Chapter 22: The Girl from Eight Hundred Years Ago — Amatsuki Toki!
Elbaf.
The giant pirate ship docked quietly at the shore, its massive shadow stretching across the waves. Roy sat on the deck, watching as the children slowly woke up, their faces still pale from exhaustion and fear.
"Why are we back here again?" the down-and-out prince asked, rubbing his eyes in confusion.
"You fainted," Roy replied, glancing briefly at the giant beside him. "Linlin went berserk. We barely managed to save you."
The prince froze, realization dawning in his eyes. "Then… Linlin…"
"We left her on the island where she was born," the giant said grimly. "That girl is no longer one of us. She's a monster—and for everyone's safety, you must never seek her out again."
The Long-Arm child looked around in panic. "Wait… and the nun? Where's Sister Carmel?"
"Linlin a—…" The giant hesitated.
"Killed."
Roy cut in sharply, finishing the sentence before the giant could say "ate."
Telling them the truth—that Linlin devoured the nun—would only destroy what little innocence they had left. A "killing" was terrible enough to grieve, but at least it left room for healing.
The truth would only scar them forever.
Roy sighed inwardly. If Streusen was still alive, he probably wouldn't have had the courage to tell Linlin either.
"You're joking, right?" the merman child stammered, grabbing Roy by the shoulders. His wide eyes were filled with disbelief. "That's not funny!"
Roy didn't resist. He didn't speak either.
He simply stared at them, silent.
Sometimes, silence said more than words ever could.
"The nun… the nun was killed by Linlin! Waaaah!" The blue-haired girl broke down, crying uncontrollably.
Her sobs spread through the group like wildfire. Soon, the mink-child was crying too, then the prince, then the rest of the children—until the entire deck sounded like a storm of wailing.
"Cry if you have to," Roy said softly, pulling the blue-haired girl close and patting her head gently. "It'll make you feel better."
"Waaah!"
One by one, the other girls ran over, hugging Roy and crying into his clothes.
"..."
Roy sighed, his shoulders sinking. If he'd told them the truth, this crying would've turned into screams of terror. Some of them might have fainted on the spot.
They were still children—too young to face the real horrors of the world.
"Let's go," the giant said, his deep voice heavy with sadness. "We'll rebuild the home on Elbaf. These children… they're still Sister Carmel's legacy. We'll take care of them."
"Alright," Roy nodded, though his mind was elsewhere.
He looked at the tear-streaked faces of the children. Most were around his age—but unlike them, he couldn't stay here forever.
The giants would take care of them, yes—but their enormous size made it difficult to tend to every need. Sooner or later, Roy knew he'd have to leave again.
Still, before that day came, he'd make sure these kids could stand on their own.
He'd teach them how to cook, clean, and survive—even just a little.
"Um…" Roy smiled awkwardly as the little girls continued clinging to him. "One last hug, then we really have to go home."
"Waaaah!" The girls only cried harder.
Roy looked helplessly at the giant, who gave him a sympathetic smile and a shrug.
If he was being honest, the sensation of several tiny girls hanging onto him wasn't unpleasant—just overwhelming.
So much for being a hero.
"Go home?" one of the children sniffled, blinking up at him. "But… where is home now?"
Their voices trembled. They had just lost the only place that ever felt like one.
---
Half a day later.
Inside the remnants of the Sheep's House, Roy swept away the debris and dust, trying to make it livable again. The children had cried themselves to sleep, their small bodies curled up together.
"Hah… finally." Roy leaned against the doorframe, wiping the sweat from his brow. "Putting kids to bed is harder than fighting Linlin."
He stepped outside, where four giants sat on the open field beneath the orange sunset.
The one who had rescued them was explaining everything to the others—his deep voice carrying both anger and grief.
When he finished, silence fell over the group.
"Linlin…" one of them muttered darkly. "That devil child."
"Don't tell the truth to anyone, understand?" Jar warned sternly, glaring at the other giant. "Let the children grow up happily in Elbaf. The truth… is far too cruel."
But as he turned his gaze toward Roy sitting quietly by the doorway, his expression softened. The boy looked calm, steady—far more mature than a child his age had any right to be.
This kid was special. A natural-born warrior.
Not only was his talent exceptional, but unlike Linlin, his mind was sharp, composed, and full of restraint.
Redding, seated beside Jarul, followed his gaze and smiled faintly. His massive eyes reflected both pride and relief.
That boy—his only human disciple—had saved lives today.
"Roy," Redding said gently, his deep voice echoing like a drum. "From now on, you'll live here in Elbaf."
He extended a massive finger and rubbed Roy's head with exaggerated care. He had meant to pat him, but Roy was simply too small compared to his hand.
Thankfully, his disciple's body was sturdy enough that even Redding's touch couldn't hurt him.
"Roy, you've proven yourself today," Redding continued with a proud grin. "You're a true warrior—a warrior of Elbaf!"
Jarul nodded in agreement. "Yes! You had the courage to face that monster head-on. That alone makes you worthy of our pride."
The other giants echoed their approval, their booming voices filling the night air.
Roy looked up at them, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
It felt good—being acknowledged by Elbaf's mightiest warriors.
But deep down, another thought flickered. How long will I stay here?
He was only six years old. Young by any standard—yet already capable of surviving Linlin's rampage and standing his ground against her. Though neither of them had been able to break the other's defenses, that alone was proof of his progress.
Still, strength alone wasn't enough.
If he wanted to go to sea, he needed more—navigation, geography, shipbuilding, and the vast knowledge of the Grand Line.
He had been studying these things for months now, memorizing maps, routes, and trade currents.
At this rate, I'll master it all in just a few years, he thought. But when should I leave?
Ten years old? That seemed reasonable. But somehow… childish.
Eleven? Hm, people might say he was showing off.
Roy smirked slightly, his thoughts drifting.
He glanced up at Redding, and a mischievous light flickered in his eyes. Maybe I can convince Master Redding to set sail first—and sneak along as his apprentice sailor.
The idea made him chuckle quietly.
---
Meanwhile, far across the Grand Line—on an island deep within the New World.
Eight hundred years had passed since her time. The world she once knew had changed beyond recognition.
The name of the Amatsuki family had long vanished from history—buried along with the mysterious "Void Century."
A girl with long, flowing green hair stood at the edge of the island, her delicate figure illuminated by the pale moonlight. The ocean wind brushed her hair ornaments, and the rhythmic crashing of waves echoed around her.
Her silver eyes reflected sorrow and disbelief as she stared at the land beneath her feet—both familiar and foreign.
"Everything… is gone?" she murmured softly.
Amatsuki Toki—once a noble of Wano's ancient lineage—stood frozen, gazing at the ruins of what was once her home.
Eight centuries ago, she had fled from those who sought her life—men who feared the knowledge her family carried.
She had eaten the Time-Time Fruit, the mythical power that allowed her to travel through the river of years itself.
Her intent had been clear: to leap into the future, to find a safe era where she could preserve the truth.
But something went wrong.
As she traversed the timestream, a brilliant light—an unknown force—had collided with her. The distortion twisted her destination, scattering her trajectory through history.
When she awoke, she had arrived here. Not in the Wano of the future she hoped to see, but on a forgotten island in a time that was not her own.
"Why… did it go wrong?" Toki whispered, frowning as she walked through the moonlit streets of a small town that had once been her clan's outpost.
Now, it was filled with unfamiliar faces—new generations who had long forgotten the name Amatsuki.
[TL: Amatsuki Toki is a maiden name of Kozuki Toki]
The sound of laughter drifted through the air. Families chatting, children chasing each other beneath the lantern light.
Her steps slowed.
The world felt close enough to touch—but impossibly distant.
For the first time since her arrival, Toki realized what true loneliness was.
Everyone she had ever known—her friends, her family, her people—had long turned to dust.
Only she remained, a relic wandering through the centuries.
Her fingers tightened around the small moon-shaped pendant on her chest—the last symbol of her lineage.
"The world… still lives," she murmured, tears glimmering in her eyes. "But everything I knew… has vanished."
As the night wind brushed past her, she lifted her gaze toward the endless stars—each one shining like a memory of the past she could never return to.
Somewhere across the sea, the descendants of those who once fought beside her still carried the will she left behind.
But for now… she walked alone.
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