Night.
Quiet moonlight spilled across the sea, washing away the noise of the day and leaving only the sound of the waves.
A small boat slid gently across the surface.
Ethan and Robin had borrowed a skiff and were rowing toward Ohara. Before long, under the light of the moon, the island finally came into view.
The trees that had once been lush and green were now nothing but charcoal. The little river had been burned dry.
All traces of life had been erased by the Buster Call. Only now did the phrase "burned to bare earth" feel truly real.
Guided by old instincts, Robin staggered her way toward the center of the island.
After about half an hour, the remains of the Tree of Knowledge appeared before them.
Even the Buster Call had not been able to erase the Tree of Knowledge from the world completely.
Standing before those remains, Robin broke down and sobbed. She missed the professor and the scholars, missed that strict aunt of hers. She missed everyone.
Ethan stood in silence, staring at the Tree of Knowledge. He felt his body growing hot, as if he had returned to that night of destruction.
He really wanted to chop something to pieces.
He saw Robin crying, but could not think of any way to comfort a child who had lost her family and her home.
So his anger only burned higher, flames seeming to flicker in his eyes.
After a long time, Robin's sobs finally began to quiet.
"Everyone… I am doing well now. Ethan treats me very well.
"I am helping Ethan with his work.
"When it is done, things like this will never happen in the world again.
"Those who hurt this world will pay the price."
As she spoke, she suddenly remembered something. Robin walked to a corner of the ruins and brushed away the ash. Beneath it was a small hatch.
This had once been the entrance to the underground chamber where Ohara's scholars studied the Poneglyph. The Buster Call had not managed to destroy this door or the chamber beneath it.
Ethan helped Robin pull the small door open, letting the air circulate for a while. Then, holding a torch, they went down.
"Professor said this basement under the Tree of Knowledge was not dug out by them. It was already here.
"They just discovered it. The lighting system down here is all ancient technology. I do not know if it still works."
Planting the torch in a wall bracket, Robin felt along the stone wall for a while. Her fingers found a switch, and with a click, the whole basement was suddenly flooded with light from some unknown source.
At the very center of the chamber stood Ohara's Poneglyph.
The moment she saw the real stone, Robin ran to it in excitement, reaching out to touch its surface.
Ohara had been destroyed because they studied this historical text. As the one who inherited Ohara's will, Robin could not stop herself from beginning to read and research it on the spot.
At the same time, Ethan felt a strange pull coming from the Poneglyph.
The force was gentle, but it resonated with his cheat. Following that subtle guidance, Ethan pressed his fingertips flat against the stone.
In that instant, the world stopped.
Or rather, that one second was stretched out. Inside that narrow strand of time, only Ethan's thoughts were still moving normally.
He could feel the power inside the stone being drawn into his "golden finger," and he suddenly understood what that power was.
It was the power of the era.
The Poneglyph had been passed down from the Void Century.
Because of the special nature of its material and its conceptual meaning, the power of the era had been slowly sealed into the stone piece by piece. The strength of eight hundred years of history, all the way up to now, was gathered here.
In the world of One Piece, this kind of abstract conceptual power should not really mean anything. It hovered somewhere between existing and not existing.
But for Ethan, it was different.
"Golden finger" was just an easy name he had stuck on it. In truth, the root of his ability was the special nature of his soul fused with the power of the Tree of Knowledge.
If he borrowed the terms of the Type-Moon world, it was a conceptual support type Noble Phantasm. This Noble Phantasm could absorb the power of the era and use it to evolve.
The power inside this stone enhanced his analysis, speeding up his comprehension and learning of skills.
And on top of that, he could consume the remaining power of the era to temporarily raise one of his skills to master level perfection for one hour.
It was like getting the answer sheet in advance, working through the test with the answers in mind, and then having the sheet taken away again.
Once he understood this, Ethan only had to glance at his skill list to know exactly which one he would choose.
It could be called a master level trial card, a life saving trump card at a critical moment.
When he finished taking in the power of the era, time resumed. No one knew what had happened to Ethan in that brief instant.
Clap, clap, clap.
Applause echoed from the entrance of the basement. Footsteps rang on the stairs as a figure descended.
A white suit. A white mask with two holes cut out for the eyes, where a pair of gloomy pupils stared down at them.
"So you finally came. Do you have any idea how long I have been waiting?
"All for a possibility. As an elite of CP9, I have squatted here for almost four years.
"Four years. Do you know what it has been like for me?"
He sounded calm, but the madness under the surface was obvious. The man was clearly not right in the head.
"A lapdog of the World Government, is it?" Ethan said.
Robin had already considered the possibility that there would be someone posted here, but everything had gone so smoothly on the way in that she had almost convinced herself there was no danger. Once they stepped into the basement, she had allowed herself to relax, only to be proven wrong.
"Lapdog? When I crush every last bone in your body, you will not dare say that again.
"And you, the little gentleman over there, could you turn around and properly look at me?"
"Actually, the moment I saw that basement door, I knew there would be an ambush.
"The World Government could never fail to find this chamber. I have never underestimated their abilities.
"And leaving the Poneglyph here instead of moving it was clearly just to fish for us. Right?"
As he spoke, Ethan turned to face the CP9 agent, watching him calmly.
Not seeing any fear in Ethan's eyes made the CP9 operative very unhappy.
As the hounds of the Celestial Dragons, most of CP9's leaders were mentally twisted. Just like their masters, they took delight in tormenting others.
Being ordered to sit on this ruined island for four long years would drive any normal person crazy, let alone a lunatic.
(End of Chapter)
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