Amatsuki Toki, A Friend's Request

Inside the Magistrate Office's prison, Oden stared at the woman outside the cell bars in utter astonishment.

The woman had teal hair. Though she wore a plain kimono covered in patches, it still could not conceal her breathtaking beauty.

"Toki, y-you? Why are you here?"

Cold sweat instantly poured down Oden's face. "Could it be that Kaido and the others have already taken Kuri?"

"Not yet."

The woman was Kozuki Toki, the mistress of the Kozuki Family, who had come from the distant past to the present, married Kozuki Oden, and borne him a son and a daughter.

A gentle smile rested on her face as she knelt outside the cell without a care. "I came specially to see my useless husband. Kaido is surprisingly reasonable, though."

"Hey! Toki!" Tears welled at the corners of Oden's eyes. "Calling me useless is too harsh, isn't it?"

The beautiful woman covered her mouth and giggled. "But Oden did lose."

"..."

Oden fell silent for a moment, then said softly, "I'm sorry, Toki. I lost. I lost everything."

"It's alright, Oden."

Kozuki Toki smiled. "Whatever comes, I'll bear it with you."

"Toki—"

Oden's eyes brimmed with moved tears.

"After all, what can I do? I married a foolish husband." Kozuki Toki sighed in feigned helplessness.

The expression on Oden's face visibly stiffened. Was having a wife who was too mischievous really a good thing?

"Toki, aren't you sad at all?" Kozuki Oden asked in surprise. He could not see the slightest trace of sorrow on his wife's face. "I've been sentenced to death."

Kozuki Toki tilted her head and asked in return, "But you won't die, will you?"

Oden froze for a moment, then burst out laughing. "Hahahaha! As expected of my wife! That's right, I won't die!"

Kozuki Toki smiled at him. Just as she always had in the past, she would forever silently support her husband from behind.

"I'm sorry, Toki."

Oden suddenly said this and gestured toward the corner of the cell.

Kozuki Toki looked over and saw two long cloth bags placed against the wall.

"I originally wanted to give them to Momo and Hiyori, but I changed my mind."

Oden said seriously, "I met a kid..."

Kozuki Toki looked at him calmly. Before Oden could even finish, she nodded. "Alright."

"Toki—"

Kozuki Oden felt his wife's trust in him, but it was precisely that complete, unconditional trust that made his heart hurt even more.

After all, because of his defeat, all that was beautiful would vanish like smoke.

Oden said solemnly, "After I die, use your ability to take Momo and the others into the future."

Kozuki Toki was a Paramecia Time-Time Fruit Devil Fruit User. She possessed the ability to travel into the future. If she wanted to escape, no one could catch her.

"Mm, alright." Kozuki Toki nodded with a smile.

Seeing how readily his wife agreed, Kozuki Oden clenched his teeth. Of course he knew that she simply did not want him to worry.

"Then I'll be going back first."

Kozuki Toki stood up and glanced to the side. "After all, Oden, your guests have arrived."

Not far away, Sirius stood with Yamato in hand. Yamato had turned her head away, seeming to still be sulking.

So that was Amatsuki Toki? The woman who had come from eight hundred years ago.

Noticing Sirius's gaze, Kozuki Toki smiled and nodded to him in greeting.

Sirius returned her smile.

After withdrawing his gaze from the graceful back of the beautiful woman as she departed, Sirius led Yamato over to Oden's cell.

"Good afternoon, Uncle Oden." Sirius greeted him. "Was that your wife?"

"That's right. What do you think?"

Kozuki Oden said smugly, "She's unbelievably beautiful, right? The most beautiful woman in the world."

"She is indeed beautiful. It feels a little wasteful for her to be paired with you, Uncle." Sirius laughed.

"What do you mean, wasteful? Everyone says we're a perfect match!"

Oden glared at Sirius, then shook his head and shot him a sidelong look. "Forget it. What would a brat like you know about love? Did you bring what I asked for?"

"Mm."

Sirius handed him the prepared paper and pen, along with the food he had brought for Oden. "So, Uncle Oden, what is this gift you mentioned?"

"You'll find out in two days."

Kozuki Oden was rather perfunctory. Then he looked at Yamato, who had turned her head away and refused to look at him, and raised an eyebrow. "What's with this Little Girl?"

Sirius tugged on Yamato's hand. "Yamato, ask what you wanted to ask now."

Only then did Yamato slowly turn back around.

"Pfft—hahahaha! Little Girl, wh-what happened to you?" Kozuki Oden burst out laughing.

Yamato did look rather miserable now.

Her entire face was wrapped in bandages, with only the red horns on her forehead exposed.

"This isn't funny, Uncle Oden,"

Sirius said. "Yamato went to ask Uncle Kaido for your sake, and he gave her a brutal beating."

"...I see."

Only then did Kozuki Oden's smile fade slightly. He said with a headache, "So everything I said this morning was for nothing?"

"Because," Yamato raised her head and said seriously, "Oden is my friend."

"Wow, being called a friend by a brat as young as my son." Oden's face showed visible disdain, then he shook his head helplessly. "Fine, I'll accept it for now. Friendship really doesn't distinguish between status."

"So, Yamato,"

Oden looked at Yamato seriously. "From now on, please don't do anything."

"But—" Yamato still wanted to say something.

But Oden cut her off directly. "This is a request from a friend! I'm asking you not to do anything."

"..."

Yamato froze.

"If you really want to do something, then grow up quickly. Then, together with your companions, go explore this world," Oden said.

"...I-I understand."

Yamato lowered her head and answered softly.

Sirius was nearly a head shorter than her, so he could naturally see the glimmer in Yamato's eyes.

"Don't be so dejected, Little Girl,"

Kozuki Oden laughed heartily. "I prepared a gift for you too. If you keep crying, I won't give it to you."

Yamato raised a hand and haphazardly wiped away her tears with her sleeve. She lifted her little face and shouted, "I-I'm not crying!"

"Then let's continue the story, Uncle Oden." Sirius spoke up, pulling Yamato down to sit with him.

"Alright then, The Great Adventures of Kozuki Oden begins once more!"

Kozuki Oden's storytelling was as outstanding as ever, but Yamato no longer cheered, danced with joy, or smiled brightly.

At dusk, the two of them headed back.

Yamato was silent the whole way, and Sirius said nothing either.

As they were nearing the Tenshukaku, Sirius suddenly heard Yamato's tearful voice. "Sirius, I want to grow up quickly. Once I'm grown up, I'll be able to do everything I want to do, right?"

Sirius said nothing.

"I'm going to become very, very strong! Strong enough to protect all my friends!"

The little girl declared loudly, then turned to look at Sirius. "Sirius, will you be with me?"

"Yeah."

"Together forever and ever?"

"Of course. We're companions."