"You understand me better?", Toki tilted her head back, her eyes hazy as she looked at the ceiling, the corner of her lips carrying a trace of self-mockery.
What a pitiful thing to say.
If she had heard these words more than ten years ago, how wonderful that would have been.
Or, if the time she had crossed into Wano had been now instead, how wonderful that would have been.
Rosse's words, Toki couldn't refute them. What he said was indeed the truth.
If Rosse were Kozuki Oden, perhaps she would have already succeeded by now.
But even though she and Rosse had only been together for a short time, and during these days she had basically been the submissive one, her personality had changed a lot.
And under such circumstances, Rosse could still precisely know what she was about to do.
She had nothing left to say.
In the time afterward, Toki didn't question or attempt anything more, but instead patiently and carefully served Rosse.
Now that her intent had been seen through by Rosse, Toki knew she no longer had any chance.
Her fruit ability was very hidden, its effect extremely strong.
As long as the target she touched, she could send them traveling through time.
If Rosse hadn't been prepared just now, she could have directly sent him two hundred years into the future.
No matter what Rosse was plotting now, after centuries everything would be gone, everything would have to start over.
Perhaps with Rosse's mind and strength, even two hundred years later, he could return again and reach the peak.
But to destroy all the fruits of his effort, that was the utmost Toki could have achieved.
And just like Rosse said he understood her, Toki was also confident she understood the man before her.
Destroying his script would hurt more than killing him once.
But pity, none of it could be done.
Half an hour later, Toki arched her back and let out a muffled groan.
At last, a warm current flowed backward into her intestines, bringing this meal session to an end.
Toki collapsed onto the floor, raised her head to look at Rosse, and her lips curved with a dazzling smile.
But before she could speak, Rosse cut her off, looking at her and saying, "Not going to linger a little longer?"
"Is there a need? It's all over. You'll take good care of Hiyori," Toki smiled lightly.
Talking with Rosse was always so effortless.
Often, before she even said anything, he already knew her meaning.
"One after another, all want me dead, and I'm the one raising your children?", Rosse sneered, for once lighting up a cigarette.
Among the women he had seen, Toki wasn't the most stunning in looks or figure, yet in his eyes she was the most stunning.
Just a little bit more.
If not for that little bit, he might really have been flung off to two hundred years later.
Clearly as docile as a cat, yet at the very last moment of release she wanted to trap him.
If it had been anyone else, maybe even before he slaughtered Ling, Toki might have succeeded.
But pity, after his strength rose and his fruit awakened, all abilities below awakening had no effect on him.
For the Time-Time Fruit to affect him, either he had to actively lower his own fruit's resistance, or Toki had to awaken her Time-Time Fruit.
But no matter which, Toki could not possibly achieve it.
Which meant, from the very beginning, she could never succeed.
"You will," Toki smiled brightly, her dark green eyes filled with certainty.
"Just as you understand me, I understand you. I gave you the most brilliant performance, and in return, Hiyori's future will be something you'll look forward to."
"Just because she's your daughter?", Rosse grinned.
Toki was indeed good, but the other half of that girl's genes destined her to be a fool.
But Rosse had always felt. While strength was limited by innate genes, one's heart and character could be shaped by environment.
Of course, those lunatics and idiots whose brain nerves were born crossed weren't within the scope of what he was talking about.
"Just because she's my daughter," Toki repeated firmly.
"Don't want to see her appearance once before you leave?", Rosse's lips curved.
"I will. And you won't refuse, will you?"
Toki didn't refuse, only smiled while gazing at Rosse.
This era, this world, already had nothing worth her staying for.
But she also didn't plan to end her life here.
Unexpectedly, even this was something Rosse had seen through.
"Then guess…"
Before Toki could finish, Rosse decisively said, "Twenty years. Twenty years later will be exactly Wano's prophesied time. I'll bring Hiyori to meet you, let her tell you the wonders of her growth."
"Exactly! Then twenty years later, I'll give you a final farewell, the only living devil who understands me."
Toki's lips quietly curved up. She softly dressed herself in full, then gently waved her hand toward Rosse.
In an instant, the radiance of time shone upon Toki, carrying her away without a trace left behind.
The next meeting would be twenty years later.
As for whether then she would calmly go to her death after hearing Hiyori's story, or stay behind to accompany her, those were not things Rosse concerned himself with.
Twenty years later, who could say whether this stunning woman would still leave a mark in his heart?
Time, it was always a wondrous thing.
Five days after Toki's departure, finally all the men and boys of Kuri had developed Kozuki Oden front and back.
In the end, Kozuki Oden was stabbed a thousand times, hacked into meat paste.
At the final moment of his life, Rosse sent him off, reaping five million experience.
And at that moment, Wano finally met its end.
From then on, Wano became the new headquarters of the Marine in the New World.
———
[Fishman Kingdom, Port District]
[Late Night]
The families brought from Marine Headquarters had all been temporarily settled in this area, taking part in the Fishman Kingdom's infrastructure.
At this moment, the whole port was silent, as if everyone had fallen into slumber.
Atop the highest point of the port district's lighthouse.
Otohime and Niya stood side by side, gazing into the distance toward the port district. The direction of their gaze was toward the small buildings where those families lived.
And above them, on the lighthouse's peak, stood Borsalino, who had just become a Marine admiral.
"Yo, Queen Otohime, how did you know they'd act tonight?", Borsalino's voice was still lazy as ever, though toward Otohime he kept the proper respect.
Not for Otohime herself, but for the Rosse behind her.
Borsalino glanced downward, catching sight of Otohime's slightly rounded belly. Unless he was mistaken, a life was growing inside.
It was his first time learning that when a human and a mermaid under thirty combined, they could produce a child through live birth, not through eggs like mermaids with each other.
He just didn't know whether the child would be a mermaid or a human.
But regardless, the identity of this child would surely be very noble.
However, that wasn't today's focus.
Today's focus was that rats had come to Fishman Kingdom.
This was within Borsalino's expectations, but what he hadn't thought was that Otohime had noticed the hidden rats before him.
And she hadn't relied on the manpower of the kingdom, but purely on her own strength.
That alone was enough to surprise Borsalino.
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