Chapter 25: 25. Kozuki Toki

Check out advanced chapters on P@treon: [email protected]/CosmicKaminari ---------- Alex, hovering high above, didn't head back to the Flower Capital right away but instead made his way toward Kuri. Though he could guess what awaited him, there were certain things he wanted to see with his own eyes. Meanwhile, in Oden Castle in Kuri... Not long ago, the Nine Red Scabbards had departed from here, filled with a fierce determination to take down Kaido. But now, they returned in defeat, humbled and broken. As expected, their attempt to overcome Kaido's forces had ended in tragedy, bringing many of them to tears. Defeat was undeniable, and each of them had been prepared to lay down their lives. However, their lord had given them one last command—to survive, for the sake of his legacy. Kozuki Oden had entrusted them with his dreams for Wanokuni, hoping the Nine Red Scabbards would carry on his will to free their land. To realize Oden's vision, Kin'emon and the others had one final mission left. They needed to return to Kuri to ensure the safety of Lady Toki and Oden's children, and to help them escape to the sea. Inside the castle hall... Holding her young children, Hiyori and Momonosuke, who were only six and eight, the elegant Lady Toki showed no surprise as the defeated Nine Red Scabbards knelt before her. She simply looked at them with calm resignation and spoke with a knowing tone: "Oden...he failed, didn't he?" "Our lord entrusted us with his blade and his dream!" "Lady Toki, please, we beg you—come with us and take young Lord Momonosuke and Princess Hiyori to sea! Kaido's forces will be upon us before long!" The Scabbards, with tear-streaked faces, knelt before her, pleading. But Lady Toki shook her head and, unexpectedly, spoke with an air of resolve, "Before we go, there is something I must tell you." Time was slipping away, but without waiting for their response, she continued. "One cannot go back to the past... but it is possible to travel to the future." Her words shocked them, but Toki continued, "I apologize for keeping this from you. Like Kin'emon, Kanjuro, and the others, I, too, possess a Devil Fruit power—the power to send people forward through time." "To the future?!" Startled by this revelation, the Nine Red Scabbards could only listen in stunned silence. Without further explanation, Lady Toki passed Momonosuke into Kin'emon's arms. "Lady Toki?" "Mother?" With a determined expression, Lady Toki declared, "Kaido will close off all of Kuri's waters. The only hope now is to send Momonosuke—and you all—into the future." "Hiyori and I will stay behind, so that you can fulfill Oden's dream and free Wanokuni." "No! Mother, I don't want to leave you and my sister!" Momonosuke cried, stretching his hands toward Lady Toki, desperate to stay in her arms. "There's no time to hesitate!" Lady Toki's voice cut off the Nine Red Scabbards, who looked as if they were about to protest. "Oden said that twenty years from now, the world will change dramatically. I will send you to that future, and then, you must make his dream come true!" With those words, Lady Toki raised her hands, and a strange light surrounded the Nine Red Scabbards. In an instant, they vanished from Oden Castle, cast into the future. Afterward, Lady Toki, who had remained composed and resolute, broke down, tears slipping down her cheeks as she clutched Hiyori tightly to her. For a brief moment, she gazed tenderly at her daughter, then steeled herself once more. She knew she had to act quickly, to take Hiyori to Oden's ally, Shimotsuki Yasuie, and leave behind clues for the people of Wanokuni—a glimmer of hope for them to rise up in twenty years. Suddenly, a voice echoed from above the eaves. "Ah...I have hurried, but still, I am a step too late." Before Lady Toki could react, an overpowering wave of Conqueror's Haki descended upon her, and she and little Hiyori collapsed, unconscious. Though Alex hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he knew the Nine Red Scabbards had safely traveled to the future. This event was different from the original story—all nine Red Scabbards had been sent forward this time. Yet, Alex couldn't understand why his opponent had left Kozuki Hiyori behind without protection. It didn't matter, though. The main reason Alex had come was to find Lady Toki. He didn't want her Time-Time Fruit to end up reborn somewhere across the sea. Besides, Alex admired Lady Toki, and if he could take her ability, he'd do everything possible to acquire it. The only regret was that Oden's two swords weren't left behind. While he already possessed Akazakura, he had hoped to rebuild the forces of the shogun's retainers, and wielding both of Oden's legendary swords could summon powerful new allies. But for now, with Lady Toki captured, Alex's goal was complete. Shaking his head, he took Toki and Hiyori with him, stepping onto the wooden platform and soaring into the sky. He cast a final look back at Oden Castle, the symbol of Kuri. With bullets clasped between his fingers, Alex threw them back toward the castle, and they exploded into massive artillery fire, destroying the castle with a thunderous roar. --- Back in the Flower Capital... When Kurozumi Orochi received the news of Kozuki Oden's defeat, he burst into jubilant laughter. Although frustrated that Kaido hadn't delivered the Kozuki family members to him as promised, Orochi carried out a mock execution in the capital. Despite his anger, he still publicly announced that Oden had died at Kaido's hands, while his followers had escaped in disgrace. As the news spread, a crowd gathered beneath a massive notice board, learning that Kozuki Oden—the traitor branded for defying the shogun—was dead. The people, who had once admired Oden, showed only cold indifference. "The public has grown so cold...what will happen now?" "At least we won't see that ridiculous dance every week." "Strange...almost makes me miss it." "Careful with your words, now."