Capítulo 153: Chapter 153
Back on Ohara, Lily dragged Robin hastily toward the library and into her grandfather's office, hoping he could talk some sense into the little girl. She knew how headstrong Robin was—once she set her mind to something, she wouldn't easily let go.
Entering the small office, Lily ushered Robin in and closed the door behind them. She looked for her grandfather, but it seemed like he was away. Frantically, she searched the table and finally found what she was looking for. She placed it in Robin's arms: the latest bounty poster of Donquixote Rosinante.
"Look... look here, Robin. He's a pirate, a pirate, I say! He's not a good man. Everyone who has a bounty to their name is a criminal—a criminal who only deserves death. They all need to be put down like beasts. They don't deserve to be called humans," Lily roared in frustration.
She did this out of genuine concern for her little sister, but Robin's eyes became moist, and tears started falling down her face. Lily froze, not understanding why Robin showed such extreme emotions when talking about a criminal. It wasn't like they had known each other for long.
And there was also a reason why Lily hated pirates so much: both her parents were killed by pirates, and she had never known her parents.
As she sniffled, Robin looked up at Lily with tear-filled eyes and asked, "Do you really mean that, Sister Lily? Do you really think everyone with a bounty is a criminal and needs to be put down like a beast?" Tears streamed down her face.
Lily paused but thought that to keep Robin away from that monster, she needed to say it. "Yes, Robin, they are all monsters. They are people who thrive on the suffering of innocent people," she added, sharing her general opinion about pirates and criminals alike.
Robin sobbed, then took out a neatly folded bounty poster from her pocket and presented it to Lily. "Do you think she needs to be put down like an animal too? Do you think she is also cruel like you say?" she asked, her eyes reddened.
Lily's hands trembled as she held the bounty poster. It was someone she recognized well: Robin's mother, Nico Olivia.
```
[WANTED]
[NICO OLIVIA]
[DEAD OR ALIVE]
[79,000,000 BELLY]
```
Lily's heart skipped a beat. As a scholar involved in forbidden research, she knew that Nico Olivia was part of the team that had ventured out to sea to collect more details about the Void Century. Although it was deemed illegal, they did it anyway in the name of finding the truth.
Lily now didn't know how to salvage the situation. She knew that whatever she tried to say now would make her seem like a hypocrite, and Robin was too smart to be fooled. Just as she was at a loss, the door to the room opened, and Professor Clover stepped in.
He saw the two bounty posters and somewhat deduced the situation. He had already known that little Robin was stealthily making trips to the island's edge and that the young man there was none other than an infamous pirate from the New World. But because Rosinante hadn't caused any issues in the past month, he had chosen to ignore his presence.
Little Robin, seeing the old man step in, started sobbing more loudly and clung to his legs, bawling.
Professor Clover turned to his granddaughter, Lily. "What happened? Tell me everything in detail," he said gently but firmly.
Lily took a deep breath, trying to steady her emotions. She then started sharing everything that had happened.
Professor Clover's expression softened as he looked at the tear-streaked face of little Robin. He knelt down beside her, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Robin, not everyone with a bounty is a monster. Some people are labeled as criminals for seeking the truth or for standing up against injustice. Your mother, Nico Olivia, is one of those people. She is a brave woman who wants to uncover the truth about our world's history."
Robin sniffled, looking up at her grandfather with wide, tear-filled eyes. "But what about Brother Ross? He... he doesn't seem bad."
Professor Clover sighed deeply. "Rosinante is a complicated youth. While many people out there have a bounty, it doesn't necessarily mean they are evil. Sometimes, people are forced into difficult situations, and their actions are misunderstood. It's important to judge people by their actions and their intentions, not just by the bounty on their heads."
Professor Clover offered gently, "While I can confidently say that your mother's hands are not drenched with the blood of innocents, I cannot say the same about your new friend Rosinante. What Lily told you may hold partial truth." He knew that saying this might not convince Robin to stay away from such a dangerous youth, so he thought it would be better to confront Rosinante face-to-face.
From what he had come to understand over the past month, the ex-Celestial Dragon didn't seem like the type who was averse to dialogue. As long as he kept Robin away from Rosinante's influence, it would be a win for him.
Robin's face, however, soured. She did not believe that Brother Ross was truly evil. She had seen the bond between Lucci, Leo, and Mansherry with Ross. That kind of familial bond could not be faked.
Professor Clover saw the mix of doubt and confusion on Robin's face. He stood up while ruffling her hair affectionately. "How about this, Robin? Let's go ahead and meet your friend. I am sure if he is as good as you say, then he wouldn't harm us."
"Brother Ross won't harm us, I promise... I promise," she sniffed, rubbing her tears away. Although she trusted Ross, she trusted Lily and Grandpa Clover even more. For now, she decided to heed their words, following them to find out if Brother was really the sort of person they had told her he was.
Soon, under Professor Clover's lead, both Lily and Robin followed towards the island's north.
"It seems like we are going to have guests." I couldn't help but comment as I detected the presences making their way toward our abode. "Lucci, eat properly. The more vitality you can store within yourself, the longer you can train, and the longer you train, the stronger you get." I eyed Lucci, who, with his bloated tummy, had fallen on his back, giving up eating halfway.
He immediately sat up and started practicing Life Return, and at a rate visible to the naked eye, his bloated tummy started shrinking back to normal. He once again started devouring the sea king meat. Unfortunately, Leo hadn't learned Life Return yet, so he cutely rolled around with a bloated belly under the silent giggles of Mansherry.
Just then, Professor Clover and the others arrived near the massive fireplace I had built to barbecue the sea king.
"Would you like to join us?" I offered without turning back. Lucci was about to get up to get fresh plates. Robin even wanted to join, but Lily held her back. Now all she held in her eyes for the blonde teen in front of her was hatred, a hatred she held for all pirates.
Professor Clover looked around the fire and saw the happy faces of Lucci and even the jovial dwarves of the Tontatta tribe. For a moment, even he himself doubted if the young teen seated by the fire was really the monster the World Government made him out to be. But for now, he did not want to take any chances with Robin, so he cleared his throat and spoke.
"Can we speak... somewhere in private?" The crackling of the fire was all the sound that was heard. Then, with a sigh, I stood up, gesturing for Lucci to make sure the rest of the sea king meat wasn't overcooked because I hadn't had my fill yet.
Soon, Professor Clover and I stood at the edge of the shore, the sea water caressing our feet. Though he had said he wanted to talk privately, Robin had insisted on following along, and Lily had joined them.
"So, what did you want to talk about, Professor?" I questioned him, though I already knew what the matter was regarding.
"Tell me, Rosinante, what is a pirate like you, whose name is infamous even in the New World, doing here in West Blue? And what exactly do you plan to achieve by getting close to young Robin?" He questioned me, knowing full well he was no match for someone like me, but he stood firm, hoping to make me back down.
"What I plan to achieve?" I couldn't help but chuckle at his question. "Tell me, Professor Clover, aren't you a smart man? Do you really think I can achieve something by forming a friendship with an eight-year-old girl?"
"Ross..." he paused and checked if I was okay with him addressing me that way, and I simply nodded. "Listen, you should understand that you are a pirate, a criminal, and a man wanted by the World Government. If you really thought about little Robin's well-being, you should have stayed away. Do you think it's safe for Robin to associate with people like you, Ross-kun?" Clover tried to get through to me with logic, but the old fool had no idea that the only reason I had come all the way here was to try and help these people in the upcoming tragedy.
I wanted to smash the old man's skull in, just to make it clear that I am a pirate and I can bloody well do what I want. But then I calmed myself down. It seemed like Doffy's behavior was rubbing off on me.
The little kid was the one who found us, despite our settling at the remote edge of the island, where people rarely venture. I had entertained little Robin because, in the canon, she was a future crew member of Luffy, and her life was tragic.
Although now I was really in the One Piece world, I still had a lingering attachment to the original One Piece world that I had only known as fiction in my past life, especially its main characters, if that made any sense. I sighed again, deciding to overlook the old man's stupidity and let it slide this time around for little Robin's sake.
But then I couldn't help but scoff at the old man's hypocrisy as he kept blabbering on and on.
"Heh, old man, are you sure that little Robin is going to be in danger because she associates herself with me? So what about you? Do you think that little Robin is safe if she associates with people like you?" I countered, not willing to put up with more of his words.
"You... you. How dare you! Of course, Robin is safe with us. You are a pirate! A pirate who thrives on destroying the lives of innocents. You are someone who blatantly breaks the laws and harms others in the process of breaking them!" Lily roared.
Professor Clover was flustered; he did not expect his granddaughter to speak up. He knew she hated pirates with vigor, especially since she had lost both her parents to a pirate attack.
"Hahahahahaha," I almost tripped over laughing. "Really? Really? Breaking the law... harming innocents. You speak as if the people here aren't doing the exact same thing. So tell me, what's the difference between you and me?" I questioned.
"Ross-kun, what do you mean? We scholars are peace-loving people. Please don't slander us. We don't break the law, and we absolutely do not harm any innocents," Clover's face soured. He was an intellectual man, and my words were an insult to him and his profession, which he worshipped.
"So what about your study of the Poneglyphs? Your underground secret lab that you have set up to decipher the secrets of the Void Century? Isn't that blatantly breaking the law?" I mocked him.
"And please don't tell me that you don't know what the consequences would be. Isn't that inevitably harming all the innocent lives here in Ohara? You already know the consequences of your actions, and you still choose to play with innocent lives. So tell me, Professor, how different are we?" I asked with sarcasm, wanting to pull him down from his high horse.
Clover's face turned a shade darker as my words sank in. He was not sure how I had become aware of their research on poneglyphs. He instinctively turned to Robin, but then he realized even little Robin was not aware of what exactly they were doing down there, as he had always managed to fool Robin when she wanted to be involved with the Poneglyph.
Robin stood by, confusion evident in her eyes. She looked between us, struggling to reconcile the image of her kind, knowledgeable grandfather with the accusations I hurled at him.
"Ross," Clover began, his voice softer but laced with a steely resolve. He knew there was no use in trying to act ignorant of the matter in front of such a person who could simply force himself into the lab if he denied its existence.
"We study history to uncover the truth and understand the past so that we may build a better future. The laws that prohibit this knowledge are unjust, and it is our duty to challenge them. Yes, there are risks, but the pursuit of knowledge is worth those risks."
"Knowledge at the cost of lives? At the cost of innocent lives, who have no idea about your 'noble' pursuits?" I interrupted. "The World Government will not spare Ohara if they find out what you're doing. You know this, and yet you persist. You're gambling with lives, old man. So tell me, how are you any better than the pirates you despise?"
"Did you even bother asking the opinion of the same innocent people whose lives you are gambling with according to your own whims, who gave you the right to act god when it comes to those innocent lives, Professor, or are those lives insignificant and worthless in your eyes? Knowledge, my foot! You are simply fulfilling your ambition while sacrificing others."
Clover remained silent for a moment, clearly struggling with his thoughts. Lily, however, was not so restrained.
"You speak as if you care about innocent lives, pirate. But what about the lives you've ruined? The people you've killed? You have no right to lecture us on morality," she spat, her eyes blazing with anger.
I took a deep breath, reigning in my temper. "I won't deny who I am. I've done terrible things—things I'm not proud of. But never have I staked another person's life and called it greater good. What I do, I do to fulfill my ambition, plain and simple, and there are no lies; don't act like sacrificing innocent lives for the so called greater good is a saintly act. You're playing with fire, and when it burns, it won't be just you who suffers."
The tension hung thick in the air. Robin's eyes filled with tears, clearly torn between her loyalty to her grandfather and her growing bond with me; however, with her intelligence, she could say that the matter wasn't simple.
"Let's not pretend any of us are saints," I finally said, my voice softer. "But remember this, Professor. The pursuit of knowledge is a noble goal, but not when it comes at the cost of those who trust and depend on you, especially when the people involved don't even realize what they are dying for. Trust me, that's the worst way someone can die. Make sure you're ready to face the consequences of your actions."
******
Dear readers,
Thank you for your continuous support. In the meantime, I request that my readers please spare a few minutes of their precious time if possible and leave their reviews and thoughts about the story so that I can improve upon the story and help it reach more One Piece fans.
For those eager to dive into the next chapters of our One Piece saga before anyone else, I invite you to join me on Patreon. By becoming a patron, you'll not only gain access to exclusive advanced chapters but also play a pivotal role in shaping the future of our narratives and much more.
Currently updated until Chapter 203.
Patreon : www.patreon.com/Silent_stiele
REFLEXIONES DE LOS CREADORES 
Silent_stiele
Silent_stiele Dear Readers,
I want to express my deepest gratitude for the constant support you have given my work. Your encouragement and feedback have been invaluable, and I am truly thankful for each one of you.
If possible, I would love to garner even more support through power stones and reviews. Each additional review helps my work reach more readers, and even a single review can make a significant difference. Your support means the world to me, and I am deeply appreciative of every effort you make to help my work grow.
For those who would like to support me further and gain access to more than 50 additional chapters, you can do so on Patreon. Your support there is crucial and greatly appreciated, as it allows me to continue creating and sharing my work with you.
Thank you for your understanding and for being an integral part of this journey. Your presence and support are what make this all possible.
With heartfelt thanks,
[Silent_stiele]
Patreon : www.patreon.com/Silent_stiele
Estado de energía semanal
-- Ranking de
Poder 
-- Piedra de
Poder