The Cave

(Olivia POV)

"Olivia-san, do you know that boy?" asked Rosko, one of my fellow archaeologists, as we had walked quite far from where Eto was.

I didn't immediately answer, instead mulling over my memory of my encounter with Eto.

At first, I was simply intrigued by the young boy with eyes full of confusion. Those eyes held big questions that reminded me of the same feeling when I first learned about the void century.

That's why I greeted him. I didn't want a child, whose age was not far from my daughter's, to be lost in his confusion.

Curiosity is what drives humans to progress beyond other races in this vast ocean.

"Hmm... No! I just met him a moment ago, so I don't really know who that boy is," I replied.

"Oh?"

Ah, so that's it...

Seeing Rosko's face change to one of concern, I knew that he was now intent on getting rid of Eto just because I spoke to him for a few moments.

Our current job could be classified as very dangerous, not because we have to cross oceans filled with sea kings and pirates, but because we are uncovering the void century concealed by the world's greatest rulers.

The World Government would certainly not let us all go free if they knew our purpose.

Therefore, Rosko, who is part of the guard team, would eliminate anyone suspected of leaking our work to third parties.

"You don't need to worry, Rosko. I didn't say anything to the boy, and he doesn't know anything either," I said, shaking my head.

Hearing that, Rosko's bloodlust subsided slightly but did not disappear.

I didn't have the ability to dispel all of Rosko's suspicions about Eto, but I was sure he wouldn't act irrationally to kill immature children.

"You should know, Olivia-san, not all children in this world can be categorized as innocent. With Ilisia engulfed in civil war, no child is spared from the battle. And I smell blood on that child!"

"Well..." I never said Eto wasn't a dangerous child, but I could still see innocence in his eyes.

Although there was a possibility that he came from the rebel forces, I knew that Eto had no intention of reporting our whereabouts to Caesar.

How did I know that? From a mother's instinct, of course.

"Fufufufu~"

"Rosko, I said you don't need to worry," I said once again, with a much firmer tone.

"Very well, if that's your wish, Olivia-san," Rosko simply nodded his head.

We continued walking towards a place not far from the village.

I never expected that this place would hide the poneglyph we had been searching for in this kingdom.

Initially, I thought the poneglyph would be held by King Ilisia, but considering Thalassa Lucas's loyalty to the Celestial Dragons, it must have already fallen into World Goverment hands.

However, with the location of the poneglyph in this remote village, it was possible that Thalassa Lucas was unaware of it.

Entering the cave now filled with archaeologists, I met my only colleague who could read poneglyphs, Rio.

He smiled when he saw me arrive, and without exchanging greetings, we immediately discussed the contents of the poneglyph before us.

A massive, cubic stele made of an unidentified, indestructible type of stone, even someone with haki abilities would struggle to destroy it.

On its blue surface were inscribed ancient texts, the knowledge of which had been lost to the world or perhaps intentionally erased.

"Olivia-san, this poneglyph tells of war and the story of the first humans," Rio said, stroking his white beard.

"Hmm… Adam, right!"

I nodded, immersed in my translation and the story presented by the poneglyph before me.

But before we could delve further into the war depicted by the ancient text, suddenly there was a commotion from behind us.

Gunshots and cries of pain echoed, causing my face to pale. I knew this time would come, but I never expected it to happen here.

Quickly, I stuffed all my equipment and research notes into my bag.

Rio and I immediately ran towards the hidden escape location we had prepared beforehand. But suddenly, the sound of a body hitting the ground came from behind me.

I turned and found Rio unconscious on the ground. Standing beside Rio was someone I knew very well, someone I had even been conversing with just minutes ago.

"Rosko!"

"Forgive me, Olivia-san, but your research ends here!"

Just after Rosko said that, my vision went black.

The last thing I saw was men in black suits starting to handcuff Rio.

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(Eto 3rd POV)

"Where am I going now?" sighed Eto as he stepped forward.

At this moment, he didn't know where to go. Although he had found his purpose in life, the question he had to answer remained the same.

"Where should I start?"

When humans have questions, there is a passion within them to seek answers. That's what Eto felt now, which is why he kept walking even though he didn't know where he would end up.

He could only hope that when his body felt tired, he might stumble upon a city untouched by Caesar's rebel forces.

If not, then he would be forced to fight for his freedom.

There was no doubt in Eto's heart that Caesar would allow him to leave the rebel forces. Not to boast, but the name Stone Face was quite famous among rebels and the royal army alike.

More than once, Eto had emerged victorious and survived the most dangerous battles during this lengthy war.

However, for now, Eto could only go to the city to fill his rebellious stomach.

Though on his journey, he sometimes encountered wild animals, unfortunately, it was quite rare.

Moreover, in the wild, the smell of blood could attract other predators, causing them to gather quickly.

Eto also needed a place to rest and close his eyes after several days without sleep. Despite his body being stronger than the average person, he was still human and needed a roof over his head.

Therefore, plagued by confusion and the desire to rest, Eto quickened his pace to reach a city.

Based on the position of the sun during the day and the stars at night, Eto knew there was a city a few hundred kilometers ahead of him.

Three days later, Eto arrived at the city he was heading to.

He tried to recall the information in his mind and found that this city was called Duku.

Luckily, Duku was not one of the rebel stronghold cities and could be considered a neutral city. However, rebel and royal army forces still roamed within it.

Eto covered his face with a black scarf and began to walk into the city.

Quickly, he found an inn to rest.

Digging into his pocket and taking out some Berry, Eto paid for a room at the inn for two days.

The cost also included breakfast and a bath, which would be brought to his room by the innkeeper.

After washing his body and removing all his clothes, Eto slept naked for several hours.

Opening his eyes, Eto felt fresher than before. The fatigue from battles and travels that had been weighing on his back disappeared.

Along with that, his mind became clearer, allowing him to think more clearly.

"If you have questions, you must ask to find the answers!" that's what Teka had said when trying to get Eto to speak.

Finding the first step of his long journey, Eto promptly left his room.

Seeing the light streaming in from outside, Eto realized that he had slept through the entire day and night. He had entered this inn during the daytime and woken up the next morning.

The innkeeper served Eto's meal at his table without saying a word. However, Eto had a question for her.

Remembering what Olivia had said earlier, Eto asked, "How can I get to the sea?"

The innkeeper, a middle-aged woman with a plain face, furrowed her brow.

Checking Eto from head to toe, she realized that Eto was a dangerous person.

As an innkeeper, she had her own set of skills. Although Duku was a neutral city, chaos often ensued when rebel forces and royal troops crossed paths.

Therefore, to keep her head on her shoulders, the innkeeper had to be able to read her interlocutors.

"Hmm... to get to the sea, of course, you have to go to the docks first," she said, rubbing her chin.

Although she knew that Eto was dangerous, she also knew that he was not from the rebel or royal forces. People from both sides would display clear arrogance, unlike Eto, who was trying to stay under the radar.

Eto also realized what the innkeeper wanted at this moment. Although she wanted to tell Eto the answer to his question, she wouldn't do it for free.

Eto placed two coins on the table and asked again, "Where is the nearest dock?"

The innkeeper smiled and answered plainly, "The nearest dock is in another town after this one. If you continue walking north, you will reach the city of Salak, which is connected to the sea."

Eto then continued to ask the innkeeper about the recent situation in Duku, the movements of rebel forces and royal troops in the past few days, and what he would encounter on his journey to Salak.

Although Eto knew where Salak was located, unfortunately, he didn't know what he would encounter on his journey.

Currently, the battles between rebel forces and royal troops were intensifying.

There was a possibility that he would encounter rebel forces or royal troops on his journey, which would certainly be troublesome.

At this point, Eto has found his dream, and he doesn't want to do anything unrelated to achieving that dream.

If only the rebel forces or the royal troops could provide him with a wife, perhaps Eto would assist one of them.

However, based on Eto's experiences so far, he doesn't feel that either group has any connection to the word "wife."

The rebel forces would force him back into battle, while the royal troops would torture him for information.

Both options are equally bad for Eto, so he has no desire to encounter either group.

After obtaining the information he needed, Eto quickly leaves the inn, even though there is still one day left on his room rental. He has no time to spare right now.

He worries that obtaining a wife might require extensive preparation time. Therefore, Eto must find someone he can ask about how to obtain a wife as soon as possible.

His journey begins again, but this time he has a large bag of food on his back.

Along the way, Eto finds traces of a passing troop, but he isn't surprised as he already got information from the innkeeper earlier.

Avoiding the direction where the troops are headed, Eto chooses a longer and more dangerous path. He enters a forest where cannibal monkeys lurk, known for ambushing passing humans.

When he was still a rebel soldier, Eto and Teka once traversed this forest during a reconnaissance mission that required them to take an untraceable route.

However, they never imagined that entering this unnamed forest would be a wrong choice. Eto and Teka had to fight desperately against the onslaught of cannibal monkeys that came and went undetected.

Out of the twenty people who came, only five, including Eto and Teka, managed to survive and escape the forest. The rest became food for the cannibal monkeys.

However, this incident also led Eto to discover a secret path that could lead him out of the forest without being detected by the cannibal monkeys.

Eto should have reported this to his superiors, and perhaps he could have been promoted for his service.

However, Eto, who at that time was still pretending to be mute have no intention of contributing to the rebel forces, ultimately chose not to disclose the secret path.

Eventually, no one knew about the secret path, not even Teka.

Eto stealthily makes his way through the forest, trying to mask his scent by rubbing mud on his body from the surrounding area.

He continues to circle southward until he finally finds a small cave that only one adult can pass through.

However, Eto's small body can easily pass through the cave. This cave is the secret path that can lead him out of the unnamed forest without being detected by the cannibal monkeys.

After passing through a small passage, Eto encountered a cavern that was incredibly vast.

Stalactites filled the cave ceiling, dripping water droplets into a blue pool below.

The blue light from the pool illuminated the entire cave, revealing a beautiful panorama that unveiled the darkness.

In the middle of the pool, there was a small patch of land, and in its center stood a blue cubic stele, its surface covered with inscriptions that Eto couldn't understand.

Eto's gaze then shifted to a small, leafless tree in front of the cubic stele.

The tree had been standing there since Eto discovered this place.

There was only one fruit hanging from the tree, resembling an apple, but its strange color and texture made Eto reluctant to approach, let alone touch it.

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Well, we all know if Eto found Devil Fruit. Lol.

But what kind of Devil Fruit is it? Logia? Paramecia? Or Zoan? 

Read the next chapter on Sunday!!!

Please help my new novel Pendant of War. It tells the story of a useless student named Aditya who is trapped in a Virtual Death Game. 

Don't forget to give Stone and Comment.