Lady Toki was one of the few normal people in the Kozuki family.
At least Aus saw it that way.
Gentle features. Intelligent, considerate smile. Sky-blue hair tied high gave her grace without submission.
The perfect wife.
Oda really treated Oden like his own son—forcibly pairing him with such a virtuous helpmate.
As for Lady Toki herself...
Aus had no such thoughts. What kind of woman hadn't he seen? A mere married woman? Put it bluntly—if he raised his arms and called out across the seas—
Countless women would abandon husbands and children to chase wealth and glory at Sabaody.
He just thought—having someone this normal in the Kozuki family was genuinely rare.
At least she—
Didn't dream impossible dreams.
"That you saved our lives in crisis is more than we can thank you for. We dare not ask more."
Lady Toki wore a slight smile.
Gracious, dignified manner showed a great family matriarch's bearing.
She waved her hand. Signaled surrounding samurai to withdraw.
Denjiro and others hesitated. But under Kozuki Toki's resolute gaze, they lowered their heads and left.
Seeing this, Aus raised an eyebrow.
It wasn't what he was thinking, right?
Subconsciously recalled some bizarre plot points. But thinking again, she wasn't actually Japanese.
"Lady Toki, what is this..."
Aus saw Hiyori looking at him with bright, worshipful, dependent eyes. He returned a smile.
Unexpectedly, little Kozuki Hiyori blushed shyly.
Kozuki Toki didn't notice. Instead looked at Aus with great solemnity. Faint sorrow in her eyes.
"Lord Aus, you reached the final island with Oden. You should know...
Twenty years from now, a true savior will liberate Wano Country."
Lady Toki spoke softly about the secret Oden once told her.
He'd even asked her to jump directly twenty years forward. Reach the era she wanted.
But because of family and love, Kozuki Toki ultimately stopped her time travel. Chose to die with her husband.
"There is such a thing. That's the new era Captain Roger was waiting for."
Smile curved Aus's lips.
Didn't have much to do with him though.
He wasn't part of the new era. Had no responsibility to shoulder—no duty pushing history forward.
More than anything, observing from god's-eye view. Or manipulating things.
With new era monsters joining in, these seas would definitely get lively.
Aus loved a good show.
"Then... I have an unreasonable request. Please, you must agree. The Kozuki family will forever be grateful!"
Suddenly—
Lady Toki performed a dogeza. Aus froze. His form instantly vanished, appearing to the side.
This grand gesture carried too much karmic weight.
He didn't like receiving it.
"Please, in the future, if you have capacity, look after my son just a little. I would be eternally grateful!"
Lady Toki's eyes brimmed with tears. She'd resolved to die. Hiyori would be cared for by local samurai. The only one she couldn't feel at ease about was her son (?) arriving twenty years forward. That was an unknown era.
As a mother, she could only do everything within her power.
A mother's plea—no one could bear to refuse.
"I understand. If there's opportunity, I'll look after her a little."
Aus didn't make absolute promises.
Worst case, in future Punk Hazard and Dressrosa arcs, Aus would just tell Doffy not to make things too hard for the little girl.
After all, a useless brat.
Getting serious with trash just dragged you down to trash's level, right?
Aus's heart remained unmoved. But he still gave a dying mother one last kind promise.
Even this vague promise—practically empty—was immense comfort to someone facing death.
Kozuki Toki died.
Left behind words prophesying the future.
Aus changed nothing.
Or rather, never wanted to change anything.
He already knew the plot. Everything that happened couldn't affect his mood.
In this world, the strong laughed. The weak cried.
Aus didn't like this country. But he liked tourism and pleasure—especially in a nation with such strong servility.
"Dear guest, come play~"
Pleasure districts everywhere. Women in kimonos dressed seductively. Seeing such a generous young master, they competed to approach.
Aus was already a regular at these establishments. More familiar than home.
With money, you could do whatever you wanted.
"Bring ten! All at once for massage!"
Aus sampled exotic flavors. Extravagant spending drew every geisha's attention.
"What an idiot rich boy. Better squeeze him good..."
"Yeah, haven't seen such a rich fool in ages."
Upper floor. The madam and companion watched Aus looking like a stupid rich mark. Grinning wickedly in shadows.
The kind of thing Little Purple (Kozuki Hiyori) would do later—scheming to drain clients' money—had existed for ages.
Lure with beauty. Drain wealth. Kick them to the curb.
Aus walked into a private room with geisha in his arms.
Nothing lewd. Mainly listening to music and getting massages.
Plucking a biwa. Tokyo-flavored music drifted over. Aus enjoyed the massage without demanding too much.
This was an isolationist country. Ask for too many tricks, they couldn't pull them off anyway.
Hour or so later. Aus lay on the bed, hands behind his head, eyes closed, relaxed. Geisha who'd finished service had withdrawn.
Door opening sound. The madam walked in.
"Pardon the intrusion, my lord~"
Hearing this, Aus slowly opened his eyes. Looked at the scheming-faced madam.
"About time to settle the bill."
"Is that so? How much?"
Aus smiled. Asked casually.
"Combining all fees... about ten thousand platinum~"
"That expensive?"
From what he knew, platinum was already quite valuable currency in Wano.
Ten thousand platinum?
Could buy several houses in Flower Capital's center.
"But I don't have that much money. What should I do?"
Hearing this, the madam showed disbelief. Eyes turned shadowy. Looking at Aus's bearing, clothes, that casual tone ordering ten at once—didn't look poor at all.
Just didn't want to pay.
"Guest, please think carefully. We're a place that sells art, not bodies. If the Shogun's retainer samurai catch you, they can easily say you forced the geisha to sell their bodies. That counts as soliciting..."
Hearing this, Aus burst out laughing.
"If I don't pay, then it doesn't count as soliciting, right?"
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