The moment the light entered his body, Kousei fell to one knee.
"Big Brother!"
Tama rushed toward him.
The other children quickly followed.
Kousei forced a smile.
"I'm fine."
At least, he thought he was.
His head felt like it was splitting apart.
Memories.
Thousands of memories.
Not from Wano.
Not from this life.
From another world.
A world called Earth.
Kousei's vision blurred.
The orphanage yard disappeared.
Instead, he found himself standing inside an old building.
White walls.
Wooden floors.
A small dining hall.
Children running through the corridors.
His heart trembled.
He recognized it immediately.
The place where everything began.
The orphanage.
In his previous life, Hattori Kousei had never known his parents.
They had abandoned him shortly after birth.
At least, that was what the records said.
The orphanage became his entire world.
The caretakers fed him.
The older children protected him.
The younger children became his family.
It wasn't a perfect life.
Money was always scarce.
Food sometimes ran short.
But there was warmth.
Love.
Hope.
Things many children never received.
Years passed.
Children came.
Children left.
Families adopted some.
Others aged out.
Life moved on.
But Kousei remained.
At eighteen years old, most residents left the orphanage to start their own lives.
Kousei stayed.
At first, he helped part-time.
Then full-time.
Eventually, he became one of the senior staff members.
Not because he had nowhere to go.
But because he couldn't leave.
Not while children still needed him.
The memories continued.
Kousei helping children with homework.
Bandaging scraped knees.
Cooking meals.
Reading bedtime stories.
Comforting crying children after nightmares.
Celebrating birthdays.
Attending school performances.
Helping teenagers prepare for adulthood.
Year after year.
Decade after decade.
One particular memory stood out.
A little girl.
Seven years old.
Quiet.
Terrified.
Covered in bruises when social services rescued her.
The child hadn't spoken for weeks.
Nobody knew how to help her.
Then one day, Kousei simply sat beside her.
No questions.
No pressure.
Just company.
For hours.
Days.
Weeks.
Until finally—
"Will you still be here tomorrow?"
Her first words.
Kousei smiled.
"Of course."
The little girl burst into tears.
The memory faded.
Another appeared.
Then another.
And another.
Hundreds of children.
Hundreds of stories.
Hundreds of lives.
Some happy.
Some heartbreaking.
All precious.
Then came the final memory.
The day he died.
Rain poured from the sky.
Traffic lights reflected across wet streets.
Kousei had just finished buying supplies for the orphanage.
Birthday decorations.
A chocolate cake.
Presents.
Tomorrow was one of the children's birthdays.
A boy who had never celebrated one before.
Kousei wanted to make it special.
Then he heard screaming.
A truck had lost control.
People scattered.
A little boy stood frozen in the road.
Terrified.
Unable to move.
Without thinking, Kousei ran.
The same way he always had.
Toward danger.
Toward the child.
He reached the boy.
Pushed him aside.
And—
Darkness.
The last thing he remembered was hearing the child cry.
The boy survived.
Kousei did not.
The memories shattered.
Kousei returned to the present.
The orphanage yard of Wano came back into focus.
Children surrounded him.
Tama held onto his sleeve.
Concern filled her eyes.
"Big Brother?"
Kousei stared at her.
Then at the others.
Children from another world.
Different faces.
Different names.
The same smiles.
The same fears.
The same need for someone to protect them.
A notification appeared before him.
[Memory Synchronization Complete.]
[Previous-Life Data Restored.]
[Host Selection Reason Revealed.]
Reason for Selection:
For 27 years, Host dedicated life to protecting abandoned children.
Host repeatedly prioritized children's safety over personal gain.
Host sacrificed own life to save a child.
Compatibility Rating:
100%
For the first time, Kousei spoke directly to the System.
"Was that why you chose me?"
[Correct.]
The answer came instantly.
[The multiverse contains countless children abandoned by fate.]
[Many heroes save worlds.]
[Few save children.]
Kousei closed his eyes.
For a brief moment, he thought about the orphanage he left behind.
The children he would never see again.
The family he lost.
A sharp pain settled in his chest.
Then Tama suddenly hugged him.
Without warning.
Without hesitation.
Just like she always did.
"You're making a sad face."
Kousei froze.
Tama tightened her grip.
"You said sad people need hugs."
Several other children immediately joined in.
One after another.
Tiny arms wrapped around him.
The youngest children nearly climbed onto his back.
"Group hug!"
"Big Brother looks lonely!"
"Emergency hug attack!"
Kousei couldn't help laughing.
The sadness faded.
Not completely.
But enough.
The System suddenly spoke again.
[First Reward Granted.]
[Beginner Guardian Package Activated.]
A torrent of knowledge exploded into Kousei's mind.
Battles.
Flames.
Instincts.
Techniques.
Strategies.
Experiences belonging to a legendary guardian.
[Inheritance Loaded.]
Source: Vongola Primo (Giotto)
Current Synchronization: 20%
Orange flames erupted from Kousei's hands.
Unlike ordinary fire, they radiated warmth rather than destruction.
The flames danced peacefully around him.
Yet beneath that gentleness lay immense power.
[Hyper Intuition Activated.]
Suddenly Kousei could feel everything.
The breathing of nearby children.
The emotions in their hearts.
The movement of animals beyond the forest.
The distant presence of hostile intent.
For the first time since arriving in Wano...
Kousei felt capable of protecting those under his care.
Then the emergency mission appears:
Eleven children captured by the Beasts Pirates.
Kousei slowly rose.
Sky Flames flickered around his fists.
The instincts of a legendary mafia boss settled naturally into his body.
Not enough to conquer the world.
But enough to save children.
"System."
[Yes, Host?]
"Tell me where they are."