The wind howled against the sails of the Perseus, the ship gently rocking on the dark waves as night blanketed the open ocean. Lanterns flickered in the cool evening breeze, casting golden glows over parchment blueprints, metal scraps, and beakers filled with strange concoctions. Inside the makeshift lab near the stern of the ship, nestled beneath a canvas canopy and surrounded by crates of salvaged tools, two figures were bent over a table cluttered with gears and wires.

But before this moment—before this return—there was silence. A silence that had lasted for over 3700 years.

⸻

Back in the modern world, love had seemed like an unnecessary distraction to both of you. With brains geared toward logic, equations, and the relentless pursuit of discovery, neither you nor Senku had thought much of romance. But fate had other ideas. It was Taiju who first introduced you—his ever-curious, science-obsessed best friend to the only person who could match his energy in technical chaos: you.

You were eccentric, wild with your ideas, and your inventions were often borderline absurd. But Senku saw the brilliance buried in the madness. You two clicked like cogs in a perfectly synced machine, and before either of you knew it, dating felt less like a waste of time and more like a compelling formula that made life even more exciting. Then, the world turned to stone.

——

Two years after Senku woke up in the Stone World, after battles with Tsukasa, voyages to Treasure Island, and countless scientific miracles, they were now on a voyage to reach the New World—America. Senku had assembled a brilliant crew.

Halfway into their voyage, the crew stopped by a remote island to gather fresh resources. While foraging in the dense greenery, Taiju stumbled—literally—upon something extraordinary. Half-buried in a thicket of ivy and soil was a human-shaped stone figure. His heart nearly exploded when he realized the familiar features hidden beneath vines and earth.

Taiju’s thunderous voice echoed over the island as he carried your statue, muscles trembling not from weight, but from sheer excitement. The second Senku heard Taiju’s voice—frantic, breathless, serious—he dropped everything he was holding. Chrome barely caught the flask before it hit the deck. The gears in Senku’s mind shifted, and for the first time in ages, he sprinted.

He hadn’t seen you in nearly four millennia.

It took weeks. The revival didn’t happen immediately. Supplies were short. Nitric acid reserves had been depleted. Kohaku and Ukyo helped forage for rare ingredients, while Suika kept watch over your statue like a loyal guardian. Even Ryusui, though normally smug and flamboyant, quietly made sure Senku didn’t keel over from exhaustion. Francois practically had to force him to drink water. And Kaseki, who normally never questioned Senku’s work ethic, told him to slow down. When the time finally came and Senku poured the fluid over your stone form, everyone held their breath’s.

The moment the petrification cracked and you gasped your first breath of air in 3700 years, Senku’s lips twitched into a real smile.