Chapter 91: To Live or To Perish? That Is the Question!

Olvia truly didn’t believe it. She suspected this Benn Ortoren was bluffing!

We scholars went through meticulous planning, endured countless risks, and sacrificed so much to gain enough experience to stand against your World Government. And now you’re saying you’ve known everything all along? That all this time we’ve just been performing a monkey show for you?

Who would believe that!

Seeing the doubt in Olvia’s eyes, Ortoren chuckled. If it were anyone else, it might indeed be a bluff. But with him, there was far more behind it.

“Then let me point out a few things.” Ortoren set down his juice and said, “For example, Nico Olvia—you’ve been part of an illegal research project led by Professor Clover, one that focused on ancient scripts and the Void Century, correct?”

Olvia said nothing. That hardly counted as proof. If someone already suspected Ohara, such deductions could be made by anyone.

When she showed no reaction, Ortoren went on, “Another example: you have a daughter, Nico Robin. She’s currently living with her aunt. You haven’t seen her in quite some time...”

Olvia’s eyes flickered with unease, but she kept her silence. That was just her private matter—it didn’t prove anything.

Yet as she looked at Ortoren’s calm, smiling face and replayed his words, she felt something unsettling... a sense of escalation.

Sure enough, when she didn’t answer, Ortoren lowered his voice slightly. “Then let’s say this—under Ohara’s Tree of Knowledge, in the underground laboratory you uncovered, there’s a Poneglyph placed there, isn’t there?”

The accuracy of the location, coupled with that building sense of progression, shattered Olvia’s last defense. She stared at Ortoren in shock, her lips trembling as she forced out the words, “You... you really... know everything?”

“Let me reintroduce myself. My name is Benn Ortoren, Rear Admiral of Marine Headquarters, direct subordinate of Admiral Sengoku. The World Government takes Ohara’s forbidden research into the lost century with the utmost seriousness, assigning the investigation jointly to Marine Headquarters and the CP agencies. I am the Marine officer in charge of this mission.” Ortoren’s gaze locked onto Olvia as he spoke.

After a brief pause, he added, “For now, everything I just told you is only known to us in the Marines. The CP agencies have yet to uncover Ohara’s crimes or the evidence.”

Olvia froze, then quickly asked, “When did the Marines start investigating this?”

Ortoren stroked his chin. “We received the assignment quite some time ago. But if you mean when we actually got involved—it’s been a little over two months.”

Olvia’s mouth twitched, then she suddenly slammed her palm against the table. “Compared to the Marines, the CP agencies are absolute trash! They’ve completely misled us about your investigative power!”

Damn it! Isn’t the CP agency supposed to be the number one in intelligence? The strongest spy network under the World Government?

They spent so long investigating us and came up with nothing. The Marines walk in, and within two months you’ve laid everything bare. And you expect me not to call them useless?

If it weren’t for those useless fools as a comparison, how could we ever have underestimated the Marines like this?

Seeing Olvia’s composure unraveling, Ortoren calmly took a bite of food before saying, “The CP agencies are weapons of dark justice—cold and merciless. We Marines, however, act more openly, with a bit more compassion. As for Ohara... how should I put it? Our view of you is complicated. After all, you’ve committed a crime explicitly forbidden. And don’t tell me you scholars don’t know the Poneglyphs contain intelligence on ancient weapons capable of unleashing catastrophic destruction across the world.”

“We have no interest in those weapons. As historians, we only care about—” Olvia began firmly.

“Arrogance!” Ortoren cut her off, his eyes narrowing on her. “Just as you naïvely believed your actions could be hidden from the Marines and the World Government, you now arrogantly assume you can conceal the existence of ancient weapons?”

Faced with the stark truth, Olvia found herself unable to argue back.

Just then, Ortoren softened his tone. “But we’re willing to believe you scholars of Ohara pursued this with an academic heart, not out of any deliberate desire to access ancient weapons. That’s exactly where the Marines are conflicted. If we submit intelligence on Ohara to Mary Geoise, I fear you scholars—and everyone on Ohara—will face capital punishment. But if we leave you unchecked, we might open Pandora’s box and unleash a world-ending catastrophe...”

After a brief silence, Olvia looked at Ortoren. “So why tell me all this? What are you really saying?”

Ortoren raised an eyebrow. “That Ohara has only two choices. First, you keep resisting, insisting on using everything Ohara has to oppose the World Government. If that’s the case, the Marines will expect nothing more from you. I will arrest you here and now, and every ship in the port of Chichicris Island and the surrounding waters will be seized. We’ll screen them one by one and root out your accomplices. Don’t think I’m exaggerating—this mission grants me authority over all Marine forces in the South Blue, and I can absolutely make it happen. After that, I’ll submit a detailed report to the World Government and initiate an eradication operation against Ohara.”

“This is a crime against history!” Olvia shouted, furious.

“This is a crime against the people of the world,” Ortoren replied evenly.

Then, still calm, he continued, “Second option. According to our investigation, Ohara has not yet reached the Void Century... nor obtained concrete information on ancient weapons. This expedition concerning the Poneglyph has been grueling, and progress is relatively slow. Before you achieved any meaningful results, your plan was already uncovered by us Marines, and we’ve gathered the corresponding evidence. Ohara confesses to the crime, acknowledging that the scholars involved were momentarily reckless and strayed onto an unlawful path. They express deep remorse and hope the World Government will show leniency.”

Olvia was stunned. Ortoren had essentially defined their position outright—talking about the Void Century and the lack of progress on ancient weapons as if he could just declare it so!

In truth, while research into the Void Century had stalled, they had made some headway on ancient weapons.

Yet his earlier words made it clear he knew their situation—and now he was saying this... Meeting Ortoren’s gaze, Olvia quickly realized it was an act of goodwill. Or perhaps... the Marines’ goodwill.

“To survive or to perish—that is the question, and the choice,” Ortoren said softly.

“If we bow to the World Government’s power, abandon this research, and pretend that century of history never existed, would we still be worthy of calling ourselves historians?” Olvia asked, eyes fixed on him.

“To cling to so-called scholarly pride and refuse to bend, letting the flame die out—so the Void Century is buried forever beneath the truth, reduced to dust, known to no one... If you think people like that deserve to be called historians, then I have nothing more to say.” Ortoren shrugged.

“To set aside our pride and reputation as scholars, swallow the humiliation, and carry this flame of knowledge forward?” Conflict and pain flickered in Olvia’s eyes; the decision clearly tore at her.

Of course, this wasn’t a choice she could make alone—but to Ortoren, she was the right person to break the stalemate.

“If we choose the second path, what fate awaits us, the Ohara?” Olvia abruptly lifted her head and met Ortoren’s eyes.

“To be frank, I believe the World Government covets your ability to decipher ancient scripts. You’re all exceptionally talented; they won’t discard Ohara’s capabilities. Most likely, you’ll be absorbed. The Marines recently formed a new unit called the Science Corps. The World Government intends to use it to pursue breakthroughs in technology related to ancient weapons and modern armaments. So there’s a real chance you’ll be forcibly incorporated into the Marines’ Science Corps.” Ortoren stroked his chin as he laid out his analysis.

After a short pause, Ortoren added, “Of course, that’s all my personal speculation. It’s entirely possible that even if you choose the second path, the World Government won’t accept it, and Ohara will still be eradicated... But at least that choice leaves a sliver of hope.”