One Piece Chapter 394: Ohara's Demons

Robin runs alone through the blank white space of the page, her arms pumping and sweat on her face. There are no words here, only the urgency of her movement: Saul has told her that Marine warships are heading for Ohara, and that her mother may have returned. The silence makes the page feel like the held breath before Robin reaches the library and the truth waiting there.

Robin rushes toward the Tree of Omniscience, panting "Haa" as Saul's warning echoes in her mind: "Marine warships are headin' toward dis land, Ohara, like... right now!!" and "Your mom might even have returned!!" Someone near the library asks, "What happened, Robin?" but Robin can only think, "Haa... Did my mom..." and then, "Come here?...!!" Inside, she hears the adults deny the possibility. One asks, "...!! What're you talking about, Robin...?" and another says, "... There's no way your mom would be here in Ohara." Olvia's own resolve sits behind the lie: "I cannot make her 'the daughter of a criminal.'" and "I have to sever all ties with her."

The scholars try to steady Robin while hiding Olvia from her. Clover stands silent for a moment, and Robin hesitates with "Uh... Um..." before someone asks, "What happened... so suddenly...?" Robin says, "Oh, yeah... Listen. I heard Marine warships are coming to this island to capture all the scholars of this island...!!" The adults press for details: "Is there any commotion in the town...?" and "About what you just said, they're not 'warships'..." Another says that Government ships have arrived and that it will most likely be the strictest investigation ever. Clover lowers the danger to Robin personally: "Listen, Robin... even if people from the Government come to you, you must not tell them that you are an archaeologist. For one as little as yourself... nobody would suspect that you are an archaeologist. Got it?"

The Government agents burst into the library with violence. They shove people aside with "Outta the way!!" and "Whoa!!" and shout, "Stop working on your projects!!!" and "Put your hands in the air! Move outside, all of you!!" The scholars are shocked, but the armed men announce their accusation: "This Ohara Research Center is suspected of committing a serious crime, the deciphering of the Poneglyphs." When Clover asks, "Aren't you being a bit too violent...?" the agents answer, "We'll be performing a thorough investigation, so everyone, get out!!" Clover tells them, "Don't disturb this place... Everything that exists here is so precious that the likes of you could never appreciate their value..." but the reply is cold: "That doesn't concern me! Take them out!!"

Outside, the agents spread their message through Ohara: "Notifying the townspeople!!! The archaeologists of this island are suspected of being 'demons' who desire the destruction of the world'!!!" The townspeople react with "!!?" "Huh!?" and "Why!?" because the scholars are the island's pride, brilliant people known around the world. The announcement continues: "Therefore, this island will be subject to our full-scale investigation!!!" In the meantime, those not associated with archaeology must temporarily go to the evacuation ship on the west shore with proof of identification. The Government turns Ohara's scholars from beloved neighbors into a public terror with a single official speech.

The townspeople panic at the order. Someone asks, "Evacuation ship...!? Why do we...?" Another protests, "If it's a problem with the scholars, we don't have anything to do with them... So why do we have to leave the island?" An agent answers, "Our duty is to deliver this message. It's of no concern to us if you choose to ignore this advice and later suffer the consequences!!" Fear spreads at once: "They're plotting something!!!" "Waaaah, flee the town!!" and "Evacuate to the west shore!!" The Government has not explained the truth; it has only frightened the island into motion.

At the shore, the World Government ship sits beneath its flag, and Olvia makes her stand. She fires at Spandine, who screams, "Giyaaaaah!!!" and collapses in panic, shouting, "I've been shot!! I... I'm done for!!" and "I'm done for!! Shiiiiit!!!" He even cries, "... Tell upper management... Let my son... succeed to the Chief position...!" But an agent checks him and says, "Chief, please look carefully... The bullet just went through the jacket's sleeve." Spandine realizes, "Ah, I see..." Olvia steadies her rifle and says, "I won't miss next time."

Spandine laughs at Olvia: "Mwahahahaha... This is... Nico Olvia!!!" He cannot believe that a serious criminal who escaped from the Marine's prison would return to the island by chance. He accuses her of proving the island's guilt: a woman who kept denying any relation to Ohara's scholars has shown up here, admitting this is her hometown and that the scholars have committed the same crime as her exploration ship. Olvia answers, "My presence here doesn't confirm that." Spandine sneers that it does not matter: "Naturally, you're prepared to make excuses... you are a very smart woman... But that's okay. We won't need to confirm any relationship between you and Ohara. If we search every inch of this island..."

Spandine declares that the Government will soon find proof that the scholars are studying the Poneglyphs. "The Government believes this to be 100% true!" he says. He explains that the Government has captured many Poneglyph researchers all over the world and has always looked for their relationship to Ohara. Olvia listens in fury as he reveals the plan: if the holy land of archaeology, Ohara, is defeated, it will cause the biggest commotion in archaeology society ever. Spandine laughs, "Mwahaha... That's right!!!" because they will show how severe the punishment is for those who pursue the truth behind the Void Century. Olvia sees the purpose clearly: "Do you know why that is...!? ... To make Ohara an example...!? It can't be...!!"

Olvia understands the next step: "Then... those warships from headquarters are on standby to..." Spandine confirms the logic without remorse. The warships are there so criminals cannot escape, while the investigation remains a formality: "We still need to confirm their crime. We're not pirates. That's why I came here in person. To perform a compulsory investigation on this island, and to oust any uninvolved people." Olvia lunges, but Spandine orders, "Take her down..." CP9 moves instantly, striking her down before she can fire. The scene makes the Government's cruelty precise: first legality, then violence, then annihilation.

Inside the Tree of Omniscience, agents tear through bookshelves and papers. Scholars protest, "Hey, stop it! Books here are the property of the world!!!" The agents ignore them. One says, "He's still here? Take him out!!!" while another shouts, "Come on." Someone searches for the forbidden room: "There should be a hidden room!! Find it!!!" Guns click with "Chck!!" and the scholars are cursed as "Shit!!! Bastards!!!" At the northwest shore, Saul watches the Government move against the island from his hideout and mutters, "Damn...!!!"

Warships appear on the sea, their presence marked by the heavy sound of engines. Someone says, "Warships are poppin' up..." and another, "They're so close..." Beneath the Tree of Omniscience, the captured scholars are gathered together. An agent asks, "Is that it!!?" and gives the order, "Gather all the scholars here!!!" Robin stands among them, facing the men with rifles and the adults who have protected her. The ships offshore and the scholars under the tree show the trap closing from every direction.

The evacuation panic continues in town. Villagers shout, "Look!! The scholars really have been captured!!" "What have they done!?" "I heard they were researching how to destroy the world..." and "What the hell!?" Others cry, "Where's the evacuation ship!?" "West shore!!" and "Hurry!!" A scholar turns to Robin and tells her, "Robin, I heard there's an evacuation ship... I don't know what the Government is planning to do... but you should go!!" Robin answers softly, "... No." She says, "... Nobody there is nice to me. I'll stay here with everyone else!" The adults plead, "Robin!!" and "Shut up and go!!!" but Robin's choice is heartbreakingly simple: the scholars are the only people who have treated her as family.

Spandine returns to the gathered scholars and says, "How's it going, everyone...?" A subordinate greets him, "Sir, greetings, sir!" Spandine complains, "But well, I didn't know the forest of this island... had a fierce beast." The scholars realize Olvia has been beaten and cry, "Olvia-san...!!!" and "Olvia..." Robin is told to be quiet. Spandine laughs, "Mwahahaha," and says, "I was almost killed." Olvia lies on the ground, bruised and bloodied, while Robin sees her mother at last under the worst possible circumstances.

Spandine explains Olvia's value to the agents: "She's an escapee... Her group was obliterated for deciphering the ancient letters..." Then he says, "If you've got anything to do with her, we can end this quickly." Robin watches Olvia on the ground and thinks, "How cruel... To a woman..." Clover urgently tells her, "Robin! Go to the evacuation ship!! Hurry!!" Olvia, barely conscious, thinks Robin's name and then looks at her daughter. Robin looks back, and Olvia says, "You've really... grown..." The reunion is only a few panels, but the eyes say everything the mother and daughter have been denied for years.

A thunderous crash erupts from the Tree of Omniscience, and everyone turns toward the library. Villagers shout, "... Wha... what have you done!!?" and "What do you think the library is!!?" One agent, unconcerned, says, "Oh... that made for a big show..." while Spandine's transponder snail rings, "Puru-puru-ru." The call reports success: "Hello, may I speak to Chief, please?" "Yeah, this is him." "We've found it!!! There's a room in the basement with a huge stone that seems to be a Poneglyph and obvious research documents about the ancient letters!!!" The scholars fall silent. The Government has found the proof it came determined to find.

Spandine grins with victory. "Now, scholars of Ohara..." he begins, laughing "Mwahahaha..." Then he spreads his arms before the gathered people and declares, "Your death penalty is assured!!!" The scholars and Robin stare in shock. Spandine continues with mock regret: "I terribly regret... today, this day... The world's greatest archaeologists will all be executed, together...!!" Olvia lies injured at the edge of the scene while Robin stands frozen beside Clover and the scholars. The investigation has become exactly what Saul warned: a sentence of death for Ohara.

Spandine dismisses the enormity of the judgment: "... See? What a letdown. This was it. That's all I had to do. Just report to the Gorousei later. Roger." Robin turns to Clover in panic: "Eh... Doctor...!! ... Are you all going to be killed? It's a lie, isn't it!? Just for reading ancient letters!? Why!?" Spandine snaps, "You little brat!!" and claims their goal is to awaken a powerful weapon after the research and kill a large number of humans. Robin calls him a liar: "Liar!! Nobody thinks like that!" Clover stops her: "Robin... stop it. Nobody would believe the babbling mouth of a little girl." Then he raises his own voice before death: "Let me talk to the 'Gorousei,' the leaders of the world... before I die!! I'd like to give a report on what we of Ohara, the holy land of archaeology, have been studying all this time... and the hypothesis we have formulated regarding the Void Century!!!"

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