Inside a small hotel room, the smell of hot food filled the air. Toki sat by the window, still confused by the tall buildings and bright lights outside. Yuta was sprawled on the couch eating noodles while Maki sat cross-legged beside him, glaring.
"So," Maki began, folding her arms, "we're stuck here again, huh?"
Yuta slurped his noodles. "Depends on your definition of being stuck. Don't you see we have open sky above us, no boundaries or restrictions? If this is not freedom, then I don't know what is. And hey, at least we're not being chased by a drunk dragon."
Toki blinked, still trying to make sense of everything. "Are… are dragons common here?"
Maki sighed. "No, not in this world. No pirates either. Just noisy cars and weird glowing signs."
Yuta nodded. "And villains."
A quiet silence spread through them, Toki looking at him with a serious face, a frown apparent. It seemed the declaration came out much more serious than he wanted it to be.
"Ahem, think of people in this world as naturally born with Devil Fruit powers. Everyone has different powers; however, there also exist those who don't have any powers.
We call them quirks here. It's a genetic mutation. People here are pretty much born with them.
Unlike Devil Fruits, two or more people can have similar kinds of powers. The powers are also inherited from parents to children sometimes.
These powers vary vastly and don't have any sort of weakness like Devil Fruits have to the sea," Yuta slowly explained everything about this world to Toki.
Maki, courtesy of the internet, already knew most of it.
Toki was baffled at how different this world was. The more she learned, the more amazed she became.
"This mutation happened rather recently in human beings. Before that, we didn't have this kind of power.
As you can imagine, some people have inherently stronger quirks, and not all are saints willing to help the weak. Many use their powers for their own gain.
It was utter chaos back when quirks first appeared. Many used their powers for their benefit, breaking laws and causing chaos.
Not much different than pirates, honestly.
Then came the time of heroes.
Those who planned to use their powers for good—the government legalized heroism, and thanks to that, professional heroes emerged. I'm one of them." Yuta smiled as he explained.
Toki looked at him carefully. "It's almost too much to take in."
For a second, Yuta recalled Oden and her size difference. God knows why his mind worked like that, but he doubted her claim just then.
Shaking the nonsense out of his mind, Yuta gave her a small smile. "Yup. You can say it's a different ocean entirely."
There was silence for a moment before Maki leaned forward. "Alright, so we got one problem left. Toki-san, we need you to send us twenty years into the future again."
"Not exactly twenty years. There is a time flow difference between worlds. With all the time jumping and mixing, I don't even recall how much deviation has taken place, but I'm sure it's less than twenty years now. Perhaps eighteen or seventeen," Yuta tactfully explained.
Maki, to keep her sanity intact, didn't even bother asking about the time shenanigans Yuta just mentioned. As long as both he and Toki could bring them back to their original timeline, it was fine.
Toki's eyes dimmed. "Are you sure you wish to travel ahead in time?"
"Yes, that's where we belong," Yuta answered. "Just like you, this isn't our time. Not to mention, we promised that we would help retake Wano from Orochi and Kaido. We possibly can't not fulfill that promise. Promises are meant to be kept, after all." Yuta grinned.
Toki looked down at her lap, fingers clutching her robe. "Then you want me to follow you?"
"Well, yeah," Maki said. "You should. It's safer. You've been through enough already."
Toki shook her head gently. "If I had wished to go to the future, I would have done so long ago. My time ended the day Oden died. The rest of my life belongs to the past."
Yuta put his cup down, frowning. "That's not true. You still have something left. Even if it's not Oden, there's still you. You can start over. If you go to the future with us, then there are also your children, right?"
Her lips curved into a small, tired smile. The mention of her children almost lifted her mood that much.
Maki leaned back, sighing. "Toki, you can't just throw your life away. You gave Momonosuke a chance, right? So why not give yourself one too?"
Toki's eyes shimmered. "Because I am tired. My purpose was to carry on his dream—to send the ones who could fulfill it into the future. That duty is done."
Yuta leaned closer, his voice softer now. His heart pained seeing her like that. He hadn't told her yet, of course, but maybe he should. "Then make a new one. Oden wanted to open Wano's borders, to free people from fear. You could help us instead. You could see what the future looks like—the one he dreamed of."
Toki looked out the window at the glowing city and cars flashing by. "This future… it truly feels like another world."
"Exactly!" Yuta laughed. "There's ramen, movies, ice cream, music—and no warlords trying to crush you every day."
Maki elbowed him. "Idiot. You're not selling it properly." Then she turned to Toki. "What he means is, you don't have to stay broken. You helped save the next generation already. Now you should see what became of that effort."
Toki hesitated, her fingers trembling. "But what if I don't want to anymore? As I said, I'm tired. I suppose you know what I mean when I say this, right? That I'm not from this time. You should know."
Yuta frowned. "Then we'll help you fit in. Giving up on life is never an option—at least it shouldn't be."
The room went quiet again. Only the hum of city lights filled the silence.
Finally, Toki exhaled softly. "You two… remind me of my past. When I was your age, you know—optimistic and looking forward to life."
Yuta grinned. "So, what do you say? Come with us? We'll find a way to go forward together."
Toki stared at them for a long time, then nodded faintly. "Perhaps…"
Yuta stretched, relieved. However, he planned to stay with her for a bit longer to make sure she didn't have any suicidal thoughts in her.
...
The moon hung full and bright that night, casting a soft glow over the quiet street. Toki sat on the porch of her small shop—something Yuta and Maki had helped her open over the last three months. The sign outside read "Moonlight Teahouse." She'd chosen the name herself, saying it reminded her of the night she first used her powers.
Inside, Yuta was fixing the paper lanterns while Maki poured tea. "You sure about this, Grandma?" Yuta asked again for the hundredth time. "You could come with us. Start fresh again, you know. You don't have to stay here," he said.
He was calling her Grandma out of teasing, still hadn't told her the truth yet. Of course, both he and Maki tried to convince Toki to come with them to the future, but she wouldn't budge.
He would have continued to do so no matter how many times she denied it, however, after three months in this world, the system notification finally arrived.
It was about to send him back to the One Piece world. So before that, they had to go back to their original timeline.
Toki smiled gently, shaking her head. "I told you before, Yuta. My story ended in Wano. I already died once before my people. I wish to remain that way."
Maki frowned, frustrated. "You're too stubborn for your own good."
Toki chuckled softly. "Maybe so. But this time, I wish to live… without any burdens and grand goals set upon me—just as myself."
Yuta sighed, sitting beside her. "Then at least let us visit sometimes."
Toki placed a hand on his head, smiling warmly. "You've already given me more than enough time. These three months… they were peaceful. Something I never had in decades."
He looked down, trying to hide his emotion. "Still feels wrong leaving you behind."
"You've given me something precious," she said softly. "Another chance. This time to live as I wish. That is more than enough."
Maki leaned on the doorframe. "So, what now? You just… run a teahouse and make cookies all day?"
Toki laughed lightly. "Perhaps. I think I'll like that."
The three shared a quiet meal that night, the air heavy with both warmth and sadness. When the moon reached its highest point, Toki stood up. "It's time."
Yuta clenched his fists. "You know what, I wanted to say something to you, but couldn't gather my courage." Knowing this was perhaps the last time, he decided to just say it.
However, Toki shook her head. "Then I believe it's fine this way. Sometimes, it's better not to know what the future has in store for you, wouldn't you say?" Toki smiled, fully knowing that if Yuta was from this world's future, then he definitely had some intel about her as well.
She didn't wish to know that, especially when she saw the boy's face—that desperate look he gave when he tried to convince her to come along with him.
Reluctantly, Yuta and Maki stood beside her. A faint glow surrounded Toki's hands as time energy rippled around them.
"Live well," she said softly. "And don't look back."
"Take care, Grandma," Yuta whispered, this time not as a joke about her being hundreds of years old.
And in a flash of light, both Yuta and Maki vanished into the air, leaving Toki alone under the moonlight.
Then there was silence… silence until a soft cry broke out from outside.
A baby. She blinked in surprise.
Who would leave a baby here?
But when she read the name on the cloth he was wrapped in, her mouth opened in disbelief.
"Perhaps there is still much for me to do, huh…" she couldn't help but muse.
xxx
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