Chapter 74: The Mystery of Uranus! One Condition
As time passed,
The massive doors of the Tree of Omniscience finally came into view for the two of them.
Only then did Olvia snap back to reality. Her cheeks flushed slightly as she turned and bowed toward Lotte.
"Thank you so much for your stories. My name is Olvia."
"I'm one of the scholars of Ohara Island. Don't let my appearance fool you—I already have a doctorate."
Her tone carried a hint of pride toward the end.
Lotte nodded lightly.
"Just call me Lotte. I'm from the second half of the Grand Line."
Lotte had no intention of hiding his name—after all, she would soon learn his identity anyway.
Though Olvia felt the name "Lotte" sounded somewhat familiar,
She didn't pay it much mind.
She turned and led Lotte into the Tree of Omniscience, walking all the way to a deep room inside.
Then Olvia reached out and gently knocked on the door.
Knock knock knock—!
"Dr. Clover, a new scholar is here to see you!"
The door opened.
A middle-aged man with a hairstyle resembling a three-leaf clover sat frowning in his chair.
When he saw Lotte, he raised an eyebrow and glanced at Olvia, speaking calmly.
"So this is the new scholar? He looks quite young. I wonder what business he has with me."
Though Lotte appeared very young,
His demeanor clearly showed he was well-educated.
So Clover didn't suspect anything—he was simply curious about the visitor's purpose.
Lotte's lips curled into a slight smile.
"Nothing much. I just wanted to have a chat with Dr. Clover… about the Void Century."
He lightly snapped his fingers.
Branches instantly covered the door, sealing it shut.
It clearly couldn't be opened easily.
Seeing this, Dr. Clover's pupils suddenly contracted.
A Devil Fruit user?!
In a remote sea like the West Blue, Devil Fruit users were extremely rare!
But that wasn't what shocked Clover most. What stunned him was Lotte's words.
The other party actually wanted to know about the Void Century…
Was he insane?!
The Void Century.
It referred to the one hundred years of history when the World Government was founded.
That period had been erased by the World Government. Not only that, but any research into the Void Century was strictly forbidden. Anyone attempting to decipher the Poneglyphs would be considered a threat to the World Government!
They would face thunderous suppression!
Clover suddenly couldn't be sure of Lotte's identity.
But whether he was a World Government spy
Or someone else with designs on the Void Century,
No matter who he was, Clover absolutely could not admit that Ohara had any connection to the blank history—otherwise, it would bring catastrophic disaster to the entire island!
Olvia beside him also sensed the atmosphere had turned wrong.
She looked at Lotte in confusion.
"The Void Century… you mean that lost hundred years?"
"Um… I don't know much about it either. After all, it's been blank for so many years."
"What exactly do you want to know, Lotte?"
When Dr. Clover heard the name "Lotte" and connected it with the other party's plant-manipulation ability, his face instantly turned deathly pale.
How could it be him?!
Why would this person come to Ohara?!
Lotte easily saw through Clover's thoughts and smiled calmly.
"It seems Dr. Clover has already recognized me."
"Then I won't hide it anymore."
As his words fell,
His appearance instantly returned to normal.
The golden hair reminiscent of Naruto turned jet-black, and his physique adjusted back.
The moment Lotte reverted to his original form,
The name on a wanted poster Olvia had seen not long ago flashed into her mind.
Rocks Pirates cadre…
The terrifying pirate who caused chaos in Sabaody Archipelago and killed a Celestial Dragon!
Azure Emperor Lotte!
Olvia's eyes widened instinctively.
She couldn't believe that the young man who had just been chatting and laughing with her was actually such a ruthless great pirate?!
Lotte saw through her thoughts and shrugged helplessly.
"It seems the World Government really hates me. I only killed two fat pigs called Celestial Dragons, yet they've smeared me like this."
"If not for those Marines, I wouldn't have made such a big fuss."
As he spoke,
Dr. Clover took a deep breath.
"I don't know your purpose for coming here, but if it's about the Void Century, we truly know nothing about it."
"After all, even researching ancient texts is already one of the greatest taboos."
"We're not foolish enough to do that."
Even if the visitor was a famous great pirate from the New World, Clover had no intention of revealing anything about the Void Century—it was far too important to Ohara.
If the World Government found out,
The entire island would be buried along with it. He absolutely could not take that risk!
Lotte only raised an eyebrow calmly upon hearing this.
"Dr. Clover, are you still holding onto the idea of concealment? The World Government has become increasingly vigilant about your activities in recent years."
"The frequency of inspections on the island has probably increased, hasn't it?"
"If this continues, it won't be many years before the World Government purges you all."
He showed a ferocious smile.
A terrifying wave of Conqueror's Haki instantly enveloped the entire room.
Though he restrained it somewhat,
The pressure was still crushing for ordinary people.
"Or are you still foolishly hoping the World Government will show mercy? I don't think someone as wise as you would still cling to such delusions, right?"
"Think carefully!"
As the words fell,
The terrifying Conqueror's Haki withdrew.
Lotte sat on the sofa, casually picked up a cup of tea from the table,
And handed it to the startled girl beside him with a smile.
"I'm actually quite easy to talk to."
"What I want to know about the Void Century is only about Uranus and God Valley."
"I must obtain sufficient intelligence within one year."
Both Olvia and Clover breathed sighs of relief as the Haki receded.
Then Clover fell into silence.
Just as the young man in front of him had said, the World Government had indeed set its sights on them.
If not for the fact that they still had to deal with the Rocks Pirates in the New World, they would never have tolerated these ancient scholars researching history.
Even without researching the blank hundred years,
As long as there was the slightest suspicion, the World Government would never let them go.
Olvia had never imagined Ohara was already in such danger. Combining this with the increasing frequency of Marine inspections in recent years, she also realized the consequences.
For a moment, she felt nervous.
After hesitating for a moment, Dr. Clover raised his head and looked at Lotte.
"I can help you investigate Uranus and God Valley."
"But there is one condition."
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