One Piece: It's always been you

Chapter 68 The Conspiracy Hidden in the Shadows (5)

In the pitch-black darkness, Yu had no idea how long she had been walking or where she was.

"Yu, it's been a long time. How are you?"

The light that appeared in the darkness, and the person surrounded by the light, was someone Yu knew all too well—her brother, Rosinante.

He greeted himself with a smile.

Yu stood rooted to the spot, hesitant to take another half-step. Her brother was dead. Was this another trap like the last one? Was he really her brother?

"Little Rice Grain, have you forgotten me so quickly?"

!

"Big rice cracker, small rice cake, small rice grain." This was the secret code between Grandpa, my brother, and myself.

He is the older brother, he is Rosinante's older brother.

"Brother! Brother!" Without further hesitation, tears welled up in Yu's eyes as she ran towards Rosinandi.

Rosinandi also opened his arms, extending his embrace towards You.

Meeting is already a luxury, but You has been blessed by heaven. Since they have met, she no longer cares about this momentary embrace.

The brother and sister hugged each other tightly, tears streaming down their faces, unable to shake off the joy of their reunion.

This was her lifelong regret: not being able to see her brother one last time, and not being able to be by his side in his final moments.

"Brother! Brother! I miss you so much, I miss you so much!"

“I’m sorry, if I hadn’t separated from you back then, you wouldn’t have left me and Grandpa.”

"I'm sorry, I'm so useless. I should have trained myself earlier and become capable of protecting you, instead of always hiding behind you."

Yu's self-blame was mixed with sobs, but Rosinante heard it clearly: "This is not your fault, it is my fate, there is no way to change it."

"But...but..."

“Listen to me, Yu.” Rosinandi looked at Yu in his arms and stroked her hair again and again. “You are not from this world, but you are gradually integrating into it now.”

"Brother, how do you know I'm not from this world!" From the previous dream and the matter of Celluloid, Yu had a general feeling that she didn't belong here.

"You came from the outside world, searching for someone you want to see. You don't have your previous memories yet, but you must remember, Yu, that you have become one with this world. There is only one way to leave: to be killed by people from the outside world at your own will."

"Brother, what do you mean by that?" You didn't understand why her brother would say that.

“Although I don’t know who you want to see, or whether you’ve seen them or not, You’ve lived here for seventeen years and have developed an indelible relationship with the people here. Whether you leave or not is no longer entirely up to you.” Rosinandi said earnestly, his time was running out. “You must protect yourself. You are not safe in this world. Whoever has you can change their fate. You must protect yourself. The fewer people who know about your abilities, the better.”

"Whoever gains me can change their fate?" You wanted to ask for more details, but she found that the light was fading. "Brother! Brother, don't go. You still have so much to say. Please don't go."

"Yu, take care of yourself and go find the person you want to see."

The light started from Rosinandi's feet, rising little by little until even his gentle smile faded away, and the starlight drifted into the distance, as if guiding You on the path ahead.

Yu followed the light forward, reaching the end, where the blinding light made her unable to open her eyes.

When I opened my eyes again, all I saw was the ceiling.

This... seems to be the room Katakuri prepared for her on Wheat Island; this is her bed. Yu was a little thirsty and wanted to reach for the water by the bedside; having been unconscious for so long, even lifting her hand was a huge drain on her energy.

However, after finally managing to raise my hand, I discovered that it had shrunk.

Is this my hand? Why is it so small?

Footsteps came from outside the door; upon closer listening, the sound was likely Katakuri's leather boots.

He knew he was awake.

Yu's guess was correct; Katakuri knew Yu was awake and rushed to the room. Opening the door, he saw the small figure on the bed with open eyes, and the lingering worry finally subsided.

Although she lacked energy and her lips were still pale, she was no longer lying quietly in bed; only her chest was rising and falling slightly.

"Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere?" Katakuri walked to the bedside, gently helped Yu sit up, and asked her if she was feeling unwell.

Yu's gaze was somewhat vacant. Only when she sat up did she realize that she had shrunk. The bed, which had been just the right size, now only occupied a tiny corner. Even if Katakuri sat down next to her, she would have to look up.

Having just woken up, even raising her neck slightly was a huge strain, so Yu decided to avoid looking at him for now.

My neck hurts.

This series of actions made Katakuri's heart, which had just settled, jump again. Had his body shrunk and he lost his memories? Would Yuu still recognize him? He hadn't appeared when Yuu was a child...

"Do you remember your name? Do you know who I am?" Katakuri cautiously probed.

Katakuri asked, and Yu glanced up at him symbolically, but quickly turned back.

It's too high, my neck hurts.

Katakuri thought Yu had really lost his memory, so he quickly prepared to find a doctor.

Yu found his reaction somewhat amusing; it wasn't actually that serious, but she simply didn't have the energy to say much. "I...I'm thirsty..."

Yu's voice was a little hoarse from sleeping for so long. Katakuri stopped in his tracks, sat back down on the edge of the bed, poured a glass of warm water, inserted a straw, and held it to Yu's lips. "Are you hungry? What do you want to eat?"

Glug glug, the water in the cup was all gone, and Yu finally spoke up to Katakuri, "I'm hungry, I want to eat a donut."

"You just woke up, it's not a good time for you to eat sweets. How about I make you something else to eat?" Although You didn't recognize herself, at least she answered her.

"You used to give me a plate of desserts, why won't you let me eat them now?" Yu said, annoyed. She remembered that not long after they met, she woke up from a coma and could only eat desserts, but he didn't think there was anything wrong with that.

Upon hearing this, Katakuri realized what was happening. "You remember? Then you..."

"My name is Yu, and you're Katakuri. I've just shrunk in size, but I haven't lost my memory," Yu explained patiently, even teasing Katakuri, "Have you really become stupid from being called Katakuri so often?"

"No, it's just that I was so excited to see you awake." Katakuri didn't hide it. Heaven knows that for the past week, he could only quietly stay by her bedside. The doctor said that whether she could wake up depended on herself, and the worst outcome was that it would continue like this. Fortunately, she woke up.

"I'm sorry for making you worry."

"I know I'll worry, so just take better care of yourself next time." Katakuri couldn't bear to lecture her anymore; as long as Yuu was alright, that was enough. "I'll go get you some food."

"it is good."

Looking at her current appearance, You remembered what Shamojiu had said at the end—come to Shanie Illusion Island in the West Sea to find him.

It seems she can go to sea with Katakuri again. Whether it's a trap or not, she has to go this time.