One Piece: The Story of a Girl Who Ate the Ice-Ice Fruit

After various incidents along the way, they arrived safely at Ohara.

At the center of the island stands a giant tree known as the "Tree of All Knowledge," housing a vast collection of documents. Archaeologists from around the world gather here, pooling their collective wisdom to unravel the mysteries of history.

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We docked at the pier and dropped anchor. Since the mafia members weren't originally involved in shipping, they naturally felt excited to be on solid ground after several days at sea.

Following Scotch, who had disembarked to handle business, Kuro was handed a jacket with firm instructions: "Hide your tattoos a bit."

Since this was their first time leaving the island, they looked around with wide-eyed curiosity, pointing and exclaiming at everything they saw.

Junshi and Kanata, who had also disembarked, watched Kuro with amused smiles. He reminded them of an eager puppy, but he quickly returned and pointed toward the massive tree towering at the island's center.

"Hey, look at that huge tree over there! Is that the 'Tree of All Knowledge'?"

"Most likely."

"The world is so vast. I never knew something like that existed."

Kuro, who had never ventured beyond his home island, was acting like an excited child. Kanata found herself consulting with Junshi about giving him some free time—they were practically his guardians at this point.

Since Scotch was handling most of the business negotiations, there wasn't much for Kanata to do. Even Junshi, the bodyguard, stayed close to Scotch's side in case of emergencies without interfering directly. He only reminded Kuro not to get lost, without placing any real restrictions on his movements.

"We'll be at the Tree of All Knowledge," Kanata told Junshi, instructing him to send someone to collect them when it was time to leave.

"Kuro, let's go."

"Yes! Let's explore!"

Their first destination: the Tree of All Knowledge.

Whether it was the tattoos peeking out here and there or his high energy, Kuro drew odd stares as Kanata led him straight toward the base of the giant tree.

There was a lake right beside it, and Kuro leaned over the water's edge, nearly tumbling in. Kanata sighed, grabbed him by the collar, and dragged him into the library.

The moment they stepped inside, the distinctive scent of books filled their nostrils.

"Whoa... So this is a library? This is incredible—there are so many books!"

"Impressive. It truly lives up to its name as the repository of 'All Knowledge.'"

As far as the eye could see, endless rows of books stretched before them. Both were amazed by the staggering collection. As they wandered through the library in wonder, an elderly man approached them.

Kanata wondered if he was the librarian, but the old man smiled warmly and spoke to them.

"You two—is this your first time here?"

"Yeah, we came from another island. We heard there was an amazing tree called the 'Tree of All Knowledge,' so we came to see it."

"Excuse me, sir. Are people from other islands allowed to borrow books here?"

"Ah, I see. Well, regarding the books—there are some rules for borrowing, so please read through them first."

The old man retreated behind the counter, gesturing for them to proceed with the formalities.

Kanata skimmed through the rules he'd been given, but they were straightforward enough. Most concerned not damaging the books, with fines imposed for rule violations. A deposit was required upfront, but considering she could access all these books, it seemed like a bargain.

When she explained this to Kuro, he made a face that suggested he understood but didn't really, muttering, "Okay."

"I think I'll borrow a book too."

"You should learn to read first."

"Yeah... you're right."

Given the circumstances, it couldn't be helped—Kuro hadn't received even a basic education. Reading books was probably still beyond him.

Following the old man's instructions, Kanata was able to complete the borrowing process. As a non-resident, she had to pay a slightly higher deposit including a guarantee fee, but that was manageable. She had some pocket money, so it was sufficient.

With her new library card in hand, she could borrow books freely from now on.

I hope they establish a regular shipping route someday, Kanata thought to herself. Upon reflection, she realized she could probably travel here on other ships, but at the time, it had completely slipped her mind.

"Miss, what kind of books are you borrowing?"

"Navigation books, to start with."

Kuro, who had begun addressing Kanata differently at Scotch's suggestion, asked curiously about her book choices.

If she was going to spend time on ships, knowledge of navigation wouldn't hurt. Right now she was leaving everything to Scotch, but she believed in having backup plans. Besides, Scotch wasn't a professional navigator—it was better to know these things herself.

"I see."

"After that, I'd like to read about—"

"Oh? Are you interested in that subject, young lady?"

"I am, though I have no plans to go there."

She had no immediate plans to visit such places, but she was curious about the unknown. If an opportunity arose and she ended up going, having knowledge would make all the difference.

Life doesn't always go according to plan. Kanata herself had been abandoned at an orphanage and sold into slavery. She believed she needed the wisdom and strength to survive on her own.

In her previous life, she'd done the same—fight when cornered, run when necessary.

Now she also had the power to freeze people.

"It's perfect for passing time... There it is."

She searched the library for navigation books and found the shelf where they were displayed. However, the books were too high for Kanata to reach, and even with Kuro's help, they still fell short.

She considered creating an ice step, but dismissed the idea—using ice in a library seemed like a terrible plan.

"Well, I guess I'll ask that old man to help, or find a step stool..."

"Will this work?"

Just as she was about to give up and seek assistance, someone reached from beside her and retrieved the book.

She envied the woman's height. Well, I'm only ten—I'll grow, she thought to herself as she offered thanks.

The woman had distinctive white hair.

"Oh, thank you so much."

"Thank you!"

"Don't mention it. It's wonderful to see someone so young interested in books."

The white-haired woman introduced herself as Orbia.

Kanata and Kuro offered their own introductions, and since they had time, they settled into conversation. Kuro quickly grew bored with just talking and wandered off to explore the library on his own.

Orbia spent most of her time in the library and was also an archaeologist dedicated to uncovering the island's history. There weren't many people her age around, and she seemed genuinely interested in these unfamiliar visitors.

"A new merchant shipping route? That's amazing!"

"And you're already recognized as an archaeologist at your age—that's equally impressive."

"Hehe, thank you. But I still have so much to learn. I want to study more and someday..."

"Someday what?"

"...Never mind. By the way, are you from a noble family, Kanata-chan?"

If they were exploring new trade routes for merchant ships, they wouldn't normally bring along a girl like Kanata. Plus, her speech patterns and demeanor seemed refined, and she was called "young lady"—Orbia drew her own conclusions.

But of course, that wasn't the case.

"My position is just... special. Please treat me normally."

"Really? Then I will."

Kanata treated others as equals unless they showed hostility first. She knew from experience that trust and loyalty crumbled before raw desire.

Orbia smiled as she talked about the island and archaeology, while Kanata nodded occasionally and asked questions when something wasn't clear. As someone recognized as an archaeologist at such a young age, Orbia was remarkably knowledgeable.

Time passed quickly, and before they knew it, darkness had fallen outside when someone arrived to collect them.

"Oh my, is it already this late?"

"Yes, we got completely absorbed in conversation."

They walked toward Junshi, who waited at the entrance, where Kuro had already rejoined them. Orbia seemed reluctant to see them go, but Kanata and the others mentioned they'd be departing the next morning.

Junshi reported that the business negotiations had gone well and they'd be able to visit regularly from now on.

In that case, there was no need to linger. Though they couldn't meet whenever they wanted, they would still be able to see each other.

"Then we'll talk again next time you visit."

"Yes, I'm looking forward to it."

They bid farewell to the elderly librarian and left the building. Waving goodbye to Orbia, who had come out to see them off, they set off on their journey back.

As they walked along the dimly lit path, Kanata wondered if they had grown close enough to call each other friends.

Noticing her good mood, Junshi made an offhand comment.

"You seem to be in good spirits today."

"I am. Being surrounded by men all the time makes me crave female friendship."

"Haha, I can understand that."

Since he was originally with the mafia, there were no women in his circle. For Kanata, who had been shunned even at the orphanage, Orbia represented her first real friend. Even just having someone to talk with made an enormous difference.

Perhaps if Orbia discovered that Kanata was a Devil Fruit user, she might reject her—but that was a worry for another time.

People were like that. They betrayed those who trusted them. Getting upset or crying over every disappointment was exhausting.

So it was best to keep relationships at the level of friendship.

"...It's not easy, is it?"

She murmured under her breath, just loud enough for them to hear.

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