"What? You said Olvia led the new scholars from Alabasta to the Sabaody Archipelago?"
Michael shot to his feet, staring at Dragon.
"That's right… is there a problem with that?" Dragon raised his head, looking back at Michael with a hint of confusion between his brows. "Leaving that task to Olvia, who's both an archaeologist and a scholar, seems perfectly reasonable, doesn't it?"
"Yes, your arrangement itself isn't wrong," Michael said helplessly, "but have you forgotten who really calls the shots on the Sabaody Archipelago now?"
"It's Nico Robin! Olvia's daughter!"
"That… is that a problem?" Dragon looked at Michael's serious expression, suddenly growing nervous himself. "I know that girl, Nico Robin—she was promoted to Rear Admiral, right? She manages trade between Fishman Island and Sabaody Archipelago. But isn't Admiral Kizaru currently stationed there?"
"It seems the intelligence officers over there don't quite understand the real situation," Michael said with a bitter smile. "Although Kizaru and two Vice Admiral-level substitutes are stationed on Sabaody, those three don't handle anything other than fighting. Especially Momousagi Gion! Ever since Robin took my old position and made Gion her adjutant, the true controller of Sabaody Archipelago has been none other than the once-young Robin herself!"
"It was that way back then, and now that Robin's been promoted to Rear Admiral, the region around Sabaody practically follows her lead. Her words carry far more weight than an Admiral's!"
"Ah, damn it… who knew there was that kind of inside story!" Dragon's face twisted awkwardly.
"Who could've guessed that the Admirals would be that lazy? But wait—since she's Olvia's own daughter, that means Olvia shouldn't be in any danger, right?"
"That's true," Michael nodded. "But do you know what little Robin said when she joined the Marines?"
"It couldn't be something like 'I'll never forgive my mother,' could it?"
"No," Michael sighed, "she said, 'I'll definitely bring my mother back by my side!' So you've sent Olvia right into the territory of her daughter—the ultimate mama's girl…"
"…W-wait, that can't be that bad, right?" Dragon's expression, for once, turned uneasy. "Olvia's only leading the scholars there for cultural infiltration…"
"Then you'd better pray that before I reach Sabaody, little Robin doesn't happen to run into her mother."
...
Shakky's Rip-off Bar
Olvia, the Revolution Army's Strategist, sat quietly in a corner of the bar, watching Shakky serve and chat with customers.
Though they had already made contact, Shakky's rule was absolute: any business related to intelligence had to wait until closing time.
Even if Michael himself came, that rule wouldn't change.
After so many years, Olvia was no longer that clumsy archaeologist who could barely manage to flee for her life.
Years within the Revolutionary Army would turn even the frailest little white flower into a thorned queen of the battlefield.
Besides, Nico women were born with brilliant intellect.
Although Michael held the title of Chief of Staff, before his expulsion from the Marines, he had been more of a symbol—a totem—for the Revolutionary Army.
The real duties of the Chief of Staff had always rested on Olvia's shoulders.
Even now, Michael and Dragon only determined the overall strategy—Olvia was the one who constructed and executed it in detail.
This current operation, the cultural infiltration by Alabasta's scholars, was one of her own strategic designs.
Over the years, the scholars who had once come from Ohara had entered a renaissance in Alabasta—ushering in a new golden age and a flourishing generation of successors.
After so many years of accumulation and refinement, nearly three thousand new scholars had passed their assessments in just the past two years, becoming certified scholars of Alabasta.
Back then, when Michael had brought the Ohara scholars to Alabasta, there had only been a little over two hundred of them!
And these new Alabasta scholars weren't just bookish disciples of the old Ohara school—they were products of Michael's earlier push for "Mr. D" and "Mr. S," localizing those ideas through the Ohara method until they became true hybrids of knowledge and innovation.
Centuries or millennia from now, this group would likely be remembered as the "Most Sacred Teachers and Three Thousand Disciples" of the One Piece world.
With such a foundation, Olvia deemed it time to fully initiate her cultural infiltration strategy.
As one of the direct victims of the Celestial Dragons' and World Government's policy of keeping the people ignorant, Olvia had long kept a burning anger within her.
You want to erase the hundred blank years?You want to turn the people of the sea into obedient slaves who only know how to bow their heads?
Dream on.
So while the Revolutionary Army prepared to set sail and liberate the nations of Paradise through armed struggle, Olvia deployed over three thousand new scholars—organized into small teams—across those very nations.
As for herself, she personally led five of those teams straight to the Sabaody Archipelago—
The most crucial point in the first half of the Grand Line.
As the twin gateway between Paradise and the New World, Sabaody Archipelago and Fishman Island were the focal points of the entire operation.
But Olvia was confident she could see the mission through to completion.
Given her intellect, she had long understood that Michael's actions within the Marines were all aimed at one thing—pushing the Navy toward independence.
From the subtle alignment between the Navy's and the Revolutionary Army's military philosophies, she could already foresee that, someday in the future, Michael would unite the two forces into one.
And to ensure success, intelligence was naturally the most vital element.
Thus Olvia sat calmly, waiting inside Shakky's Rip-off Bar.
When the last drunk customer finally set down his money and stumbled out, Shakky flipped the sign on the door to Closed.
Then she carried a glass of kiwi juice over and placed it in front of Olvia.
"I still remember—you don't touch alcohol at all… said it's to keep your mind sharp."
"You really do remember well." Olvia smiled faintly, lifted the glass, and took a sip. Then she said,
"I'll get straight to the point. I need all available intelligence on the current state of Sabaody Archipelago."
Just then, a rhythmic knock sounded from the back door.
"Hold on, fresh intel just came in."
Shakky walked over and opened the door. A boy who looked no older than ten waved at her.
She crouched down, and the boy whispered something into her ear.
Then, in a flash, the child darted away.
Shakky straightened, her expression a little strange.
"What happened?" Olvia asked.
"You brought a group of scholars with you, didn't you?"
"That's right…"
"Well, damn."
Shakky clapped her hands.
"I've got bad news for you… they've been taken by the Marines."
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Fanfic is finished. 583 chapters in total on p@treon/tambeerg