Michael didn't sleep the entire night.
At first, Toki sat in his arms, gazing at the starry sky with him.
But soon, the child's body, driven by its internal clock, lulled her to sleep.
Looking down at the little one curled up in his arms, Michael sighed.
For the first time, he felt a pang of cruelty.
He had dragged Toki, a mere six-year-old girl, into this brutal reality without hesitation.
But… there was no other choice.
This era, combined with Toki's own experiences, had already destined her to grow up differently from an ordinary girl—without carefree happiness.
And Toki, raised in such an environment…
When she grew up and traveled over eight hundred years into the future, to a sea where the Great Pirate Era had yet to begin—wouldn't that be like playing on easy mode?
Michael silently mused to himself.
Night gradually gave way to day, and the stars faded as the sun rose.
When the midday sunlight fell on Toki, she stirred slightly…
Then opened her eyes.
"Father… good morning."
"Good morning, Toki…" Michael smiled down at her, then suddenly paused. He patted her head and said, "Go to the manor first and see what you'd like to eat today. I need to meet some guests."
"Guests? What kind of guests would come to this godforsaken corner of nowhere?" Toki seemed unaffected by last night's shocking revelations.
She climbed off Michael, patted her pajamas, and scampered toward the backyard.
That goose in the backyard—she'd had her eye on it for a long, long time.If it weren't for being unable to defeat it, he would have probably already delivered it to his father to be turned into a delicious meal!
Michael watched Toki's bouncing figure retreating into the distance, let out a long sigh of relief, then slowly stood up and walked toward the main gate.
He had already detected the movements of that group last night.
After what happened yesterday evening, Michael realized he'd grown somewhat complacent over the past year.
So he readjusted his Observation Haki to remain constantly active whenever he was awake.
Though this meant processing more information, for the current Michael, it was merely adding a minor, negligible burden.
Had it not been for the leader of that group bowing before the grave and speaking those words, he would have gone back to eliminate them immediately...
Donquixote...
What an uncomfortably familiar surname that was.
Michael pushed open the door and looked toward the estate's main gate.
Sure enough, it was the same group that had arrived belatedly last night.
The man his soldiers called "Donquixote" was pacing anxiously before the gate, visibly flustered.
He desperately wanted to meet Michael.
Yet dared not show any discourtesy before such a formidable figure...
Leaving him awkwardly frozen in place.
When Michael finally appeared on the other side of the gate, the man exhaled deeply, putting on the most benign, approachable smile he'd ever mustered.
"Greetings. We're travelers passing through. Might we trouble you for some water?"
"Of course. But travelers? You don't quite look the part," Michael remarked while opening the gate, lips curling slightly.
"King Donquixote... isn't it?"
"...How did you know my title!?" The king blurted out before catching himself, offering a wry smile.
"So you'd already detected us last night? I suppose I overestimated my own cleverness."
"No matter. I'm quite tolerant toward friendly visitors," Michael shrugged. "Especially friendly ones with... compatible objectives."
King Donquixote's eyes lit up at these words!
With a wave, he ordered all soldiers to remain outside the estate grounds, then followed Michael inside completely unguarded.
"You're leaving your guards outside? Doesn't a king need protection?"
"I was hesitant at first, but understanding your stance made protection unnecessary," the king replied with disarming frankness. "Though truthfully, even with guards, if you wished me dead, they'd be utterly useless."
Michael found himself reassessing the king.
This temperament was remarkably similar to Rosinante's...
As Rosinante's ancestor, King Donquixote shared the same imposing stature and upright, honorable bearing...
Considering Rosinante's parents...
So it turns out the rotten apple in this noble family tree was actually only Doflamingo!?
"King Donquixote... you came from Dressrosa, didn't you?" Michael asked with a sigh. "The distance from Dressrosa to Angel Island in the South Blue is no short journey."
"For the transportation of the Great Kingdom, this distance isn't actually too far... We mainly came here to track this group of Lunarian Race members."
"I'm not particularly interested in the purpose of your trip. I just want to ask you one question..." Michael turned at the doorway, his eyes carrying a final trace of scrutiny. "I've heard that in your Kingdom of Dressrosa, you treat the Tontatta Tribe as slaves to amass wealth..."
"This... is indeed true." King Donquixote paused, unsure why Michael would ask such a question.
"But all of this is due to the policies of the Great Kingdom. Every nation must have a portion of slaves, and the Tontatta Tribe was designated by the Lunarian Race as a naturally enslaved people... However, I've done my best to care for the Tontatta. Apart from the label of slavery, in reality, they live no differently from ordinary citizens within our country..."
Seeing the frankness and honesty in King Donquixote's eyes, Michael couldn't help but shake his head inwardly.
This current King Donquixote is still like this...
But the next one might not think the same way.
It wasn't until the Riku Family became the rulers of Dressrosa that the Tontatta Tribe was liberated.
The Void Century... too many things could happen during that time.
But... those weren't matters he needed to consider.
According to the middle-aged Kozuki Toki, he would be transported further into the future due to her ability going out of control around the time she reached adulthood...
Which meant he only had about a dozen years here.
"Alright, come in." Michael smiled and stepped aside.
With such limited time...
The task of rebellion would be quite heavy.
A gradual approach wouldn't work, especially given the brutality of the Great Kingdom and the Lunarian Race...
Hmm, he'd still need to grasp the barrel of a gun.
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