The laughter in the courtyard slowly faded. Rhett's gaze returned to Lady Toki's room. A mix of emotions flickered in his eyes. Hope. And worry.
They rested for a few days. Lady Toki had wanted to talk to everyone as soon as she woke up, but everyone was worried about her health and made her rest longer.
Today, Lady Toki herself said to Rhett:
Rhett sat across from her. Blood mist slowly swirled around him, silently expressing the turmoil inside his heart.
"When the Time-Time Fruit awakens, it can indeed return to the past."
The blood mist suddenly churned violently. Rhett's joy was visible.
"Lady Toki, did you just say... we can go back to the past?" Rhett's voice was low, with a barely noticeable tremor. How could he not be excited?
Toki nodded gently, her hands folded on her lap. "Yes. But reversing time requires a massive amount of life force. In my current state, I'm afraid I can't support it. The burden on my body would be too great."
Rhett's eyes dimmed instantly. He clenched his fists. His voice was hoarse. "The burden is too great... never mind. Forget it. I can't let you put yourself in danger just because of my wish."
The room fell into a brief silence. Only the occasional crackle of the candle broke the stillness. Toki looked at Rhett, a gentleness in her eyes. "Lord Rhett, you always think of others first."
Rhett smiled bitterly and didn't answer.
Wait. Rhett realized something.
He looked up sharply. The blood mist suddenly became active. "Wait a minute. Did you just say... it only requires life force? In other words, we pay with lifespan to go back to the past. Is that right?"
Toki was startled by his sudden change. She nodded. "Yes. That is the most important condition. I was wondering why you didn't seem happier when I mentioned it. Because I know you can replenish life force for others."
The corners of Rhett's mouth slowly curled up. This called for a smug smile. He would be letting himself down otherwise. Praise Lord God Valley once again. The crimson light in his eyes grew brighter.
"Life force... haha, life force! I can replenish life force!" He stood up. Blood mist surged like waves. "Lady Toki, life force is the one thing I don't lack!"
Rhett wasn't just talking. Take the recent war in Wano. Countless people had died within his mist. And Rhett rarely used his stored life force. He had accumulated most of it. The only time he had used life force heavily was when he was keeping Roger alive. Back then, he was broke.
Before Toki could respond, Rhett knelt on one knee and spoke solemnly. "Please let me go with you to the past. I will replenish your life force the entire way. No matter how much it costs, I will bear it!"
His voice was strong and determined, like a ray of light in the darkness. Toki stared at him. After a moment, hope also flickered in her eyes. "If that's the case... perhaps it really is possible."
"Then let me start by replenishing some. Let's bring you back to eighteen years old. How does that sound?"
Lady Toki looked a little shy. "At my age, going back to eighteen is a bit embarrassing. I am already the mother of two children."
Oden dropped to his knees with a thud. He bowed his head repeatedly. "Big Brother Rhett, I'm begging you. This really means a lot to me."
Lady Toki's face turned even redder.
Replenishing life force came at a cost for Rhett. Roughly a one to five hundred ratio. Giving someone one extra year of life cost about five hundred other lives. But Rhett didn't care. In the world of One Piece, as long as the Great Pirate Era didn't end, Rhett had plenty of places to dispense justice.
Lady Toki said to Rhett very seriously, "Lord Rhett, after you go back to the past, you must minimize your impact. Let the events play out as close to the original timeline as possible. At the very least, people must believe those events happened and had a real effect. Those who toy with time will eventually be punished by time."
Rhett understood quickly.
"Let me see if I understand. Let's say I told Tesoro yesterday that I ate an apple. I go back to yesterday, and I don't eat the apple. But I still tell Tesoro that I ate one. That would be okay, right?"
"Let me push it a little further. I told Tesoro yesterday that I ate an apple. I go back to yesterday. I don't eat the apple. And I don't tell Tesoro anything. But because me eating an apple is such an ordinary thing, it doesn't affect the future at all, so this is something I would be doing on my own. Is that right?"
Toki nodded. "Major events cannot be changed. Minor events can. That is the current limit of my fruit's ability."
Rhett nodded. "That is already very powerful." In time travel stories, time was the highest domain. Time before space. That wasn't just talk.
Rhett reached out his hand. The blood mist turned into fine threads and gently wrapped around Toki's wrist. "Let's start now. I will keep you safe."
Before anyone could react, Rhett's blood mist suddenly surged like a tide and spread across the entire courtyard. In the crimson mist, the dense life force almost became tangible. Even the air grew warm. Tesoro and the others felt this power and showed surprised expressions. Rhett rarely filled his mist with such a concentration of life force. His mist was usually used for destruction and draining life.
"Captain, are you..." Tesoro started to say.
Rhett raised his hand. The blood mist in his palm condensed into a brilliant ball of light. Pure life energy.
"Lady Toki, please use my life force." Rhett offered the ball of light to Toki. His voice was firm. "Use as much as you need. The time will be around the year 1***."
Toki was stunned. Not only by the immense life force she had never seen before, but also by the date Rhett mentioned. She hesitated. "But... this could be a heavy burden on you."
Rhett chuckled. "Don't worry. Life force is the one thing I don't lack." He turned to look at Oden, a teasing glint in his eyes. "Oden, it looks like I win this time. Fate isn't always right, is it? If I succeed this time, I'll rub it in all your faces. Hahaha."
Oden scratched his head and laughed. "As expected of you, Brother Rhett! You always find a way!"
Hiyori and Hizumi looked up from their pile of candy, curious. Hiyori tugged on Rhett's cloak. "Uncle Rhett, what are you talking about?"