Moonlight spilled like water over the desolate island, casting mottled shadows.
The quiet night was shattered by a sudden downpour, thunder rumbling and lightning streaking across the dark sky.
The weather in the Grand Line was as unpredictable as ever—clear skies one moment, a torrential rainstorm the next.
In the midst of the storm, a woman stood alone by the shore, her clothes soaked despite the umbrella she held.
Her eyes reflected helplessness and confusion, like a lost bird, weary in both body and mind.
"Staying here won't do you any good."
Renji appeared in her line of sight.
His face was faintly visible through the rain, yet it carried a gentle warmth. He tilted his umbrella slightly toward her, shielding her from the stray raindrops.
Toki's cheeks flushed slightly as her bright eyes fixed on Renji. She felt a little embarrassed under his smiling gaze.
"Thank you..." Toki said softly, her voice trembling slightly but filled with warmth.
She had been drifting through time alone for so long. Stopping like this, even for a moment, felt nice.
"You seem troubled?"
Renji observed Toki's expression. Her eyes revealed deep worry mixed with a hint of anticipation, as if she were caught between hope and fear.
The woman looked up, meeting Renji's warm gaze, and felt an indescribable emotion welling up inside her.
Her voice was soft and tender.
"Since I was a child, I've longed to reach Wano Country. But even after traveling for so long, it still feels so far away."
Renji felt a sense of familiarity when he heard the name. In his past life, he had often heard people talk about wanting to go to Wano to kill someone named Momonosuke.
But he wasn't sure who Momonosuke was. After all, he had stopped following the story after the battle with Doflamingo and never got around to catching up.
"Wano Country... I remember it's in the Grand Line, right? But this should be the South Blue... right?"
Toki stood by the shore, listening as Renji mentioned the South Blue. Her face showed a hint of surprise, her eyes gazing into the distance as if pondering something. Then she gently shook her head.
"This is the Grand Line... the New World."
"Huh?"
Coming out of the lantern fish's stomach had brought them all the way here? Getting back to the South Blue would take a lot of time.
"Are you from the South Blue?"
Toki's eyes widened, her delicate hand covering her lips.
She knew how far the South Blue was from here, yet Renji seemed unaware that he was in the Grand Line.
It didn't make sense...
It couldn't be teleportation, could it?
She could travel through time, but could someone else travel through space?
This piqued Toki's curiosity even more.
Noticing the naval uniform Renji wore—a style she had seen during her time travels—she grew even more intrigued.
"Yes, my home is in the Sorbet Kingdom in the South Blue..."
Renji rubbed his slightly aching head. His Den Den Mushi had long been dissolved in the lantern fish's stomach acid, so he'd have to find his way back to the South Blue on his own.
No wonder he hadn't seen a single naval ship after flying for so long.
In the New World, running into a naval ship would be a miracle.
This place was a paradise for pirates. The strongest pirates in the world ruled here, each claiming their own territory. The Navy's presence was stretched thin.
"Getting back to the South Blue might not be easy," Toki said after a moment of thought.
Though she wasn't entirely sure where they were, she knew there were only two ways to return to the four seas from the New World.
The first was to cross the Calm Belt—the simplest yet most dangerous method. As far as she knew, anyone who tried it ended up in a fish's stomach.
The second was to pass through the Red Line, but that required approval from the Celestial Dragons. She wasn't sure how reliable that method was, as she had only heard about it in passing.
"Whatever, we'll cross that bridge when we get to it..." Renji could only console himself with that thought.
Toki's eyes sparkled as she looked at the man. His words were full of wisdom.
Renji suddenly slapped his forehead, returning to the original topic.
"Oh, right. You said you wanted to go to Wano, didn't you?"
Toki nodded, a glimmer of longing in her eyes.
Her family had lived outside Wano for generations, but they were technically affiliated with the Kozuki Clan.
However... her family had long since vanished into the annals of history.
She was driven by a stubborn desire to reach the land her family had always yearned for.
"What's your plan after you reach Wano?" Renji asked curiously.
"Wano... and after that?" Toki's eyes showed a hint of confusion.
She had never thought that far ahead. Her journey had spanned 800 years, and now she was alone.
"I don't know..."
After some thought, Toki still couldn't find an answer to the question.
"But I must reach Wano!"
Her words were resolute. If she couldn't even reach Wano, there was no point thinking about what came after.
"This is my first time in the Grand Line, so I don't know where Wano is. I'm afraid I can't help you with that..."
Renji glanced at the bodies scattered around, feeling a twinge of regret.
"I should've left one alive to ask for directions."
Earlier, he had thought they were still in the South Blue and hadn't hesitated to kill them all.
But... it wasn't a big deal.
Renji and Toki exchanged glances, then both turned their attention to the 'monster' snoring on the beach.
"..."
"Renji... Renji... I found something amazing!"
Olga ran over, holding an umbrella in one hand and a piece of paper in the other, her face beaming with joy.
Before Renji could respond, she thrust the paper into his hands.
"Look! Look! It's the bounty poster for the guys you just took out! We're rich!"
Olga bounced around excitedly. This was the first bit of wealth they'd gained since returning to the world, and she couldn't contain her joy.
Octopus Topaz Pirates.
Captain: Karma
Bounty: 40,000,000 Berries
Renji stared at the photo on the bounty poster, stroking his chin in thought...
"This guy... why does he look familiar?"
Toki looked puzzled, her eyes darting between Renji and the poster. "What? You've seen him before?"
Suddenly, Renji slapped his thigh. He remembered where he'd seen this guy.
During the Marineford War, this guy had been one of the captains under the Whitebeard Pirates, fighting in that massive battle.
"Well... you could say I've seen him."
"Anyway, he's not a good guy!"
Renji laughed it off, steering the conversation away.
"40 million..."
Olga giggled, holding the bounty poster, her head spinning with excitement.
Toki didn't press further, her gaze returning to the 'monster' at their feet. She gave him a light kick.
This guy had scared her when he first appeared. Kicking him a few times felt satisfying.
Toki looked at Renji, waiting for his opinion.
"Should we just throw him into the sea?"
...
... (TL/N): If you are intressted you can read up to 30 chapter on patreon.com/Yanet96 search with this link.