By Your Side

Chapter 32

I began coughing profusely, water escaping my lungs as I woke up. I took a few moments to catch my breath, evening out my breathing, before I glanced around to find out where I was.

"What the hell...?" I mumbled, glancing around the room I was in. I was lying on a palate, the clothes I was wearing beside me, replaced with a kimono. "How'd I get here? Last I remember was drowning in the ocean..." I furrowed my brows together, resting a hand against my forehead in confusion.

The sound of a door opening gained my attention as I turned to look. I watched as a woman walked in, smiling as she noticed me staring at her. "I see you've awoken."

"Where am I?" Was the first question I decided to ask. I don't think this woman would cause me harm, seeing as how she went out of her way to change my clothes and let me sleep in a bed.

"Oh- where are my manners... My name is Saito Izuku but you can just call me Izuku." She smiled, kneeling down beside me. "And I found you on the shore and brought you to my house."

"Oh, we'll thank you for that..." I gave her a small smile and began to sit up. "But I need to get going."

"Of course, it was no trouble at all Ms. (L/N)."

I stopped moving, turning to look at the woman. "How do you know my name?"

"I've been reading about you and the Straw Hat's in the papers for a while now. I must say, you and your group really know how to stir things up in the world." She replies, holding up a newspaper. Upon further inspection, I saw it was the recent news about the events from Whole Cake Island.

Reminded that I arrived with the Big Mom Pirates, I instinctively brought my hand up to the collar on my neck, but not feeling it. What the- I widened my eyes, looking down slightly as I realized the collar was gone. How-

"Ah yes, I took the liberty of removing that collar from around your neck." I brought my gaze back to Izuku, watching as she took the collar out from her Kimono.

I began to smile as I felt the weight I've been carrying for the past couple of weeks since the battle with Big Mom. I can finally go find the others. "You've been so kind to me and even helped me, how could I ever repay you?"

"Well, if you had a chance to go back into the past to stop something from happening, would you?" Izuku asks randomly, confusing me.

As I thought over the sudden question that she asked, I thought back to my hometown and Marineford. Without hesitation I answered, "Yes, I would."

Izuku raised an eyebrow in amusement, as if pleased by my answer. "What if I tell you that you could."

"What do you mean?" Why is she asking all these questions? I couldn't wrap my head around it, especially since I just woke up in a strangers house and am suddenly being 20 questioned.

"About 20 years ago, I stumbled across a devil fruit and ate it. At the time I didn't know I had ate one, just thought I ate a rotten fruit because of the taste." She stated humorously to which I chuckled, remembering how Luffy, Chopper, Brook, and Robin said the same thing.

"Anyways, one day I was reading a book about devil fruits and came across a fruit that looked like the one I had eaten... the Time-Time no Mi. This fruit allows me to travel to the past or future." Izuku explained, surprising me. Time travel...?

A/N: (I decided that for this story reader-Chan gets to meet the person who obtained the Toki-Toki No Mi that Oden's wife, Toki, had before she died since we know Devil Fruits reappear after the user dies. Watch I make this part up for the story then Oda goes and drops a plot twist of someone having it later on in the anime/manga -_-)

Wait... could it be that- My eyes widened at the realization I had. "Wait... so you mean..." I trailed off, not sure if I was correct or not.

"Exactly what I mean." She smiles at me, "So, what do ya say?"

"I would love to, but I don't know how to fully unleash my ability... all the leads I find are dead ends."I frowned, looking down to my hands.

"I might have a solution for that."

...

"Okay are you ready?"

I nodded my head before closing my eyes. A few moments when I opened them, we were in a different building. "Where are we?"

"We're in Wano from roughly 25 years ago."

I searched around the room, glancing at a map to see it wasn't near as much of what it is now. Wow. So this is what the maps looked like compared to now...

I took notice of how very little islands were mapped out, others yet to be discovered, and the fresh ink of an island with 'Wano' scribbled above it. I scanned the rest of the table and to the left of the map was a journal. Curious, I took it in my hands, opening it up.

For those who read this journal, on the last island we went to, we found something extraordinary!

There was a Poneglyph and we managed to translate part of it. On there, there was mention of an ancient devil fruit... the Revive Revive Fruit.

"Wait a minute- this journal..." I read on, realizing it was the one I found 2 years ago. As I flipped through the pages, I came across the one that was torn that I couldn't read.

The Revive-Revive Fruit comes in two different variations: Yin and Yang. Light and Darkness.

Revive-Revive Fruit: Type Yin - Izanami-no-Mikoto, aka, god of both creation and death. Once eaten, this fruit allows the user to obtain the ability to come back from the dead, a chance at second life.

Revive-Revive Fruit: Type Yang - Izanagi-no-Mikoto, aka, god of both creation and life. Once eaten, this fruit allows the user to obtain the ability to seize control of the space between reality and illusion once awakened, to give life.

With Yang, the user is able to freeze time or even create a space in time to protect the user or those in the space disadvantages such as damage and even death, rewriting those events as an illusion.

A/N: (Okay so it's not be 100% accurate, but I'm basing the ability off of the Izanagi god in Japanese Mythology. The ability/power of the god when reading is similar to what Masashi Kishimoto did in Naruto with the abilities of Genjutsu.)

"So there is a way..." I gasped, before reading on how to be able to use the ability. "Izuku?" I spoke up after a few minutes.

"Yes?" She replied, walking over to me as I closed the book, setting it back where it was.

"We can go back now, I'm done here." I announced turning toward her.

"Very well." Izuku grabbed ahold of my hands as I closed my eyes. A few seconds later, I felt her hands release mine, letting me know to open my eyes.

"So, did you find what you were looking for?" She asked, waiting for my reply.

I nodded my head, "Mhm, I did. But I'm going to need some time before I can do it." I looked towards the door, "Plus I should find my friends like I promised."

"Of course, feel free to leave when you're ready." She replied kindly, "Am I safe to assume you have decided on what you will do in the past."

"Yeah, something I should've done from the beginning." I clenched my hands, giving her a look of determination.

Izuku gave me a smile in return, a knowing look in her eye. "I see. Well I'll be there whenever you arrive."

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Published: 11/09/2022