West Blue contains a very special island, known not only for its many historians and scientists, but also for the giant tree that houses the world's largest library. The Tree of Knowledge.

All the inhabitants of the surrounding islands go to this island if they want to know something or find a particular book. A maritime library system was even set up many years ago to facilitate access to knowledge. This mobile library travels from island to island, exchanging available books, replacing them with new ones, and responding to requests from locals when a particular subject interests them. This has enabled an exchange of knowledge that doesn't exist in other seas.

Of course, some nobles saw no point in sharing these books with the plebs, wanting to keep them to themselves. But the person behind the system made it clear to them that if they monopolized books and knowledge, severe penalties would be imposed. For some, this threat was enough, but for the most recalcitrant, a small courtesy visit solved the problem.

Thus, illiteracy fell to a very low level throughout West Blue, allowing people who had nothing to improve their condition. Of course, poverty will always exist and nothing can be done about it on the scale of an entire sea, but this will bring a little joy to those who need it.

The person behind it all is known for her white hair and distinctive blue eyes. But above all, she has no qualms about being cruel and implacable to anyone who lands on her island with the intention of harming her people or the Tree of Knowledge.

At the moment, she's at the port to welcome the team of explorers and archaeologists who left several months ago. Among them is a woman who physically resembles her, Nico Olvia. Despite their resemblance, they are not closely related. Perhaps they share a very distant ancestor, or maybe it's just a coincidence.

The other difference is that Olvia has a 6-year-old daughter whom she loves dearly, even though she can't stay with her because of her archaeological research into the lost century, which makes her an outlaw in the eyes of the world government. But thanks to Stella's protection, she and her team can return to the island more often and see their family again, without the world government knowing the nature of their real research.

Olvia and her daughter have just left for the city under the benevolent gaze of Stella Star, ruler of Ohara, even if she doesn't particularly like being called that, as Clover, the island's greatest archaeologist, just did.

"Am I doomed to say every day that I'm not a queen, Clover? I haven't a drop of noble blood, I remind you." Said Stella in a falsely stern tone. The man smiled ironically.

"It's true that you're absolutely not the person who represents us internationally, nor who protects us from danger, nor who participates in the Rêveries." He said mockingly. The woman is admittedly stubborn about the appellation, but to foreigners, this is what we call a leader.

Stella rolls her eyes in boredom.

"Didn't you have some mail regarding the next Rêverie?" The letter is handed to her.

"Indeed, it will take place in a few days." An annoyed sigh passes the woman's lips. She picks up the letter and reads it quickly, frowning.

"Seriously? In the middle of August? Why are they so excited? Normally, it's more like October." She growls before folding the letter and handing it to her friend. "Tell them I'll be there as usual." She finishes with a wave of her hand before starting to walk away. She has several things to take care of before she leaves tomorrow for Mary Geoise.

The man is in no way offended by her uninhibited behavior, long accustomed to it, but it's what makes her so charming, and above all it allows the islanders to go and talk to her easily without having to follow any protocol of etiquette. Seeing her walking the streets is a normal, everyday occurrence, allowing Stella to deal with any problems immediately, and making the locals feel safe and welcome.

Children can run in the streets without fear, crime is virtually non-existent and the few foreigners who land on their shores are closely watched by their guardian.

Life on their island has been good ever since Stella returned home after many years of exploration and adventure around the world. Many of the books in the great library are written in her handwriting, detailing the islands she has explored and the phenomena she has encountered. Her knowledge is colossal and at the service of the population, making her a solid pillar for the island.

As long as she's there, they're safe and can continue to prosper freely. But while their queen can deal with potential enemies, she long ago set up a militia on the island to protect them during her absence.

The next day, she set off alone for the Holy Lands. No escort was needed or requested. In any case, they had long known that she wouldn't let anyone put themselves in danger by traveling to the lands of the Celestial Dragons, who wouldn't hesitate to go to any lengths to capture one of the island's historians.

It's only a few days later that Stella returns, looking worried. Seeing her, Clover knows right away what she's going to ask of him.

"Clover, gather the whole island, I have an announcement to make." Things get organized quickly, and information quickly spreads throughout the island thanks to the militia, which also serves to inform the population of the arrival of pirates, the organization of events or, as here, when their leader wishes to address everyone in person.

Little Robin is in her mother's arms in the middle of the crowd. Further on, on a wooden platform, Stella waits for everyone to gather before speaking.

"Thank you all for coming to hear me out. As you know, I've just returned from the Rêverie and several things were discussed, including why it was brought forward from the usual date." She stops talking, looking at everyone in front of her. She sees curiosity, but also concern, for they know that nobles are not choirboys and can decide things that benefit only them.

"What I'm about to say will elicit different reactions from you, some of you will be happy about it, some of you won't. But I ask you, whatever your opinion, not to cause uproar with those who think differently from you. Don't forget that there are children and I won't tolerate them being hurt by your stupidity or your anger." Murmurs rise from the crowd, they all know how important children are to their protector. Silence soon returns and everyone awaits the announcement with varying degrees of apprehension.

Stella takes a deep breath to remain as neutral as possible in the face of the announcement she is about to make.

"The man recently known as the King of Pirates, Gol D. Roger, has been arrested by the navy and will be executed in public during September. The date and place will be communicated by the newspaper in a few days." The reaction is swift. Robin looks around as voices begin to rise, as Stella expected, with differing opinions on the news. Some are happy that this pirate has been arrested, others say to keep quiet because they don't know what this man has done for the inhabitants of certain kingdoms.

Things start to get heated, and Robin hides her frightened face in her mother's neck so she cannot see the angry faces around her.

"Quiet!" The authoritative voice immediately silences everyone, putting an end to the early warm-up. "Please remain calm. Even though I can't forbid you to do anything, I ask you not to let your children watch this execution, either live or via transmission. I remind you that this is, after all, the execution of a man. The end of a life." The stern face softens at the end and her eyes shine with a sad gleam that few seem to manage to see before it quickly disappears. "This is a big event that will change the world, and it's up to you whether you attend or not. Personally, I'll be there, so don't feel bad at all about whether you choose to attend or not, it's your choice." She straightens up further. "My announcement is over, you're free to go." With those last words, she steps down from the dais, only to be mobbed by various people eager to know more.

"Robin? Are you all right, sweetie?" Olvia asks, noticing her daughter's sad face. The little girl looks away from Stella, who does her best to answer all the questions.

"Mommy... Why is she sad?" Her mother looks confused.

"Who?"

"Stella. She was sad when she announced that man's execution. Why? Who is he?" She asks innocently, because she's never seen Stella be sad. Her mother doesn't know what to say, she's still out at sea making archaeological discoveries, and although the two women physically resemble each other, they're not particularly close, even though Stella keeps a close eye on her.

"I don't know, but if you ask her, she might answer. But right now, she's a little busy. Why don't we go home and play a game together?" The smile immediately returns to the child's little face.

"Yes! We'll eat cookies too?!" Her daughter's ardor makes Olvia laugh, even more at the sugary request.

"Sure, will you help me make them?" The smile in front of her grows even wider. Robin is so happy her mother is here. Too bad it can't last forever…

The three weeks passed too quickly, and once again, she witnessed her mother's departure. Although tears fall to the floor, they don't stop her mother from leaving. Stella is beside her, coming to wish the exploration team good luck. A hand rests on her little head and the queen places a knee in front of her.

"Don't worry, little princess, she'll be back soon and you can play together again. Her job takes up a lot of her time, but it's something she wants to do and see through. But that doesn't stop her from thinking about you every day and loving you from a distance."

Robin sniffs, trying to calm the tears that have reddened her eyes and nose. She knows that crying won't change anything and won't make her mother come back any faster. But she'd much rather go away with her and not stay on this island with her wicked aunt and cousin. The other children aren't mean, but they won't come near her or play with her. She's sure her aunt is spreading scary rumors about her to isolate her even more.

She's always alone, isolated from others, with no one to care for her or worry about her like her mother does. She cherishes every day she can spend with her mother, but it's not enough.

Passing her arm over her face to dry the last tears, she raises her head towards this woman who resembles her mother. She'd like to be able to go into her arms and pretend her mother hasn't left the island But it's such a selfish request that she'll never make it.

"I know she loves me very much and she's busy, but I wish there was something I could do to be able to stay with her." She said in a small voice, lowering her head. The hand in her hair soothes her a little, but nothing seems to fill the hole in her chest right now.

"All you can do is grow up. But nothing's stopping you from thinking about your future. You know what you'd like to do? Besides reading every book in the library, of course." Stella adds in an amused voice. The remark at least brings a smile to the little girl's face. It's true that she spends her time reading in the library, sheltered from outside human stupidity.

"Well..." Her cheeks flush a little at what she's about to say, because in truth, she's already thought about the question despite her young age. Stella looks at her curiously, silently encouraging her. "I... I'd like to become an archaeologist like Mom and go exploring the world with her." A big smile answers her.

" Now that's a dream! And is there anything in particular you want to discover?" Robin smiled more frankly at this encouragement.

"Yes, I'd like to know more about the lost century!" Stella widens her eyes in surprise before looking around to ensure no one has overheard the little girl's ambitions. Assured that there's no one there, she looks at the future archaeologist with a serious face that makes Robin lose her smile.

"Listen carefully, princess. This path is very dangerous. The world government will want you dead if they find out. If that's what you really want to do, I won't stop you. But you should know that you'll be living as an outlaw for the rest of your life if you go down this path." The child's blue eyes become a little frightened; she doesn't want to become a bad person. But she doesn't understand why they want to hide this part of the story.

"But... why?" The hand on her head stroked her hair before Stella stood up and looked at her with a big smile.

"It's up to you to find out." And off she goes, leaving the little girl with her thoughts. Did she... just encourage me to follow this path? Robin wondered with a mixture of surprise and confusion. She advised me against it, didn't she? She shakes her head, not knowing what Stella really means, but one thing's for sure: she's not totally opposed to her research topic. With a lighter heart, she runs to the library to begin her research.

After the execution of Gol D. Roger, a stranger arrived on the island and asked to speak to Stella.

From a distance at the harbor, Robin observed their interaction without hearing their conversation, but she noticed Stella's changing emotions. At first, she felt sorry for the man, but then she was surprised when a letter was handed to Stella. As she read it, she cried, then she paused before flashing a big smile. She spoke animatedly to the man before excitedly throwing herself into his arms. She clutched the letter to her chest and jumped for joy. More words were exchanged before the man left. Robin would only learn much later that the man was Silver Rayleigh, former right-hand man to the late King of Pirates.

This event led to a few absences of their queen from the island. A few days here and there, but absences that could be heavy for the child, who felt even more alone. To fill the void, Robin studied the books in the library even more, searching for information about the lost century. She also began to learn how to read poneglyphs after reading about them in one of Stella's books, where they were described as relics preserving past events through time. She's sure they contain important information about this event that has been erased from history, but it's impossible to find their location.

She has also joined the secret group of archaeologists who are secretly studying the lost century. Convincing them wasn't easy, but when she told them that Stella knew about it and wasn't against it, they finally agreed.

Time passes slowly, until pirates start landing on the island. The death of the Pirate King has unleashed an unprecedented wave of piracy. Attacks are becoming more and more frequent, but fortunately the militia manages to fend them off when Stella isn't around. But there's no such thing as zero risk, and Robin realized this when she found herself in the wrong place at the wrong time.

She was walking quietly, book in hand, carefully reading every line, totally cut off from her surroundings. Her feet were treading the cobblestones of the city towards the port. She felt like reading at the water's edge, her feet dangling over the dock. But her peaceful walk turned into a nightmare when a scar-faced stranger suddenly appeared and grabbed her arm.

Surprised and frightened, she drops her book on the ground and tries in vain to struggle.

"HA! Let go of me!" She screams in fright, as the agitated man growls in anger, lifts her with one arm and slams her against his chest, one hand over her mouth to silence her and a knife to her throat.

"Shut up! And keep quiet if you want to stay alive, you little brat!" Blue eyes fill with horror at the sight of the blade, and tears of fear stream down her cheeks. She wants her mommy.

The sound of hurried footsteps catches the man's attention, and he turns back to face the person he was trying to escape from moments ago.

"Stop right there! I have a hostage and I won't hesitate to kill her if you come any closer! " He bellowed, his voice trembling with fear and rage. Robin opens her eyes and sees someone standing in front of her, her tears blurring her vision, unable to make out her savior's features properly. But the sight of this white-haired individual startles her and causes her to struggle even more.

"Hmmm!" Mom!

"Stay still, you little brat! As for you! Let me get back to my ship if you want the child to stay alive! You heard me, you monster!" Robin froze at the pirate's words. Monster? No, her mother's not a monster!

The man looks at the woman in front of him, who has eliminated his men without the slightest hesitation or pity. But as she becomes alarmed at the sight of the child, he deduces that the girl is not just anyone to this human-looking monster. Gripped by a certain morbid curiosity, he loosens his grip on the child's mouth to see what she'll scream.

Feeling the grip on her mouth loosen, Robin cries out in a voice full of terror.

"Mommy! Help!" The pirate flashes a cruel smile; he's hit the jackpot. He couldn't have dreamed of a better hostage than this woman's daughter. But the angry face in front of him still frightens him.

"Release her immediately!" Growls the woman whose eyes seem to flicker between two colors. Blue and green. The man is even more frightened and squeezes the little girl too tightly, who lets out a cry of pain, which only fuels the woman's anger. A sort of animal growl fills the air, and the air seems to vibrate strangely. "Robin..." The child looks at her fuzzy mother. "Close your eyes and don't open them again until I tell you to. Okay, princess?" The familiar nickname disappoints the child a little; she would so much have liked it to be her mother who returned, but in a way she is reassured, because it means her mother is in no danger. She nodded as best she could before closing her eyes.

She can't see what's happening, but she hears the man shouting at Stella not to come any closer, screaming in fear, before the man stands still and becomes speechless at the horror unfolding before him. He should never have come here... If only he'd known the devil was here, he'd never have come.

Time seems to have stopped for Robin, who finds herself deafened by the man's howl and stunned by the sudden movement that shakes her small body. Her eyes are still closed as she feels the warm breath of a living being in front of her face and the arm holding her loses its strength and begins to slide her down. But another arm gently grabs her and slams her gently against another chest. The sound of a falling body is the only sound she hears before the wind begins to blow through her hair, a sign that she is being carried at high speed.

She can only concentrate on the strangely heavy breathing above her, while the sound of footsteps is almost imperceptible because of the wind whistling in her ears. Seconds later, she feels herself being gently placed on her feet on a gravel path, still keeping her eyes closed.

"Stay here until I come back. Count to five before you open your eyes. Okay?" Robin nods cautiously. "All right, start counting."

"One... Two..." She feels a movement of air and finally opens her eyes, arriving at five. Her eyes scan the botanical garden behind the library. A bench lies just behind her and she goes to sit on it to wait for Stella's return, ignoring the drops of blood that have stained some of the gravel and blades of grass.

Minutes go by, seemingly endlessly, until the sound of footsteps on the gravel catches her attention. A few yards away, she sees Stella approaching with a reassuring but slightly worried smile. Robin watches without moving until Stella is in front of her, crouching down to her level.

"How are you feeling, princess? Do you hurt anywhere?" Robin shook her head, apart from her nervousness, which didn't seem to be going away, she wasn't hurting anywhere.

"No... I'm fine. " Her little voice made the woman in front of her smile gently as she tried to reassure the frightened child.

"I can see you're still scared, and that's perfectly normal. Come over here." Slowly, Stella takes Robin in her arms and places her on her lap while running her hand through her jet hair. The child tenses at this movement, unsure of what to do. But the hand in her hair eventually relaxes her enough to lean a little more against the warm, reassuring chest.

A comfortable silence settles between them, with the sound of leaves blowing in the spring wind. The flowers around them are in full bloom, filling the air with a sweet fragrance amid the buzz of bees and colorful butterflies. The child feels her body calming down more and more, and begins to look around to enjoy the garden.

Her gaze fell on a large blue and black butterfly flying from flower to flower. She finds it beautiful, its blue shimmering with each beat of its wings. It flies freely, without worry or fear. She would like to be like the butterfly, free from any lingering fear.

The insect flies a little at random until it's heading in their direction. A small smile appears on Robin's face, but she feels the body she's against tense up more and more as the blue butterfly approaches.

She looks up to see what's wrong, and sees Stella's face frozen, jaw clenched, staring intently at the butterfly that's getting closer and closer.

The insect doesn't seem to realize what it's doing to the adult. But just as it's about to land on the child's arm, Stella puts her hand in its path to stop it. Frightened by this sudden movement, the butterfly flies away.

Robin is intrigued by the queen's strange behavior. Her eyes watch her quizzically, until Stella takes her eyes off the butterfly once it's a safe distance away. A slightly embarrassed face answers her.

"Sorry, I don't really like blue butterflies." She says in a slightly embarrassed voice.

So even someone like her is afraid of something? Thinks the child with a little amusement, because of all possible fears, it has to be butterflies?

The amused little smile on Robin's lips makes the woman blush and look away, while the child tries hard not to laugh.

"I... uh... I see at least you've got your smile back." Comments the adult, running a hand over the back of her neck, embarrassed by the child's amused smile, which doesn't seem to disappear.

Robin manages not to make a sound, but has to bite her lips to do so. She feels much better and lighter. She smiles broadly, showing off her white teeth.

Seeing the child's happy, relaxed face on her lap, Stella flashes a small smile and ruffles the little girl's hair.

"Come on princess, it's time you got back to your reading." She says as she sets Robin down on the floor, then rummages in the lining of her jacket to pull out the book the child dropped earlier. "It took a slight shock, but I'll go and tell the librarian what happened, so you won't get a reprimand for that." Slowly, Robin picks up her book, looks carefully at the cover and sees a dent on the edge. She hates damaging books; they contain so much that it would be a crime to damage them, let alone destroy them.

"Thank you." She murmurs softly with a small smile of thanks. Stella returns her smile before waving her hand.

"Off you go, little archaeologist. " Robin chuckles contentedly before heading off between the rose bushes to find a quiet spot to finish her book.

Stella watches her go with a small smile, but once the child is out of sight, her face turns neutral and cold and her blue eyes turn to the blue butterfly that continues to flutter from flower to flower. Slowly, she bends down to pick up a small pebble from the ground.

The pebble rolls through her fingers before turning inky black. With a jerk, her hand makes a small, almost imperceptible movement. Her cold, emotionless eyes watch two pairs of blue wings fall limply to the ground, separated from their body.

She scans the rest of the garden for another black and blue butterfly, but seeing none, she sighs and runs her hand through her hair.

Slowly, she heads for the library. She's promised little Robin that she'll have no repercussions for damaging the book. But she has a feeling she's going to get yelled at again by the librarian. Being queen or not doesn't make any difference to this real-life hound.

A sigh passes her lips.

She still has so much to do to prepare everything.

Spring is slowly giving way to summer.

Robin wanders through the forest surrounding the town in search of a rare plant mentioned in one of the library books. The plant produces a beautiful golden-white flower that she wants to pick and dry to give to her mom as a birthday present when she returns

Her small feet take her deeper into the seldom-visited parts of the forest, until she arrives at a beautiful flowery clearing.

The sun shines through the tall trees to bring enough light to the many colorful flowers that fill the child with wonder. But her gaze is soon caught by the presence of a person sitting on a tree trunk at the edge of the clearing, with a large piece of rough-hewn wood in one hand and a knife in the other.

Stella flashes a gentle smile as she gradually removes the wood to form something that for the moment resembles a mushroom on a vaguely round base.

The child remains motionless, not wanting to disturb the queen in what seems to soothe and relax her. Here, in this clearing, far from everything, in the middle of nature, with only flowers, bees and butterflies for company.

She's surprised that Stella is so relaxed when there are so many butterflies around her. There's even a red butterfly brave enough to land on the sculpture under the gentle gaze of the queen, who flashes an amused smile as she gently holds out her finger for the insect to climb onto without being frightened or worried.

Then, slowly, she moves her hand to a flower to place the butterfly before resuming her work.

Robin is somewhat puzzled by her change in behavior. Is it just the blue and black butterflies? On closer inspection, she notices a butterfly of that color on the other side of the flower field, as if the insect knew not to approach.

Her blue eyes turn back to Stella to see if Stella has noticed the insect, but the child sees no change in Stella's attitude.

She looks again at the butterfly, but realizes that it has disappeared.

Confused, she looks around, but can't make it out. But not wanting to disturb the woman in her peaceful state, she turns back to try and find her flower.

Stella continues to carve her piece of wood even though she senses that Robin is watching her. She pretends not to have seen her and waits for her to approach on her own or leave without a word. It's the second option that the shy little girl has obviously chosen.

Her smile is amused by her behavior, but quickly fades as she looks across the clearing.

A sigh of frustration and annoyance escapes her lips as she takes another stab at removing a piece of wood, while new pairs of blue and black wings litter the ground.

And here's a new chapter, I hope you enjoyed it! I'm curious to hear your thoughts on what happened to make Robin hate Stella so much, and why the Buster Call took place despite her presence in the story.

You'll probably find out in the next chapter, or not. :)