The 19th century—a dazzling era. The technological and economic advancements brought on by the Industrial Revolution drastically changed human life. Disciplines of natural science such as physics, chemistry, biology, and geology began to take shape.
But it was also an age marked by a huge gap between the rich and the poor.
England, a sea-surrounded island nation, was known for its ever-changing weather. It might be clear and sunny one moment, and pouring rain the next.
Today, however, was an exception. The rare good weather lasted the entire day.
Liverpool, located in the northwest of England, was the country's second-largest commercial port.
After a day of fun, a young boy and girl waved goodbye under the setting sun, reluctant to part. Their names were carved into a nearby tree trunk, encased in a heart—his affection declared, her blushing acceptance sealed the moment.
If nothing unexpected happened, they seemed destined for the altar.
But behind a large nearby tree, a handsome blond boy watched everything unfold with a cold gaze, his eyes filled with undisguised hatred for the girl.
If looks could kill, the girl would've died dozens of times already.
The moment the boy disappeared from view, the blond youth strode toward the girl, quickly stepping in front of her. Two followers behind him promptly caught up.
"I hear your name is Erina?" The blond boy raised his chin, a wicked grin curling his lips as he looked down at her with arrogant eyes.
"You and JoJo seem to be getting along quite well."
As he spoke, he patted the tree trunk beside him, where their names were carved.
"I thought something was off… That guy should've been moping around, but lately he's been awfully cheerful."
His tone was laced with contempt whenever he mentioned JoJo.
The blond boy stared at the girl, his eyes cold and indifferent—as if she were an object rather than a person.
"So you're the reason, huh."
Though the girl didn't know who he was, his intentions were clearly hostile.
Without a word, she turned to leave, but the blond youth grabbed her wrist. His strength was far beyond what she could resist.
He yanked her back, gripping her shoulder with his other hand to keep her still.
"Your first kiss wasn't JoJo's… it was mine—Dio's."
In his mind, the blond boy had already written the script. He leaned forward quickly toward the girl.
"Just wait, JoJo. I'll take everything from you."
"And I'll start with your woman!"
The moment his lips touched hers, a cold and slimy sensation spread across them. Expecting to enjoy the moment, he immediately realized something was wrong.
Opening his eyes, he didn't see the girl's delicate face—but a grotesque one: thick lips, an enormous nose, eyes spaced far apart, and not a single hair. Its pink color might've meant to be cute, but on this face, it was anything but. Worst of all, it had only a head—and it was flat.
Dio swore it was the ugliest face he had ever seen, rivaling that of his scumbag father.
Where was Erina?! How had she turned into this thing?
The unexpected turn of events sent Dio's brain into overdrive.
A strong stench hit his nose—like rotting seafood.
"Ugh!"
Before he could vomit, he felt a heavy pressure on his shoulder. A force from behind twisted his body 90 degrees with ease.
"Forcing a girl to do something against her will? That's not very gentlemanly, young man."
Standing in front of Dio was a burly man wearing a white shirt and black suit. He held a gentleman's cane in one hand, wore a tall top hat, had a monocle on his right eye rimmed in gold, and sported a small mustache curved on both ends.
A perfect image of an English gentleman.
"Also… you did unspeakable things to my dinner."
In the man's other hand was… the face Dio had just kissed?
Not a real face—but a fish. A blobfish, to be precise. A deep-sea creature that just happened to resemble a human face.
"Uncle Potter!" The girl cried out joyfully upon recognizing him.
"Oh, my dear niece Erina, it's been so long," replied the man she called Uncle Potter, in a tone that was oddly both familiar and unfamiliar—strangely off.
"Let me go, you bastard!" Dio yelled, blushing and covering his mouth. No matter how hard he struggled, he couldn't escape the man's iron grip. His two henchmen had long since disappeared.
'Where the hell did this guy come from?'
'I made sure no one else was around!'
"Oh my God, what a rude child you are," the man said, casually tossing the blobfish aside and dragging Dio to the side as he continued lecturing.
"You owe her an apology, my boy."
"I'm not your boy! Let go of me!" Dio shouted, furious and humiliated. "You think I'll let you off after what you did to me?"
"Get ready to pay!"
He swung a punch directly at the man's face, full of confidence.
"You're quite rude," the man replied, easily dodging the punch. Calmly, he raised his cane and struck Dio's elbow—not hard, but enough to send him stumbling to the ground in pain.
"I hear your name is Dio?" The man narrowed his eyes and looked down at him. "If I catch you bullying my dear niece again, I promise I'll put my boot right up your backside."
"Now scram!"
After sizing up the difference in strength, Dio clutched his arm and fled in disgrace. Before leaving, he turned back and shouted, "Tell me your name if you dare!"
"Harry. Harry Potter."
"If you're looking for revenge, come find me at Hogwarts."
The man added, "I'll be waiting at Platform Nine and Three-Quarters at King's Cross Station."
After safely walking Erina home, the man who called himself Harry Potter strolled alone down the silent nighttime streets of 19th-century Liverpool.
Of course, silence didn't mean safety. Night was when the dirtiest deeds were done.
After turning down a dark alley, the man's form began to blur. He removed the top hat, monocle, and fake mustache—until he transformed into someone else entirely.
Yamcha.
(End of Chapter)