Within the Library

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"How are our two bookworms faring in there, Hongo?" Limejuice casually inquired while savoring a large steak-sandwich within the confines of the Red-Hair crew's expansive, makeshift tent.

Spread out before them on a long table was a delectable feast, sourced directly from the bountiful produces of the Giants' farms and meadows, providing a sumptuous lunch for the entire crew and their welcomed guests.

Not far off, a bustling refugee camp had swiftly been erected to house the survivors of Rinascita Island, all made possible by the Red-Hair captain's skillful negotiation with the Giants' leader, orchestrating the unexpected, yet timely rescue operation...

"It looks like they are making some headway, but Law hasn't touched a morsel of food. He seemed to be engrossed in those towering mountains of books in these past three days," Hongo replied, joining the group after delivering daily provisions to Benn and Law in the library.

"Ah, I can sense a strong affinity for books between those two. Who else would willingly bury themselves in that maze for days just like that?!" Yasopp quipped with a confident grin.

"Haha, perhaps they've formed a scholarly alliance! I even caught the doctor assisting Benn in organizing those last remaining, unfinished huge stacks as he pursued his research. It's as if they speak the same language without speaking!," Hongo remarked with amusement.

"Ahaha!! With their brilliant minds working together, there's no intellectual challenge that this duo can't conquer!!" announced Punch dramatically and contently, as his lunch now complete...

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"Law, look at this record found in the ancient city on Bell Island," said Benn, immersed in the scrolls in his hands, "It was written by a young archaeologist back from the middle-aged era who claimed to have reached this mysterious western city covered in the mist. It mentioned that he had met with a woman who was born over two hundred years prior to his arrival, travelling through time," he continued, passing the findings to the younger brunet, "The devil fruit ability was somehow involved, though they didn't specify its name."

"This marks the fourth recorded instance of time-travel within the past hundred years of history," contemplated the surgeon.

As Trafalgar delved into the document, he noted, "Again, it's another case of time-travel into the future..."

Being slightly reluctant, he then raised his gaze to share his first-hand experience with the older man, "In my time, shortly before this incident, I encountered a group of samurais from the land of Wano, who had been sent 20 years into the future by the Devil Fruit power of its former ruler's wife; Toki Toki no Mi. She mentioned something about it not being possible to travel back into the past..." he paused, letting the information sink in before posing a question, "Any ideas why that is the case, Benn-ya?"

Beckman's eyebrow arched at the incredible tale, but took a moment to consider the query, "It's purely speculative, but I believe it may relate to the fundamental laws governing space and time."

Simplifying his thoughts, he continued, "Imagine each of us inhabits a personal bubble of our own realm of reality. When someone is sent to the future, their bubble exists and interacts within that larger new realm," he glanced at Law, who was hanging on his every word, before continuing...

"Similarly, however, if someone's bubble is sent back into the past, where the larger realm already exists, it's like dropping something into an already-full glass of water. What do you think happens then?"

"It would disrupt the past realm, right?" Law pondered carefully, his mind spinning with probability. "Depending on the scale of the disruption, it could create countless new paralleled bubbles in the past, leading to distorted future outcomes."

"Exactly," Benn nodded, "The water might spill over, the glass might shatter, or the water could simply ripple and return to its previous state. It could lead to endless possibilities, which is why it may be against the universal laws," he concluded.

The young doctor took a long moment to absorb the older brunet's explanation, his mind working to grasp the implications. Finally, he murmured, "But in my case, I was sent back in time, defying this very fundamental logic...because it involved the Blackhole Theory you just gave me earlier?"

"Indeed, your situation is truly exceptional," Benn agreed. "The hypothesis of time-travel in both science and philosophy has long suggested that natural Black Holes possess the capability to manipulate space and gravity to an extraordinary extent, potentially creating rifts within the spacetime continuum. And that's why...." he pointed at Law, "when your unique ability collided with the other's, even the duplicated Black Hole ability of your opponent could create a phenomenal temporal anomaly, brought about by the combined gravitational forces and spatial manipulation..."

"In other words..." added the vice captain, with his signature grin, "You're one-of-a-kind lucky, Law."

"...."

Upon hearing the older brunet's explanation, and conclusion, the surgeon found himself at a loss for words... only his jaw slightly hanging open...

He then let out an exceptionally long sigh, trying to process everything... "Okay, that can't be helped, I guess... Let's move on to the consequences of it all at present. There's one thing that's been bothering me in these past few days, Benn-ya."

"And that is...?"

"I couldn't help but intervene in the events on Rinascita Island. It was something personal that compelled me to act, and I can't shake this feeling that my actions might have caused some disruptions in this past timeline. Just like you explained earlier, what if something has already changed because of my careless actions?"

"Hmm..." The older pirate pondered for a prolonged moment, before saying, "Some changes might have already happened, the other paralleled bubbles might already have occurred...we never know..." He began to light his cigar and continued, "That being said, yet I would suggest that you focus only on what is really important to you now. Do you want to get back to your original timeline, then?"

Law's eyes widened at the flashing memory of Blackbeard's last arsenal; Vortex, one of the most powerful fighting forces known in their era...

His fist slightly trembled at the implications of it all, before he answered firmly, "Of course, I'll need to get there, where I was coming from..."

...Even if it meant an instant death, once he got right back there where he was...

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'All my crew is still there, I'll never leave them.'

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"Then, Law, whatever you do from now on, you'll have to make sure that certain events do not get disrupted...can you think of anything of such significance?"

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Past memories came rushing back to his mind, reminiscent of the past seven years. Suddenly, as if the scattering jigsaw pieces came together into one picture, he realised...

That most critical moment at Marineford.

It was the time he had decided to help Strawhat Luffy. If that thing didn't happen, the boy would've certainly died. Consequently, they wouldn't have formed an alliance, and wouldn't have been saved in Dressrosa, and the fight at Winner Island would never have occurred.

"That's...err," however, as he was about to voice his thoughts, another flash of memories struck him, stunning his body yet again...

'...To barely get away from those raining lightning-beams from Kizaru back then, it was the Red-Hair Pirates who timely intervened at that exact moment!!...which was the only thing that saved both all my crew and the gravely-injured Strawhat Luffy on that day!!'

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The realization hit him with force, and at that precise moment, he knew... he instantly knew!.. that if he wanted to go along with the main, original timeline and return to the same future, he would have to ensure that those critical events happen, no matter what it took...

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'Bepo...you gotta wait a little longer, but I'll get back there, I promise...'

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And with the newfound path lying ahead, he understood, now, that the Red Hair Pirates were the main players in this act of his inevitable...cruel destiny.

He would have to tread extremely carefully from now on and he couldn't just blurt out everything to them...or it might change the course of those future events...

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'I'll have to stick with them and try monitoring and navigating the future'...Was that what he was supposed to do?... Law wondered to himself.

But then, right at that moment, a booming sound reverberated from the shore at the main port. It was the loud, authoritative voice of the Red-Hair Captain's through the speaker, even heard from the concealed library room, startling the young doctor from his unsettling thoughts...

"DEAR RINASCITA CITIZENS!! EVERYONE PLEASE GATHER OVER HERE!!"

"Ah, just about the right time, isn't it?" said Benn Beckman, while peering out of the library window...

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