<h4>Chapter 102: History Will Repeat Itself, but Humanity Cannot Turn Back Time!</h4>


    udius''s blue eyes seemed to pierce right into Dr. Clover''s soul, making the old schr feel unnerved. udius''s smile had a disarming quality, but Dr. Clover could sense the threat behind it. Steeling himself, he responded, "I don''t quite understand what you''re implying, Lord udius. Ohara has the ability to safeguard what we hold here."


    "No, Doctor. You don''t," udius replied softly, his tone almost gentle, yet unmistakably firm. "You don''t even have the strength to protect yourselves, let alone the knowledge you guard. You''ve lived a long life, haven''t you, Doctor? Haven''t you learned by now that one should never bite off more than one can chew?"


    Dr. Clover fell silent for a moment, sensing the gravity of udius''s words. "What exactly are you saying, Lord udius?" he asked cautiously.


    udius chuckled, the sound almost mocking. "Haven''t you ever wondered why, in the eight hundred years since the Void Century, no one from Ohara''s long line of schrs has dared to dig as deep as you have into ancient texts and forbidden history? Do you think they never had the same curiosity? Or is it that they knew better than to pursue it?"


    Dr. Clover''s face stiffened as the weight of udius''s words sank in. He tried to force a smile, but it was strained. "Researching ancient texts and history has been forbidden by the World Government. For centuries, we''ve obeyed thew."


    udius waved a hand dismissively. "Spare me the denials, Doctor. I didn''te here to judge you. That''s not my role. Save that speech for the Marines or the CP agents who might actually care to listen. Me? I simply don''t want to see the treasures of the Tree of Knowledge destroyed. So, Doctor, why don''t you help me transport all the books to my ship? That way, at least they''ll be preserved."


    Dr. Clover clenched his fists, understanding now that udius was speaking the truth. It was all too clear, Ohara''s fate had already been decided by the World Government. They were seen as criminals, and retribution was on its way.


    "Lord udius..." Dr. Clover began, his voice heavy with resignation, "Allow me to go and make preparations."


    As he turned to leave, Stussy, dressed in her pristine white suit, ced a firm hand on his shoulder, stopping him in his tracks. "I''m afraid refusal isn''t an option, Doctor," she said softly, though her words held a quiet menace. "We''re extending you a rare courtesy here. His Highness is being quite generous, but I... I can be very unforgiving."


    Her grip on Dr. Clover''s shoulder was deceptively gentle, yet he could tell he wouldn''t be able to pull away if he tried. rmed, he stammered, "What are you nning to do?"


    "What does it look like?" Stussy replied smoothly. "We''re going to help you transfer every single book from the Tree of Knowledge to His Highness''s ship."


    "Impossible! The Tree of Knowledge—" Dr. Clover protested, only to notice a group of soldiers approaching under the direction of udius''s head servant, Nia.


    "Your Highness!" Nia greeted, awaiting orders.


    udius gave a casual wave. "Get the men ready, Nia. Help Dr. Clover gather the books from the Tree of Knowledge. And be careful—those books are valuable. I don''t want anything damaged."


    "Yes, Your Highness!" Nia responded crisply. He gestured to the soldiers behind him, and they began making their way toward the massive tree that housed Ohara''s vast repository of knowledge.


    Desperation red in Dr. Clover''s eyes. He looked at udius, his voice trembling. "Lord udius, please... is all of this true?"


    udius nced at him with a hint of impatience. "Are you really asking me that, Doctor? Deep down, you know the answer, don''t you?"


    The old schr looked down, anguish flickering across his face. "So the World Government... they really see us as criminals? All because we dared to seek the truth?"


    udius''s expression softened for a moment, but his voice remained steady. "Yes, Doctor. Did you really think the World Government wouldn''t notice? Your schrs have been stirring up trouble on the seas for years now. They warned you to stop, time and again, but you didn''t listen. You mistook tolerance for weakness. But before you could bring real harm to this world, they decided it was time to act."


    Nearby, Dr. Clover caught snippets of hurried whispers among the townspeople, rumors of Marine warships spotted approaching Ohara. His heart sank further.


    "Why is it a crime to study history?" Dr. Clover asked, his voice a mixture of sorrow and defiance. "Our past defines us, shapes us. How can we move forward if we can''t confront the truths of our past? If we keep running from it, we''re doomed to repeat the same mistakes."


    udius regarded him carefully. "You''re right, Doctor. Understanding history is important. But you''re na?ve if you think that knowledge doesn''te with a price. I believe in looking at things from all angles, Doctor. Sure, your intentions may be innocent, but the impact of what you uncover could put the entire world in danger. And as you so wisely said, history does have a way of repeating itself."


    "Danger?" Dr. Clover repeated, struggling to grasp the full scope of what udius was implying. "We are schrs! We hold no power to harm anyone. What possible threat could we be?"


    "That''s precisely the issue, Doctor," udius replied, his tone firm. "You don''t have the power to protect yourselves. Ohara may be the first to unlock these secrets, but what if someone more dangerouses along? What if Kaido or Big Mom, or any other pirate with an insatiable lust for power, found out what you''ve discovered? What if they got their hands on an Ancient Weapon? Could you bear the consequences?"


    Dr. Clover faltered, unable to answer. He knew, in his heart, that Ohara''s schrs would be defenseless against the evils of the world. "But we don''t seek the Ancient Weapons... we only want to understand our past..."


    udius sighed, cutting him off. "It doesn''t matter what you seek, Doctor. What matters is the risk you pose. You can try exining that to the Marines or the CP agents if it makes you feel better, but my advice? Help us secure these books. At least that way, something of Ohara might survive. Consider it your final contribution to humanity."


    Dr. Clover''s shoulders slumped, the fight leaving him as he looked into udius''s piercing gaze. "So, there really is no way to save Ohara, is there?"


    udius looked at him with a hint of sympathy. "History will repeat itself, Doctor. But humanity... humanity can never turn back time."


    Dr. Clover took in udius''s words, his eyes misting over as he whispered to himself, "Humanity cannot turn back time..." He gave a sad, resigned smile, seeming to finally ept his fate. "I see it now. This is the end... and I have led Ohara to its death."


    udius gestured to Stussy, who released her grip on Dr. Clover''s shoulder. "Go on, Doctor. Do what you can, while you still have time."


    With onest weary nce, Dr. Clover nodded and walked away, his steps heavy as he prepared to assist udius''s men in transporting Ohara''s precious knowledge.


    ***


    For every 500 PS = 1 extra Chapter. Support me on patreon to read 40+ advanced Chapters: /Blownleaves.