Gyomei Himejima had always known loneliness.
For as long as he could remember, the mountains of Atayama were both his refuge and his prison. He had been born different, cursed with blindness in a world where sight meant survival. Abandoned early, he had learned to listen to the world in ways others never could, the rustle of pine leaves in the wind, the distant rush of streams, the footfalls of deer across fallen needles. He was blind yet he saw everything.
And then came the children.
Orphans, like him ,cast aside in the chaos of Wano's slow decay. Ever since Orochi's schemes and Kaido's forces began spreading across the land, villages were burned, families were slaughtered, and children were left wandering alone, crying for parents who would never return.
Gyomei took them in. One by one, until the quiet Mountains of Atayama was filled with laughter, quarrels, and the tiny patter of bare feet. He became their elder brother, their protector. His hands, once empty, now fed many mouths. His ears, once tuned to silence, now cherished their chatter.
He called them his little siblings.
The Night It Happened
It was on a night like any other except for one boy who wandered a step too far.
A boy, curious and restless, strayed down the slope of Atayama, chasing after a firefly. He never returned.
Instead, he stumbled into the hands of pirates Beast Pirates. Among them was one who carried himself with a pride that even Gyomei, far away in the mountains, would later feel like a shadow over their lives,Sasaki.
At the time, just a cruel warrior rising in Kaido's crew, but one destined to become a future Tobiroppo.
The boy begged. Sasaki smirked.
"If you can lead us to the others, I'll let you go," the pirate said. His voice was smooth, mocking.
The child hesitated but fear does cruel things to innocence. And when the boy saw the gleam of the sword at Sasaki's hip, his heart cracked. He nodded.
But fate twisted in another way. A subordinate came rushing up, panting, delivering news that Kaido was calling for Sasaki.
"A supernova's appeared in Ringo," the man said. "Gecko Moria he's challenging the commander!"
The name carried weight, even among Kaido's forces. Sasaki clicked his tongue, clearly intrigued. He had no time for orphans. With a casual wave of his hand, he turned away.
"Handle it. Kill them all ,I'll be back."
And with that, he vanished into the night, leaving the boy to lead a pack of laughing subordinates up the mountain path.
The boy led them to the house. His little feet shook, but he walked. He told himself he would be spared. That Sasaki's word meant something.
Inside, Gyomei was tending the hearth. The children were already asleep, curled up under worn blankets. The boy returned first, pale and trembling. Gyomei rushed to him, concern written in every movement.
And then came the sound of footsteps. Heavy , Many.
The walls shook as the door was kicked in. Pirates spilled inside, reeking of sake and blood.
Steel clashed. Screams filled the night.
"Stay behind me!" Gyomei roared, his deep voice thundering through the room. His hands, massive and scarred, curled into fists. Blind though he saw every intruder , he felt every motion and every intent , every breath of the intruders. He struck, breaking bones with raw force, crushing skulls against the packed dirt floor. It was the 1st time he used his hands like this , it was sickening.
But the children… they did not listen.
Terrified, they scattered. Some bolted through the door. Others squeezed through gaps in the walls. Gyomei reached out, screaming for them to stay, to trust him, to let him protect them , to trust him.
And then the night was shredded with cries that would never leave his memory.
"Haaa " The cries of children rang
"Gyomei please save me big brother " A voice of one child rang out as his life was snuffed away followed by cruel laughter.
"Stop this!!!" Gyomei's pained voice rang out
One by one, their small voices were silenced. Cut down by steel.
All but one.
The Struggle Until Dawn
Blood soaked the earth , Gyomei's fists became weapons, his body a wall. He fought like a man possessed, grappling pirates, slamming them into the floor, trying to choke the life out of them with a strength that seemed inhuman.
When he couldnt , he beat them down. He could hear ribs breaking, hear the splatter of blood on the ground. His heart pounded, his body screamed but he did not stop.
The remaining pirate's,were stunned by his ferocity, it was like they encountered a demon in human form . By dawn most of them were beaten badly only one dead . The rest, terrified, gathered their wounded and dead and fled down the mountain.
The silence that followed was worse than the screams.
In the house, there was only Gyomei and one small girl.
She trembled in the corner, her face pale, her eyes wide with horror. She looked at him not as savior, not as brother but as monster. His hands dripped crimson, his chest heaved, his body loomed massive and terrible against the dawn light.
Her gaze pierced him deeper than any blade.