Back aboard the Scarlett...
Blip! ⚡️
Noah and Nyx appeared on the deck in a flash of light.
The cabin door swung open almost immediately.
Emma, Amy, Alice, Airi, and Kiru stepped outside.
Emma folded her arms and stared at Noah.
"Noah..."
"You have a lot of explaining to do."
Noah rubbed the back of his neck with an awkward laugh.
"Yeah... I figured."
"We'll explain everything."
"But first..."
He turned to Kiru.
"I think it's time."
"Tell everyone the truth."
"The truth about this island..."
"...and your ancestors."
Kiru looked around at everyone's faces.
After a long silence, he gave a small nod.
"...Alright."
Nyx snapped her fingers.
A dark barrier spread across the Scarlett, forming a giant dome around the ship.
"It'll stop anyone from listening in," she said.
Emma looked up at the barrier.
"...That's useful."
Nyx grinned proudly.
"I know."
Kiru slowly sat on the deck and let out a deep breath.
"What I'm about to tell you..."
"...is the truth."
"It may sound impossible..."
"...but every word is real."
No one interrupted him.
Only the gentle sound of waves crashing against the ship filled the silence.
"More than one hundred years ago..."
"...eight close friends left the land of Wano."
"They had heard legends of a hidden City of Gold somewhere across the sea."
"They dreamed of finding it together."
"Their names were..."
"Kairo."
"Una."
"Gaius."
"Oria."
"Raizen."
"Aster."
"Nyron."
"And Elara."
"They sailed for months."
"They crossed violent storms."
"They fought Sea Kings."
"They nearly starved more than once."
"But instead of finding the City of Gold..."
"...they lost their way."
"The sea carried them to an unknown island."
A faint smile appeared on Kiru's face.
"The island was beautiful..."
"...but it wasn't empty."
"It was filled with ghost-like monsters."
"They attacked day and night."
"The eight friends nearly lost their lives many times."
"But together..."
"...they defeated every last one."
"They freed the island."
Alice smiled.
"So they became heroes."
"In a way," Kiru replied.
"After the fighting ended, they planned to return to Wano."
"But one evening..."
"They sat around a campfire."
"They looked at everything they had built together."
"Kairo suddenly stood up."
He smiled at his friends.
"Why go back?"
"Why don't we build our own country?"
"A place where everyone can live freely."
The group fell silent.
Then Una laughed.
"You're crazy..."
She looked around the island before smiling.
"...I like that idea."
One by one...
The others agreed.
"But then Oria asked..."
"If this is going to be our home..."
"What should we call it?"
They thought for a while.
Then Elara smiled.
"Let's use the first letter of each of our names."
Kairo.
Una.
Gaius.
Oria.
Gaizen.
Aster.
Nyron.
Elara.
"K..."
"U..."
"G..."
"O..."
"G..."
"A..."
"N..."
"E..."
"Kurogane."
"And from that day forward..."
"...the island became known as..."
Kurogane Isle.
A small smile appeared on Noah's face.
"That's actually a nice story."
Kiru nodded.
"It was."
"Kairo became the first king."
"Una became the first queen."
"The others became ministers, builders, teachers, and protectors."
"They never ruled for power."
"They ruled because someone had to protect the people."
As the years passed...
Travelers discovered Kurogane.
Merchants settled there.
Blacksmiths built their forges.
Doctors opened clinics.
Carpenters built homes.
Families grew.
Children filled the streets with laughter.
The once-empty island became a thriving nation.
People came from every corner of the sea.
Some escaped war.
Some escaped hunger.
Others simply wanted a new beginning.
No one was ever turned away.
"If someone needed a home..."
"Kairo welcomed them."
"If someone was hungry..."
"Una made sure they were fed."
Emma smiled softly.
"They sound like wonderful rulers."
"They were," Kiru said quietly.
"My grandmother always told us..."
"Back then..."
"No one locked their doors."
His smile slowly faded.
"But that peace..."
"...didn't last."
One day...
A pirate ship appeared on the horizon.
Its black sails covered the sky.
Its flag bore the image of a wolf's skull.
"The captain called himself..."
Black Fang.
"He arrived with hundreds of pirates."
"They marched into the city without permission."
"Kairo welcomed them."
"He believed they were travelers."
"But Black Fang only laughed."
Kiru's voice grew heavier.
"From this day onward..."
"This island belongs to me."
Kairo stepped forward.
"No."
"This island belongs to its people."
Black Fang smiled.
"Then every person here will pay me taxes..."
"...if they wish to keep breathing."
Amy clenched her fists.
"What a monster..."
"The founders refused."
"So..."
"They fought."
Kiru closed his eyes.
"They fought with everything they had."
"Gaius fell first..."
"...while protecting a group of children."
"Oria died defending the city gates."
"Nyron stayed behind so the others could escape."
"Aster fought until both of his swords shattered."
"Gaizen never stopped smiling..."
"...even as he took his final breath."
Alice lowered her head.
"...They all died?"
Kiru slowly nodded.
"One by one..."
"...they all fell."
"The last people still standing..."
"...were King Kairo..."
"...and Queen Una."
Silence covered the deck.
"Kairo looked around."
"The streets were stained with blood."
"The city he built..."
"...was burning."
"He knew..."
"If he kept fighting..."
"...everyone else would die."
"So..."
"He let go of his sword."
Emma's eyes widened.
"...He surrendered."
"Yes."
"Kairo knelt before Black Fang."
Kiru's voice trembled.
"Take my crown..."
"Take my throne..."
"Take everything..."
"...but please..."
"...spare my people."
Black Fang laughed.
He took the crown...
...and placed it on his own head.
"Very well."
"From this day onward..."
"I am the King of Kurogane."
"Kairo and Una lost everything."
"The palace."
"The army."
"The throne."
"They became ordinary people."
"But..."
"They survived."
"They married."
"They had children."
"Those children became our grandparents."
"Our grandparents had children..."
"...who became our parents."
"And then..."
Kiru lowered his head.
"...Airi and I were born."
Airi quietly reached over and held his hand.
Kiru smiled sadly.
"Our grandmother raised us."
"Every night, she told us stories."
"She always said..."
"Never hate the founders."
"They didn't lose because they were weak."
"They lost because they loved their people more than themselves."
A tear rolled down Airi's cheek.
"Grandma believed..."
"...that one day..."
"...Kurogane would be free again."
Kiru's voice cracked.
"But she died before she could see it."
"Our parents..."
"...weren't as fortunate."
He clenched his fists.
"When Black Fang grew old..."
"...his son took the throne."
"But he also inherited something far more dangerous..."
"...his father's Devil Fruit ability."
"From that day forward, the Black Fang bloodline continued to rule Kurogane."
"Our parents joined a rebellion."
"They wanted to protect us."
"They never came home."
Airi wiped away her tears.
"I still remember waiting outside..."
"...thinking they'd walk through the door."
"They never did."
Silence filled the deck.
Even the wind seemed to stop.
Noah slowly stood.
His eyes were calm...
...but filled with unwavering resolve.
"So that's why..."
"...you refuse to leave."
Kiru nodded.
"This island is all we have."
"If we run away..."
"...then everyone who died..."
"...died for nothing."
Noah looked toward the distant shores of Kurogane.
Then he looked back at Kiru.
"I understand."
Emma quietly watched him.
She knew that look.
Noah had already made his decision.