The first rays of the morning sun shone down upon a lush forest, casting dappled shadows that pulsed with vibrant vitality.
Sherlock stood in the depths of this forest, closing his eyes to take a deep breath. The fresh air gradually soothed the warlock's anxiety, which had stemmed from the sudden and drastic turn of events.
"Alright. Although I don't know what happened, the immediate priority is to figure out exactly where I am."
Sherlock calmly pushed up his glasses and gazed in a specific direction.
"And that massive tree... it feels so familiar to me. I seem to have seen it in a book somewhere before."
It was a truly towering tree. Its massive crown was like a giant umbrella, shielding more than half the sky. Even though Sherlock was far away, he could feel how majestic and imposing this giant tree was. It was breathtaking.
Composing himself, Sherlock withdrew his gaze and began walking slowly toward that great tree.
After walking for less than half an hour, Sherlock suddenly sensed a very weak, yet inexplicably familiar life signature ahead. He couldn't help but pause for a moment.
—Transmission Mirror!
His Devil Fruit ability activated, and the distant scene was instantly transmitted into the warlock's mind.
It was a little girl, about five or six years old. She was exquisitely cute, like a doll carved from jade. Her beautiful black hair draped naturally over her shoulders, and her large, beautiful eyes were fixed on the book in her hands, her expression one of deep focus.
She sat there on a tree stump, eyes lowered, quietly turning the pages of her book. Bathed in the soft sunlight, the little girl seemed to be outlined with a faint golden rim.
Although her clothes were simple, perhaps even a bit shabby, it couldn't hide the fact that she was a budding beauty. It was certain that in a dozen years, this little girl would grow into a stunning beauty capable of toppling nations.
Looking at this little girl, Sherlock froze.
Not because he was a lolicon, but because the warlock seemed to realize his current situation.
(This incredibly familiar little girl... Nico Robin? And a child version at that?! Then this towering tree must be the [Tree of Knowledge]? That means this is...)
(...Ohara. And it's at least the Ohara of twenty years ago!)
In a quiet and peaceful small town, pedestrians came and went. The sounds of hawking, conversation, and laughter were continuous, making it quite lively.
However, in a dark alleyway, a certain enchanting woman who had devoted herself to darkness was thinking rapidly.
(Listening to the townspeople just now, this is a small town in the East Blue called Cocoyasi Village.)
(Is it really like what was written in that novel? Did the Rainbow Mist cause me to time travel? But the location seems a bit off...)
Robin leaned against the wall, stroking her smooth chin, her stunningly beautiful face clouded with worry.
To wake up and find oneself transported from the Grand Line to the East Blue... even someone as composed as her couldn't stay calm!
(However, once I left that little ship, I seem to have returned to my past life. Hiding alone...)
Robin turned her head to look at the gloomy surroundings, gave a self-mocking smile, and whispered softly:
"Heh, I really am a woman who belongs to the darkness..."
Perhaps Robin herself hadn't realized it yet, but unconsciously, she had grown fond of the life on the Going Merry—a life without suspicion, without conspiracies, and without fear.
(Robin, you must remember, no one is born into this world to be alone!)
Unknowingly, Robin recalled that large face covered in an orange beard from many years ago, and the look in her eyes grew increasingly sorrowful.
(Companions? Can someone like me, who only brings misfortune, really have companions?)
However, just as this intellectual beauty was wallowing in sadness, a commotion suddenly erupted from a nearby street.
"Hahaha, Nami got caught stealing again."
"Sigh~ Why doesn't this little girl ever learn?"
"Though, in that regard, she's a lot like her mother was back in the day. Both delinquents."
As they spoke, the townspeople burst into good-natured laughter.
(Nami?! Little girl?!)
Robin composed herself, then crossed her arms in front of her chest. Flower-Flower Fruit ability activated.
—Dazzling Vision!
An eye abruptly sprouted on a nearby building, taking in the entire scene on the street.
She saw a middle-aged man dressed as a police officer holding a little orange-haired loli like he was holding a kitten.
"Let me go! Let me go! I'm not a cat!" The cute little loli struggled with all her might, but it was useless.
"How many times have I told you, Nami! You can't steal other people's things!" scolded the officer with the mustache. A breeze blew past, and the pinwheel stuck on his police cap started spinning round and round.
The little loli stuck out her tongue cutely. "But our family doesn't have any money! And I really wanted that book. What was I supposed to do?!"
"That doesn't mean you can steal!" The middle-aged officer sighed. "Honestly, can't you be a bit more well-behaved like your sister Nojiko?"
"Bellemere is going to the market in the next town over this afternoon to buy things. How can your mother rest easy with you acting like this?!"
The middle-aged officer carried the unhappy little Nami, nagging her with "tough love" as he strode into the distance.
Retracting her Devil Fruit ability, Robin had a strange expression on her face.
(That was definitely our Miss Navigator. Why has she become so small?)
(No, it's me who has come to her hometown during her childhood. Why? Why did I, of all people, come here?)
Although there were too many things she didn't understand, based on a woman's sixth sense, Robin subconsciously felt that the now five-or-six-year-old little Nami was definitely the key to getting her back!
Thinking of this, Nico Robin hesitated no longer and quietly followed the mustached officer carrying little Nami into the distance.
Inside a small room, a stove fire was burning brightly, baking the whole room in warmth. The air was filled with the strong scent of medicine; it wasn't pungent, but rather refreshing to the senses.
On the bed.
Not knowing how long she had slept, Nami groggily opened her eyes.
(Huh? An unfamiliar ceiling?)
The newly awakened Miss Navigator sat there dazed for a moment, then her eyes flew open. She bolted upright, exclaiming in shock, "Why am I here?! Where on earth is this?!"
"Hee hee hee, you're awake, little girl. Wearing such skimpy pajamas on a snowy day isn't a wise choice, you know."
The person who arrived was an old woman wearing a midriff-baring outfit and dressed quite fashionably. Nami was all too familiar with this old woman.
"You are..." Nami's pupils shrank to the size of pinpoints.
"Oh? Do you want to know the secret to my eternal youth?" Dr. Kureha took a sip of plum wine, pushed her sunglasses up to her forehead, and grinned.
"Aren't you that old lady who loves ripping people off?" Nami blurted out, looking incredulous. "Is this Drum Island?! How did I get here?"
"Who are you calling an old lady?! Watch your mouth, little girl!" The witch doctor, who refused to accept her age, roared in anger, then emphasized each word: "I am a flowery 133 years young!"
"133 years old is hardly 'flowery'! And aren't you 139?" Nami retorted. Disregarding everything else, she hurriedly scrambled out of bed.
"Hey, little girl, what are you doing?" Dr. Kureha placed the wine bottle on the table beside her and said in a low voice, "You haven't paid your medical bill yet~"
"I'm going to find my companions." Nami remained unmoved, the expression on her fair face very serious. "Although I don't know what happened, I must find my crewmates!"
"I'm the navigator! Without me, everyone won't be able to sail!"
However, just then, accompanied by a cold gust of wind carrying snowflakes, the door to the room suddenly opened, and two figures, one big and one small, walked in.
"Yalala, that guy sure is stingy. He's so rich, yet he still chases me relentlessly." The speaker was a middle-aged man with cross-shaped hair. Carrying a large bag, he brushed the snow off his body while talking to himself.
"That idiot actually fired a gun. Honestly. Chopper, you didn't get hit by a bullet just now, did you?"
"Dr. Hiluluk, you quack, did you go steal money again?" Dr. Kureha sighed helplessly. "You thief, you really never change..."
"Ahahaha, I can't help it! My [Research] needs financial support, and you, you witch, won't lend me any money." Dr. Hiluluk laughed sheepishly, then looked at the dumbfounded Miss Navigator.
"Oh, you have a patient today. Hey, little girl, your face suddenly looks terrible."
(Dr. Hiluluk? Isn't he Chopper's "father"? I remember Dr. Kureha saying back then that he had... five years ago...)
A bolt of lightning flashed through her mind. Nami's eyes lit up, and her heart began to beat violently.
(139 years old, 133 years old? A difference of 6 years... 6 years ago! I've returned to Drum Island 6 years in the past!!!)
(At that time, Chopper was...)
Nami took a deep breath, calmed herself down, and lowered her gaze.
She saw a blue-nosed reindeer, slightly smaller than she remembered, hiding behind Dr. Hiluluk. He looked timidly at her, the stranger, his round deer eyes full of unease and curiosity.
Also, he was hiding the wrong way again...
In a dense forest, a blue-nosed reindeer was crying loudly, weeping with extreme heartbreak.
"Waaaaah! Luffy! Sanji! Zoro! Sherlock! Nami! Usopp! Robin! Where are you all?! I-I can't find you anymore!"
"Don't leave me all alone!"
Even though Chopper had superb medical skills, he was actually still just a child. Suddenly encountering such a drastic change, he naturally cried quite pathetically. And his crying soon had an effect.
"ROAR!!!"
A giant black bear roared and came rushing from the distance. It seemed this guy was very curious about the taste of this little reindeer.
"Eek!!!" Chopper was startled. Without another word, he ran wildly into the distance, kicking up sand and rocks, dust flying, and startling a flock of birds.
The bear and the reindeer chased each other for a while, when suddenly! Two figures dashed out from the side!
Bang! Bang! Owww~~~~
The sound of heavy blows mixed with the miserable scream of the big black bear.
???
Chopper looked back and saw that the big black bear had already fainted with its eyes rolled back. Near it stood two little boys holding lead pipes.
One had black hair, wore a yellow tank top, had freckles on his face, and looked cocky.
The other had blonde hair, wore a formal outfit, and had a top hat with goggles on his head. As he grinned broadly, his missing tooth was very conspicuous.
"Hey, Ace, do you think this bear is enough for dinner?"
"Hmm..." The black-haired boy named Ace bowed his head and thought seriously. "Not enough! That idiot Luffy is eating more and more lately. Is this a side effect of the Devil Fruit?"
"By the way, Sabo, have you seen Luffy?"
Sabo's face changed drastically. "Dammit, that idiot didn't get lost again, did he? That stupid brother..."
However, just as his voice fell, a childish and energetic shout came from the distance.
"Hey!! Ace! Sabo!"
A black-haired little boy wearing a straw hat and sporting a scar on his face ran over, waving his arm.
"How did you get lost again?" Ace complained. "We took down the prey this time. No dinner for you today, Luffy."
"Uh-huh." Sabo nodded in agreement.
"Huh??" Little Luffy's face instantly collapsed. "I just heard someone calling my name, so I left! You guys can't do this..."
Eh?
As he said this, little Luffy subconsciously looked to the side. Simultaneously, Ace and Sabo also turned their heads.
A mysterious creature with a pink hat, antlers on its head, and brown fur was hiding behind a tree trunk nearby, looking terrified.
And he was hiding the wrong way.
Silence...
The two sides stared at each other for a long, long time.
"Is it a raccoon dog?" x3 the young ASL brothers said in unison.
"I'm a reindeer!! I am a reindeer!!! Look! I have antlers!" Chopper retorted righteously.
"So cool! It actually spoke!" x3
Instantly, the three little goofballs gasped simultaneously, their eyes flashing with dangerous light.
(That straw hat and familiar scent, there's no mistake, he's Luffy. And the one with freckles is his brother Ace. As for the other one, is he Luffy's brother too?)
(Also, why have they become so small? And they don't recognize me?)
Just as the little reindeer was thinking to himself, a sudden chill ran down his spine, and he felt a sense of foreboding.
Then...
"Meat! Don't run!"
"Stop! Talking raccoon dog!"
"Stop running! Dinner!"
"Eek!!! Why is it like this! Someone save me!!"
"AAAAHHH!!!!!!" Chopper, running for his life once again, howled at the sky.
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