Sauron watched Robin run off, silently praying that everything would still be in time.
Little Robin ran with all her might toward the Tree of Knowledge. There were only two things on her mind: warn everyone to flee, and find her mother!
The entire town had fallen into chaos. The villagers were desperately gathering their belongings and running out of town. Robin ran against the flow of people to the Tree of Knowledge, pushed open the door, looked at everyone, and panted:
"Has... has my mother... come back?"
Everyone was startled as well, because Olvia had indeed returned just moments ago—and she had brought disastrous news with her.
"How could that be? Why would your mother be here? Did something happen, Robin?"
Robin looked disappointed when she heard that, but she immediately remembered Sauron's words and hurriedly said:
"Oh, right! The Navy warships are coming! They said they're going to kill all the scholars!"
At that moment, Dr. Clover, whose hair and beard resembled a clover, stepped forward, crouched before Robin, stroked her head, and reminded her with a smile:
"Robin, remember this! From now on, don't tell anyone that you're an archaeologist. You absolutely must remember that! Do you understand?"
"Bang!"
The doors were violently shoved open again. A group of CP agents in black suits and hats, carrying guns in their hands, rushed inside and shouted:
"Put down everything in your hands! Raise your hands and come outside!"
Dr. Clover wanted to step forward and reason with them, but several guns were rudely aimed at his chest.
"Now. Immediately. Get out!"
The scholars and Robin were taken to the lawn outside the Tree of Knowledge, while discussions broke out all around them.
"Look! The scholars have really been arrested!"
"What did they even do?"
"Were they really researching something that could destroy the world?"
"Forget about that now! The evacuation ships are over there!"
"Yes, yes! On the west coast!"
The villagers fled in panic toward the west coast.
Dr. Clover sat cross-legged on the ground and looked at Robin.
"The evacuation ships have already arrived? It seems the World Government intends to be ruthless this time. Robin, hurry and get aboard one too!"
"I don't want to. Even if I got on that ship, there'd be no one there who cared about me. I want to stay with everyone..."
"Robin!"
Seeing the usually clever and lively little girl being so stubborn now, Dr. Clover felt anger rise within him.
Then a burst of arrogant laughter rang out. Spandine, the commander of CP9, approached with two subordinates, escorting a woman covered in wounds.
"Wahahahaha! Scholars of Ohara! My men just reported that they found a massive Poneglyph in the basement, along with your notes on researching history. So—your death sentences are confirmed!"
"Before this old man dies, let me speak with the Gorosei once. Regarding that segment of blank history we have studied over the years, I have formed a hypothesis."
Dr. Clover did not panic upon hearing his death sentence. They had known this would be their crime from the moment they began researching history. He merely requested a phone call with the Gorosei, then turned to Robin and said:
"Robin, hurry to the evacuation ship. What comes next—merely hearing it will make you a criminal!"
Hearing the name Robin, the detained woman raised her head to look at the little girl before her and revealed a gentle smile. She's grown so much... Robin!
Robin looked at everyone, then at the woman whose eyes held such tenderness. She left the lawn while looking back every few steps, but she did not go to find an evacuation ship. Instead, she secretly ran to a corner and watched from there. She had a feeling that this unfamiliar woman was very likely her mother!
No one knew what was said over there. Then a gunshot rang out, Dr. Clover fell to the ground, and Robin hurriedly ran over.
"Forget about them. The Buster Call has already been ordered. Take this woman with us—we still need to question her for intelligence. She can't die here. Retreat!"
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Though little Robin had long endured hardship and was smart and strong, she was still only an eight-year-old child. She had never seen someone shot and killed before. Looking at the doctor lying on the ground and the woman being taken away, she finally could not hold back her tears and cried out:
"Are you my mother?"
Hearing her tearful cry, the woman paused, then continued walking.
"Are you really my mother?!"
Watching the woman's back as she continued onward, Robin cried even more heartbreakingly and continued to demand an answer.
Spandine also looked at Olvia in confusion. "Is that your child?"
Olvia endured her reluctance and heartache, covering her eyes with one hand as she tried her hardest not to let her tears fall.
"I'm sorry! I think you have the wrong person!"
"I'm Robin! I've grown up, so you don't recognize me anymore?!
I've been waiting for you, waiting for you to come back!
I just hoped that one day, you could hold my hand and take walks with me like other children do!
So I was obedient, and I studied archaeology hard! I can already read Poneglyphs! I only wanted you to come back someday and take me with you!
Mom!
Don't leave me! Don't leave me alone again!
Please!"
Hearing each desperate plea, Olvia could no longer hold herself together. She turned around to look at Robin, fell to her knees, and broke down sobbing.
"Boom—"
At that moment, the Buster Call bombardment began. A cannonball landed not far from Spandine, startling him badly.
"Damn it! What the hell is going on?! Why did the bombardment start so quickly? I haven't even left the island yet! Move, move, move! Retreat!"
With that, he was the first to run, while his two lackeys still asked:
"Commander! What about that woman and the child?"
Spandine roared as he ran:
"Remember their faces. Just make sure they haven't left the island! Run the hell faster! If we're any later, we'll all become cannon fodder!"
Amid the rain of artillery fire, Olvia tightly embraced Robin and carefully looked at the child before her, as if she wanted to remember every detail of her and carve Robin's appearance deep into her mind.
Yet their beautiful reunion was so brief.
"Robin!"
A massive figure ran toward them while shouting.
"Sauron?"
Olvia froze when she saw the giant running toward them. Then delight flooded her face, and she hurriedly called out Sauron's name.
"Sauron, please do one last thing for me. Take Robin and escape. Let this child live!"
"No! I want to stay with Mom! I finally found you! I don't want to leave you!"
"My child, I'm sorry! Please forgive your mother's selfishness. If I stay with you, I might drag you down too. You must be strong on your own from now on! Go, Sauron!"
Ignoring Robin's struggles and cries, Sauron held her in his palm. Looking at the resolve in Olvia's eyes, he wanted to say something, but found himself unable to speak at all. In the end, he could only nod, turn around, and run toward the evacuation ship.
Olvia's forced strength slowly crumbled as Sauron's figure receded. Unable to endure any longer, tears streaming down her face, she shouted:
"Robin! Live well!"