At that moment, every toy in Dressrosa reverted back into human form.
It was as if a massive earthquake had struck the entire kingdom.
Inside a small noodle shop, a toy riding a unicycle suddenly froze, its body twisting and reshaping under the horrified stares of the surrounding crowd. In the blink of an eye, it became a middle-aged man.
A woman standing beside him covered her mouth tightly, tears spilling down her face without restraint.
Just moments earlier, she had seen Akin transform back into a human, and in that instant, a flood of memories surged violently into her mind.
Memories of herself and Akin.
Their first meeting. Their first date. Their first time holding hands. Their first kiss. The proposal.
She never imagined that the toy waiter who worked quietly in the shop was actually her fiancé.
They had once been inseparable, sharing everything with one another. He had already asked her to marry him.
Yet she had forgotten him completely.
"Akin… I… I really forgot you," she sobbed. "I'm so sorry."
Her tears fell like broken pearls onto the floor.
Akin stared at the woman before him. From beginning to end, he had never forgotten her.
To stay close to her, he had humbled himself and applied to work as a waiter in the shop.
But reality had been cruel.
He had watched the woman he loved slowly grow closer to Ximen, the shop's owner.
He still remembered her words clearly.
"If you were human, we would probably get along very well."
At that moment, Ximen walked over and wrapped an arm around Sakura's shoulders.
"What's wrong, Sakura?" he asked. "Did this man bully you?"
Sakura gently pushed his arm away. "No. I just remembered something unpleasant."
Ximen looked at Akin and frowned. "And who are you?"
Akin opened his mouth, about to say that he was her fiancé.
Before he could speak, Sakura hurriedly said, "Ximen, he's my distant cousin."
Akin froze.
He had never expected those words.
In that instant, something inside him quietly collapsed.
"Yes," Akin said softly. "I'm Sakura's cousin. I came to see her working environment."
Ximen smiled and extended his hand. "Nice to meet you. I'm Ximen, Sakura's fiancé."
Akin looked at the hand but did not take it.
"Since I've seen that Sakura is doing well, I'm relieved."
He turned and walked toward the entrance.
"Akin !"
Sakura broke free from Ximen's grasp and chased after him.
Akin turned slowly, looking at the woman he once planned to marry.
"Sakura, I wish you happiness," he said calmly. "I'm leaving."
He turned away without another word.
Sakura collapsed to the ground, sobbing uncontrollably.
"It's not… it's not what you think…"
…
"You… you're my husband? I was married before?"
…
"Dad, I'm sorry. I treated you like our family's toy dog…"
…
"Stop right there! Damn it! While I was a toy, were you secretly seeing other men right in front of me?"
…
"You… you're Fred… my husband…"
…
"Mama… Mama… I actually have a Mama…"
…
Countless stories unfolded simultaneously throughout Dressrosa.
Across the kingdom, families were reunited, truths resurfaced, and wounds reopened.
At that moment, on Dressrosa's Sunflower Plateau.
A pink-haired girl stood frozen beside a one-legged middle-aged man.
She had a father.
And that father was Soldier-san, the man who had trained her every day.
As his body returned to human form, memories she had long lost finally resurfaced.
Among her peers, everyone had parents.
She had always believed she had nothing.
Her mother was gone. She had no memory of her father.
All she had ever known was Soldier-san, the toy who stayed by her side through rain and shine, scorching heat and freezing cold.
Now she understood why.
Soldier-san was her father.
"Rebecca?" the one-legged man asked gently. "What's wrong?"
He did not realize that her memories had already returned. He only thought she was frightened by the sight of a toy turning human.
"Soldier-san… I…" Tears streamed down Rebecca's face as she struggled to speak.
Suddenly remembering that she had a father was overwhelming.
She did not know how to face him.
The one-legged man grew flustered. Rebecca crying had always been his greatest fear.
"It's alright," he said hurriedly. "I was human before. I was just turned into a toy by someone's ability. I'm still Soldier-san."
Rebecca shook her head slowly. "No…"
She could not explain it yet.
"I'll still train you every day," he said quickly. "I'll still celebrate your birthday with you every year."
Rebecca stayed silent.
After a long moment, she looked up at him, her eyes trembling.
"Fa… Father…"
"What?" The man froze. "What did you say?"
He was Rebecca's father, the son-in-law of Dressrosa's former king, the undefeated arena champion with three thousand consecutive victories.
Kyros asked again, his voice unsteady. "What did you call me?"
Rebecca threw herself into his arms.
"Father!"
Kyros finally heard it clearly.
For the first time in his life, his daughter had called him Father.
Joy overwhelmed him.
Yet his hands remained suspended in the air.
They were stained with blood. He did not want to taint his daughter.
Even when she was little, he had worn long gloves just to hug her.
Snap.
A sharp snap of fingers echoed.
Kyros felt his arms move on their own, gently wrapping around Rebecca's back.
Rebecca trembled slightly.
This was the first time she had been embraced like this by her father.
Kyros felt her warmth and panicked for a moment.
Then a calm voice reached his ears.
"Blood shed to protect others is sacred. Only the human heart can be filthy."
Kyros froze, then slowly relaxed.
After a long while, they finally separated.
"I'm sorry, Father," Rebecca said softly, her eyes red. "I forgot you."
Kyros shook his head, tears welling up. "I know. It's not your fault. When someone becomes a toy, everything about them disappears from this world."
Rebecca cried harder.
She could not imagine how lonely that time must have been for him.
She hugged his waist tightly. "Father."
Kyros gently stroked her back. "It's alright. Our bond will never be broken again."
Rebecca nodded. "Mm."
Kyros looked toward the distant horizon and spoke quietly.
"You truly are an incredible man, Rolan."
...
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