeing no one, exhaled in relief.
"Finally, a moment when no one's around," she whispered, clenching her tiny fists.
"That insufferable man wants me to be his little slave! I need to escape while he's not looking!"
She shouldered a small bundle she had somehow procured, but stumbled under its weight.
"Ugh! Why is this so heavy?"
Inside the bundle were the small trinkets Stella had used to entertain her yesterday. Perona had carefully packed everything, unwilling to leave even a single piece behind.
Gritting her teeth, she tiptoed out of the room, gently closing the door behind her.
"Huh? Why is my shadow suddenly so big?"
Moonlight spilled across the deck, casting her shadow on the door. But as she closed it, the shadow seemed to grow larger, curling and stretching unnaturally.
She turned cautiously and froze. There was Black, wearing pajamas, standing right behind her with a grin that promised mischief.
"I… I was just going to the bathroom," she stammered, grasping at a flimsy excuse.
Black chuckled. "Do you think I'll believe that?"
Before she could react further, he scooped her up effortlessly. Perona flailed like a tiny, indignant cat, trying to wriggle free.
"Let go of me! I won't be your slave!"
Her protests awakened Stella, who saw Black carrying Perona toward her. She straightened instinctively, about to salute, but Black ignored her completely.
Perona was pressed onto Stella's bed, and Black lightly spanked her, drawing tears.
"Waaah! I'll escape! I swear I will!"
"Waaah! Stop! I'll never do it again!"
Two months later, at Ohara, beneath the World Tree:
"Your Highness, this is the Tree of Knowledge. It contains hundreds of thousands of volumes, preserving the world's most important scholarly texts," explained a short, stout man accompanying Black.
The man appeared middle-aged, his forehead shaved clean while the remaining green hair formed a peculiar clover-like pattern. His exaggerated beard gave him an even more eccentric appearance. He wore a red-and-white striped shirt with a wide belt, trousers, and a navy-blue jacket.
He was the leader of Ohara's scholars: Professor Clover.
Sunlight filtered through special glass panes, illuminating bronze-trimmed bookshelves holding over a hundred thousand books, each meticulously organized by subject. The floating spiral shelves, crafted from a unique metal with a rust-resistant matte coating, seemed to defy gravity.
Even Black, with all his experience and power, found himself intrigued by the interior. Compared to the million-volume myth, this collection might seem modest, but the design and innovation of generations of Ohara scholars impressed anyone who entered.
Perona, still tiny in Black's arms, looked around in awe. She squealed excitedly, completely fascinated. After two months of failed escape attempts from the Sanctuary, Perona had lost much of her fear of Black, even daring to provoke him occasionally. The ship's servants walked carefully around them, afraid of incurring Black's wrath.
Black pinched Perona's cheek playfully, and she scowled in response.
"This might be the largest library outside Mariejois," Black mused, glancing at Professor Clover. "There should be plenty of historical texts, correct?"
Cold sweat appeared on Clover's brow. Thoughts raced through his mind.
"What does he mean by that?"
"Has the World Government discovered our activities?"
"No… if the incident with Olivia was exposed, the Celestial Dragons wouldn't come themselves…"
Still, Clover remained outwardly composed. "Your Highness, which historical period are you interested in? The books here are collected from scholars worldwide. I must admit, even I have not read them all, though there are some that might suit your interests."
Black chuckled lightly. "Never mind. I was just asking." Inwardly, he thought, This old man appears bookish in the original story, but he has a surprising streak of cleverness.
In the original timeline, the World Government had arranged evacuation ships before the Buster Call, intending to spare the island's civilians. Yet Clover, in communication with Satan, disclosed Ohara's research extensively, leading the Government to issue a total destruction order.
Black had long assumed Clover was a simple scholar, but today's encounter proved otherwise.
It was irrelevant now. It was 1499 in the Ohara calendar, less than a year before the island's destruction. Robin would have already mastered much of the ancient script. Black intended to take her along.
Having someone capable of reading ancient texts would save him considerable trouble. While the World Government certainly had experts in ancient language, those individuals were far beyond the reach of a Celestial Dragon like Black.
Moreover, Black genuinely liked Robin's personality from the original story.
Finally, Perona, being a young child, needed a companion close to her age. Without one, she might develop the neurotic tendencies seen in the original timeline. After all, she was his little slave he could not risk her mental well-being.