The night had fallen deep over Kuri. The cicadas had gone quiet, and the only sounds that carried through the air were the distant barking of dogs and the creaking of wooden shutters as the people of the village shut themselves away in the safety of their homes. The holding cells stood cold and isolated, the moonlight spilling silver over the bars.
Mamoru sat cross-legged on the dirt floor outside the cage, Onimaru resting loyally by his side. Across from him, Gyomei Himajima leaned against the wooden wall of his prison, his massive frame hunched forward, eyes shadowed but trembling with raw emotion.
For hours, Gyomei had spoken. He poured out his heart like a dam finally broken how he had been branded a child killer, how he had lost everything about how he had turned him into a beast he couldnt recognize just to protect the ones he cared for . His voice cracked more than once, and the more he confessed, the more his hands shook as though he was lifting the weight of all his sins again.
When his words finally ran dry, his chest heaved as if he had been running a long distance. Tears streaked down his stone-carved face, glistening in the moonlight. He looked both emptied and crushed, like a man who had just offered up his soul only to remember it was worthless to the world.
Mamoru sat in silence for a moment, staring at him. Then, with a calmness that startled Gyomei, the boy bowed his head slightly and said softly:
"I'm sorry, Gyomei."
Gyomei blinked, stunned. He straightened, wiping his eyes roughly with the back of his hand, and asked, his voice hoarse:
"Why… why are you apologizing?"
Mamoru raised his gaze, his dark eyes steady and full of something Gyomei had not seen in years . Genuine gratitude.
"I am apologizing on behalf of the people of Wano," Mamoru said, his voice firm yet compassionate. "On behalf of those who persecuted you ,Who branded you a criminal when you were not, Who never gave you the chance to explain , for that injustice, Gyomei. I apologize."
The words pierced deeper than any blade. Gyomei's lips trembled, his mind reeling. Before he could form a response, Mamoru continued, his tone sharpening with sincerity:
"And thank you, Gyomei. Thank you for fighting for all those children who couldn't fight for themselves. Thank you for putting your life on the line so they could live theirs. Thank you, Gyomei. Even if it was one ,thank you , you did a remarkable job."
The silence that followed was unbearable. The words struck Gyomei's heart like a hammer, shattering years of silence and despair. He had waited… no, he had longed to hear them, even if he could never admit it.
His breath hitched. His chest constricted. He tried to swallow it down, tried to hold himself together, but the dam broke.
Tears poured freely, and a raw, guttural cry tore out of him.
"I-It… it was my pleasure," Gyomei wept, his voice breaking between sobs. "My pleasure… to fight for them…!"
He buried his face into his hands, the sobs coming violently, uncontrollably, shaking his massive body. For the first time since the night of that tragedy, he no longer felt alone . For the first time, someone had asked, what happened? For the first time, someone had listened and not judged.
And now, for the first time… someone had thanked him.
Mamoru sat still, but his eyes softened. Onimaru whined gently at his side, sensing the heaviness of the moment. Mamoru knew, without a doubt, that Gyomei was no monster. His instincts had been right this was a man with a strong sense of justice, misunderstood and abandoned by those who should have defended him.
The quiet moment shattered as footsteps approached. Lanterns swayed in the dark as three officials patrolling Kuri's streets spotted Mamoru.
"Oi, boy!" one of them called sharply. "It's late at night. What are you doing out here?"
Mamoru rose to his feet, brushing dirt from his clothes. Onimaru growled low at the strangers.
"I was listening to this mans side of the story," Mamoru replied
The officials exchanged confused glances before sneering.
"Waste of time. That man's a child killer. He should be executed, not entertained."
Mamoru's eyes flashed with anger.
"And how do you prove that?" he demanded.
The question caught the officials off guard. They stumbled, not expecting resistance.
"W...What do you mean, prove it? The child said so. Children are innocent and they don't lie."
Mamoru stepped forward, his voice rising with sharp conviction.
"No. Children are innocent, but that does not mean they cannot be mistaken or manipulated. Did you even ask what happened? Did you hear his story?"
The officials scoffed, but Mamoru pressed on, his voice unwavering as he repeated Gyomei's tale. The officials listened with impatient faces, but when Mamoru finished, they burst into laughter, shaking their heads.
"You'd believe a criminal's words over a innocent child's? Foolish."
Mamoru's fists clenched, fury coursing through him.
"I am the son of the Daimyo of Ringo," he snapped. "And I am a student of Lord Oden Kozuki himself. Do you think i would shame my father and teacher by lying ?"
The officials froze, eyes widening at the boy's declaration.
But even then, one of them muttered stubbornly:
"Regardless, this man must stand trial. He can plead his case there. You have no authority to ..."
"Then you leave me no choice," Mamoru cut him off.
His sword flashed in the moonlight. With a swift strike, he sliced clean through the wooden bars of the cell. The cage door splintered open with a crash.
"Gyomei," Mamoru said firmly, his voice carrying the weight of his conviction, "run."
Gyomei stared at him even though blind he could somehow see .
"…Very well," Gyomei whispered, before breaking into a sprint, his massive form vanishing into the night alongside Mamoru and Onimaru.
Behind them, the two officials shouted, scrambling in alarm.
Mamoru's voice rang out into the dark as they fled:
"Tell Lord Oden I'll explain myself when I see him!"
And with that, they disappeared into the shadows of the night.