Chapter 261: Toki's Confusion
"Yes, Vice-Captain!"
The crew immediately scattered, moving in small groups to search every corner of the island.
Several hours later—
"Report! Vice-Captain, we found no one on the island!"
The scouting team returned, delivering their findings.
"Then leave a few men here. The rest, come with me to report back!"
Barrett ordered.
Without hesitation, the group swiftly departed.
Charlotte had expected this outcome.
For the past month, Wano had been engulfed in war—a war that he himself had ignited.
After deciding to occupy Wano, Charlotte refused to allow any opposing forces to remain on the land.
His first action was the eradication of the samurai class.
With his command, Wano's samurai, daimyo, and generals suffered a devastating blow.
Some were slaughtered, while others fled into the mountains.
Still, Charlotte's forces were limited—he only had around five hundred elite fighters.
He had to wait for Wolfe's arrival before finishing the job.
By his estimation, Wolfe should be arriving soon.
Once that happened, Charlotte could continue his journey.
But if anyone had suffered the most misfortune—it was Kurozumi Orochi.
The newly crowned shogun of Wano had barely warmed his seat before everything crumbled.
The Flower Capital, Wano's most prosperous city, had been reduced to ruins.
Now, hunted by Charlotte's forces, Orochi had escaped into the mountains, barely clinging to life.
His hatred for Charlotte was indescribable.
A month ago, he had learned the identity of Wano's invader—
A powerful figure from the outside world.
A man who had slain Kaido.
A man so unmatched that no one could withstand a single strike from his sword.
Orochi knew he couldn't win.
So he endured—running, hiding, and living like a wild animal.
At the very least, he had managed to survive—which was more than most daimyos could say.
The daimyo who had sheltered him, Shimotsuki Ushimaru, had been crushed to death by a five-meter-tall giant's punch.
One after another, the remaining daimyos had been exterminated.
Now, of Wano's five great clans, only the Kurozumi family remained—hiding like rats.
Orochi didn't know how much longer he could last.
---
A Month Later
The volcanic eruption's aftermath was beginning to fade.
The thick volcanic ash in the sky had started to dissipate.
The lava flow had ceased.
After a month of darkness, a ray of sunlight finally pierced through the gloom.
For the first time in weeks, the people of Wano saw the sky again.
Sunlight bathed the ruined land.
The sight of endless destruction was overwhelming.
Many survivors fell to their knees, powerless.
Wano was gone.
Utterly destroyed.
Lava had consumed everything.
The once-sacred mountain had erupted, spewing molten destruction across the land.
The thriving heart of Wano was buried beneath an ocean of fire.
Two-thirds of the country had been reduced to rubble.
The survivors wept in silence.
Some mourned lost loved ones—others grieved for their homeland.
The eruption had been sudden, giving no time to prepare.
Countless people had perished.
The few who survived could do nothing but cry.
Charlotte stood atop a mountain in Udon, watching it all unfold.
His heart was calm.
Beside him, Toki walked forward, gazing at him with complicated emotions.
This man had brought her to Wano.
But within a single day, Wano had been destroyed.
Toki couldn't understand it.
Charlotte noticed her intense gaze and turned to face her.
For the past month, she had been avoiding him.
Now, she had come to seek him out.
That was rare.
Charlotte coughed lightly, feeling slightly guilty.
Clearing his throat, he forced himself forward.
"Uhh… Miss Toki, well… Wano was destroyed because of an accident. Do you still want to stay here?"
Toki clenched her hands together, looking at him.
She could hardly believe what she was hearing.
Wano is in ruins… Why would I stay here? To breathe in ash?
The thought alone made her feel helpless.
Tears welled in her eyes.
Her large teardrops began to fall.
"I… I have no home anymore!"
Toki sobbed.
"Ah! Uh… this… this…!"
Charlotte panicked.
He hated seeing people cry—especially women.
If it were a man, he would have cut him down on the spot.
A grown man crying like a child was pathetic.
But in front of him was a delicate woman.
This completely threw him off.
"Uh… How about this?"
Charlotte hesitated, then placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Come with me. My ship is big… and my bed is even bigger!"
He smiled, pretending to be concerned.
If Elena saw this, she would have rolled her eyes.
That scoundrel is at it again, seducing another girl!
"Thank you."
Toki whispered, not even noticing his hand on her shoulder.
Her heart was still filled with sorrow.
She had traveled through time—800 years into the future—
All for the sake of witnessing Wano's grand opening.
But now—
Wano was gone.
Why had she even come here?
She needed to leave.
Charlotte sighed in relief.
He turned back to gaze at the devastated land.
Beside him, Toki watched, her expression full of sorrow.
"Wano is finished."
She murmured, staring at the wreckage.
Charlotte glanced at her curiously.
He hadn't expected her to say that.
"Yeah… I guess you could say that."
He nodded.
Toki looked at him.
"Charlotte… Do you know why I came to Wano?"
She asked.
Charlotte turned to her, raising an eyebrow.
Then he shook his head.
Toki took a deep breath.
"I am not from this time.
To be precise—I am not from this era. I came from 800 years ago."
She said, looking out over Wano's ruins.
Charlotte remained silent.
"I had a dream."
"I wanted to see Wano's great opening with my own eyes.
So I left my time, traveling through history—hoping to witness that moment.
But now, Wano has been destroyed by you.
I don't know if I should hate you… or thank you."
Toki turned to look at him.
Her eyes were conflicted.
Charlotte met her gaze, saying nothing.
The two stared at each other for a long moment.
Then—
Charlotte suddenly wrapped an arm around her waist.
"Since your dream is over… Why not start a new one?"
He whispered, tilting her face up toward his.
---
Read up to 20 Chapters ahead on patreon.com/Fanglin
[Please leave a 5 Star review and power stone for this novel]
*Thank you*