Far away, dawn spread across the pitch-black horizon when the Last star, breathing faintly into the cold air, went out; Valtor opened his eyes. A sharp poke hit his back.
He tried to break free from the hand holding him down by his head. His Hands and feet were tied up. "Settle down, Val. It's almost done." It was his mother's voice.
"Ma, what's happening?" His words came out muffled as his face stayed pressed against the pillow. He tried turning his head, but her grip wouldn't budge. "Is everything all right?"
"Everything is all right, son. Don't worry." Her reassuring words did little to ease his concerns. The sharp, stinging pain spreading across his back told an entirely different story. "Ow! It hurts! What's happening to my back, Ma?"
"I'm giving you wings, Val. You always said you wanted to fly like a bird, didn't you? Just like Mama. So Mama's giving you hers." His eyes widened at her words. Feeling her grip loosen slightly, he managed to turn his head and glance over his shoulder, trying to catch a glimpse of the magnificent pair of wings his mother possessed. But they were nowhere to be seen.
She had given him her wings. The realization struck him harder than any physical pain could. His heart ached, and his vision began to blur as tears welled up in his eyes. "Ma... why did you have to do this...?"
BOOM!
A deafening explosion from outside cut him off before he could finish. Startled by the sudden noise, he turned toward the sound, his earlier sadness giving way to alarm. "Ma, what's happening?"
She did not say anything; she continued to do something on his back. "Listen, Val, I will die here today." He froze. His four-year-old mind struggled to process the words, unable to make sense of what his mother had just said. "But I won't let anything happen to you."
BOOM! BOOM!
The Explosions continued.
"Listen carefully, son. Once you get out of here, I want you to live your life like a bird, free to fly wherever your heart takes you." She finally released his head and helped him to his feet. Before he could make sense of what was happening, her arms wrapped around him, lifting him into a warm embrace. He embraced her as hard as he could, not wanting to let go.
"Ma, please... let's get out of here." He wiped the tears from his eyes, but a sudden stinging sensation on the back of his right hand caught his attention. He winced and looked down, only to find a golden symbol etched into his skin, resembling a pair of wings with a diamond-shaped crest at its centre. The symbol glowed faintly against his skin.
Image of the Symbol: []
"That's one of the reasons I'm dying, son." She pulled him closer, holding him tightly against her chest. "When you find a Devil Fruit in the future that you want to eat, place it over that mark and will it to devour the fruit."
The front door suddenly burst open. "Nirmataaa! We've come to kill you!" Two men stepped inside. The first was tall, with blond hair, while the second was bald and carried a long katana at his side. "You've evaded us for long enough."
"Shepherd Ju Peter, Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro, oh my, to think not one but two of the Five Elders are personally here to kill me, what an Honor." She tightened his grip on him. "But do you think you are enough to take me down alone?"
"We're not alone."
The two men spoke in unison as several more figures entered the room behind them.
"Ah, the Knights of God too? Garling, you came as well? Didn't the beating I gave you at God Valley teach you a lesson?" She let out a mocking chuckle, then continued. "I wonder, if I tell your children that you were the one who killed their mother, would they come after you too?"
"Hmm, You're missing your Wings." Saint Garling observed her. "It was tough searching for you."
"I thought I'd hidden myself pretty well. How were you able to find me among the countless Sky Islands?" She received no answer. The intruders remained silent.
"Well, it doesn't matter anyway." She pulled her fist back, flames rapidly engulfing it. With her eyes fixed on the intruders, she swung her arm forward. "HIKKEN!"
A massive wave of flames erupted from her fist, surging towards the intruders and engulfing every last one of them in its blazing inferno.
She immediately bolted from her position and rushed into the storeroom. Moving quickly, she located the pod she had created specifically for this situation. It was a small, round, white pod. She opened its hatch and carefully placed him inside before retrieving another box, considerably larger than the little boy himself.
"Val, you have to leave now, okay?" She looked at him, her voice softening as she continued. "Wherever you go, remember this: Mama will always love you. Even if the whole world turns against you, I'll always stand by your side."
He burst into tears, sobbing uncontrollably. "Don't leave me, Mama! Please, come with me! You can fit inside with me!" He grabbed her hand, holding on with all the strength his little body could muster, refusing to let go. "Pleaseee!"
"They'll shoot down the pod or come after us if I go with you, my son." She gently wiped away his tears before placing a kiss on his forehead and pulling him into one last embrace. She could hear the scum approaching. There was no more time. "Stay safe, my son. Live well."
With a heavy heart, she delivered a precise chop to the back of his neck, knocking him unconscious. Once he slumped inside, she carefully withdrew her hand and closed the pod's hatch.
"This better work, Vegapunk."
She pressed a button on the wall, and the pod was released, dropping into the clear blue sky below. She stood by the opening, watching as it grew smaller and smaller in the distance. Then, a brilliant blue blaze erupted from its rear, and the pod shot forward, disappearing into the vast expanse of the sky.
She watched until it was nothing more than a distant speck. A faint smile appeared on her face. "Live well, my little bird."
The door behind her was blasted open. Flames immediately gathered around her hands as she turned to face the intruders. "I'm going to kill at least half of you today." Shepherd Ju Peter glanced past her, his eyes settling on the now-empty hatch. "Where did you send your child, Nirmata?"
In the blink of an eye, she appeared directly in front of him, her fist engulfed in flames. "As if I'd ever tell you that!" Her flaming fist connected with his face, sending him flying across the room. "You'd better tell your precious 'King of the World' to come face me himself!"
Flames covered her entirely. "Let's Dance." She rushed towards the Other Elder, who was late drawing his sword. "I personally hate you the Most."
That day, the residents of Grand Klein Island in the North Blue witnessed an unimaginable sight. Explosions rocked the island as massive dragons of flame swept across the sky, their fiery forms illuminating the heavens for three consecutive days.
Two days later, Grand Klein Island had vanished without a trace.
The World Government officially branded its inhabitants as rebels.