Ohara's Past (Part 1)

The steam was so thick it could not dissipate, like a layer of scalding living flesh writhing against the skin.

In the bathtub, Stussy's fingertips scraped away the caked-on grime from Adams's chest with a cautious sort of force.

"You handed the intelligence work to me. Aren't you afraid I might have thoughts that are harmful to you? Or, say, betray you?"

Her voice was somewhat muffled by the steam. Her fingertips exerted neither too much nor too little pressure as they scraped over the silver-haired man's broad shoulder blades.

Adams's massive body was submerged in the warm bathwater. He tipped his head back against the hard porcelain rim and said comfortably,

"If I can't even trust my own woman, who can I trust?"

"You little pervert! Don't flatter yourself! I haven't agreed to be your woman yet."

Stussy spat lightly, then deliberately pressed hard against a bulging muscle on his shoulder. Water droplets splashed onto her faintly flushed cheeks.

A lazy curve tugged at Adams's lips. He raised a powerful arm, sending up a spray of water, and casually rested it on the edge of the tub as he said with certainty,

"It's only a matter of time. You've already let me see you naked, and now you came to do this on your own. Other than me, who else could you choose?"

Steam veiled Stussy's delicate face, hiding her expression. Only a soft snort escaped her nose.

"Hmph, not necessarily. A woman's thoughts are very complicated, you know."

Adams smiled and said nothing more.

The sound of water resumed. Only Stussy's hand moved in the silence, washing away the last stubborn traces of grime and revealing flawless skin beneath.

At last, the water fell still. Adams stood, using a thick towel to dry the droplets from his short silver hair before wiping down his sharply defined abs.

He dressed efficiently in a white shirt and trousers and was about to head for the door when he caught sight of the woman behind him from the corner of his eye, looking as though she wanted to speak but hesitated. He sighed and drawled,

"If you have something to say, say it. Stop keeping it bottled up."

Silence fermented in the hot, humid air. A few seconds later, Stussy's voice rang out, striving to remain calm but unable to conceal the turmoil beneath it.

"I've always... always been curious. What exactly is the relationship between you and Dr. Clover? Why did he tell you about me?"

Adams turned around to face her fully, his back against the cold door.

"You've been holding those questions in for quite a while, haven't you? If I'm not mistaken, you were so proactive just now because of this too."

The complexity on Stussy's face instantly vanished, replaced by her familiar smile. She languidly lay against the edge of the tub, her chin resting on her folded arms as ripples swayed across her chest.

"You saw right through me~ If you can grant your big sister this wish, becoming your woman... wouldn't be impossible, you know~"

"Stop it. How many times have I told you not to use that World Government training on me? I can tell whether you're genuinely moved or just testing me."

Adams's voice remained flat as he exposed her directly.

He knew very well that this woman simply had unusually abundant emotions. Coupled with the strange things Cipher Pol had drilled into her, that was why she had become like this.

He silently sighed to himself and continued,

"If you want to know, I'll tell you. It's not some secret that can't see the light of day."

The seductive look on Stussy's face collapsed at once. Pouting, she slid into the water like a deflated fishing float, leaving only the upper half of her face exposed as she muttered,

"Tch... How boring. You fake-prudish little pervert. Go on, big sister's listening."

Leaning against the door, Adams's gaze seemed to pierce through the misty steam and the languid woman before him, reaching toward a far more distant time and place.

Several months earlier, Ohara.

The ashes of the Buster Call had not yet fully scattered. The air was thick with a nauseating stench of burning. The enormous Tree of Knowledge was reduced to only a few remnants pointing toward the sky, like the ribs of some colossal beast cleaved apart by heavenly fire.

High above Ohara, Adams used his ability to create a miniature Floating Island. Besides scholars and books, it carried a large amount of unburned living supplies. Just as everything was ready and he was about to move the Floating Island, someone suddenly called out to him—

"Wait, little Adams!"

An aged yet still powerful voice rang out. Dr. Clover wore an expression of solemnity mixed with grief and urgency.

"Could we... wait here a little longer? I have an old friend... He might come here... to 'mourn' me. Before I leave, I want to see him one last time."

Adams understood immediately. He knew who this friend was and nodded without hesitation.

"No problem."

A tense two months passed soundlessly above the sea of clouds.

At last, along the northwestern coast, a huge and somewhat clumsy sailing ship slowly approached that dead-silent shore.

When the ship docked, Saul, his entire body wrapped in bandages, was the first to step onto the beach. Several Giant companions carrying salvage tools followed behind him.

"Please go to the lake at the center of the island and salvage the books. I'm counting on you all."

He pleaded with his companions.

The other Giants responded and headed toward the center of the island.

Saul remained alone by the shore. The eyes visible through the gaps in his bandages stared fixedly at that coast filled with memories. His massive body trembled slightly before it finally became a heavy sigh that nearly shattered the air.

He lifted a foot, preparing to head toward the heart of the island that bore his deepest despair.

"I've finally met you, Saul."

A clear young voice suddenly descended from high overhead without warning.

Saul's enormous body immediately tensed. He looked up in an instant, savage vigilance flaring in his eyes. His muscles bulged, nearly tearing apart his bandages.

"Who?!"

Adams slowly descended, hovering several meters above the ground.

"Don't be nervous. I'm the friend Robin mentioned."

"Why should I believe you?!"

Saul's huge fist had already clenched tight, his knuckles cracking with dull pops.

Adams understood that wariness born of countless wounds.

"Come up with me and take a look. Then you'll understand."

He said no more. An invisible force instantly enveloped Saul's massive body. His enormous frame was lifted from the ground as lightly as though it weighed nothing, shooting upward through the clouds.

When the full sight of the miniature Floating Island and those familiar faces upon it entered Saul's view, his iron-like vigilance instantly crumbled.

His huge body began to tremble violently. His taut nerves abruptly slackened, as though all strength had been drained from him. Tears silently welled up, washing away the stains along the edges of his bandages.

After an excited, incoherent conversation, Adams sent Saul back down to the coast.

By then, the Giant companions had returned and were complaining as they stared at their empty hands.

"Saul, we couldn't find anything! There's nothing in the water!"

Saul took a deep breath, suppressing the surging emotions in his heart, and let out his signature laugh.

"Dereshishishi! I got it wrong! Sorry! I'll treat you all to as much liquor as you can drink later, to make it up to you!"

The temptation of alcohol temporarily suppressed his companions' doubts. After a few muttered complaints about him being unreliable, the group boarded the sailing ship and slowly sailed away from that place of sorrow.

TO BE CONTINUED