"Let my sister go!"
The young voice was filled with excitement and urgency.
Everyone froze for a moment, confusion flashing across their faces. Who dared to step forward and "stand up" at this moment?
No one had made a move yet, but the footsteps grew closer, rapid and uneven. Liu Feng's lips curled into a sneer.
Here comes that... bastard.
He turned slowly and squinted toward the source of the sound.
A small pink figure emerged from the distant mountainside, stumbling as if it were a child just learning to walk. It looked as though it could fall at any moment.
"Dragon..."
Golden Lion's expression darkened, and he instinctively reached for his sword, ready for action.
"Wait!!"
Liu Feng's voice rang out, stopping him just as his hand gripped the hilt.
Kouzuki Hiyori's face turned pale, her expression filled with disbelief. She stared at the approaching figure, her eyes wide with shock.
Though the creature before her didn't look entirely human, she recognized that voice! It was the voice that carried the same bloodline and surname as hers!
"Momonosuke?"
Kouzuki Hiyori asked, her voice trembling, barely believing what she was seeing.
As the figure drew closer, everyone finally got a clearer look.
It had a dragon-like body, covered in pink scales, a long tail, and two small, underdeveloped claws at the front. It resembled Kaido's dragon form, but in terms of scale, it was as different as an elephant is to a fly.
The most shocking detail, though, was the expression of distress on the creature's face, a far cry from the majestic dragon one would expect to see flying through the clouds.
The small dragon quickly flew in front of Kouzuki Hiyori, positioning itself between her and Liu Feng. In a flash, it transformed back into its human form.
It was a boy, looking no older than eight or nine years old.
Dressed in traditional Wano Country samurai attire, the young boy had his hair shaved, save for a bun at the back of his head. He wore a pink kimono and a pair of wooden clogs, his small frame standing firm despite the circumstances.
His eyes locked onto Liu Feng, filled with the intensity of someone who saw the latter as an unforgivable villain.
Kouzuki Momonosuke! The young master of the Kouzuki family and the biological son of the legendary Kouzuki Oden!!
"Sister! Are you okay?"
He rushed forward, his voice urgent.
"Hurry up and get up! It's alright, I'll protect you!!"
Kouzuki Momonosuke gritted his teeth, reaching out to help his sister.
But Hiyori Kouzuki, with a swift motion, shook off his hand.
"Brother! How did you get here?"
Her eyes widened with shock, her voice trembling. "Could it be that my mother..."
Hiyori's eyes sparkled with surprise, and tears welled up in her eyes as she looked at her brother, overwhelmed with emotion.
When the war broke out in Wano Country, Hiyori Kouzuki was just six years old. She was separated from her family during the chaos and sustained many injuries. Her memories of that time were hazy, and for years, she believed that her father, mother, and brother Momonosuke had all perished in the war.
For so long, she had been hiding her true identity, biding her time and waiting for the right moment to seek vengeance.
But to her astonishment, her brother Momonosuke was still alive! It must have been her mother, using her Devil Fruit ability, who sent Momonosuke and the others into the future, sparing them from the destruction.
Momonosuke nodded solemnly, his eyes reddened with emotion.
"Yes, Mother sent me and some retainers twenty years into the future..."
His voice faltered as he paused, biting his lip.
"But she herself..."
He couldn't continue and choked on his words.
"So I will never let you get hurt!"
With newfound resolve, he turned around suddenly, his small form trembling, but his eyes burning with determination.
"You bastard! How dare you bully my sister!"
He yelled, bravely facing Liu Feng without flinching.
Though his body shook, his resolve was clear.
"Master Liu Feng didn't bully me—"
Kouzuki Hiyori tried to intervene, but Momonosuke waved her off impatiently.
"It's alright, sister, I didn't come here alone!"
He shouted, "Come here quickly!! Protect me!!"
His voice grew louder, and his confidence began to swell.
"I'm going to be the Admiral of Wano Country!!"
Everyone slowly turned to follow Momonosuke's gaze, and at first, they were stunned. But soon, playful smiles began to tug at the corners of their mouths.
Standing about ten meters away were several familiar figures, their faces pale and unmoving, like statues.
"It turns out they're all acquaintances, hahaha, this is really interesting." Golden Lion couldn't help but laugh, licking his lips as he drew his swords with both hands, eager for the fight to come.
The people before them were none other than the members of the Straw Hat Pirates! Nami with her orange hair, Sanji with his black foot, Chopper, Robin, Usopp, and Franky! \ Beside them stood Raizo, Kin'emon, and Kanjuro.
But they were standing still, unable to hear Momonosuke's desperate shouts. Coldly, they remained in place, not daring to move.
"What are you doing?!"
Momonosuke yelled, his frustration growing.
"Come here quickly!!"
But as soon as they heard his voice, all of them exchanged weary, bitter smiles. They wanted to help, but the situation was far more dangerous than they could handle. After all, those around them were killers.