One Piece: The sky is azure, I just time-traveled today.

Page 30

A strange, silent sense of closeness quietly grows in the daily care.

Robin couldn't explain why, but she just felt that this aunt... was very familiar. Looking at her pale face, and at the occasional furrowing of her brow due to pain, a subtle pang of heartache rose in her heart, one that she herself was unaware of.

At night, when she went to sleep, she no longer just curled up on the edge of the bed, but unconsciously moved closer little by little, eventually leaning against Olvia's uninjured arm, as if she could draw some indescribable sense of security from this scarred body.

That night, moonlight shone through the window paper, casting a soft glow.

Just like the previous days, Robin nestled close to Olvia, fast asleep.

Olvia's long eyelashes fluttered a few times, and slowly, she opened her eyes.

Consciousness seemed to rise with difficulty from the deep sea, carrying a heavy weariness and aches all over her body. She stared blankly at the unfamiliar, simple wooden roof above her, the scent of herbs and clean cloth lingering around her nose.

This is where?

Wasn't she on... the transport ship to Enies Lobby? Those brutal interrogations... the cold cells... and finally... the violent explosion and the coldness of falling into the sea...

She struggled to turn her stiff neck, trying to observe her surroundings.

Then she saw it.

Under the moonlight, a small, innocent face was so close to my eyes.

The girl was fast asleep, her soft, dark hair lying against her forehead, her long eyelashes like two small fans, and her nostrils flaring gently with her breath. Her cheeks still had a touch of baby fat, and her sleeping face was serene.

Olvia's pupils contracted sharply, and her breath stopped for a moment!

Like that tiny figure deep in her memory, whom she was forced to leave in Ohara and longed for day and night!

Her daughter...

No... Impossible...

Was it a dream? Or a hallucination before death?

The immense shock and disbelief overwhelmed her weakened mind like a tsunami, almost causing her to faint again.

Just then, perhaps startled by her sudden change in breathing, or perhaps because she was already sleeping restlessly, Robin also groggily opened her eyes.

Under the cool moonlight.

Robin blinked his still sleepy eyes and saw Olvia's open eyes, filled with shock and complex emotions.

She was stunned for a moment, then her little face immediately lit up with surprise, her voice still soft and sweet from just waking up:

"Auntie? You're awake?"

She propped herself up and leaned closer, looking closely at Olvia's face.

"How are you feeling? Does it still hurt? Do you want some water?"

A series of childlike yet sincere greetings flowed like a warm stream through Olvia's almost frozen heart.

This child...is really right in front of her...

Olvia opened her mouth, but her throat was too dry to utter a sound. A thousand words were stuck in her chest; bitterness, ecstasy, guilt, worry... countless emotions surged wildly, almost overwhelming her.

She stared intently at Robin's face, as if trying to etch this lost and regained beauty into the depths of her soul.

But she can't...

They cannot recognize each other...

Her identity and her situation pose a deadly danger to this child!

She squeezed her eyes shut, forcibly suppressing her almost out-of-control emotions. When she opened them again, her eyes had tried to regain their calm, but her slightly trembling fingertips betrayed the turmoil in her heart.

She avoided Robin's eyes, which resembled her father's but were now filled with concern, and asked the question she had to ask, her voice hoarse and weak:

"...Where...am I?"

Chapter 30: Is it really Robin?!

"...Where...am I?"

Olvia's voice was dry and hoarse, like sandpaper rubbing against wood. She tried to keep her gaze calm, avoiding looking into those eyes that both broke her heart and filled her with ecstasy.

Robin was overjoyed to see that she could speak, and replied in a clear voice, "This is an island! Uncle brought us here!"

“Uncle?” Olvia caught the address and her heart skipped a beat. Who was it? A navy officer? Or…

"Yes!" Robin nodded vigorously, gesturing with his little hands, "Uncle saved you! From the sea! He carried you back! He also bought you medicine and clothes!"

Her tone revealed an undisguised trust and reliance on her "uncle".

They rescued her from the sea...

Olvia's tense nerves relaxed slightly. At least, it wasn't someone from the Navy or the World Government.

"What kind of person is he?" she asked tentatively, her voice still weak.

Robin tilted his head and thought for a moment, seemingly trying to find the words to describe the silent uncle.

“Uncle… doesn’t talk much,” she concluded. “But… he fed me, taught me not to be bullied, and… he even taught me boxing.”

As she spoke, her voice softened, as if she was still somewhat embarrassed about "boxing".

Give her food... teach her not to be bullied...

As Olvia listened to this simple description, her heart tightened, and she felt extremely distressed, but she also understood how difficult the girl had been all these years.

The doubts in my heart were not completely eliminated, but at least the worst possibility was ruled out.

A man who is good to children is at least not a vicious criminal.

“You…” Olvia’s gaze once again fell uncontrollably on Robin’s face, with a cautiousness she herself was unaware of, “What’s your name?”

When she asked that question, her heart nearly jumped out of her chest.

Will she be called Robin? Or... does she already have another name?

Robin, caught off guard, answered naturally, "My name is Robin. Nico Robin."

Nico Robin!

It really is her Robin!

Olvia's breath hitched, and her eyes instantly reddened. She quickly lowered her head, using the act of adjusting the blankets to hide her emotions. Her nails dug deeply into her palms, using the pain to force herself to remain calm.

Don't scare the child.

She is now just a "strange auntie".

“Robin…” she repeated the name softly, her voice trembling slightly, “It’s a very beautiful name.”

Robin seemed oblivious to her unusual behavior. Instead, he seemed a little shy from the compliment and smiled with his lips pursed.

Just then, a slight noise came from outside; Liu Jiu had gotten up.

Robin immediately turned to look at the door and whispered to Olvia, "Uncle's up! He's always up early!"

Sure enough, not long after, Liu Jiu pushed open the door and walked in.

He remained expressionless, his gaze sweeping over Olvia, who was already awake on the bed, without any surprise, as if her waking up was the most normal thing in the world.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, his tone flat, no different from asking "How's the weather today?"

Olvia looked up and saw the man who had saved her for the first time.

He was very tall, his posture casual yet exuding a restrained strength. His face was ordinary, his age impossible to discern, and his eyes were as calm as a deep pool, revealing no emotion. He radiated an aura of detachment and…mystery, completely out of place with his surroundings.

“Much better… Thank you for saving me.” Olvia tried to make her voice sound steady and grateful, but the wariness was still deeply hidden in her eyes.

Liu Jiu hummed in response. He then turned his gaze to Robin: "Go fetch some water."

"Okay!" Robin obediently agreed, picked up the basin of water from the corner, and ran out.

Only Liu Jiu and Olvia remained in the room.

The atmosphere instantly became somewhat subtle and tense.

Olvia looked at Liu Jiu, carefully choosing her words, and spoke again, "I still don't know how to address my benefactor?"

A completely unfamiliar name. Olvia quickly searched her memory, confirming that she had never heard of it before.

“Mr. Liu Jiu…” She paused, looked directly into Liu Jiu’s eyes, and asked the most crucial question, “Do you… know my identity?”

She had to figure out whether the man saving her was a coincidence or if he had ulterior motives.

Liu Jiu met her gaze without flinching.

“Nicole Olvia, a scholar from Ohara,” he stated her name and identity calmly, his tone completely unwavering.

Olvia's heart sank!

He knew it all along!

So he knew Robin was...

A wave of panic washed over her! She instinctively looked towards the door; Robin hadn't returned yet.

"You..." Her voice trembled uncontrollably, "What do you want to do?"

Liu Jiu looked at her suddenly pale face and wary eyes, but his face remained expressionless.

"I don't want to do anything," he said casually. "Just doing it as a side effect."

From the explosion of a World Government escort ship, he casually rescued a wanted Ohara scholar from the vast ocean.

This statement sounds completely unconvincing.

But Liu Jiu's expression was too calm, so calm that no one could see any flaws or have the strength to question him.

Just then, Robin carefully returned carrying a half-basin of water.

"Uncle, the water has been brought."

The invisible tension in the room was instantly dispelled by the little girl's appearance.

Robin placed the basin of water on the low stool beside the bed, picked up a clean cloth, wet it, wrung it out, and then expertly handed it to Olvia.

"Auntie, please wipe your face."

Olvia took the warm towel, her fingertips trembling slightly. She used the act of wiping her face to conceal the turmoil within her, her gaze involuntarily following Robin's busy little figure.

Liu Jiu stood aside, watching silently.