Heading to Ohara

Seeing that the two had finished their call, Rayleigh could no longer contain his curiosity.

"Allen, how do you know so much?"

"Just think of me as a prophet!"

Allen finished with a playful grin.

Seeing that Allen did not want to say more, Rayleigh let it drop. Everyone had their secrets, after all. But he was still a little worried.

"Does the man you just spoke to really have the strength to stop a Buster Call?"

At Rayleigh's question, Allen began explaining Dragon's background.

"His name is Monkey D. Dragon. He's Garp's son. He's already left the Marines, and one day he'll found the Revolutionary Army to fight the World Government."

Rayleigh could not help but marvel. "What an incredible man!"

"He's all right."

Allen did not think Dragon was all that impressive. He only ever worked on little schemes in secret and never dared confront the World Government head-on. Who knew how long it would take him to overthrow the Celestial Dragons?

Looks like I need to get stronger as soon as possible. I'll aim to become the World's Strongest before I turn thirty, then overthrow the Celestial Dragons myself. After that, I'll have a family and enjoy life. Just thinking about it feels great. But first I need to finish the mission, or it's all wishful thinking!

Allen and Rayleigh then gathered what they needed for the voyage. Half a day later, they set sail.

A few days later, they arrived at Ohara.

Three strangers had suddenly appeared on the island. When Dr. Clover learned they included Rayleigh and Gaban, he came out to greet them personally and warmly arranged a place for them to stay.

The islanders did not know who the three were, but seeing how courteously Dr. Clover treated them, they lowered their guard.

Among the crowd was a girl of about seven or eight. Her large eyes kept darting toward Allen and his companions. The person beside her could see right through her curiosity.

"Robin, what's wrong?"

The little girl named Robin asked, puzzled:

"Doctor, who are those three?"

In response, Dr. Clover gently patted her head.

"Those two men are remarkable people. They may be a great help to us someday."

As for the child beside them, Dr. Clover was puzzled too. The boy called Gaban and Rayleigh "Uncle." Could he be that man's son?

Dr. Clover did not dare say who he thought the boy was.

"Robin, I'm not sure who that boy is either. Why don't you get to know him?"

After a few days together, Allen and Robin had become good friends.

Robin had not yet lived through the horrific destruction of Ohara that Allen remembered from his previous life. She was not wary of everyone yet; her eyes were clear, with a touch of childish foolishness.

One day, Robin sat on a rock by the shore, watching Allen swim freely in the sea. Her eyes were full of confusion.

"How can you swim in the sea? Aren't you an Ability User?"

Robin had come to thoroughly hate Allen's ability.

That awful boy always catches me off guard. He keeps going for my face, running up to pinch my cheek for no reason before using his ability to put distance between us in an instant. Robin could only grit her teeth in helpless frustration.

Just then, Allen's teasing reply came from the water.

"My foolish little sister, are you jealous?"

"You're the foolish one! Your whole family is foolish!"

After firing back, Robin put on a disdainful look.

"Hmph. Who'd be jealous of you? I don't even like swimming in the sea."

She did envy Allen's ability to swim in the sea, but she was too stubborn to admit it.

Just then, Gaban's voice rang out from the island.

"Hey, you two! Get back here. Something big's happened!"

They both turned toward Gaban at the sound of his voice.

"Have the Marines arrived?"

Gaban stared at Allen, baffled.

"How did you know? I haven't even told you what happened!"

"Just a guess!"

"Fine!"

"A giant Marine washed ashore on a raft. What you warned us about might be about to happen."

As soon as Gaban finished speaking, Allen grabbed Robin's hand and hurried toward another stretch of coast.

On the other shore, a badly wounded giant was recounting what had recently happened.

When the people gathered there heard that the Marines were about to attack Ohara, every face turned grave.

"I never thought the World Government would move so quickly. We need to get all the books out of the Tree of Knowledge!"

As a scholar who loved knowledge and treasured books as much as life itself, Dr. Clover's first instinct was to protect the precious volumes inside the Tree of Knowledge.

"It's too late!"

With his keen Observation Haki, Rayleigh had sensed several warships rapidly approaching Ohara.

Everyone turned to look out to sea.

In just over ten seconds, ten warships emerged into view like ghosts from the darkness. Before long, they reached the shore.

A young man's voice came from one of the warships.

"Well, well, Sauron. I didn't expect you to make it to Ohara."

Another voice rang out from the warship, thick with anger.

"Sauron, you Marine traitor! You dare show your face here?"

The two speakers were Aokiji and Akainu, two of the five Vice Admirals carrying out the Buster Call. Neither had yet become a Marine Admiral.

"Refusing to kill civilians makes me a traitor?"

"Then I'd rather be a traitor than become the World Government's lapdog like you!"

At being called a lapdog, Akainu's face darkened.

He knew the World Government's conduct was despicable, but as a soldier, obeying his superiors was a principle he would never abandon.

So he took out his anger on Sauron.

"Great Eruption!"

Akainu's arm became a massive fist of flowing magma. Like a burning meteor, it hurtled down toward the giant on the island.

Watching the deadly blow approach, Sauron despaired.

He knew how vast the gap in strength was between him and Akainu. Though both were Vice Admirals, Akainu was far stronger. Worse, four other Vice Admirals and members of the mysterious CP Organization were aboard the warships.

Just as the magma fist was about to strike Sauron, a fierce slash roared out from the island.

Boom!

With a tremendous crash, the magma fist burst apart. Countless glowing fragments scattered into the sea like shooting stars.

Seeing his full-strength attack dispelled so easily, Akainu grew grim.

When Aokiji saw who had struck, he cried out in surprise.

"Pluto Rayleigh! What are you doing here?"

His shout drew astonished cries from everyone aboard the warships.

"What?"

"Pluto Rayleigh, the Right Hand of the Pirate King? What's he doing here?"

"Are other members of the Roger Pirates here too?"

Just as that thought crossed Aokiji's mind, another startled cry rose from one of the warships.