Return Again

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The night after the battle that shook Wano, Lucas returned to Kuri Castle to recuperate.

When he had returned, his whole body was soaked with blood and various cuts and bruises appeared on his body. Kinnemon and the rest were surprised that he was still able to stand at all!

A few days ago when they had learned that Kaido was battling someone, they ran over to take a look.

At first, they thought they could at least help the person fighting Kaido but seeing the two battle...they all realized that they didn't have any power to intervene or assist at all!

Lucas also saw them try to help but the fight had reached a crucial point, if Kinnemon and the rest had joined, they wouldn't be able to help but rather become a liability instead!

In fact, most of his earlier injuries were gotten from him trying to protect the others from the clashes of their fight.

He shouted at them to get back to Kuri and protect Toki instead.

Kinnemon and the rest felt irritated that they could not help, but they all realized that being here will only hurt Lucas so they all retreated.

Like that, they had been anxiously waiting in the castle for the outcome of the battle.

When Lucas did return and they saw his injuries, they can't help but be ashamed of themselves as they felt that this was their fault.

"Akaoni-sama!"

Kinnemon and the rest rushed towards Lucas to assist him.

Toki quickly hid Momonosuke and Hiyori behind her so as to not let them see the bloody sight. Still, she wasn't exactly a big person. The two kids were still able to see Lucas' image and this image was burned in their memories.

Lucas coughed up blood and fell on his knee.

"Cough! D-don't mind me...these will heal soon. Just patch me up!"

"Lu-...Akaoni-san!? Are you perhaps...still thinking of going back!?"

Toki asked when he heard what Lucas said.

Lucas just chuckled as he sat down to take a breather.

"The battle's not done. Right now, we are both heavily injured so we're both recuperating in this period of time...the next round is coming soon."

Seeing Lucas take a bandage and simply wrap it around his wounds without care, Toki bit her lower lip and shouted.

"Everyone leave!"

"B-but Lady Toki-!"

"I said leave!"

"...Understood."

Kinnemon and the others looked at each other before quietly leaving. The only ones in the room now were Lucas, Toki, Momonosuke, and Hiyori.

When the others had left, Lucas checked again with his Observation Haki to make sure no one was nearby before removing his mask which was already a bit broken.

"...What is it? If you're gonna say something to stop me from fighting, forget it."

"...Why are you doing this…!?"

Lucas sighed and continued bandaging himself while speaking.

"I told you, I made a promise to Oden. I don't break my promises."

"But look at you! At this rate, you're going to die!"

"Well, you see, I already tried dying. Didn't really work out. Besides...I just learned from Orochi that there's a traitor among Oden's retainers...I don't know who yet though, but don't worry, I'll find out."

Lucas laughed as if he didn't really care what happens to him. Maybe a bit of him just wanted to look for an excuse to die rather than accept the fact that he can't return back to his time anymore other than waiting for 26 long years…

Or maybe a bit of him thinks that if he dies, he will simply wake up in his own time again…

Toki bit her lip again when she saw that Lucas isn't taking his life seriously.

Finally, she grabbed his hand.

Lucas thought that she just wanted to stop him from bandaging himself and pay attention to her instead.

He sighed and was about to speak again when he saw Toki's hand started to glow.

"...Toki, what are you doing…?"

"...I'm sorry, Lucas...I lied."

"W-what...are you saying…!?"

A thought appeared in Lucas' mind and his face immediately paled.

Still, he continued to ask Toki, seemingly afraid that what he thought was true.

"Toki! Stop it! What are you doing!?"

"Sorry, Lucas...I thought I can make you stay a bit longer...and help us fight against Orochi...I was wrong."

Tears started to appear at the corner of Toki's eyes as she smiled.

"I'm sorry...I tried to use you...but seeing you like this...I can't do this anymore…"

"Toki! Don't do this! It's fine, okay!? Just...just stop it! Please!"

Lucas tried to break free from Toki's grasp but it was as if there was this strange power that's holding him in place! He can't even turn into water as well!

"Goodbye, Lucas...may you live well...in your time."

"TOKI!!! DON'T-...!!!"

…

A blinding light exploded in the room which caused Kinnemon and the others to return to the room only to see Toki hugging the crying Momonosuke and Hiyori. As for Lucas...he was gone.

All that was left was the broken demon mask on the ground…

A few days later, Kaido had continued to wait for the Red Demon to reappear...but strangely enough, it was as if he had disappeared into thin air and not a trace of him could be seen in the entire Wano.

Orochi was convinced that the Red Demon had either fled or bled himself to death. Either way, he grew more arrogant with one less powerful enemy in the way.

He even sent some ninjas to attack Kuri again to probe if the Red Demon was still alive. In the end, the ninjas were able to even injure Toki's leg before Kinnemon and the rest had intervened.

This practically concluded that the Red Demon is gone!

More days passed, the day Oden returned finally arrived.

Inside the Kuri castle, Oden asked Toki after having the other leave for a moment.

"Where's Lucas? How come I haven't seen him?"

"...I returned him back to his time."

"Hm? Ah, I see. Haha, good for him! He's always been meaning to go back!"

"Un...it's for the best."

Toki smiled as well and chose to hide the truth from Oden. This didn't last long, however, when Oden learned what happened in his absence from Kinnemon and the rest and the fact that Toki was even injured.

When he heard that Lucas had almost died battling Kaido to protect his family, he was angered to the point that he jumped out the window and ran straight to Orochi!

While events continued to unfold in Wano, a certain white-haired man was busy being tossed around in space and time.

After Toki had used her powers on Lucas, Lucas found himself in some sort of dimensional tunnel. There was this strange pull on his body, seemingly guiding him to the other end of the tunnel.

Was it because he was conscious this time? Last time he had traveled in time, he did not see this place at all.

Lucas tried to move around in an attempt to go back but there was no use.

Suddenly, as if there was some sort of invisible hand grabbing him, he was forced to make a turn!

However, this was supposed to be a straight path! If he turns…

*BAM*

Lucas felt a sudden force hit his whole body and the strange pull guiding him before was gone. It was as if he was now...free falling through space and time!

"DAMMIT! WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ONNNNNNnnnnnnnnnnn!!!???"

…

Grand Line. On a certain sea bed.

A rather large female shark mermaid wearing a hood swam and saw a flash of light appear behind the corals.

Once she reached the place, she saw an unconscious white-haired human lying on the sea ground.

Strangely enough, this man appeared to be breathing properly.

The shark mermaid tilted her head in confusion.

"Is he a fishman?"

But he didn't seem to have webbed fingers or fins.

In any case, she still decided to help out the man as she carried him back to her place.

When the mermaids of the Mermaid Cafe saw her carrying a man, they flocked around to gossip.

"Wow! What is this!? Madam Shyarly brought home a man!"

"A human man!"

"Hehehe."

Shyarly rolled her eyes and tossed the man to the mermaids.

"I found him outside unconscious. He doesn't seem to be human since he could breathe underwater. Anyway, let him rest in one of the empty rooms."

"Kaay~"

The mermaids giggled while carrying the man. If Lucas was awake, no doubt he would've found himself surrounded by the soft bodies of beautiful mermaids. Alas, he will never know now.

Time passed, Lucas finally woke up with a groan as he held his head in pain.

"Ughh...I am never doing that again...Where am I?"

Lucas looked around and saw that he was inside some sort of room.

Did I accidentally appear in someone else's house?

While thinking that, someone appeared from the door. Lucas recognized her and he immediately knew where he was.

The only problem now is…'when' he is…

"You're awake."

"...I am. Thank you for uhh...saving me? I guess?"

Lucas sighed at how much he has been waking up in strange places lately.

He even had a dream where he woke up in a certain Disney movie…but that was just a dream...right?

Looking at the person...or rather, the mermaid in front of him, Lucas looked around the room again and asked.

"I take it I'm at...Fishman Island?"

"Yes. Were you not expecting to be here?"

"Well...I guess you can say that."

Lucas smiled wryly and chose not to speak anymore. In any case, he needs to assess the situation right now.

"Um, this is gonna sound weird but...do you perhaps know when the war in Marineford happened or...did it...not happen...yet?"

The mermaid raised an eyebrow as she puffed some smoke from her pipe.

"Are you talking about that big war that happened on the surface? From what I recall, that happened about...2 years ago?"

2 years!

Hearing what she said, Lucas sighed and fell in deep thought.

It seems...that Toki did send him back to his time...only, why did it have to be 2 years later!? Was it because of that weird pull that knocked me off the weird tunnel?

And why in Fishman Island!?

Lucas ruffled his hair with all the questions in his mind. Unfortunately, no one was able to answer these questions…

Sighing again, he looked back at the mermaid in front of him.

This mermaid wore a hood and had short dark hair. Her figure is also quite big for an average mermaid...or human for that matter.

The fortune-telling mermaid, Shyarly…

Shyarly looked at Lucas with a raised eyebrow again and asked.

"You alright?"

"...I'm fine, anyway, I'll recover from these wounds soon."

"What wounds?"

"Hm? What do you mean what wounds? I meant these-...!?"

It was only at this moment that Lucas found that his entire body was...completely fine!

There were no injuries or scars...everything was fine.

Weird...I was heavily injured from my fight with Kaido...how could…!? Was it the ocean? What, am I Percy Jackson?

Despite thinking of these, when he remembered Kaido once again, he can't help but be anxious to know what had happened to Wano.

He wanted to go to the New World to check but...if 2 years had passed since the war, then everyone else must be gathering already.

Lucas thought.

I just don't know if they had been to Fishman island already or are they just about to arrive?

Thinking this, Lucas asked Shyarly again.

"By any chance, have you seen a man wearing a straw hat around here?"

"Not really."

"Hmm…"

So they haven't gotten here yet.

Luffy and the rest are quite noisy, it would be impossible to not know they were here if they did arrive.

Shyarly kept quiet the whole time as she looked at Lucas, seemingly in deep thought of her own.

Finally, she asked him.

"So are you gonna tell me who you are or...are you just gonna keep asking these weird questions?"

"Ah! Sorry about that. I am...err...just call me Luke...for now."

Lucas thought for a bit before deciding not to tell her his name. After all, he has no idea what sort of news the marines have been passing around or what revealing his identity would cause. It was better to be safe for now.

"..Well, whatever. Around here, they call me Madame Shyarly."

"Ah, once again, thanks for taking care of me, Shyarly."

Lucas did a slight bow while still sitting on the bed which made Shyarly irritated.

"Did you hear what I said?"

"Oh, sorry. I assumed you meant only those from around here call you Madame. I'm not really from around here…"

"..."

"Ahem, anyway. I should be on my way...it's dangerous if people see me here."

"Dangerous?"

"I'm a pirate."

"Ah, I see. So?"

"..."

Seeing Shyarly's lack of care, Lucas' face twitched.

"Haa...do you honestly want a dangerous pirate to stay here with you?"

Shyarly let out a teasing smile and approached closer.

She took the pipe from her mouth and used it to lift Lucas' chin up, forcing him to look at her in the eyes.

"And what are you going to do to me, dangerous pirate?"

"..."

Lucas wasn't really intimidated as he had already dealt with the likes of Roger, Whitebeard, and Kaido, but there was just no way he would lay his hands on her without any reason…

Plus, he isn't clear what happened to him after the time jump so he felt like he owed her something...

What was he meant to do? Push her down?

…Well, not like that's impossible...anyway! I'm already a father! I should stop these frivolous thoughts!

Lucas shook the thought out of his head and just retreated strategically.

"What do you want then? As long as I have it, it's yours. As long as it doesn't break my moral code, I'll do anything. Just out with it!"

"Fufu, anything?"

Shyarly smiled sweetly but to Lucas, she just appeared like a demon collecting on her debt…

Lucas hesitated before nodding.

In his mind, he's thinking that if it's too excessive, he'll just escape! To hell with his dignity!

"Good! You are now the new bodyguard of my Mermaid Cafe!"

"...Hah?"

Lucas' mouth went agape as he heard the ridiculous order.

"H-hold on a minute here! I just told you I'm a pirate! How can you just trust me with a job like that so easily!?"

Shyarly didn't mind him shouting as she calmly answered while puffing a smoke.

"I saw the mark behind you."

Mark? Is she referring to my tattoos?

Back in Wano, he did ask for a tattoo on his back to mark his adventures in the past.

On his back were four pirate skulls and one other logo. They were all arranged in a similar fashion as the logo of the World Government.

On the center was the skull mark of the Straw Hat Pirates.

Above it was his own mark, the Guardian Wing...or was it called the Sea Reaper Pirates now?

On the right was Roger's own skull mark while on the left was Whitebeard's skull mark.

As for the one below...it was the logo of the Kozuki family. Toki had insisted that he had the right to carry that mark as well as he had become the Godfather of Hiyori and the fact that he had exchanged saki with Oden one time.

Lucas tried to tell her that they were just having a drink and it wasn't the ceremony of sworn brothers but she still insisted. When he kept refusing, she used the ultimate weapon called Hiyori to defeat him!

Remembering Hiyori's crying face, Lucas felt even more anxious to look for them in Wano. But right now, his best bet was to wait for Luffy and the rest and sail with them.

He could just go there himself but...if he did that, not only would he not see his child, he would also feel as if Toki sending him back here would be wasted.

While Lucas thought about these, he was even more confused by what Shyarly said.

"Which mark are you referring to?"

"Uncle Roger's pirate flag of course!"

"..."

Roger...just what did you do here!?

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AN: Aaaand we're back! To the present!

Lucas will meet the Strawhats again soon! Probably the next chapter or the one after that.

I'm gonna end this one here and continue writing tomorrow. For now, I'll write the next chap of Reborn as Batman's Little Brother.

See ya in the next chap!