In the courtyard of the same tailor shop in the Flower Capital from a year ago, during the same season, cherry blossoms adorned the branches, their delicate fragrance refreshing the heart and mind.
Several months ago, to help the increasingly frail Filina regain some spirit, Kaido had purchased this large courtyard.
Outside the courtyard, Kaido, who had just returned overnight after hearing Queen's report on Onigashima, vigorously rubbed his cheeks and forced the corners of his mouth upward into a stiff smile.
Creak.
He gently pushed open the courtyard gate and stepped inside.
Under the cherry blossom tree, a large swing swayed slowly.
A tall woman sat on it, her hands caressing her slightly swollen belly, a maternal smile playing on her lips.
Hearing the sound, Filina looked up.
Seeing Kaido, her face immediately brightened with a radiant smile, deepening her dimples.
"Oxy, you're back?"
Kaido's heart twisted painfully as he took in Filina's protruding cheekbones and gaunt body.
He forced himself to appear cheerful, lifting the still-steaming food in his hand.
"I went into town and bought hot milk and buns—your favorite."
"Hehe, you're so thoughtful. Come, sit here." Filina beckoned with a smile.
Kaido crouched before her, holding the food.
Up close, he noticed how her hair, once glossy and smooth, now lacked its usual luster.
Filina's eyes sparkled with anticipation.
"Have you thought of names yet? We need both a boy's and a girl's name. The little one will be here in a few months."
Kaido stretched out his broad hand and carefully touched his wife's belly, feeling the faint movements of the fetus within.
A surge of joy at the prospect of fatherhood welled up in his heart.
"I've decided. If it's a boy, we'll name him Musashi. If it's a girl, Yamato."
"Those are boy's names! No good, no good. Think of another one for a girl—something prettier."
Filina pouted in frustration.
"But they sound nice—"
Before Kaido could finish, Filina suddenly covered her mouth and coughed.
"Cough... cough..."
The coughs were violent, bending her thin frame as she trembled slightly.
"Filina!"
Kaido hurriedly reached out to pat her back, the joy on his face vanishing instantly, replaced by deep concern.
After more than a dozen coughs, Filina finally straightened up, exhaling deeply before forcing a weak smile.
"I'm fine. Don't worry."
Seeing his wife's increasingly haggard face and body ravaged by illness, Kaido gritted his teeth and made up his mind.
"Filina," he said resolutely, "Queen said—"
But before he could finish, a hand covered his mouth.
She shook her head gently, her gaze clear as water.
"Don't say it, Oxy. You know I won't agree. I know you mean well, but no matter what, I will never give up this child. This might be the only child I ever have."
"But... Filina... I don't want... to lose you." Kaido couldn't hold back any longer at this point.
His massive, imposing body trembled uncontrollably as hot tears rolled down from his eyes.
Filina smiled gently, softly pulling Kaido's head into her embrace.
"Oxy, my adoptive parents once told me that when people die, they become stars in the sky, watching over their loved ones from above. If I die, I'll become the brightest one, always guarding you. So you never have to worry about losing me."
...
Several months later, Kaido and Filina's child was born—it was a girl.
Kaido named her Yamato, Barbarossa Yamato.
This little girl with tiny red horns brought vibrant life to the utterly exhausted Filina, improving her illness significantly.
Seeing this, Kaido felt immeasurable joy.
"Oxy, look! Yamato's chewing her fingers! Hehe, her little face is so adorable... What if she catches a cold..."
"I've been cooped up in this room for a month—I'm going crazy! Oxy, I want to go out! Let's go as a family, okay? To the New World, to see the sights."
Filina stomped her feet playfully, clinging to Kaido while pouting.
In the distance, King struggled to suppress his laughter but was glared at fiercely by Kaido.
In the end, Kaido couldn't refuse his wife.
He had no choice but to take Filina and Yamato out to sea, heading for the New World.
This time, they traveled by ship.
Filina's health was fragile, and Yamato was just an infant—Kaido didn't dare fly with them.
While touring the New World's landscapes, they occasionally encountered foolish pirates who dared attack them.
But under Kaido's overwhelming protection, the family safely enjoyed many beautiful moments together.
Yet...
Joyful times pass swiftly like a fleeting steed, while despairing sorrow inevitably etches itself eternally into one's heart.
That day still arrived.
Beneath Wano Country's towering Kuri waterfall, a massive pirate ship floated.
From within the ship came Kaido's agonized roar.
On the deck, Kaido knelt, clutching Filina's pale face, his heart shattering.
"No, Filina, you'll be fine. We're almost at Onigashima—Queen will heal you. I'll fly you there right now."
Kaido held his rapidly weakening wife tightly, his eyes bloodshot.
Filina's lips trembled as she nestled against Kaido's chest, gazing at him with longing.
"Oxy... I can't bear it. Can't bear leaving you... leaving Yamato. Meeting you was the greatest fortune of my life. You gave meaning to my brief existence."
"Don't speak, Filina. Don't speak. You'll be fine."
Drip. Drip.
Tears fell uncontrollably from Kaido's eyes.
"Our child... let me see our child. Yamato." Filina grew weaker, her voice fading.
Trembling, Kaido lifted their daughter who'd been crawling on the deck and placed her before Filina.
Kaido held Filina.
Filina held Yamato.
Young Yamato, unaware of what was happening, blinked her bright black eyes energetically.
"Yamato, my child... Mommy won't be able to watch you grow up..."
Filina gazed at her daughter with aching tenderness, wanting to kiss her but lacking even the slightest strength.
"Oxy, I want to return to... Elbaf... bury me..."
Filina's voice faded before she could finish.
Kaido clutched his wife tightly, nodding desperately but unable to speak, only manage to let out a mournful roar.
...