Alice froze, her cheeks flushing red as she touched her forehead where Noah had kissed her. "Idiot… you're going to give me a heart attack!"
Noah smirked faintly. "Relax. It's part of the act. Makes us look believable."
Alice crossed her arms, glaring at him. "Believable, huh? You're really pushing it."
"Pushing it is kind of my specialty," Noah said.
Alice huffed, a faint smile tugging at her lips. "You're impossible."
Noah chuckled softly. "I know."
She rolled her eyes and gestured toward the garden path. "Come on, fake fiancé. Let's continue our stroll."
Noah took her hand lightly, giving a small bow. "Lead the way, my fiancée."
Alice smacked him on the shoulder. "Stop calling me that! Seriously!"
"Nope. Part of the act," Noah said, with a faint smirk on his lips.
They walked side by side through the winter courtyard.
Alice glanced at him. "You really don't care about anything, do you?"
"Not really," Noah replied.
Alice rolled her eyes. "You're lucky I like calm people. Otherwise, you'd be dead already."
Noah shrugged. "Noted."
Later that day, once Alice returned to her duties and the Marines were distracted, Noah finally slipped away from the palace courtyard
Vector Manipulation- Spectrum.
Noah phased through a stone wall and into a storage room where Emma and Amy were already waiting.
Emma crossed her arms the moment he appeared. "Finally. Took you long enough."
Amy smirked. "What happened? Your 'fiancée' kept you busy?"
Noah looked at her,unbothered.
"…No."
Emma stepped forward. "So? What's the plan?"
Noah exhaled slowly, leaning against a crate. "Honestly? I would like to destroy this entire island… but I like these people and the food."
Amy raised an eyebrow. "Is that seriously the only thing you like here?"
Noah nodded.
Emma sighed. "Okay, ignoring Noah being Noah… what are we doing tonight?"
Noah straightened up."Tonight? I want you two to assassinate the Marines."
Emma blinked. "Assassinate… all of them?"
"Every Marine on the island," Noah said calmly. "I think it's about time we leave this island."
Amy tilted her head. "Finally bored?"
"Something like that." Noah replied.
"No, wait. That's a bad idea." Emma said.
Noah slowly looked at her. "…How?"
"We still haven't found the Scarlett," Emma said. "We can't leave the without our ship."
Amy nodded. "Plus, we need to know more about this rare earth mineral they're after."
"…Fair enough," Noah replied.
Emma placed her hands on her hips. "Tomorrow, you search for the Scarlett. I'll gather more intel. Amy can investigate the rare material."
Noah turns away.
"But you have forty-eight hours to find the ship after that we're leaving."
Emma nodded. "Understood."
Amy saluted jokingly. "Aye aye, captain fiancé."
Noah smirked.
Vector Manipulation- Spectrum.
Without another word, he stepped back into the shadows, letting his body dissolve into particles.
(Noah's thoughts) — [Even after nine hundred years (900)… it seems your people still haven't changed, Yuki.]
■■■■■■■■■FLASHBACK ■■■■■■■■■
Noah stood on a cliff overlooking a vast landscape filled with skyscrapers and advance technology.
A young woman with long silver hair and scales glowing on her arms, stood with her back to him.
Her voice trembled.
"Noah… I can't stay with you anymore. My people need me."
"Dying isn't the best way, or the only way, to save them, Yuki."
Yuki turned around, tears running down her cheeks.
"If I don't step in… my clan will be erased. The world is changing. Joyboy can't fight every battle."
Noah folded his arms. "And sacrificing yourself will fix that?"
"It's the only path left," she whispered, looking at the city. "You're not like us. You will return to your time one day. But this time right now is the time i live in. You'll survive but i won't."
Noah closed his eyes for a moment.
"…I hate this era."
"You always have," Yuki smiled sadly. "You understand too much."
Noah opened his eyes again. "If you leave with them, you'll die."
Yuki lowered her head.
"I know."
A heavy silence fell.
The sound of distant Lunarian wings echoed in the sky above. Buccaneers marched in formation to the east. Lilly of Alabasta stood near the riverbank, negotiating with the ancient giants.
Yuki laughed.
"You're truly is student"
"Yuki one day I'll make the eorld a better place for your people, one day I'll return to this time".
Yuki smiled.
"I'm sorry i won't be here to see you off tomorrow, but Lilly and joyboy will"
"Just stay yuki" Noah begged.
Yuki stepped closer and touched his cheek.
"Thank you… for trying to keep me alive."
"I didn't try," Noah muttered. "I'm still trying."
Yuki shook her head.
"Noah… promise me something."
"What."
"When the world collapses… when history is rewritten … please remember me."
Noah eyebrows twitched.
"I don't know if I'll remember everything from this time but if i can i will "
"I know you will."Yuki said.
Noah turned away.
Despite the sadness in her eyes, Yuki laughed.
"That's why I loved you."
Before he could reply, she stepped back.
A bright glow surrounded her and she transformed into a dragon.
"Noah…" she whispered, voice breaking. "Goodbye."
She vanished.
NARRATOR:
Two years ago, Noah had been thrown backwards, not just across oceans, but across centuries, into the era of Joyboy.
There he met-Lily of Alabasta. Yuki of the Dragon Clan.The Buccaneers. And the Lunarians.
He saw continents sink.
He saw the first seeds of the Void Century.
Is he still human?
Is he something else?
Something that shouldn't exist?
And only one question remained:
What did Noah learn in the Void Era… that made him fear history repeating itself?
BACK TO THE PRESENT
Noah enters his room and goes to bed.