Two Years in a Flash

Two years later.

Tree of Knowledge.

Beneath the enormous dome, the scent of parchment and ink hung in the air. Sunlight streamed through the high windows, carving out shafts of light where dust danced soundlessly.

Dr. Clover stroked his unusually shaped beard and announced:

"In three days, Robin will be awarded her scholar's badge."

As soon as he finished speaking, the scholars before him erupted into discussion.

"It should have happened long ago!"

"Little Robin's knowledge reached that level ages ago."

"Fully deserved!"

They unanimously approved the proposal.

Yet none of them noticed that, in the shadows of a corner, a thumb-sized clay figure lay silently atop the spine of a heavy tome.

Meanwhile, on Ohara's northwestern coast.

Eight days left.

Adams thought to himself as he opened his eyes. The sea breeze immediately filled his slightly narrowed eyes.

From Robin's eighth birthday onward, one such inconspicuous little clay figure had lurked like a ghost in some corner of the Tree of Knowledge, faithfully carrying out its eavesdropping duty day after day.

To that end, he had deliberately refrained from interfering with Robin's learning pace, hoping to keep the plot unchanged.

Because he only knew that the Buster Call would come five days after Robin gained her scholar's status at the age of eight, he could only use this clumsy method to confirm the timing.

Robin... The name rolled through his heart, and the corners of Adams's thin, sharply defined lips lifted ever so slightly.

Two years ago, on the day after gaining his ability, he had personally paid a visit to Robin's sharp-tongued uncle and aunt.

After a round of "friendly discussions," he had successfully brought Robin into his home. By now, his relationship with Robin was no different from that of true family.

Of course, over the past two years, he had not merely focused on matters of the heart. He had also kept up with developing his ability and training his body, though he still did not know what level he was at.

His opponents had only been the sea beasts and large fish around him, but those creatures did not have bounties hanging over their heads.

He knew very well that bounties represented threat level rather than strength, but they were still fairly useful for judging strength during the "beginner village stage."

The only person in Ohara with a bounty was Dr. Clover. He could not possibly fight Dr. Clover just to test his strength, so he had no clear grasp of his current level.

Adams let out a long breath, as though trying to expel the heavy premonition that had built up in his chest over the past two years.

It was time. Time to make the final preparations.

With a thought, the gravity around him vanished instantly. Like a feather stripped of all weight, he floated soundlessly into the air.

After hovering for a moment, his body became a blurred gray shadow, speeding over the jagged black reefs and white surf crashing below toward the giant tree shadow at the heart of the island.

A few minutes later, inside the Tree of Knowledge.

Adams stood tall before Dr. Clover.

The old doctor adjusted his round glasses. Behind the lenses, his gaze carried a trace of barely perceptible scrutiny and confusion as he confirmed once more:

"Adams, you... are you sure you want to leave for a few days?"

Adams nodded slightly.

"Yes, Doctor. It's been three years. I want to see the other parts of the West Blue."

His eyes met the doctor's openly. There was no evasion or hesitation within them, only a calm as deep as the sea.

Dr. Clover watched him. Those eyes, which had taken in countless ancient wisdoms, seemed to want to pierce through Adams's calm exterior and uncover the truth hidden beneath.

He did not respond immediately, his fingers unconsciously twisting his beard.

After a long while, the old man seemed to cast off some burden. His shoulders relaxed almost imperceptibly for an instant, and he nodded heavily.

"All right, then. Go, child."

"Just... be extra careful. The West Blue is a little chaotic. Keep your guard up out there."

"I will."

Adams's reply remained crisp and decisive, without the slightest hesitation.

He then turned around. His footsteps were steady and powerful as he crossed the ancient, solid wooden floor, walking step by step toward the bright daylight pouring in through the doorway.

Dr. Clover remained where he was, his clouded gaze piercing through the dust in the air as it stubbornly followed the direction in which that figure had vanished, until the glow beyond the door completely swallowed him.

A sigh, as though squeezed from the depths of his chest, finally escaped the old man's lips and dissolved into the dust of the books.

"It's good that he's gone... At a time like this, leaving this place is safer in the end."

He turned around and shuffled toward the deep forest of bookshelves, his hunched back seeming to have aged several more years.

TO BE CONTINUED