-Broadcast-
The Sky Screen's golden glow shifted once more, reaching backward through time to the moment of Kozuki Momonosuke's birth. Though no congenital abnormalities marked his arrival into the world, the delivery room would prove exceptionally eventful in ways no one anticipated.
Audiences across the seas held their breath, anticipation crackling through viewing locations. What unknown secrets would this scene reveal?
[The broadcast time-stamp indicated more than twenty years in the past, scenes from an era before the current generation of pirates had risen to prominence. The Moby Dick sailed calm seas, its whale-head figurehead cutting through gentle waves.]
[In that bygone era, the Moby Dick maintained strict gender segregation. Edward Newgate's leopard-print nurses represented the only female presence aboard his flagship—medical staff rather than crew members. Even after adopting some of these nurses as daughters, Whitebeard typically transferred them to other vessels under his command shortly thereafter.
Edward Newgate embodied old-fashioned masculine values, his heart belonging to a bygone age despite his relatively young years at the time. His ships remained male domains by deliberate choice. Women under his protection received care and safety, but not residence aboard his personal vessel. He would not entertain the presence of romantic partners or wives aboard the Moby Dick.
Until Kozuki Oden somehow "poisoned" the great pirate's principles.
Not only did Whitebeard allow the samurai to board despite lacking Devil Fruit powers or overwhelming reputation, he also permitted Oden to refuse the adoption ritual that made others his sons. Instead, they became brothers—equals rather than father and subordinate. This gave Marco and the other Division Commanders an "uncle" in the crew hierarchy, though in practice everyone simply addressed each other normally without invoking those familial titles constantly.
The fact that Toki could remain aboard the Moby Dick to accompany Kozuki Oden represented another unprecedented exception, granted personally by Edward Newgate himself. Allowing a woman of completely unknown origin to live aboard his flagship faced immediate opposition from his adopted sons. They raised security concerns, questioned her mysterious background, argued against breaking long-established protocols.
But they could not defeat their old man's will. Whitebeard had indeed been "poisoned" by Kozuki Oden's charisma and friendship, subsequently breaking his own principles in ways that shocked his crew. The great pirate who'd maintained iron discipline for years found himself making concessions he'd never granted before.]
[The Sky Screen showed past arguments—Marco objecting respectfully, other Division Commanders expressing concerns, Whitebeard dismissing them all with a wave of his massive hand. The footage revealed how profoundly Oden had affected the Yonko, that ability to inspire loyalty and affection transcending even established rules.]
[Kozuki Oden and his wife displayed their love openly aboard the Moby Dick, their affectionate behavior torturing Whitebeard's other adopted sons—mostly single men who watched the couple's romance with varying degrees of envy and exasperation. Lady Toki proved to be a woman blessed with strong fertility, becoming pregnant with the fruit of their love soon after their union was formalized.
At that time in history, virtually no one dared challenge the Whitebeard Pirates. The Marines lacked appetite to engage them directly, recognizing that any battle would cost more than it could possibly gain. Smaller pirate crews gave the Moby Dick wide berth purely based on Edward Newgate's fearsome reputation. In summary, the Whitebeard flagship represented the safest possible location for a pregnant woman to carry and deliver a child—better protected than any hospital, more secure than any fortress.]
[As Lady Toki's pregnancy progressed, the Moby Dick's crew prepared for the inevitable. A large cabin was temporarily cleared and converted into a makeshift delivery room, medical equipment installed and sanitized. The leopard-print nurses that Whitebeard kept on retainer finally proved their worth beyond treating combat injuries. They used various instruments to monitor Lady Toki's condition throughout her pregnancy, standing ready to assist with the delivery whenever labor began.
During one of the Whitebeard Pirates' routine banquets—celebrations that occurred with such frequency they barely warranted special mention—Lady Toki sat leaning against Kozuki Oden's shoulder, her swollen belly prominent beneath flowing robes. The due date lay several days in the future according to the nurses' calculations, so no one anticipated immediate crisis.
Then, without warning during the festivities, her water broke.
Blood followed, staining her clothing, pooling on the deck.
Panic erupted across the Moby Dick instantly. The banquet atmosphere shattered as Whitebeard's adopted sons abandoned their drinks without a second thought. Together with Kozuki Oden, they could only watch helplessly as Lady Toki was transferred onto a stretcher, her face pale with pain and fear. The leopard-print nurses formed a protective escort, rushing her toward the prepared delivery room with practiced efficiency.
The head nurse's voice cut through the chaos with absolute authority: "No men allowed inside! Not even you, Izo!"
The feminine-appearing Division Commander stopped mid-step, face flushing with indignation but unable to argue against medical protocol. The delivery room's doors closed firmly, separating Lady Toki from everyone who cared about her welfare.
Not long after, her screams of agony began echoing through the Moby Dick's corridors.]
[The Sky Screen didn't shy from depicting the scene—Lady Toki's water breaking during the celebration, the blood, the sudden transition from joy to crisis. Audiences watching in the present winced sympathetically, many women in the crowds touching their own bellies unconsciously.]
["It hurts… It hurts so much… Where is Oden… Where is he… It hurts…"]
[Character information appeared briefly in elegant script:]
Wife of Kozuki Oden, mother of Kozuki Momonosuke Lady Toki User of the Paramecia-type Toki Toki no Mi (Time-Time Fruit)
[In her extremity of pain, the first person Lady Toki thought of was her husband Kozuki Oden. This man had once been extraordinarily philandering, his wandering eye legendary even among pirates who considered him a brother. But after they came together, he'd granted this woman of unknown origin proper status as his wife. The Shogun's son had restrained his lustful heart—or at least pretended to convincingly enough that Lady Toki believed in his fidelity.
When she'd faced the major upheaval of being trafficked, sold like property to the highest bidder, she'd found a man capable of protecting her on the lawless seas. She thought she'd discovered true love, genuine partnership in a cruel world.
She didn't know that fate's gifts always carried hidden prices, costs that would be extracted when least expected.]
[Faced with Lady Toki's desperate pleas for her husband's presence, the leopard-print nurses held firm in their professional judgment. The head nurse shook her head decisively, pink cap bobbing with the motion.
"Allowing a man into the delivery room now would only create more problems, Lady Toki. Childbirth depends on the woman's own efforts, her own strength. Trust yourself. If complications arise beyond what you can manage, we'll find other solutions. Caesarean section remains an option if necessary."
The nurses kept wiping sweat from Lady Toki's forehead with cool cloths, trying to provide comfort in the midst of agony. The head nurse continued her encouragement, voice projecting maternal warmth despite the clinical situation:
"Lady Toki, you can do this. Come on, just endure a bit longer. You'll be able to see your child soon… Such a beautiful baby, I'm sure. Just keep breathing, keep pushing when the contractions come…"
The nurses repeated similar encouragements over and over, a litany of supportive nonsense that provided psychological comfort if nothing else. Lady Toki had no choice but to grip the iron handrails mounted beside the delivery bed, gritting her teeth against the tearing pain that childbirth brought—sensations beyond anything she'd imagined despite her considerable physical strength.
Regardless of social status, wealth, or power, every mother who endured childbirth earned the title of "great" through that universal suffering.
Lady Toki's willingness to bear a child for the Kozuki clan made her an invaluable benefactor to that ancient lineage. Given Kozuki Oden's previous playful and adventure-focused personality, his father Kozuki Sukiyaki might have waited decades before gaining a grandson—if ever. The samurai had shown no inclination toward settling down before meeting this mysterious woman.]
[The Sky Screen displayed the delivery room in unflinching detail: Lady Toki's sweat-soaked hair, her grip whitening knuckles on the handrails, the nurses working with professional calm despite the dire situation. Time stamps appeared, showing hours passing with agonizing slowness.]
[However, contrary to the hopeful expectations of everyone aboard the Moby Dick, Lady Toki's delivery process proved anything but smooth. Fetal malposition—the baby positioned incorrectly within the womb—made her labor extraordinarily difficult and dangerous. From noon when her water broke until sunset painted the sky in blood-red hues, the child remained trapped in the mother's body, unable or unwilling to emerge.
Lady Toki's howling and groaning grew progressively weaker as hours dragged past. Her voice broke repeatedly, fading to whimpers before surging back to screams when contractions hit. The diminishing volume terrified everyone listening outside the sealed delivery room.
For Kozuki Oden, the experience approached unbearable. He very nearly forced his way into the delivery room multiple times, muscles tensing to break down the door through sheer strength. Fortunately, Whitebeard's adopted sons physically restrained him each time, Marco and Thatch holding the frantic samurai back from making the situation worse.
"What could you do in there?" Marco demanded, usually casual demeanor replaced by serious intensity. "Can you reposition the baby with your sword? Can your Haki make the birth easier? You'd just be in the way!"
The logic penetrated Oden's panic-driven mind, but barely. His worry and anxiety manifested in ceaseless movement—pacing back and forth outside the delivery room like a caged animal, steps wearing patterns in the deck planking. When upset feelings threatened to overwhelm him entirely, he considered drinking to reduce the negative emotions, dulling the sharp edges of fear with alcohol's comfortable numbness.
But he rejected that impulse immediately. As his wife's husband, as the unborn child's father, he couldn't greet the newborn for the first time while drunk. Meeting his son or daughter in that state would be too much of a disgrace, too inhuman, betraying the trust Lady Toki had placed in him. He needed to be present—truly present—for this moment regardless of how much it hurt to wait helplessly.]
["What's happening to Toki? There's still no news after all these hours. I don't care about the baby anymore—just save my wife. She's what matters most."]
[Character information appeared:]
Son of Shogun Kozuki Sukiyaki of Wano Country Kozuki Oden
[At that moment, a man in a pristine white chef's uniform approached and patted Kozuki Oden's shoulder with genuine sympathy. His voice carried reassuring warmth despite the tension permeating the Moby Dick's atmosphere.
"Oden, don't worry so much. Lady Toki will be fine—she's stronger than you give her credit for. You also need to trust Pops' medical team. They've delivered babies before, handled complications. When everyone comes out safely, I'll prepare a feast to help her recover her strength. The best ingredients, prepared with love. That's my promise to you, brother."]
[Character information appeared:]
Captain of the Fourth Division, Whitebeard Pirates Head Chef Thatch
[Thatch had been the first person to proactively reach out to Kozuki Oden after the samurai joined the crew, breaking through the initial wariness that surrounded the strange newcomer. The two had gotten along remarkably well, their personalities complementing each other. Thatch was also the first among Edward Newgate's adopted sons to fully accept Kozuki Oden as family rather than viewing him as an outsider who'd somehow earned special privileges.
Another crew member approached, contrasting sharply with Thatch's clean chef's appearance. This man was fat and powerfully built, black-skinned with his chest and belly exposed despite the evening chill. He carried two wine bottles in his massive hands, a simple and honest smile stretching across his face—an expression that seemed perpetually friendly, almost childlike in its apparent innocence.
"All women go through this, Oden. It's the natural way, painful but ending in joy. How about we drink together and forget this anxiety? Maybe by the time our banquet ends, Lady Toki will walk out with the child in her arms, both healthy and happy."]
[Character information appeared with slightly ominous undertones:]
Blackbeard Marshall D. Teach
[But Kozuki Oden remained in no mood for drinking, his usual enthusiasm for celebration completely absent. He rejected Teach's invitation to the party with barely concealed irritation, explaining that he wanted to stay outside the delivery room door to protect his woman and unborn child's safety.
As a powerful samurai accustomed to solving problems with his sword, Oden felt profound confusion and fear about this particular challenge. For the first time in his adult life, he faced a crisis where strength meant nothing, where his legendary combat abilities couldn't help the person he loved most. Bad thoughts kept circling through his mind—visions of Lady Toki dying in childbirth, of losing her and the baby both, of having to return to Wano alone with news that would break his father's heart.
The psychological torture exceeded any physical pain he'd endured in battle.]
[The Sky Screen showed Oden's haunted expression, the fear naked on his face despite his fearsome reputation. Viewers saw the great samurai reduced to helpless waiting, powerful hands clenching and unclenching uselessly. The contrast between his external strength and internal vulnerability created profound emotional impact.]
[If nothing unexpected happens, something unexpected will happen.
An alien threat that the Whitebeard Pirates crew members remained completely unaware of approached the Moby Dick, drawn by forces beyond mortal comprehension. Something that should not exist in this world, something that defied the natural order, prepared to invade the flagship during its most vulnerable moment.
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