After Garling left, the rest of the voyage was surprisingly calm.
There were no Sea King attacks or extreme weather, and the ship moved quickly along the ocean current.
Finally, on the morning of the second day, a lush green island appeared on the horizon.
Eru Island.
In this turbulent era, with order collapsing and war spreading across the world, this isolated island had somehow preserved a rare sense of peace and ordinary life. The pier was crowded, not with panicked refugees, but with people loudly bargaining with merchants.
With a harsh grinding sound from the chain, the heavy iron anchor struck the water and sank toward the seabed.
The ship jolted slightly, finally bringing their dangerous voyage to an end as it came to a steady stop beside the pier.
"We're finally on land!"
Cheers immediately erupted across the deck.
The lookout slid down the mast like a monkey and excitedly kissed the deck. The rest of the crew could not wait to jump onto the pier and enjoy the solid feeling of having firm ground beneath their feet again.
Captain Banks directed everyone to lower the sails and secure the mooring ropes. When the heavy gangplank struck the pier with a loud bang, the unique activity of the port surrounded them at once—the cries of fishmongers, the noise from busy taverns, and the smell of roasted meat carried by the sea breeze. It swept away the last of the gloom hanging over everyone.
Captain Banks stretched until his bones cracked. He looked at Aiden and Lily, who were packing their belongings, raised his large hand, and called out loudly:
"Since we're already here, let's not rush to part ways. Come on! Before we split up, we have to visit the best tavern on the island and have a drink!"
"The captain is paying!"
Amid the cheers, Aiden and Lily were surrounded by the enthusiastic crew and practically carried off the ship with them.
...
The farewell meal was incredibly enjoyable.
Eru Island's rum lived up to its reputation, combining a strong kick with a unique sweet aftertaste. The joy of surviving the dangerous voyage mixed with the sadness of parting, causing everyone to eat and drink without holding back.
By the time they had eaten and drunk their fill, the sky was already growing dark.
The group staggered along the road leading back to the pier.
Banks was clearly drunk. He swayed with every step, but he still held tightly to a bottle of high-quality liquor he had just purchased from the tavern owner.
"Hic..."
Banks let out a drunken hiccup. His eyes were slightly unfocused from the alcohol as he looked at Aiden and Lily beside him. After thinking for a moment, he asked:
"Are you really not coming with us?"
"Even though we agreed that this island would be your destination, I can tell that this isn't the place you truly want to reach, right?"
He slapped his chest hard. Although his body continued swaying, he spoke with complete confidence:
"We're wandering around anyway. We don't have anywhere else we need to be, so it doesn't matter if we take you to your real destination along the way."
"Don't worry about the ship. This old friend might look a little battered, but it's a veteran vessel that crossed the legendary and deadly Death Corridor with us! No matter how dangerous the waters ahead are or where you want to go, I'm confident that I can get you there safely!"
"We really don't need you to, Banks."
Lily shook her head, her voice weighed down by concern:
"The path ahead is too dangerous. You've already helped us a great deal. There's no reason for you to become involved in an even more dangerous situation."
She stopped walking and looked toward the southeastern sky. Confusion and unease appeared in her eyes.
Truthfully, she was not as confident about the country they were heading toward as she tried to appear.
She had never met the people who lived there. In fact, until recently, she had been a member of the Twenty-Nation Alliance and had stood against that country. In their eyes, she was an enemy. Would they accept a queen from the opposing side? Would that legendary, isolated country, known for rejecting outsiders, draw its swords the moment they saw her?
Going there was certain to be an enormous gamble filled with uncertainty.
Lily turned and looked at Banks and the simple, cheerful crew surrounding him, taking in the open smiles on their faces.
They were free pirates, and they were happy. They should sail their ship, spread the song "Binks' Sake" to every corner of the world, and comfort the people wounded by the flames of war. They should not follow a fugitive with an uncertain future and risk their lives in a place they knew nothing about.
Thinking about that, Lily gave them a soft
"You've already done me the greatest favor possible. Truly."
After hearing her words, Banks fell silent.
Seeing that Lily had made up her mind, Banks was not the kind of person who would continue arguing pointlessly.
"Alright! If that's what you want, I won't force you!"
Banks laughed loudly, easing some of the tension surrounding them.
He pushed the bottle he was holding into Aiden's arms:
"Take it! I just bought this from the tavern owner. They say it's a young wine made from Eru Island's special red grapes! It might taste a little strong now, but the longer you keep it, the richer it will become!"
Aiden held the bottle, which was still slightly warm from Banks carrying it against his body, and paused.
"For me?"
"Of course!"
Banks struck Aiden's shoulder hard enough to make him sway slightly.
He then looked at Aiden with an unusually serious expression:
"I know you're incredibly strong. Compared to someone like you, someone who will probably make a name for himself across this sea, we might only be a group of small fry."
"But I don't care how strong you are or who you really are!"
Banks grinned widely, his voice filled with his usual optimism and hope for the future:
"We drank together, so you're my friend! Friends on this sea don't care about titles, status, or any of that pointless nonsense!"
"Even though we're going our separate ways this time, the world is enormous. As long as we continue sailing, we'll meet again someday!"
"Keep this bottle of wine safe. Don't drink it yet! When we meet again, we'll drink until neither of us can stand!"
Looking at Banks's hopeful smile, Aiden felt his chest tighten as an emotion he could not easily describe rose inside him.
Meet again?
In Banks's mind, this was only an ordinary farewell. Perhaps in three years, perhaps in five, as long as they both continued sailing, they would meet again somewhere on the sea.
But Aiden knew the truth very well.
This was their final goodbye.
A full eight hundred years stood between them.
By the time Aiden returned to his own era, the man laughing boldly in front of him would have been dead for centuries. Even his name might no longer exist anywhere in history.
This bottle of wine was destined to become a promise that could never be fulfilled.
"...Alright."
Aiden took a deep breath. His fingers moved across the rough surface of the bottle before he carefully placed it inside his coat:
"I'll keep this bottle of wine safe for you. I'll hold onto it until... that time."
"Hahahaha! Then it's a promise!"
The setting sun painted the sea in brilliant shades of gold and red.
"Take care! Make sure you stay alive so we can meet again!"
"We'll drink together the next time we meet!"
After fully restocking their supplies, the Fine Wine Pirates raised the sail bearing their twin-wineglass emblem and slowly departed from the pier.
Banks stood at the bow, loudly beating his worn tambourine.
"Yo-hohoho... Yo-hohoho..."
His rough, powerful singing drifted back with the sea breeze. It was "Binks' Sake."
Only this time, the song was not being used to celebrate a banquet, but to send off friends.
Lily stood on the pier and watched the ship shrink into a small black shape until it completely disappeared over the horizon. Only then did she slowly turn away.
Aiden did not look back from beginning to end.
He kept his back to the sea, raised his right hand high, and waved with all his strength.
He did not dare to turn around.
He was afraid that if he looked back and saw Banks still laughing even as the ship sailed toward an uncertain future, he might lose control and tell him the cruel truth—
This farewell would last forever.
As a time traveler from eight hundred years in the future, Aiden knew better than most people how tragically the Void Century would end.
In the history books of the future, there was no one named Banks and no record of the Wine Pirates.
Even the world had long forgotten who first created the song "Binks' Sake."
People remembered only the name Binks, never knowing that there had once been a man named Banks who spread this song across the sea during that turbulent era and brought comfort to countless people.
The Fine Wine Pirates would most likely disappear during the enormous war consuming the world, leaving behind no written record and perhaps not even a grave.
That was the cruelty of history.
It remembered the victories and defeats of kings, but forgot the joys and sorrows of ordinary people.
The sea breeze carried away the last trace of the melody, leaving behind only the lonely sound of waves striking the rocks.
Aiden lowered his hand, took a deep breath, and forced himself to control the complicated emotions inside him.
"Goodbye, Banks."
He thought the words silently, saying farewell not only to Banks, but also to an era that was destined to disappear.
After Banks and the others left, the once-noisy pier suddenly seemed much quieter.
Aiden and Lily stood on the pier, looking at each other.
The sea breeze stirred the dust beneath their feet, and neither of them spoke for a moment.
"Well..."
Aiden scratched his head and broke the silence first:
"If we're not using their ship, how are we supposed to get there from here? Do you have a sea chart or a Log Pose for Wano?"
"We don't need either of those."
Lily turned toward the southeastern horizon and answered with complete confidence:
"As long as we have a ship, I can guide you there."
Aiden raised an eyebrow.
Although he did not know where her confidence came from, she sounded so certain that Aiden decided not to ask any further questions.
"Alright. Let's find a ship first."
The two left the pier and followed the coastline toward the other side of the island.
As they passed through the market, Aiden suddenly stopped.
His attention fell on a garment hanging at the entrance of a tailor shop, and he then glanced at Lily beside him.
After more than ten days of fleeing and enduring the sun and sea wind, the cloak she wore had become somewhat tattered. It was covered in oil stains that would not wash out and several scorch marks, making it look completely out of place in the peaceful market. It was also far too thin.
"Wait a minute."
He pointed toward a dark gray wool cloak hanging inside the shop.
"Go try that on."
"Huh?" Lily stopped in surprise.
"Wano's climate is unpredictable, and if you keep walking around with that blue hair exposed, Garling's people will notice you before we even arrive."
Aiden pushed her into the shop without waiting for an answer:
"Buy something thicker, with a hood."
A few minutes later.
Lily emerged wearing a thick, well-made dark gray cloak. The large hood covered her noticeable long hair, leaving only her delicate chin visible. Although it was not as elegant as her old clothing, the rougher material gave her a mysterious appearance.
"Not bad. It fits well."
Aiden nodded in satisfaction and turned toward the owner:
"We'll take it. How much?"
"Excellent! That will be three silver coins!" The owner said, rubbing his hands enthusiastically.
"Alright."
Aiden reached into his coat out of habit, preparing to withdraw money from the system's storage space.
However, the moment his fingers touched the stack of bills, his movement stopped.
They were Berries.
The bills were printed with the World Government's symbol and would not be issued for another eight hundred years. In this era, they were nothing more than useless pieces of paper covered in unfamiliar images.
Under the owner's expectant gaze, Aiden's hand remained suspended inside his coat. He could not pull the money out, but he could not simply continue standing there without paying either. The situation immediately became extremely awkward.
At that moment.
A pale hand reached over from beside him, holding three old silver coins between its fingers, and placed them gently on the counter.
"Here."
Lily could barely keep the amusement from her voice.
The owner happily collected the silver coins.
After leaving the shop, Aiden rubbed his nose and coughed awkwardly.
Lily did not say anything. She only pulled up the collar of her new cloak, hiding half of her face inside the warm wool.
She looked at Aiden's rare expression of defeat, her eyes curving as she smiled behind the collar.
Half an hour later, at a small dock along the coast.
After Lily offered him enough money, the somewhat stubborn old fisherman finally gave in and agreed to sell the small sailboat that had accompanied him for years to this strange "couple."
Although the boat was not large, it had a relatively dry enclosed cabin. Clean straw mats covered the floor, providing enough space for the two of them to rest in turns.
"Phew..."
Aiden carried two large barrels of fresh water and a box of dried meat onto the deck. He easily jumped aboard and placed the supplies inside the storage compartment. Lily followed behind him carrying some fruit and carefully arranged everything.
Soon, all of their supplies had been stored away.
Aiden sat at the bow and casually pulled the [Devil Fruit Compass] from inside his coat.
Before leaving, checking the direction of the Time-Time Fruit one final time was still the safest choice.
Inside the glass dome, the special black needle continued pointing firmly toward the southeast.
"What's that?"
Lily noticed what Aiden was doing and leaned closer to look.
"This..."
Aiden gently ran his finger across the cool dial and explained:
"It's a boat ticket."
"A boat ticket?" Lily blinked, not understanding what he meant.
"Yeah."
Aiden looked up and followed the direction of the needle toward the dark, deep sea. Expectation and melancholy that he could not completely hide appeared in his eyes:
"A boat ticket that can take me home."
As long as he found that fruit, he could return to the era where he truly belonged.
Lily stopped moving.
Home.
That word was like a tiny needle piercing the small romantic hope that had only just begun growing inside her.
She looked at Aiden's sharp profile and at the longing for his journey home reflected in his eyes. A sudden sense of loss that she could not explain rose inside her.
She had already prepared herself for this. In fact, not long ago, she had personally stopped him from revealing his true name and insisted on defining him as nothing more than a passing traveler in her life.
But when she heard him speak about returning home with such certainty, the feeling of loss was still impossible to avoid.
Soon, however, she forced herself to accept it.
Someone like him should not be trapped in one place, especially not by a fugitive like her, someone burdened with a dangerous destiny and an uncertain future.
Being able to meet him during the darkest part of her journey was already more than she had ever expected.
"Then it seems... we need to hurry."
Lily spoke softly, her voice gradually returning to its usual calmness.
She looked up at the sky and then at the small but fully equipped boat:
"We actually aren't very far from Wano anymore. Since this boat has somewhere to rest, there's no reason for us to waste any more time on the island."
"We should leave tonight and enter Wano's waters as soon as possible."
"Alright. I'll follow your lead."
Aiden put away the compass, nodded, and raised no objections.
He then stood, untied the rope, and pushed the boat away from the pier.
As the sail rose, the canvas filled with wind and gave a soft rustling sound.
The small boat slowly left the harbor of Eru Island.
Perhaps because they were finally approaching their destination, the night passed with surprising calm.
When the first morning light appeared along the eastern horizon, Aiden was sitting at the bow.
Dawn had arrived.
A thin morning fog covered the sea. It was not thick enough to block their vision, only hanging over the water like a light veil.
Sunlight passed through the fog, giving the entire ocean a muted gray tone.
"Morning."
Lily lifted the cabin curtain and stepped outside. She pulled the dark gray wool cloak tighter around herself, still unaccustomed to the cold, damp morning air at sea.
"Morning."
Aiden looked back at her, but his expression was not relaxed:
"Something isn't right."
"What's wrong?" Lily walked over to his side and followed his gaze.
The sea was very calm, with almost no wind.
Strangely, however, ripples continued spreading across the otherwise smooth surface.
"This vibration..."
Aiden narrowed his eyes and extended his Observation Haki deep into the fog.
The moment his senses reached the enormous presence ahead, his expression suddenly changed.
What he detected through Observation Haki made every hair on his body stand on end, and even his breathing stopped for a moment from sheer shock.
It was an enormous life force unlike anything he had ever sensed before.
Even Roger and Garp in their prime felt as small as fireflies beside the moon—not in terms of strength, but compared to the sheer scale of the living creature ahead.
The overwhelming size and presence of the lifeform left Aiden more shocked than he had been in a very long time.
"What's wrong?"
Lily noticed the change in Aiden's expression and grabbed his sleeve.
Aiden swallowed and stared into the seemingly calm fog ahead, his voice low:
"Something is coming."
"Splash... Splash..."
It was the sound of an enormous amount of water being displaced.
At first, it was faint, but only a few minutes later, the sound grew into a deafening roar like a waterfall.
Immediately afterward, the thin fog ahead was violently forced apart by something unimaginably large.
Four towering black shapes suddenly appeared. They rose from the depths of the sea and stretched upward beyond the clouds.
"What is that... Islands?" Lily looked up and whispered, her voice nearly lost in the sea breeze.
"No."
Aiden shook his head. His throat had gone dry:
"Islands... don't move."
Before he finished speaking, a deafening crash like thunder shook the sea.
"BOOM!"
One of the black shapes slowly lifted. Tens of thousands of tons of seawater poured down its rough surface like a waterfall, crashing into the sea and throwing an enormous wall of spray hundreds of meters into the air.
A wave of that size was unquestionably a fatal threat to the small two-masted sailboat beneath them.
"Crap!"
Aiden had no time to think. His instincts moved faster than his thoughts as he suddenly reached out, wrapped one arm around Lily's waist, and lifted her directly into his arms.
Crackle! Crackle!
Blue-white arcs of electricity erupted around him.
"BOOM—!"
At the critical moment when the enormous wall of water was about to smash the small boat into pieces, Aiden transformed into a blinding bolt of lightning and shot straight into the sky with Lily in his arms. They narrowly escaped the wave and remained suspended in midair.
Still shaken, Lily wrapped both arms tightly around Aiden's neck and looked down.
The once-calm sea below had become a violent, chaotic expanse of water. Those enormous shapes were not mountains at all, but four gigantic legs thick enough to make everything around them look insignificant.
As Aiden rose higher, the morning fog could no longer conceal the full shape of the creature's enormous body.
The sight of it filled both of them with an instinctive fear that was almost impossible to resist.
It was a giant elephant.
An ancient elephant so enormous that its body blocked out the sky and rose far above the clouds.
It was simply too large. The small boat Aiden and Lily had just been using was not even a speck of dust beside one of its feet. Its broad back stretched beyond the cloud layer, as though it carried the entire sky upon it.
Zunesha.
"What... what is that...?"
Lily pressed closer against Aiden and covered her mouth, staring in disbelief:
"It's... dragging something?"
Aiden followed the direction of her gaze.
Zunesha's long trunk, which would normally have hung downward, was pulled tight and stretched backward into the fog behind it.
Several pitch-black iron chains, each impossibly thick, dug deeply into Zunesha's trunk and left bloody grooves across its skin. Even so, Zunesha continued moving without stopping.
Its four enormous legs stepped heavily across the seabed as it dragged the immense weight behind it.
Whoosh—
When Zunesha took another step, the fog behind it was completely scattered.
The object it was dragging with such enormous effort finally revealed one of its edges.
At the end of the iron chains, the calm sea had been forced open into an enormous trench.
Something like a mountain appeared.
A vast black mountain range made entirely of steel.
A black steel warship more than five thousand meters long, stretching across the sea like a continuous mountain range, was being dragged slowly forward by Zunesha.