Wano Country, Kuri.
"Ahhh!" The desperate cries echoed five times through the air.
Five figures materialized out of nowhere, suspended mid-air before plummeting like stones. Their bodies crashed into the crumbling ruins of Oden Castle, kicking up a massive cloud of dust. Momonosuke, Kin'emon, Raizo, Kanjuro, and Kiku groaned as they picked themselves up from the rubble.
They had traveled through time using Lady Toki's Devil Fruit ability, leaping twenty years forward from 1502 to 1522 of the Pirate Era to reclaim Wano from the Beasts Pirates. Kin'emon staggered to his feet, his eyes scanning the ancient, decaying castle ruins. His heart clenched with overwhelming shock.
"Mother-sama! Where are you?" Momonosuke's voice cracked as he took in the desolate surroundings. Tears streamed down his face as he bolted away from the ruins. The four retainers exchanged worried glances and hurried after him, their own confusion momentarily forgotten in their concern for the young lord.
Momonosuke skidded to a halt when he reached a cluster of weathered wooden tombstones. His breath caught as he read the inscriptions: "Grave of Kozuki Oden," "Grave of Kozuki Momonosuke," "Grave of Raizo." The four retainers froze behind him, their faces pale.
Raizo's eyes widened in disbelief. "These are... our graves?"
Kanjuro studied the aging tombstones, his voice thoughtful. "Judging by their condition, they've been here at least twenty years. Lady Toki's power truly sent us two decades into the future."
Kin'emon's gaze shifted from the tombstones to the town of Kuri below. From their vantage point atop Oden Castle's ruins, he took in the grim panorama. Collapsed houses and buildings dotted the landscape, the land barren and tainted by industrial pollution. In the distance, weapons factories spewed thick black smoke from the mountain peaks.
"What happened to Wano while we were gone?" Kiku murmured, his brow furrowed as he surveyed the lifeless town below. There wasn't a single sign of human activity—just emptiness stretching as far as the eye could see.
A chilling thought struck them: Had the people of Wano, under the Beasts Pirates' tyranny, been wiped out entirely? Before they could process this horror, the sound of footsteps echoed through the forest. Their heads snapped toward the noise, hands instinctively reaching for their weapons.
"Hello, everyone. It's been a long time." A soft, melodic voice drifted through the trees. "But first, I must share some unfortunate news... Wano Country no longer exists."
Kozuki Hiyori emerged from the dense forest, her elegance striking. She carried a red floral umbrella, her pink kimono flowing gracefully, and Enma rested at her waist. Her wooden clogs clicked softly against the ground.
Kin'emon gaped at her, his voice trembling. "You... you're Lady Toki!"
Hiyori smiled faintly, a hint of amusement in her eyes as she twirled her umbrella. "Do I really resemble Mother that much?"
Raizo's voice shook. "Could it be... Hiyori-sama?"
Hiyori nodded. "Yes, it's me."
Kin'emon's mind raced. "Hiyori-sama, what do you mean Wano Country no longer exists?"
"Exactly as I said. It has become history, erased from existence. The land you stand on now is called Inazuma."
"What!?" Kanjuro's voice cracked with disbelief. "How could Wano be gone?"
Before Kozuki Hiyori could finish speaking, Kanjuro exclaimed in shock, cutting her off. Kin'emon's face darkened, his head shaking in vehement denial.
"No! Impossible! Wano Country will never fall... Not as long as Momonosuke-sama lives. We'll rebuild the Kozuki clan, reclaim our land, and restore Wano to its former glory!"
"Restore Wano?" Kozuki Hiyori's hand stilled on the spinning red floral umbrella. Her eyelids lowered, shadowing her darkening expression. Her voice took on an odd edge. Two years had passed since she reclaimed Wano Country from the Beasts Pirates with Sephiroth's help.
The land was riddled with weapons factories. Aside from a few areas like the Flower Capital, the ecological damage was catastrophic. Long-term exposure to the polluted lands would harm the people and even affect future generations...
So Hiyori had begged Sephiroth to use the Door-Door Fruit's power. He drained the rainwater from the inland sea and relocated the populace to the foot of Mt. Fuji, where Wano's ancient ruins lay. There, they began building a new city. The old Wano on Mt. Fuji was abandoned, left to decay.
But Hiyori couldn't waste the factory facilities. After renovating them and reducing industrial pollution, she installed automated assembly lines and robots to produce weapons. Now, aside from tens of thousands of Beasts Pirates members undergoing labor reform, no one lived on Mt. Fuji anymore...
Under Hiyori's rule, Inazuma Country remained isolated but moved steadily forward. Life improved dramatically for its people. Those willing to work hard could live in abundance. Yet...
Hiyori's reign was still young. When she reclaimed Wano from the Beasts Pirates, Sephiroth had used the Kozuki name to stabilize the nation and win hearts. This allowed many old Kozuki retainers to regain power, forming a troublesome faction resistant to control.
These retainers clung to Wano's patriarchal traditions. They deemed it improper for a woman to rule and resented her renaming the country without consent. Their resistance grew.
Recently, a twenty-year-old prophecy from Lady Toki began circulating mysteriously. It foretold the return of Kozuki's true heir to reclaim Wano... Hiyori knew instantly this was a rumor spread by the old retainers whose power she'd weakened. They sought to undermine her rule and stir unrest.
For two years, the retainers had been at each other's throats. But Hiyori refrained from using force to crush them outright. She feared being branded a traitor, which could ignite domestic chaos.
Instead, she employed a slow, steady approach, weakening them bit by bit. Meanwhile, Sephiroth was constructing a Navy Base in Inazuma Country, planning to station significant forces there. His intent was clear: to sharpen his blade for a strike against the Four Emperors. Inazuma had to remain stable.
If there is internal division and chaos in Inazuma Country, it could disrupt Sephiroth's grand strategy and hinder his march toward unifying the New World... Hiyori's thoughts drifted, and she let out a soft, weary sigh.
"Listen to me, everyone! Abandon this dangerous, impossible dream. From now on, live quietly under new identities. It's the only way..."
Momonosuke noticed his sister's pale face and assumed she shared his fears. Wanting to appear brave, he squared his shoulders and declared, "Don't worry, sister! We'll restore the Kozuki name and take back Wano Country. I swear it!"
Hiyori studied her brother with an unreadable expression. Her voice carried an odd edge as she asked, "Are you certain this is what you truly want?"
"Absolutely!" Momonosuke thumped his chest with conviction.
Kin'emon burst into tears at the boy's words. His voice cracked with emotion. "Young master Momonosuke, worthy son of Lord Oden! We'll follow you to the ends of the earth to restore the Kozuki name and reclaim Wano!" The other retainers chimed in, "Such courage at his age! He'll be a great hero like Lord Oden!"
Hiyori's gaze hardened as she watched the scene unfold. Her red paper umbrella slipped from her fingers and clattered to the ground. Unacceptable. She wouldn't tolerate anyone interfering with Master Sephiroth's plans—not even her own flesh and blood.
Her eyes flashed crimson. Twin fangs glinted against her scarlet lips as her hand settled on Enma's hilt. The blade whispered free of its sheath. "For Master's grand design, dear brother... Die."
The sword flashed like lightning. Before Momonosuke could react, Enma severed his neck in one clean stroke. His body crumpled to the ground as his head rolled away, blood gushing from the fatal wound.
Kin'emon and the others froze in shock. The sudden betrayal left them reeling. Before they could process what happened, Hiyori—now fully transformed—struck again. Kanjuro's head toppled from his shoulders before he could defend himself.
Kin'emon drew his sword, his voice trembling with disbelief. "You're not Lady Hiyori! Who are you?"
The vampire woman flicked blood from Enma's blade. Her expression remained cold. "I am myself. Though I prefer being Master's Xiao Zi over the name Kozuki Hiyori."
"Damn you!" The remaining retainers roared in grief and fury. Weapons drawn, they charged at Hiyori.
But in the year 1502, after countless brutal battles against the Beasts Pirates, they had barely escaped to Oden Castle. Lady Toki had sent them to the year 1522, but their strength was a fraction of what it once was.
They were no match for Kozuki Hiyori at all, and were quickly killed by her and buried in the graves that had been prepared twenty years ago...