A remote island in the South Blue. The Portgas family's annex estate.
Afternoon sunlight slanted through the study window. Dust drifted lazily through the beams of light.
Portgas D. Astera.
The twelve-year-old boy sat there in a daze, book open in front of him.
[The Structure of the World and Ocean Currents]
That was the title printed on the cover. One of hundreds of books in this study—he'd read almost all of them over the past six years, but none had any answers.
"Astera!"
A familiar voice came from beyond the door.
"Come eat lunch. The soup's getting cold."
It was his sister Rouge.
"Coming."
He answered but didn't take his eyes off the book. The page hadn't turned in a while now.
Nothing interested him anymore. More precisely, nothing he did helped him find what he was looking for.
Thud.
He closed the book, stood up, and headed to the dining table. When he sat down, a bowl of warm fish soup was waiting for him.
Rouge sat across from him and frowned.
"Were you holed up in the study again?"
"Yeah."
Astera fidgeted with his spoon as he answered. Rouge's frown deepened.
"Without even eating?"
"I wasn't hungry."
Sigh.
Rouge let out a long breath.
Twenty-two years old. After their parents died, Rouge had raised her little brother all by herself. She'd been just sixteen back then, and Astera hadn't even been six yet.
"Why have you been so quiet lately? Are you sick or something?"
"I'm not sick."
Short answer. Rouge looked at her brother for a moment, then spoke again.
"Then go outside for a bit."
"Don't want to."
"Why not?"
Astera didn't answer and picked up his spoon. The hot soup went down his throat, but he couldn't taste it.
Rouge studied her brother's face for a long time before deciding not to push any further. She just pushed the soup bowl closer and said:
"Eat more. You're nothing but skin and bones."
"I'm full."
"Liar. You didn't even have breakfast."
Reluctantly, Astera took another spoonful. Only then did Rouge look a bit relieved.
* * *
After lunch, Astera went back to the study.
He stood in front of the bookshelf, staring blankly at the books. Hundreds of books packed tightly together—all of them had belonged to his father.
What kind of person was his father?
In his hazy memories, his father had always been in this study. Reading books, writing things down, or staring out the window. Then one day he and their mother left on a trip.
They never came back.
He randomly pulled out a book.
[Traces of Ancient Civilizations]
He tried to read it, but nothing stuck in his head.
Thud.
He set the book down on the desk.
That's when it happened.
The desk surface trembled slightly.
"...?"
His eyes narrowed. He picked up the book again and set it back down.
Thud.
It shook again. More precisely, part of the desk surface was slightly raised.
Curiosity sparked. He'd spent six years in this study and never noticed this before.
He pressed that spot with his fingertip.
Click.
With a small sound, a little drawer on the side of the desk slid open.
A hidden drawer.
His heart started racing.
When he opened the drawer all the way, there were two things inside.
One looked like a compass. But it was different from a regular compass. The needle pointed in only one direction, and the word "Ohara" was engraved around the edge.
The other was a bundle of letters. Several pages tied together with string, but in bad shape. The paper was wrinkled like it had gotten wet and dried, and torn in places.
He carefully unfolded the letters. Most of the writing was smudged, but he could make out a few words.
The D Clan...
...research...
...Ohara...
...Clover
His breath caught.
He read it again. Between the smudged letters, a few facts emerged faintly. His father had exchanged letters with someone. That person's name was "Clover." The words "D Clan" appeared over and over.
And Ohara.
He picked up the compass. The word engraved on the rim matched the word in the letters. The needle still pointed in just one direction.
'An Eternal Pose.'
He'd seen it in a book. A special compass that points to only one specific island. So this must point to Ohara.
What's Ohara? An island?
He started searching through the bookshelf. After digging for a while, he pulled out an old world map.
Rustle.
He spread it out on the desk and traced the island names one by one with his finger.
East Blue, West Blue, South Blue, North Blue...
And in one corner of the West Blue, he found it written in small letters.
Ohara.
The letters, the compass, and the map. Three things connecting together.
His father had been connected to Ohara. He'd exchanged letters with someone named Clover and researched the D Clan.
And he never came back.
"Astera?"
Creak.
The door opened and Rouge poked her head in.
"What are you doing..."
Her words cut off. Rouge's gaze stopped on the compass and letters on the desk.
"Did you know about this?"
Astera asked. Rouge slowly walked over, picked up the letters, and shook her head.
"...First time seeing them. I didn't know what Dad was researching."
"What's Ohara?"
"Probably an island name."
"It's here. In the West Blue."
Astera pointed at the map. Rouge looked down at the map, then raised her head to look at her brother.
"Why are you suddenly asking?"
"I think Dad went there. This compass points to Ohara, and the letters mention Ohara too."
"So?"
"I want to go see it too."
Rouge's eyes went wide.
"What?"
"I want to know what Dad was looking for."
"No."
Rouge's voice became firm.
"Absolutely not."
"Why?"
Astera asked, but Rouge stepped closer and raised her voice.
"Dad left like that and never came back!"
Rouge's voice shook.
"If I lose you too, what am I supposed to do?"
Astera looked up at his sister.
Twenty-two years old.
Six years of raising her brother alone. She'd never once complained about how hard it was. But now, for the first time, she looked like she might break.
"...I'm sorry."
"Promise me. Promise you won't talk about this again."
"..."
"Promise me, Astera."
Astera looked down at the compass. The needle still pointed in one direction.
Ohara.
The place his father had been searching for. The place that might have answers about the D Clan.
"...Okay."
He nodded.
"I won't go."
Rouge let out a sigh of relief. He could see the tension drain from her shoulders.
"Good. You made the right choice."
"But sis."
Rouge stopped at the door.
"Yeah?"
"What's the D Clan?"
Rouge thought for a moment, then shook her head.
"I don't know. I just heard that the D has been in our family name for generations."
"But what does it mean?"
"Dad never told me either."
Rouge set the letters down and said:
"I'll make dinner. Don't think too hard about it."
"Okay."
Rouge left.
Astera bundled the compass and letters back together and put them in the drawer and closed it.
Click.
The drawer hid itself again.
He looked out the window. The sun was setting.
* * *
The ceiling.
Astera lay in bed staring at it. Sleep wouldn't come.
When he closed his eyes, he saw the compass needle. That needle pointing in just one direction.
Ohara.
She told him not to go. He promised.
But.
Rustle.
He kicked off the blanket and got up. He walked down the hallway toward the study, keeping his footsteps quiet. Rouge couldn't wake up.
Creak.
The study door opened with a small sound that echoed in the darkness.
He walked to the desk and opened the hidden drawer.
Click.
He took out the compass and went to the window. The moon was up.
Moonlight reflected off the glass surface of the compass, making it sparkle. The needle still pointed in one direction.
Astera gripped the compass tight.
For six years, nothing had been interesting. Reading books, eating meals, sleeping. Everything felt meaningless.
But now was different.
For the first time, there was something he wanted to know. He wanted to find answers.
"...Father."
He murmured.
"What were you looking for?"
There was no answer. But the compass needle still pointed to that place.
Ohara.
Night wind came through the window crack. It was cold.
Astera looked down at the compass and thought. His sister was against it. He promised. He said he wouldn't go.
But.
Beyond the direction that needle was pointing, there might be the answers his father had been searching for.
And maybe his own answers too.
He could see stars outside the window. Countless stars filled the night sky, and one of them shone especially bright.
Astera stared at that star.
Then looked at the compass again.
The needle didn't move.
Still pointing toward Ohara.