"Kill me if you want, but the village is full of children, so please don't destroy it!"
The thin old woman had realized she could not escape death, so she threw down her pistol and wooden stick.
She wasn't afraid of dying—but she could not bear the thought of the village children being harmed.
"Old lady, we are truly here just for archaeology. We won't harm your village!"
In the end, Nico Robin didn't attack the old woman. Instead, she helped her up, extending a gesture of kindness.
Since the events on Judicial Island, Robin had freed herself from the depths of darkness with her companions. Now she could act confidently, no longer resorting to intrigue and deception just to survive.
"Are you really an archaeologist?"
The thin old woman asked cautiously, having preliminarily confirmed that Robin and Victor did not appear to be a threat.
"Of course! This is Ms. Nico Robin from the archaeological mecca of O'Hara!"
A Revolutionary Army soldier in a gray hat spoke first—but unbeknownst to him, a tiny thunder seed had quietly been planted in his body.
"O'Hara? Nico Robin?"
The old woman became instantly alert and stepped back several meters, as if her frail body could protect the village.
Her eyes were filled with suspicion, hope, sadness, and joy, but she did not speak. Matters of life and death for the clan were too delicate to trust outsiders. She could only pray silently that this elegant, intellectual girl was indeed a survivor of O'Hara.
"Victor, let's go!"
Robin smiled slightly. Judging by the old woman's behavior, this relic island was definitely connected to O'Hara. As for how—it was a question she believed she could answer in the ruins.
"O'Hara, O'Hara… the tragedy of O'Hara must never be repeated here," the old woman whispered inwardly, watching Victor, Robin, and their group leave.
In fact, she had also lived in O'Hara when she was young. The other elders on the island were all from O'Hara as well.
Several decades ago, archaeologists from O'Hara discovered the uninhabited Island of Ruins, which contained vast ruins of immense archaeological value.
But great value came with great risk. Some O'Hara scholars voluntarily relocated and stayed on the island to conduct their work. None anticipated that leaving O'Hara would be permanent.
Their hometown had been completely destroyed by the Demon-Slaying Order of the Navy and had vanished from the map.
To avoid detection by the World Government, the archaeologists on the Island of Ruins cut all contact with the outside world, even refraining from going out to purchase necessities.
Over the next decade, the older generation of archaeologists and grown-up young scholars continued their work in the ruins, while the elderly, like the thin old woman, lived with children on the outskirts. They provided food and supplies to the scholars and deliberately misled outsiders, especially agents of the World Government.
Because of the ruins' special nature, ordinary people could not enter the areas where the archaeologists worked—even if they searched the primeval forest.
This was also why the old woman was willing to risk her life to attack Nico Robin. She feared exposure. Even now, she worried that the archaeologists entering the forest might be from the World Government.
If that were true, the entire island and its people could disappear in an instant.
"Grandma Camellia, the sister just now was so beautiful! And the big brother who blocked the lightning was so handsome too!"
A smart little girl approached the old woman.
"Little Nell, today's meal will be delivered early. Take the small path with your friends and don't get spotted. When you arrive, tell your mother that there are outsiders—ask them to be careful," Grandma Camellia said, patting Little Nell on the head.
Life for these children consisted of fishing, gathering food, reading, and studying. Neil, however, had an extra duty: cooking.
On the entire island, Little Nell's cooking was the best.
Camellia Granny watched the children leave, satisfied with this simple life, wishing it could always remain peaceful.
But the opposite happened.
As Camellia Granny turned, two mysterious figures in white robes appeared.
One had an extraordinary aura, with a pigeon wearing a tie perched on his shoulder.
The other wore a grotesque mask.
"Who are you?"
Camellia Granny raised her cane defensively, her heart sinking. Compared to the earlier group, these two were clearly threats—especially the masked man.
"You stinky old woman, you made us waste so much time!"
Spandam cursed. He and Lucci had been monitoring Victor and the others from afar, but the old woman had delayed them for a long time.
While spying on Victor, Spandam hadn't dared to move even slightly. With a bounty of 2.6 billion, Victor's Observation Haki was formidable—any movement could reveal his position. Holding the telescope in place for so long had tested his patience.
This old woman had infuriated him.
"Who the hell are you? Get out of here!"
Camellia Granny struck at Spandam with her stick, panicked because the man with the pigeon had intruded into the village.
"You still dare attack me? Looking for death? I'm CP0!!"
Spandam's fury boiled. He knocked the wooden stick away, grabbed Camellia Granny's neck, and lifted her thin body.
Upon hearing "CP0," she panicked. She would do anything to prevent O'Hara's tragedy from repeating on the Island of Ruins.
But with her old body, she could not break free from the CP0 member's grasp.
"Spandam, don't reveal your identity. Kill them. Most of the people on this island shouldn't even be alive," Rob Lucci said, slowly emerging from the village, carrying two archaeological books that should have vanished when O'Hara was destroyed.
"Hahahahaha, O'Hara? Can Nico Robin experience desperate destruction again? This is so exciting!"
Spandam laughed, almost pervertedly.
...
📢 Author's Note
The full completed version of One Piece: I Married the Empress Right from the Start! (Part 1) is now available on Patreon!
✅ Part 1 Complete — 140 Chapters
Follow Victor's incredible journey as he marries the Pirate Empress, Boa Hancock, awakens a powerful system, and shakes the world of One Piece with his overwhelming strength and fearless choices.
🔥 I also have additional 18+ fanfics available for readers who enjoy exclusive mature stories. 😉
1. Dragon Ball: Oolong's Sex Adventure
2. Elements of Lust – ATLA & Korra Mixed Smut
3. Doraemon: Filtering with Nobi Tamako
4. The Naive Me Who Became Someone's Everyday Secret
5. High School DxD: Rias Gremory, the Phenex Bride
6. Versatile Mage: Awakening the Succubus System
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