Aokiji paused slightly, his gaze falling on the towering building in the distance.
"Open to the public for free?"
"Of course!"
Mikita said as if it were only natural, "Lord Xiano told us at our Legion assembly that knowledge should never be monopolized. Only by letting more people access it can we push the progress of the era in all aspects!"
"So in the first batch of key projects for the Infrastructure Corps, we included the construction of the first twelve libraries and six universities."
"As for what you're seeing now, this is the largest of all the libraries, called the 'O'Hara Library,' and O'Hara University is also under construction as we speak."
Aokiji's pupils abruptly contracted.
"O'Hara… Library?"
He almost repeated it subconsciously, his voice a little hoarse.
"Yeah!"
Mikita didn't notice anything strange about him and went on explaining with great enthusiasm:
"You've never heard of it, have you? Actually, when the name first came out, everyone was really confused. Later we found out it's said to have been specially named by Lord Xiano to commemorate the people of O'Hara, which was destroyed by a Buster Call from Navy Headquarters twenty years ago."
"Sigh, a whole country's people, men, women, old and young, just gone like that. No one even knows which commander led the Navy back then—he could actually bring himself to do it. What a complete bastard! Hmph, if I ever see him, I'm absolutely going to beat the crap out of him to vent my anger!"
Aokiji pressed his lower lip together.
His gaze passed over the indignant lemon-haired girl and landed on the obviously newly completed tower. In his mind, the scenes from twenty years ago surfaced once more.
—The flames soaring into the sky, the refugee ship under bombardment, and the black‑haired girl crying in the ruins.
The World Government thought that by doing that, they could sleep peacefully, erasing every spark of resistance.
Thought that by doing that, they could make an example of the weak, so the world would never again dare to touch the history of the past!
And now.
The very existence of this towering library, and its name, was the most contemptuous and direct response to the World Government!
Heh, and what can the World Government do about it?
Hit Endgame's core territory with another Buster Call?
Five Vice Admirals, ten large warships…
Even if they multiplied that lineup tenfold, how would it be any different from sending them to their deaths?
"It really is… remarkable."
After a long time, Aokiji finally spoke in a low voice, his tone complicated.
"Right, right!"
Mikita was overjoyed at the praise. "I knew you'd be more interested in this, hehe… Oh, right, it's just about lunchtime. How about I go to the cafeteria and get your dinner ready first, and you take a look around inside O'Hara? We can meet back at the entrance in half an hour?"
"That's exactly what I had in mind."
Aokiji nodded. "Then I'll trouble you. As for the food, anything's fine, just keep it simple."
He watched Mikita leave, then turned around and strolled lazily into the white tower.
The moment he stepped into the library, a rich scent of books washed over him. In the spacious, bright hall, many people were quietly reading, including the elderly and children.
Aokiji wandered between the shelves, his fingertips lightly brushing over the spines lined up in rows.
The collection here was far richer than he had imagined—from medicine and agriculture to history and technology, there was everything.
Clearly Endgame had gone to great lengths to gather these from all over the world.
Aokiji didn't linger long on the first floor. He slowly ascended the spiral staircase, his footsteps sounding especially clear in the tranquil library.
Just as he stepped onto the next floor, he heard a mature woman's voice, somewhat familiar yet somewhat strange, echo faintly:
"I seem to smell the scent of confusion. After all this time, you still haven't found your place, have you, traitor… Mr. Kuzan?"