The Island of Scholars

Chapter 33 The Island of Scholars

It's already the eighteenth day of our journey to the summit of the Western Paradise.

Suzuki sat in the middle of the small wooden boat, holding a map showing the major islands of the Western Sea.

He observed it carefully.

We've been sailing from the island where that shipping company is located, all the way to where we are now.

He would pass by many islands along the way, and the closest island to him now was an island that was extremely famous in the ocean - Ohara!

Its other names include "Island of Scholars," "Island of Knowledge," and "Holy Land of Archaeology."

When the small wooden boat was still several kilometers away from the island, Suzuki stood up and looked into the distance, where he could see the huge trees on the island.

That is the Tree of Knowledge, which has the most scholars and the largest collection of books in the world!

There is no doubt that Suzuki is quite interested in what's on this island.

The small wooden boat sailed towards Ohara Island, and soon he arrived at Ohara Island.

Upon entering the port, it's clear that it's very lively.

"Those who want to visit the Tree of Omniscience, come this way! It only costs 2,000 Berries to go inside!"

"Hello, hello, would you like to buy some books? These are the latest publications from scholars in Ohara!"

"Come and take a look! Ohara native milk – experience the atmosphere of the academics firsthand, and drinking it will ensure your child never has to worry about their studies again!"

"Come and see! These are leaves that fell from the Tree of Omniscience! They say sticking them on your forehead can boost your IQ, and they're only selling for 500 Berries!"

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The cacophony of hawkers' cries filled the air, leaving Suzuki somewhat speechless.

The moment he stepped into Ohara, he felt an atmosphere he had never imagined.

Contrary to Suzuki's expectations of a scholarly atmosphere, the people here are very warm and hospitable, and there are even people calling out at the dock from time to time.

There were no scholars quietly reading books on the shore, and few people were discussing topics related to knowledge.

It is clear that O'Hara's reputation is too great, not only because of its many scholars, but also because its tourism industry is clearly quite developed.

It's not just Ohara's own fame; the world-renowned scholars, the Tree of Knowledge, and so on have all spawned a very mature series of related industries.

The small vendors were very welcoming to yet another foreign traveler arriving in Ohara.

As Suzuki walked along the dock, people would occasionally come up to him and try to sell him some unusual products.

He certainly wouldn't buy these things, so whenever this happened, he would walk straight ahead without saying a word, his expression indifferent.

Seeing this, most of these small vendors would give up on selling their wares.

The remaining small group also chose to give up as Suzuki walked further and further away from the dock.

Before long, some peace and quiet returned to Suzuki's ears.

He had already left the port area and entered the residential area.

Although there are quite a few vendors here, most of them have shops.

At most, they would occasionally shout a few words in front of the shop to attract attention and show their presence.

Suzuki was walking down this street.

Ohara Island is not very large and is not divided into many areas.

Basically, it's the outermost port area. Because of the highly developed tourism industry, Ohara has four ports.

Apart from some less desirable coastlines, several ports basically surround the entire island of Ohara.

Every year, each port receives a considerable number of tourists, not only from the West Blue but also from the other three major sea areas, including the Grand Line.

These tourists come to Ohara mainly for sightseeing and recreation, and they are mostly people who are not short of money.

There are even rumors that a new port will be built in a few years, but Suzuki thinks the chances of this new port being built are slim.

There are also residential areas further inside, and the library at the very center of the Omniscient Tree.

The street that Suzuki is walking on is also called East Street, which means the street in the east.

The street was a bit quieter than the port, and Suzuki finally had the leisure to stand still and properly enjoy the view of Ohara.

Looking up, most of the houses on the street are two or three stories high.

The houses are neatly arranged along the street, many of which have signs for "hotel" and "restaurant".

Through the gaps between these houses, you can see a large cluster of towering hills on Ohara Island.

These peaks are not high, nor do they resemble small mounds.

Instead, they stand on the ground like pillars, which is quite unique.

Looking further up, you can see the canopy of the enormous, all-knowing tree that blocks out the sky.

The canopy of this all-knowing tree covers almost half of the island and is many meters higher than the surrounding cylindrical hills.

Even though Suzuki had just stepped out of the island's port area and was still several kilometers away from the island's center, he could still feel the awe-inspiring presence of that enormous machine.

Although it is a plant, it can still be considered a living thing. Unlike inanimate objects like mountains, massive life forms can always stir up waves in people's hearts.

Suzuki's heart was also somewhat stirred, partly because of the sheer size of the Tree of Omniscience, but more so because of the vast amount of knowledge contained within it.

Although it's unclear whether those scholars will allow him to go in for a visit and study, since there are people selling tickets at the port outside, there must be a way to get in.

He had no intention of lingering on this street and didn't plan to stay in O'Hara for long.

With his gaze fixed on the Tree of Omniscience in the distance, Suzuki continued walking towards it.

However, he hadn't walked far when he felt as if someone was following him.

Looking back, I saw a little girl who was less than a meter tall and obviously very young.

She was wearing clothes with many patches, and she was running towards him on her small, short legs.

So Suzuki stopped where he was.

He turned around and looked at the little girl who had probably been following him from a distance since the dock.

The little girl was a bit startled and immediately stopped her small body from running towards Suzuki.

She also stopped in place, several dozen meters away from Suzuki, head down and silent.

Seeing this, Suzuki did not go over to say hello, but calmly turned around and continued walking towards the Tree of Omniscience.

Although the little girl was most likely Robin, Suzuki had no interest in people who lacked courage!

Even if she might be Robin, even if she is very young.

But if you don't even have the courage to ask a question or look me in the eye, then there's no need to waste time on her as she is now.

After walking for a while, Suzuki noticed the little tail following behind him again.

He frowned slightly, but this time he didn't turn around or stop; instead, he continued walking forward.

Suddenly, he heard a series of light footsteps behind him, followed by a clear and melodious young voice.

(End of this chapter)