69novels Page 36
Page 36
Moreover, because these hands are manifestations of power, their control over strength is so extreme that they would never damage those fragile ancient pages due to trembling or excessive force.
Robin herself was immersed in this wondrous "work." She discovered that using her abilities to do something meaningful made her feel far more fulfilled and... at peace than using them to "bully back" or protect herself. It was as if this knowledge, rediscovered from the depths of the sea, had been somehow perpetuated through her "strange" abilities.
Olvia watched as her daughter manipulated countless tiny hands, as if commanding a silent, efficient restoration army, her eyes filled with complex emotions. There was relief at her daughter's mastery of her abilities, gratitude that a small part of Ohara's knowledge had been preserved, and an indescribable sorrow—how wonderful it would be if the scholars of Ohara could see this scene.
Liu Jiu remained the silent observer and protector. He was responsible for navigating the boat, finding safe anchorages, and replenishing the various materials needed for repairs.
He watched as Robin's abilities improved day by day, and as the number of repaired books in the cabin gradually increased. His face remained expressionless, except occasionally when Robin's face turned pale from using her abilities for too long, he would tell her to take a break.
The days passed peacefully amidst the daily voyages, salvage operations, and repairs.
They moved slowly along the sea near Ohara, avoiding any major shipping lanes, like three ghosts adrift from the world.
However, the Navy's arrest of Olvia was never rescinded.
Chapter 38 Wanted Order
It was another peaceful afternoon.
A lazy sea breeze ruffled the sails, and the repair work was temporarily completed. Robin, her face pale from overusing her powers, was resting against the ship's side. Olvia, meanwhile, was in the cabin, carefully checking a list of books that had just undergone preliminary repairs.
Liu Jiu steered the ship, his gaze sweeping across the sea.
A newsbird fluttered its wings and flew in from afar, a cloth bag full of newspapers hanging around its neck. It seemed a little tired, and upon seeing the lone boat, it circled and descended, cooing to indicate whether it needed newspapers.
Liu Jiu took out two coins of the smallest denomination from his pocket and tossed them over.
The newsbird nimbly caught it, took out a neatly folded newspaper from the cloth bag, but the paper was obviously yellowed and the edges were even a little damp, threw it on the deck, rested for a while, and then flew away without looking back.
This is an old newspaper that is clearly unsold, or that has been transported to several islands without being sold. The date is more than half a month ago.
Liu Jiu bent down to pick up the newspaper and casually unfolded it.
His gaze habitually swept over the unimportant kingdom news and pirate bounties.
Then, in a spot in the bounty section that wasn't particularly noticeable but wasn't exactly in a corner either, his gaze paused.
There was a black and white portrait posted there.
The woman in the portrait had a clear face, with the composure characteristic of a scholar and a hint of barely perceptible stubbornness. Although she was slightly different from the Olvia who had weathered many storms and possessed a more reserved temperament, Liu Jiu recognized her at a glance.
It was Nicole Olvia.
Next to the portrait, in bold black font, it was noted:
[Remnants of the Ohara Demon Scholar]
Extremely dangerous; life or death is not guaranteed.
[Bounty: 78,000,000 Berries]
Seventy-eight million Berries!
This amount is outrageously high for a scholar who is not known for her military prowess! It is enough to show the World Government's fear of her, or rather, their determination to kill her regarding the knowledge she might possess about the "Void Century"!
Liu Jiu held the newspaper, his face showing little change in expression, except for a slight narrowing of his eyes.
He took the newspaper and walked to the cabin entrance.
Olvia had just finished checking the book list when she looked up and saw the newspaper in Liu Jiu's hand, as well as the barely perceptible seriousness on his face.
Her heart sank.
Liu Jiu didn't say anything, but simply handed over the newspaper, pointing his finger at the wanted poster.
Olvia took the newspaper, and when she saw her own portrait and the chilling number on it, her face turned deathly pale, and her hand holding the newspaper trembled slightly.
Seventy-eight million...
Life and death are irrelevant...
The World Government, as expected, hasn't given up on capturing her. Not only that, but the bounty is practically putting her on the line! This means that from now on, not only the Navy, but all the pirates and bounty hunters on the high seas who will stop at nothing for Beli will swarm towards her like sharks smelling blood!
She glanced instinctively at Robin, who was resting outside the cabin.
If... if those people find out that Robin is her daughter...
A chill ran from the soles of my feet to the top of my head.
Looking at Olvia's face, which had instantly lost all color, and the undisguised fear in her eyes, Liu Jiu spoke calmly, his voice not loud, but clearly reaching her ears:
"It seems we need to find a quieter place."
His tone was flat, as if he were simply stating a given fact.
Olvia looked up at Liu Jiu.
His eyes remained calm, but beneath that calmness lay a strength sufficient to withstand any storm.
She gripped the newspaper tightly in her hand, her knuckles turning white. She took a deep breath and tried to make her voice sound calm:
"...I'll follow your instructions."
She knew that from this moment on, they could no longer drift slowly like this.
They need to hide, they need to be more careful.
The ship carrying the last embers of Ohara must sail around the world to evade capture by the navy.
Liu Jiu nodded, said nothing more, turned around and walked back to the helm to adjust the angle of the sails.
The sea breeze rustled the expired newspaper.
The bounty of 78 million was like an invisible shackle, tightening around Olvia's neck once again.
The newly acquired large ship sailed slowly along the edge of the calm zone. The currents here were unpredictable and the weather was erratic, but there were far fewer traces of the navy and pirates, making it a temporary safe haven.
Liu Jiu stood on the deck, his gaze seemingly casually sweeping across the excessively calm sea. The windless seawater presented a deep, almost inky blue, as if concealing countless secrets.
at this time--
A small black dot appeared on the distant horizon.
The black dot wasn't moving fast, but its method was extremely strange—it wasn't relying on sails or power, but rather... sliding along the surface of the sea?
As the distance closed, the outline of the black dot gradually became clearer.
A man of unusually tall and muscular build, wearing sunglasses, was leisurely... riding a bicycle?!
The bicycle's front wheel rolled across the dark blue sea, and wherever it passed, the seawater instantly froze into a narrow, chilling ice path!
In this way, relying on the temporary path created by the freezing of the sea surface by his bicycle wheels, he moved leisurely through this windless zone, which even large warships dared not easily enter, as if walking on flat ground.
Admiral Kuzan, also known as "Aokiji".
Having been promoted not long ago, his code name has replaced his former "Z".
Liu Jiu's eyes narrowed slightly.
Aokiji seemed to have noticed the strange, lone ship anchored at the edge of the calm zone. He adjusted the handlebars, and the bicycle traced a graceful arc across the sea as it slowly made its way toward the large ship.
"Squeak... squeak..."
The faint sound of bicycle tires rolling over the ice was exceptionally clear on the still sea.
Olvia and Robin, inside the cabin, also heard the unusual sound. Olvia cautiously looked up through the porthole.
When she saw the tall figure riding a bicycle, constantly freezing the sea surface, and the Justice Coat on his body, which represented one of the Navy's highest combat forces, her face turned deathly pale, and she almost dropped the book in her hand!
What's a naval admiral doing here?!
Is it because of that bounty poster? Has he already discovered us?!
Extreme fear made it hard for her to breathe. She instinctively looked at Robin, pulled her still somewhat bewildered daughter behind her, and used her body to block the view from the porthole.
Robin was startled by her sudden action, but she also felt that unusual and unsettling sense of oppression approaching. Her face tightened instantly, and even her little hands that were repairing the books froze in mid-air.
On the deck, Liu Jiu remained standing in the same spot, without moving.
Aokiji's bicycle stopped on the sea a dozen meters away from the large ship. He supported himself with one foot on the ice and the other on the pedal. He raised his hand to push up his sunglasses, and his lazy gaze swept over the ship, finally landing on the only figure on the deck—Liu Jiu.
The two stood a distance apart, silently gazing at each other.
The sea breeze seemed to have stopped.
Aokiji's gaze lingered on Liu Jiu for a few seconds, then swept over the ship, which was clearly modified and did not resemble an ordinary fishing boat or merchant ship. His eyes behind his sunglasses seemed thoughtful.
He didn't sense any particularly powerful aura on the ship, except for the seemingly ordinary man in front of him, who exuded a calmness that was somewhat unfathomable to him.
Is it a pirate ship? Or...?
His gaze seemed to drift unintentionally over the closed cabin.
Inside the cabin, Olvia held Robin tightly behind her, barely daring to breathe, her heart pounding as if it would leap out of her throat at any moment.
Liu Jiu met Qingzhi's scrutinizing gaze with an expressionless face, simply looking back calmly.
Aokiji seemed to have lost interest, or rather, he didn't perceive any clear target or threat. He lazily yawned and straightened his handlebars again.
"Ugh...really, I thought I could slack off a bit..."
He muttered something to himself and pushed off with his foot.
The bicycle started again, and the moment the front wheel touched the sea surface, a chill filled the air, and a new ice track stretched forward.
He stopped looking at the ship, rode his bicycle leisurely, and passed by Liu Jiu's large ship, heading deeper into the calm zone.
"Squeak... squeak..."
The sound of tires rolling over the ice gradually faded away.
The suffocating sense of oppression slowly disappeared beneath the sea surface along with the figure riding a bicycle.
Only when he was completely out of sight did Liu Jiu on the deck twitch his eyebrows almost imperceptibly.
Inside the cabin, Olvia let out a sigh of relief as if she had collapsed, slumping to the floor, her back already soaked with cold sweat. Robin also breathed a sigh of relief; the floating little hands dissipated limply into the air.
Luckily... he escaped disaster?
Olvia looked at the still upright figure on the deck with lingering fear.
Is it because of him?
Because of his presence, even a naval admiral did not easily board the ship for inspection?
Liu Jiu turned around and looked at the mother and daughter, who were still in shock, his tone calm: