When she woke up, the ceiling was unfamiliar.
Toki immediately gripped her hands tightly, but upon realizing her sword was still clutched in her arms, she let out a small sigh of relief.
"This is the 33rd jump," she murmured to herself, taking in her surroundings anew.
She was inside a narrow cabin.
One day ago, after performing her "jump," she found herself not on an island but in the middle of the vast ocean.
As a Devil Fruit user, once she touched seawater she felt completely powerless — and now she had plunged into it completely.
Just as despair was about to take her, a fishing hook caught her clothing and reeled her in.
That was why she ended up here.
Toki had a secret.
She did not belong to this era but came from centuries ago, having eaten the Paramecia-type Toki Toki no Mi (Time-Time Fruit).
It allowed her to send herself or others into the future.
Only into the future — never the past.
At first, she could only jump a few days ahead.
As her mastery of the fruit grew, she was able to leap years into the future — one year, two years — until now, she could send herself thirty years forward in a single jump.
But the fruit had a quirk.
The destination was always random within a range. She might not reappear exactly where she had started.
That was why she normally chose large islands to jump from.
But over time, landscapes changed. This time, she hadn't expected that the island she started from had completely vanished thirty years later. That was why she fell into the sea with no warning.
"Luckily Magnus-san saved me!"
She patted her chest, though thinking back to how her wet clothes must have revealed… things… to Magnus, her cheeks flushed slightly.
"Well… he probably didn't mean to…"
In Toki's mind, though Magnus claimed to be a pirate, he seemed far more like a kind and good man than many others she had met.
Not only was he mature and handsome, but his personality was also gentle.
Why else would he agree to take her to Wano, even assigning her such a large cabin?
Indeed, to her, this room felt less like a cabin on a pirate ship and more like a luxury inn suite.
The bedding was soft and comfortable, clean clothes were provided, and she could even take a hot bath before sleeping — such extravagance!
If not for her goal of reaching Wano, she might not have wanted to leave at all.
As a sheltered young lady who once witnessed a tragedy and was driven by a prophecy to change the future, Toki had little experience with men. Being seen in such an embarrassing state left her wondering if she'd ever marry at this rate.
"…If it were Magnus-san…"
Her blush deepened. This girlish expression would have instantly explained why she was so easily deceived later in life — they'd only known each other for less than a day!
Thankfully, Toki quickly shook her head, banishing such foolish thoughts.
Though he was handsome, mature, and made her feel safe, she knew Magnus wouldn't stay in Wano.
Besides…
"Ripley-san seems to like Magnus-san too."
Though she addressed him as captain, it was obvious even to Toki that Ripley looked at Magnus with longing and attachment.
At first, Toki thought it was more like a father-daughter relationship…
But later, she noticed.
Ripley's gaze held possessiveness.
Only love would breed such a desire to possess.
'I wonder if Magnus-san has noticed yet…'
She dressed herself, donning a fresh outfit since her original kimono was still wet. The new set was Ripley's — apparently bought at Magnus's insistence.
"But… I can't imagine Ripley-san actually wearing something like this."
The dress she now wore was similar to her own kimono in style, comfortable and modest, not Ripley's usual bold and wild flair.
When she stepped out of the room, she passed by the training area.
Two figures, one tall and one short, were sparring fiercely.
Rocks moved with incredible speed, fully unleashing his Busoshoku Haki (Armament Haki), overwhelming Newgate.
But Newgate, though under pressure, didn't panic.
Magnus had already told him — if he wasn't naturally gifted in pure technique, then he needed to strengthen his Busoshoku Haki to the extreme.
No matter how powerful an attack, if it couldn't break through his Haki, it was meaningless.
And in battle, he would look for an opening — one strike to decide it all.
Seeing their clash, Toki was shocked.
Both of them were already so strong.
Though she carried a sword and came from a noble lineage, she wasn't much of a swordswoman herself — she couldn't even cut steel.
If she faced either of them, she'd lose instantly.
Yet Rocks and Newgate were merely trainees under Magnus.
Then how powerful was Magnus himself…?
Strong men always drew attention.
Even though Magnus hadn't fully regained his youth, his mature and weathered charm was irresistible to an innocent girl like Toki.
Not to mention… he was very handsome.
Rocks noticed her gaze but ignored her.
"Women only slow me down," he muttered under his breath.
As for Newgate, he was still too young to even understand such things.
He preferred sparring with Rocks — fighting, improving, that was enough for him.
As Toki walked past, she thought to herself — had this ship always felt this large?
When she finally stepped onto the deck…
She saw Magnus and Ripley, both towering over her like giants.
As she exited the doorway, her body enlarged as well.
Only then did she realize.
It wasn't the ship that had grown.
She had shrunk.
(End of Chapter)
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