After theorizing what could have happened, both needed proof—that they were indeed not in the current timeline of the One Piece world but rather a decade in the past.
However, neither had enough energy left to continue immediately. They hadn't rested at all before being sent back to this world once again, so they were led by Hitetsu to a small house filled with old tools, dusty shelves, and a faint smell of smoke.
"I am Tenguyama Hitetsu, swordsmith of Wano," he said proudly, though his voice cracked a little from age.
Maki tilted her head. "Swordsmith? With a mask like that, you look more like a festival performer."
Hitetsu's nose twitched. "Wha—! How dare you! This is my proud tengu mask, passed down through generations!"
Yuta chuckled nervously, scratching the back of his head. "Don't take it personally. We are just not used to your country's norms."
"Whatever!" Maki snapped, folding her arms. "I just call things as I see them."
"Which is called insulting," Yuta muttered under his breath.
Hitetsu coughed loudly, cutting off their bickering. "Enough, you two outsiders. You want to know the state of Wano, yes? Then listen well."
'Heh? When did we ask for that? We said we'll go out and find it ourselves, old man…' Both were speechless, half-suspecting that the old man was just bored and wanted someone to talk to.
The old man's voice shifted, heavy with anger and sadness as he explained.
"Once, Wano was free, a land of strong samurai and proud traditions. We were led by the Kozuki clan, and the last of them—Kozuki Oden—was a man unlike any other. He traveled the seas with Whitebeard, even sailed with the Pirate King himself. He dreamed of opening this closed country to the world, bringing back freedom. But…"
Hitetsu's fists clenched.
"He was betrayed. Kurozumi Orochi, a vile snake who took the shogun's throne through trickery, invited Kaido, the so-called strongest creature alive, to take over. Together, they tricked Oden, executed him in front of us all, and chained this land in iron. For more than a decade we have lived under their cruelty. Kaido rules by fear, and Orochi by corruption. Villages starve. Rivers are poisoned. And anyone who dares defy them is crushed."
Yuta and Maki sat in silence. They hadn't asked for the explanation but listened anyway. It would be rude to ignore the old man who looked like he'd kick the bucket anytime soon.
And as the story was revealed, Yuta—who already knew most of it—found his anger rising. Reading it from a manga was one thing, but hearing it directly from the old man in front of him, seeing his pain and the tears of Wano itself, Yuta was moved.
This version had real emotion behind it, perhaps because he now knew that this wasn't just a manga—it was real. All that bloodshed and loss of life, the suffering of the people, and the injustice was real.
Even Maki, who usually looked unbothered by everything, clenched her jaw.
"So… basically," Yuta muttered, "Kaido is a monster, Orochi is a snake, and the people here are paying the price."
Hitetsu nodded grimly.
"That's messed up," Maki said flatly. Not knowing the story of One Piece herself, she was the most affected. "Typical scumbag rulers. I want to punch them already."
And of course, her own experience and past played a big part. It was natural for her to oppose and feel disgust toward this kind of thing.
"Then get in line, I was here first," Yuta chipped in.
Maki rolled her eyes.
The old man let out a small chuckle. "You two argue like children. It's almost refreshing."
After hearing everything, Yuta and Maki agreed they needed to rest for a while. Yuta pulled out food from his inventory—packs of rice, dried fish, and even some sweets he had kept for emergencies.
Hitetsu's eyes widened. "What… is this sorcery?! You pulled food from thin air!"
Yuta shrugged casually. "Nothing much, just a simple trick." He brushed it off. No need to say why he could do it.
Maki leaned over and snatched a sweet before Yuta could grab one. She popped it into her mouth and grinned. "Handy for me, too."
"Hey! I was saving those!" Yuta complained.
"You snooze, you lose," Maki teased, smirking.
Hitetsu munched happily on the rice balls, his long nose bobbing as he chewed. "Strange as you are, I am grateful. Food has become a treasure in this land. You have my thanks."
"Let me guess, the new shogun controls who gets to eat…" Yuta's face darkened.
"Unfortunately so…" Hitetsu nodded.
Yuta and Maki didn't say anything. They just quietly ate their fill. However, internally they were already planning to help Wano.
But not now. This wasn't their time. First, they had to find a way back to their own timeline.
Time passed quietly. Yuta tried again and again to practice his time-travel ability, sitting cross-legged outside the little house, hands pressed together in focus. His eyes narrowed, his veins popped… and nothing happened.
Maki leaned against the wall nearby, polishing her weapon. "You're just sitting there making funny faces. You sure you're not constipated instead of time traveling?"
"Shut up, I'm close this time!" Yuta growled, sweating. A spark of cursed energy flickered… then fizzled out like a dying candle.
He couldn't let his ROFA add to this, or instead of going back he'd end up even further in the past.
"Uh-huh," Maki said with a smirk. "Super impressive. Really got us shaking."
Yuta fell backward into the dirt, groaning. "Why… why is this ability not working?" At this point he half-considered just forgetting about going back and spending ten years here until time caught up.
'Dammit, so irritating. This entire compatibility issue.' Yuta grumbled.
"Because your luck sucks," Maki answered without missing a beat.
"Don't remind me…" Yuta muttered, covering his face.
Finally, Yuta gave up—for now. "Alright, fine. Maybe I just need to clear my head. Let's look around Wano. At least see what kind of place this is."
Maki stood, stretching. "Good. Sitting around makes me itchy anyway."
Together they wandered through Wano. The land itself was breathtaking—mountains rose high like jagged teeth, cherry blossoms painted the horizon, and traditional houses dotted the countryside. But the beauty was marred by despair.
They saw villagers hunched and starving, drinking from poisoned rivers that made them sick. Children begged for scraps. Men collapsed from overwork in Kaido's factories. Samurai walked in silence, stripped of pride.
Maki's fists clenched. "Tch… This place is rotten."
Yuta's smile faded. "Yeah. The land's alive, but the people look dead inside."
As they walked past a ruined field, a little boy tried to dig into the dry soil for something—anything—to eat. His mother pulled him back, whispering, "Don't, the ground's poisoned."
Yuta froze. His heart twisted, remembering all the people he couldn't save before.
Maki glanced at him, then muttered, "Don't start blaming yourself. This isn't your fault."
"I know…" Yuta said softly. "But I can change this situation… help them."
"Sigh, I knew it. You're always like this," Maki replied with a small smile.
"Because that's what heroes do…" Yuta smirked.
Later that evening, the two sat back outside Hitetsu's small house, staring at the Wano night sky. The stars were clear, but the air smelled faintly of smoke from Kaido's factories in the distance.
"So… what do we do now?" Maki asked.
Yuta gave a crooked smile. "First, I fix this dumb devil fruit ability. Then… maybe we help a little while we're here. At least feed a few people. I can't just walk past this."
Maki smirked faintly.
By the end of the day, after wandering through the ruined villages and sharing another simple meal with Hitetsu, Yuta and Maki sat outside under the moonlight. The night breeze was cool, carrying the scent of sakura, and for the first time in what felt like forever, they both relaxed.
Maki leaned back, arms folded behind her head. "You know… for someone with terrible luck, you're not the worst company."
Yuta grinned faintly. "Oh, is that Maki flirting? You need serious practice, girl, that line was dull."
She smirked, tilting closer. "Maybe not. After all, ain't you a little too easy, Virgin Boy?"
Yuta's heart skipped. He found her beautiful, but why call him virgin every other casual flirting session, dammit. Virgin people also feel pain.
"I'll take that as a compliment… I think." He huffed. To tried to refude. Hell both tired, they haven't gotten any rest for last 2 or so days.
It was their competative feeling which was kept them going. Otherwise, long ago they long would have felt falt on a bed. Flirting wasn't that important.
The air between them grew warm, the banter easing into silence. Yuta found himself staring at her eyes longer than he should, and for a moment, it felt like the chaotic storm of his life had finally calmed.
Which, of course, meant disaster was about to strike.
From the distance came a thunderous roar, shaking the earth. Flames lit up the horizon as an enormous shadow moved across the sky. The stench of alcohol mixed with smoke.
Hitetsu stumbled out, panicked. "It's him—Kaido!"
The monstrous dragon's silhouette towered above, weaving drunkenly through the air, spitting fire across the countryside. Villages were set ablaze in an instant.
Yuta groaned, face falling. "Of course. The universe saw me getting some good time and it was ready to turn the world upside down."
Maki stood, sighing. "Well, at this point I was almost expecting it."
xxx
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