2 The Little Girl with Black Hair

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Ohara—Saria used the video communication bug to capture some photos of the current state of Ohara Island. After some thought, she also took with her a fragment of the wreckage from the burned-down Tree of Knowledge. After all, Ohara was an island that had been subjected to the World Government’s “Demon Slaughter Order.” Although her Observation Haki gave a simple scan confirming there were currently no humans on the island, it still wasn’t entirely certain whether prolonged stays wouldn’t attract the attention of the World Government’s Cipher Pol agents.

Saria just wanted to quietly grow her strength. She was still weak and didn’t want to be targeted by the World Government. During her hour-long stay on Ohara, relying on her understanding of the story, she retrieved five waterlogged books from the bottom of a lake on the island. Then, using her Devil Fruit ability, she gave buoyancy to the “Judith” clone, floated silently into the air, and left Ohara as quietly as she had arrived.

Three days later, Saria controlled the “Judith” clone back to Lager Island in the West Sea. Lager Island was relatively prosperous, known for its refreshing Lager beer, which was popular throughout the West Sea due to its suitability for everyday drinking.

The Ohara survivor with a bounty of 79 million Berries, “Child of the Devil” Nico Robin, now lived on Lager Island. A year ago, Robin arrived on this island and happened to encounter Saria operating the “Judith” clone. The two struck a deal—Saria provided Robin with a safe and comfortable place to live, while Robin was to work on a comparative chart—a reference between current common scripts and ancient writings.

In a brightly lit room, thirteen-year-old Nico Robin sat at her desk, resting her chin on one hand, her gaze absent as it drifted toward the window. Bookshelves crowded with her favorite books filled the room, a few gold coins lay on the bed, and a steaming cup of afternoon tea sat on the desk. This quiet and peaceful life, even after a year, still felt like a dream to Robin, as if a blink of an eye could shatter this calm existence like a bubble in a dream.

And this was indeed the case. When Robin first arrived on Lager Island a year ago, she looked malnourished: frail, lacking any rosy hue on her face, and her blue-black eyes always filled with fear and unease. Since the destruction of Ohara, Robin had been drifting and fleeing throughout the West Sea. The World Government had issued a wanted order for her—a mere eight-year-old child carrying a bounty of 80 million Berries. To many, Robin was a valuable prize, a “hot commodity” to be captured for the hefty reward.

Ordinary people, unaware of the truth, saw a wanted child and instinctively assumed she was a dangerous criminal, driving her away at sight. Wandering and fleeing became Robin’s daily routine. Even with the power of the Flower-Flower Fruit, it was difficult for an eight-year-old to live a comfortable life under such conditions—starving, cold, exposed to the elements, weary, and constantly on the run since Ohara’s destruction.

That was until Robin came to Lager Island and met a strange woman named Judith. Having successfully evaded capture by the World Government’s agents for years, protected partly by the covert support of Marine Admiral Aokiji, but more so by her own sharp mind and accumulated experience, Robin initially resolved that since she couldn’t escape this strange woman now, she would pretend to comply as before and seize an opportunity to flee later.

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She had encountered many people like this before—kind and gentle at first, earning her trust, only to immediately report her to the Marines afterward. Each time, Robin pretended to fall asleep, waiting for them to let their guard down before using her Flower-Flower Fruit abilities to find a chance to escape. She thought this Judith woman was no different.

However, this strange woman seemed genuinely kind to her, almost overly so. Throughout the year, every night was peaceful; she slept on a soft, comfortable bed and no longer needed to hide in the forest to avoid villagers wanting to turn her in. No fierce beasts threatened her, nor did she fear rain or snow, and she no longer worried about food. Such happiness felt almost unreal.

After a year of calm, even Robin’s wary nature, hardened by years of fleeing, had relaxed considerably. Even if this happiness was false, she was willing to sink into it.

“Yo, Robin, long time no see!” Saria suddenly appeared outside Robin’s window, upside down and floating, waving happily. “Miss me?”

Startled, Robin snapped out of her daze, her eyes wide as she instinctively recoiled, preparing to attack with her Flower-Flower Fruit powers.

“Hahaha, gotcha,” Saria grinned triumphantly as she floated through the window. Robin was speechless.

She had always said Judith was a strange woman. Seeing Judith, Robin finally relaxed.

After meeting Robin on Lager Island, Saria spent half a month arranging Robin’s residence and then came three or so times a month to visit, staying a day or half a day at a time. Over the past year, Robin had grown accustomed to Saria’s visits.

The books Saria brought back from Ohara were already dried out and crumpled from the journey. She placed them on Robin’s desk.

“What’s this?” Robin curiously opened one. “These books were soaked in water?”

“Miss Judith, where did you find these?” Robin, a lover of books who always cared deeply for them when conditions allowed, gently touched the wrinkled pages. The texts were blurred from water damage, barely maintaining their form.

Although indoors, Saria habitually kept her “Judith” clone buoyant, floating in midair.

“Oh, these books were pulled from a lake in Ohara,” Saria complained, “I finally got them out, but damn, most of the words are gone. It’s maddening.” She tossed a fragment of the Tree of Knowledge’s burned trunk to Robin.

“This is a random piece of the Tree of Knowledge branch, for you.”

Robin’s sharp senses caught the word “Ohara.” To her, it was both her homeland and a name of tragedy—a thunderclap exploding in her ears.

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Robin’s body trembled uncontrollably, her heartbeat accelerating, every cell tensed. She suddenly lifted her head, staring straight at the woman floating before her. Her bright blue-black eyes shone with shock.

“Miss Pulis, what did you just say?!” “These books… you brought them back from Ohara?!” “You’ve been to Ohara!” Robin said with absolute certainty, her voice trembling with excitement, urgency, and disbelief.

Clenching her fists, she stared intently at the woman, desperate for answers.

Saria nodded. “I just came back from Ohara.”

“These books, the branch from the Tree of Knowledge, and these photos of present-day Ohara.” She placed the photos on the desk.

“Happy birthday, Robin.” Saria descended from the air and landed steadily in front of her. Opening her arms, she gave Robin a warm, firm embrace. She winked and smiled gently. “Do you like this birthday gift?”

Saria had no intention of saving others. The world of the Grand Line was full of misery, and she lacked the heart and strength to play the role of redeemer or savior. But if someone unfortunate crossed her path, she didn’t mind lending a hand. After all, Robin had once been a character she truly liked.

With no harm to herself, she was happy to help the dear little Robin.

“A birthday… gift?” Robin stood in stunned silence, raising a trembling hand to cover her lips. Her eyes sparkled with disbelief, as if trying to confirm reality.

She blinked slowly, attempting to suppress the emotions welling in her eyes but failed. Suddenly, tears streamed down her cheeks like pearls slipping from a broken string.

A year of good care and nourishment from Saria had transformed Robin from the pale, emaciated child she once was; her face had rounded out considerably. Even before Ohara’s destruction, Robin had never had a proper birthday celebration. Her mother, busy with archaeology and exploration, left Robin in foster care, where she suffered discrimination due to her Devil Fruit powers. Only the scholars within the Tree of Knowledge accepted her.

After Ohara’s destruction, Robin’s survival meant constant running and hiding, barely managing to eat, let alone celebrate a birthday. If not for Saria’s reminder, Robin might have forgotten entirely.

Today was February 6th.

Today was her birthday.

Someone remembered her birthday, someone was willing to celebrate it for her.

Though Robin was happy to receive the gift, tears continued to flow uncontrollably.

“Thank you, truly, Miss Pulis, thank you…” Robin said through her tears, looking over the photos Saria had taken of present-day Ohara.

She rose and bowed sincerely to Saria.