After a long silence, Kozuki Toki lowered his head and said softly,
" Captain Roy... I've already told you what you wanted to know."
"Now... can you tell me what you plan to do with me?"
Roy looked at her, remained silent for a few seconds, and then said calmly,
You can stay on Hachinosu.
Kozuki Toki suddenly raised his head, his eyes filled with disbelief.
"Stay... stay?"
"Why?"
A faint smile curved Roy's lips.
"Because you possess something I need."
"The power of the Time-Time Fruit might come in handy someday."
"And--"
"You are Kozuki Oden's wife, and I did have some dealings with him after all."
"Keeping you around isn't a big deal."
"At least, in twenty years, you might be able to wait until the day Momonosuke and the others return."
Kozuki Toki shines, close your eyes and take a deep breath.
Then, he opened his eyes and looked at Roy.
"I stayed."
Her voice was calm, yet carried a hint of resolve.
But I have one condition.
"Explain."
"If Momonosuke return in twenty years, I want to see them."
Roy looked at her, paused for two seconds, and then nodded.
"Can."
"But--"
He changed the subject...
You need to wear this.
He took out a pair of exquisite Seastone bracelets from his pocket.
Kozuki Toki's pupils constrict slightly.
The Seastone bracelet... Once she put it on, she completely lost the ability to resist.
They couldn't even protect themselves, let alone escape.
"This is... a necessary measure."
Roy said calmly,
" Lady Toki is a smart woman; she should understand."
Kozuki Toki stared at the bracelet for a long time in silence.
Then, she slowly reached out her hand.
"I'll wear it."
Roy nodded and fastened the bracelet to her wrist.
Click.
A slight clicking sound came from the latch.
Kozuki Toki's body trembled slightly, feeling as if all the power within her body had been instantly drained.
The feeling of weakness made it almost impossible for her to sit still.
But she gritted her teeth and didn't collapse.
Roy looked at her, a hint of admiration flashing in his eyes.
This woman's resilience is truly extraordinary.
"From today onwards, Lady Toki is free to move about on Hachinosu."
Roy stood up.
"But they must not leave the main island area, must not communicate with the outside world, and must not—"
"I believe you understand all of this."
Kozuki Toki nodded without saying a word.
Roy turned and walked towards the door.
As he reached the door, he stopped and turned to look at her.
" Lady Toki."
"If Momonosuke and the others really return twenty years later—"
"I can let you see them."
"But after we meet, whether you stay or leave is up to you."
"Of course, that's on the premise that—"
He paused,
"Don't do anything underhanded for the next twenty years."
Kozuki Toki raised her head and looked into his eyes.
Those eyes were calm as still water, yet unfathomably deep.
"... I see."
Roy nodded and turned to leave.
The door closed behind him.
Only Kozuki Toki remained in the ward.
She leaned against the headboard, gazing at the sunlight outside the window, her expression complex.
Twenty years...
Will Momonosuke really return twenty years later?
Will Wano Country really open its borders?
She didn't know.
But she knew that from this moment on, her fate was tied to that man's.
That man who doesn't believe in fate, but only in himself.
Roy.
Kozuki Toki closed his eyes, a bitter smile playing on his lips.
Oden...
sorry...
I... survived.
After dealing with the Kozuki Toki incident, Hachinosu entered an unprecedented period of stable development in the following year.
There was no war, no conflict, and no foreign invasion.
Only through daily construction, daily training, and daily accumulation.
Dr. Gracia's Bloodline Transplantation technology has been widely adopted.
The core team has already completed the perfect migration and is now focused on developing new capabilities.
Meanwhile, ordinary soldiers and grassroots cadres are also receiving regular transplants in batches.
On the Trial Island, a special area has been designated as a transplant center.
Dozens of soldiers undergo surgery here every day, followed by intensive training after an adaptation period.
Bullet remains in charge of the Training Camp.
As he watched the new recruits grow stronger day by day, the smile on his face grew wider and wider.
"Hahaha! Great! Let's do it again!"
"You're twice as strong as you were last week! Not bad!"
"Hey you, hurry up! What kind of behavior is this, dawdling like that!"
His rough roar echoed across the training field every day.
Hawk Eyes, on the other hand, focuses on his own swordsmanship.
Aside from necessary patrols and inspections, he spends most of his time in his private kendo dojo.
Black Blade Yoru swung it again and again, each strike becoming more refined and precise.
Occasionally, he would seek out Roy for a sparring match.
The duel between two top-level swordsmen always leaves onlookers in awe.
Tesoro is busy laying out a network of Sea Train.
With Master Tom's expertise and the financial support he provided, the project progressed rapidly.
A series of Sea Train are tightly connecting the waters under the control of Hachinosu.
Crocodile remains stationed at Intelligence Headquarters.
His intelligence network has expanded far and wide, its tentacles reaching every corner of the New World.
Whitebeard's movements, Big Mom's movements, Golden Lion's movements, the Navy's movements...
Every day, a massive amount of information floods into his smoke-filled office.
He was like a Desert Crocodile lurking in the shadows, quietly waiting for the moment its prey would reveal a weakness.
Xiong remains in charge of security for the scholars' area and the laboratories.
His broad and generous figure has become the most reassuring support for scholars.
Stella and Scarlet continued to handle domestic affairs.
Scarlet has multiple clones, and she can now handle documents from four different departments simultaneously.
Stella, on the other hand, focused on overall coordination, ensuring the smooth operation of the entire Hachinosu.
Kyros, Moria Yamato, Savi, Enel, Pea, Charon, Lucci, Kaku, and others are all working hard in their respective positions.
Roy himself wasn't idle either.
Every morning, he would first go to the gravity testing ground for two hours of extreme training.
Swinging a knife, running, doing push-ups, squatting under 80 times the force of gravity...
His clothes were soaked with sweat, and his muscles ached terribly, but he never stopped.
The physical strength gained from optimizing one's bloodline requires such rigorous training to be fully activated.
In the morning, he would go and challenge the eagle to a sword duel.
The two practiced swordsmanship in the kendo dojo, their blades flashing and their energy surging.
Hawk Eyes's sword became faster, more accurate, and more ruthless.
Roy's swordsmanship became increasingly refined and pure.
Sometimes, Kyros would join them.
The sight of three people sparring together is enough to drive any swordsman crazy.
In the afternoon, he would go find Bullet to challenge him to a physical duel.
The two combat maniacs fought fiercely on the training field, their blows landing with brutal force, until the sky darkened.
Bullet's power is becoming increasingly terrifying, and his mastery of the White Tiger Fruit is also growing more and more proficient.
Roy's physical skills also improved rapidly in actual combat, and the combination of his Telekinesis Fruit and Six Powers became increasingly fluid.
In the evening, he would go and guide the other members in their cultivation.
Kyros's swordsmanship, Savi's physical skills, Enel's Devil Fruit development,
The development of Pea fruits, Charon's Fish-Man Karate, Lucci's Six Powers...
He would take the time to personally guide each person.