{A/n. This chapter contains major spoilers from One Piece manga chapters 926 to 933.

Please see the notes at the end for translation/explanation of the Japanese terms.}

This part is badly edited, sorry. I'm falling asleep but I didn't want to make you guys wait any longer. I'll go through it again tomorrow.

*

«Aokiji-sensei, why didn't you capture Nico Robin and that strawhat-guy?»

«Arara... who knows. I must have forgotten.»

You rolled your eyes, balancing on the parcel carrier of his moving bike. Same old, same old.

«Hey!» you grinned «Did you see how I owned their shooter? On the beach, like after you froze Nico Robin. He tried to raise his slingshot at you but BANG! I knocked it out of his hand with one blow.»

«Yes. I counted on you, Y/n.»

You playfully scoffed.

«I know you don't actually need me. But I like to measure my skills against other snipers.»

«I do need you though. I could never sleep as much as I do if I had to take down all the targets by myself.»

You couldn't help the smile that pulled at your lips.

«I'm gonna take a nap now. It's my turn.» you said.

«Don't fall down.»

«I never do.»

...

...

«Oi, Y/n.»

Aokiji's warm voice dragged you out of your drowsiness. You found yourself looking at the vast, placid sea, the glare of the dusk lazily following the ice trail of the bike.

«Mh?»

«I was wondering... do you know how old you actually are?»

You groaned and pushed your messy hair away from your face.

«Is that what you woke me up for?»

He didn't reply, so you sighed and adjusted your position on the carrier.

«The nurse that did my check-up when I enrolled said I was thirteen, judging by my development.»*

«So you don't know.»

«Mmh... I mean, she must've been right? I didn't keep track before.»

Aokiji kept paddling quietly. It took a few moments for him to reply.

«It's not so easy to tell, I guess. When he was taken in, Diez Drake was initially estimated to be around five years younger than what we was.»

«WHA— how??»

The Admiral shrugged.

«Malnutrition and stuff.»

«Aokiji-sensei... are you sure you can go blabbing things like this about other officers?»

«Right... I guess I forgot.»

You rolled your eyes. Then the implications hit you.

«Hey, does that mean I could be, like, five years older than what I am?!»

«Five years may be a stretch.»

«Why?»

«You don't look like a woman at all.»

«HEY!»

You let your legs dangle inches from the golden waves.

«Still, I could be twenty-one already!» your assigned birthday was just a few weeks away after all «Aokiji-sensei, will you treat me to my first booze when we arrive to Water Seven?»

«That would be pretty irresponsible of me.»

«Eeeh? What a drag!»

«What a troublesome kid.»

You both knew he let you drink already.

Drake folded the newspaper over the table and glanced over at your figure, currently intent in stuffing your face with tempura for breakfast. Or lunch, from his perspective.

The sun was already high in the sky, gliding West even, but that still gave you only six hours of sleep.

«I was summoned to take care of some rascal here in the capital.» he announced.

You briefly lifted your masked eyes from the fish, a droplet of soya sauce dripping down your chin. If Drake was stunned by the amount of food you were able to inhale in a few minutes, he didn't give it away. The poor servant had recently completed his third trip to the kitchen, with seconds (thirds), and weakly suggested you to stop because there was nothing left anymore.

You felt a little bad for the guy. Earlier in the day, he had the thankless job to wake you up, and he found himself with a shiny arrowhead inches from his nose.

Drake's blue eyes stared right back at you until you swallowed the massive bite and wiped your mouth with your sleeve.

«...And?»

He let out an imperceptible sigh.

«As I mentioned yesterday, you'll have to take over this evening's mission for me. The Yakuza requested an escort for the oiran, she's supposed to cross the city and meet the shogun in his palace today.»

You bit off the head of a fried prawn.

«An escort mission. How fun.»

«I expect you are well versed for those?»

«Eh. I was supposed to be on duty at the Reverie just a little while ago.»

Drake hummed, leaning his elbows on the table and crossing his fingers in front of his mouth.

«Our common experience in the Marines will turn useful in managing orders, Lieutenant.»

Your nose wrinkled and you pointed an accusatory half-eaten crab at him.

«Captain. I was a captain before leaving.»

He raised an eyebrow.

«Impressive.»

He didn't look impressed at all.

You rolled your eyes and got back to your food.

«Anyway, I'll have Sukimaru here instruct you on the Yakuza, the oiran, and shogun Orochi.»

The small servant bowed his head.

«You likely won't have to do anything but stand there.» Drake continued «Kyoshiro-oyabun himself will be there. He's the boss of the Yakuza and a formidable samurai, so our presence is not actually needed, it's just a formality to remind everyone of Kaido's support to the shogun.»

You gulped down your miso soup, then lowered the cup, flashing a crooked smile to the pirate.

«So I am Kaido's representative tonight?»

A sparkle of concern flickered in Drake's gaze.

«Your only duty is to stand there without creating problems. Is this something you can do, Kotori?»

You finally leaned back in your chair and pushed the ravaged placemat away from you.

«I'll do what you ask, Diez Drake. As long as you honor our agreement.»

«Good.»

Drake slipped his hand inside his lather jacket and placed two objects in front of you.

«A map of the Flower Capital and a Smashi*. I marked the place where you are meeting the Yakuza, today at six.»

«If it's at six, how come I was woken up so early?»

«You're going to patrol the streets until then, get familiar with the city. We are looking for a rascal soba vendor that had a run-in with the Yakuza. If you hear anything about it, call me.»

You took the map and the snail. That was good, it would give you a mean to look for the Manslayer's whereabouts.

«A soba vendor? Isn't this a little below your payroll?»

Drake shrugged.

«It's a waste of time, but that's what I was asked to do.»

A true ex-marine indeed.

Suddenly, you remembered something about Diez Drake. Aokiji's words from an era ago.

«When he was taken in, Diez Drake was initially estimated to be around five years younger than what we was.»

«Malnutrition and stuff.»

You observed him now, the broad shoulders, the X tattoo on his massive chest, the marked line of his jaw, the towering height.

I guess his malnutrition days are far behind him now.

Still, it felt a little strange to think you might have a common origin, at least to some extent. Everyone in the Marines knew Drake's father was a soldier-turned-pirate who had taken his child with him. There were a lot of rumors around why Diez Barrels had deserted and the circumstances of his death, but one thing was for sure: Drake had suffered hell before his father's downfall, when he was taken in by the Marines. You wondered if he felt as lost as you did, the day of his enrollment.

«Ah-hem.»

The pirate cleared his voice, snapping you back into reality, your eyes flicking back to his face. There was a faint flush on his cheeks, and his gaze rolled to the side before meeting yours.

«If there are no questions, you may go.»

«I do have one.» you turned to the servant kneeling at the far end of the room «Where's the coffee?»

«Hum...» a thin layer of cold sweat coated his shaved temples.

«There's hardly any coffee in Wano.» Drake intervened «The people here don't drink it.»

You deadpanned at him.

«Are you kidding me?»

«I'll await for your report tonight.»

That was your cue to leave, of course. To go off and be Kaido's representative for the day. Kaido. The Emperor of the Sea. The Beast. And without a coffee in your system.

My life sure is strange.

You stood, picked up your bow, and dragged your feet to the door.

«One last thing.»

Drake's words halted your steps. He stood as well and walked towards you. You stayed still as long as you could, but when his imposing figure loomed over you, you instinctively slid back and your grip tightened around the bow.

Drake stopped.

The air between you tensed for a moment, then he stretched his arm to you, opening his palm to reveal a brooch.

«My Jolly Roger.» he said, slowly «So no one will question or attack you.»

Your eyes sharpened and surveyed the object. It was indeed the symbol of the Drake Pirates, with the three swords crossed together.

You let go of the bow and took the brooch from him.

«Thanks.»

He watched you slip it in your pocket.

«I am true to my word, L/n. I won't hurt you unless you do something stupid.»

You frowned.

«I always do something stupid.»

You turned and waved him goodbye.

Once outside the mansion, you examined your fingers. There was a thin but slightly deep cut on your fingertip, and a small, white splinter plunged into the flesh.

You removed it and let yourself go against the wall, bringing the bow in front of you.

«You mad at me because we're on the shogun's side now?»

The wood gleamed in sunlight. You loosened a breath.

I know you wished I were someone else. I also wished you were Stray.

«But this is the arrangement at the moment.» you muttered, adjusting the bow to your back «And you're gonna behave, or I'll smash you into a wall.»

By the end of the day, your back was all scratched up.

Usohachi walked through the crowded streets of the Flower Capital, his eyes low, his sharp senses focused on catching a glimpse of moon tattoos among the thousands passer-by of the city center.

The long kimono didn't make it easy, only revealing a sliver of ankles in the samurai's firm strides, but his sniper sight was the best suited for the work.

There was another one.

Without altering his gait in anyway, Usohachi walked past the warrior, his arm only brushing against the stranger's, their fingers meeting for an instant.

When the samurai realized something had been sneaked into his sleeve, Usohachi had already mixed into the crowd.

His mission was proceeding smoothly, he had already located more than a dozen Kozuki loyalists. It was time to go back to his spot, he didn't like to keep too many secret messages on his person in case he was stopped by the local guards, or worse, some Beast pirate.

The toad on his head croaked.

«Right, my friend, time to sell some more miraculous toad oil!»

The pirate in disguise rounded the corner to his spot, right where he left his carriage, then stopped on his feet.

There was a woman sitting right on top of his stand, her legs dangling inches from the ground. She was wearing a green kimono, her face was half concealed in a wooden mask, and there was a long bow strapped to her back.

Shit.

Weapons meant trouble. Only Orochi's and Kaido's men were allowed to carry them.

She smirked at him.

«Yo. Are you the vendor?»

«Hey! What the hell you think you're doing? That's my stuff!»

«So you can tell me what this is?»

The woman held a piece of paper in front of her mouth with two fingers.

Usopp's eyes quickly darted to her ankles. No crescent moon tattoo.

Double shit.

«How am I supposed to know? And who are you?!»

The toad croaked his disappointment as well.

«I'm your friendly neighborhood patroller.»

The archer jumped down from the carriage, the paper disappearing into the folds of her kimono.

«Is this stuff legit?» the woman shook one of his toad oil bottles in her hand.

Why did she look somewhat familiar?

«Yes, and you have to pay for it!»

«Hm. Okay.»

Usopp felt cold sweat beading on his brows, his hand sliding on the slingshot hidden in his sash.

She walked up to him, close, way too close. He was ready to snatch his weapon from his belt, but then she just pressed a silver coin to his chest.

He swallowed, scanning her concealed face. Her lips were still tugged into a sly smirk.

«Relaaax. I'm not gonna do anything.»

All his senses screamed at him. The voice. The tone. This was definitely someone he met before.

Usopp took the coin from her. She lowered her arm but stayed uncomfortably close.

«By the way, you're not doing bad. But, just so you know, there's a bear with a basket on his head walking around and distributing these papers to people. I mean, who came up with this plan?»

He saw her eyes blink eloquently through the mask.

«A fucking bear. With a basket on his head. A bear.»

She shook her head and finally walked past him.

«Let it sink.»

Yeah, they may be fucked.

As you strolled down a street lined with izakaya's, you pulled the slip of paper out and observed it again. The drawing was absolutely incomprehensible.

The search for the Manslayer was a failure, but the scooping around led to something very interesting, and a little terrifying.

The Strawhats and the Heart Pirates were in Wano. Like you hadn't had enough of those guys in Dressrosa.

And I thought Wano was supposed to be an isolated country. Nooo, the whole world is here instead. What are the odds?

It was easy to spot them after the freaking bear from the Heart Pirates crossed your path, casually walking down the street as you gaped at him going. Sure, he bothered to cover his head with a basket, but the Jolly Roger of his crew was proudly sewn to his kimono. Like, great job guys.

After shadowing him for an hour, you got your hands on the secret papers and found his allies in different parts of the capital. Including Usopp. God-freaking-Usopp.

He was the hardest to tail. His Observation was underdeveloped compared to yours, yes, but he clearly had an innate instinct for it. As soon as you spotted him, he stopped and looked around. That was why you opted to find his stand instead.

You pondered whether to tell Drake about it. You were leaning towards the no. The Strawhats were agents of chaos, everyone knew it, and chaos could turn very useful to your goals.

It was probably unwise to reveal yourself like that buuuut you just couldn't resist the urge to mess with the so-called "God Usopp", the guy that was crowned "god" by an adoring crowd right in front of you, back in Dressrosa.

I may or may not be a little bitter about that, huh.

You told yourself it was relatively safe, he was hardly conscious the whole time you were around him. Although there was that thing on Long Ring Long Land, more than two years ago, with...

You shook your head.

That was a past life. A past you. That person did not exist anymore.

Kyoshiro-oyabun, or Napping Kyoshiro as people called him, was a piece of work.

His fox smile alone put you on your guard instantly.

You met the oiran and her Yakuza entourage where agreed (it took you two hours to find the place, you blamed Drake for not marking it clearly on the intelligible map), right below the road to the palace.

«You must be O-Kotori-san.»

It was Kyoshiro who came forward to introduce himself, his ten-foot height looming over you as he bowed lightly. Great, another giant.

What the hell do these people eat?

The samurai scanned you, his eyes resembling two moon slivers and almost disappearing above the sharp cheekbones.

«An interesting attire. You could almost stand out among the geisha, tonight.»

You clicked your tongue at his observation.

Truth was the kimono was a terrible choice for an archer, the ample sleeves could get in the way. Poor Sukimaru had tried to show you how to wear the tasuki, the local sash used to hold the sleeves back when needed, but you rage-quit after just a couple of attempts, then spent half of the afternoon to find more apt clothes, with no success. You didn't know where the Beast Pirate outfit went after Sukimaru took it away the night before, and you had no desire to go back to it anyway. So, after enduring the kimono for a few hours, you bullied Sukimaru for a better solution until he presented you with some ample trousers called hakama. However, he couldn't come up with anything useful for the top part until, exasperated, he suggested you simply walked around in your sarashi. Which left you basically naked from the waist up with the sole exception of your chest. You completed the look by pinning Drake's brooch on the sash on your waist.

You grinned at the man in front of you.

«No worries, no one will so much look at me, with the oiran around.»

Well, you hadn't seen her yet, but apparently her beauty was unmatched. You glanced at the lavish palanquin held by the other yakuza.

Kyoshiro gave the signal and the procession reprised its path to the castle. You joined them.

«You must be a respected warrior if Diez Drake deemed you worthy of replacing his presence by yourself, and yet I've never heard of you before today.» the oyabun commented, heading the group.

More like he didn't deem this mission worthy of more.

«You flatter me, Kyoshiro-oyabun.» you flatly replied «I just recently arrived to the Flower Capital.»

«You're not from Wano, so I take you were part of Drake-san's original crew.»

«...sure.»

«Then, if I may ask, how come you wield one of our lost Sora no Kariudo*?»

"Lost Sky Hunters"?

The question surprised you. It took a second to realize he was talking about the bow on your back.

Kyoshiro's wide smile didn't waver.

This guy is bad news.

«It was a gift.» you smiled back «Is it a problem if I have it? You know, because I'm an outsider.»

Most people in Wano didn't like bluntness, or so Sukimaru had told you. "We prefer to dance around an awkward truth here" he said. He probably regretted telling you shortly after.

Kyoshiro's eyes flashed with a sinister light for an instant, his smile widening even more, and you felt like an enormous wolf had just set his focus on you, from the lingering darkness behind that gaze.

«No problem at all. It reassures me, to know it's in the hands of an ally.»

«Mh. That's cool then.»

Way to make new friends, Y/n.

Flower Capital – same time, another street.

«How come you never told me Black Leg-ya was one of the Germa?!»

«I don't even know what you're talking about!»

Trafalgar Law grunted between his teeth, quickly running down the street that led out of the capital, leaving the battle between Black Leg and that ancient type Zoan behind.

«There'll be fuss about this. Better stay out of the city for a while, we'll take shelter in Ebisu Town.»

Usopp and Franky followed him through the back alleys, until the chaos of the battle was barely audible.

«Huh, Tra-guy, there's something you should know.»

«What now?!» Law barked at the sniper without slowing down one bit.

«Hum... I think some of your nakama were recognized, and, well... there might be an enemy in possession of our secret message.»

Usopp shivered under Law's icy glare and quickly told him about his encounter earlier that day.

They had just reached the outskirt of the city when Law stopped.

«Ah? What is it now, Tra-guy?» Franky asked, turning to him.

«Oi, Long Nose-ya.» Law stared at Usopp in the eyes «The guard that recognized Bepo. Describe her to me.»

«Huh, she had a wooden mask, shaped like an owl or something, so I couldn't take a good look at her face. But she had a big, white bow with her, hard to miss.»

Law nodded.

«You guys go ahead. I'll take care of it.»

«Wait, you mean...?»

The Surgeon of Death leaned his hand on the handle of his nodachi.

«That's too much of a liability. I'll make sure she won't talk.»

Back to the castle.

Being on guard duty meant you couldn't sit down with the other guests and enjoy the delicious food or the inviting sake, not fully. It was a real pity, the smells were incredible, and glancing at the various courses was enough to make your mouth water.

The banquet hall was huge, currently filled with cheering samurai, dancing geisha, and busy servants. All the small tables were teeming with life, the room was a feast of brightly colored kimono, shamisen music, and laughter.

You let out a long breath and relaxed against the wall. Guards like you stood upright, lining up the perimeter of the hall, weapons in hand. Every once in a while, the occasional maiko or kamuro swung by to offer you a bite of food. Only the servants had it worse, kneeled with their eyes low, not even daring to eat and just ready to tend to the guests' needs.

I bet Drake would've been invited to sit and drink.

The oiran was as beautiful and graceful as rumors had it, her delicate features trained to smile, blush, and pout sweetly on command.

Smart woman.

The shogun, on the other hand, was a big surprise. After what you heard about him, you were expecting a powerful, cruel man.

Well, he probably was cruel, and he somehow rose to power, but there was no trace of charisma or strength in that guy. Orochi was a stupid, petty boor. Kaido's puppet alright.

You watched as he clung onto the oiran Komurasaki and she smiled in content.

What a strength. There was no way she was enjoying that, or the prospective of becoming his wife.

She had the room wrapped around her finger, but you felt sorry for her.

At least I never had to sell my body. Just a little bit of my soul.

Right. The only one who ever touched your body–

You crossed your arms and closed your eyes, rolling your head back against the wall, blocking out the thoughts in your head.

What am I doing?

After a few minutes, your Observation flickered.

Something was going on in the garden outside, not far from there. Not a direct threat.

Eh, none of my business unless it comes in.

It came in.

One of the doors leading to the garden slid open, and a black-haired geisha stepped inside. You opened one eye and watched her.

Wait a sec. Is that...?

«You there, new girl! O-Robi! Where have you been? Come closer!» the shogun yelled, waving at her.

The woman smiled shily and obeyed.

Holy shit, that's Nico Robin! Why can't I lose the Strawhats?!

You knew she had caused some commotion outside, and the confirmation arrived when you noticed a ninja silently crawling on the ceiling, looking for someone.

A muffled groan left your throat.

This is about to turn into a shitfest, isn't it.

«You seem worried, O-Kotori-san.»

Your eyes darted to the huge man, suddenly close to you. So close his cape brushed against your hip. Kyoshiro smiled and offered you a cup full of sake.

Did this guy just sneak up on me?

He saw your gaze sharpening for a second and graced you with his fox smile.

I may have underestimated the samurai. I'll have to be on active guard.

«I don't think I am allowed to drink, Oyabun.»

«Nonsense. We both know that, if your captain were here, he'd be dining with us.»

You shrugged and accepted the cup, gulping it down in one go.

Damn, this sake is smooth.

Kyoshiro snickered.

«You look like you can hold your booze.»

«Just wanted a sip before the show starts. Thanks.»

You handed the cup back and your smirk mirrored his. Again, you saw that light glistening in his eyes for a second.

He noticed the geisha, he noticed the ninja, and he knows I did too.

But he was ahead of you in the game, he was familiar with the place and all the dynamics unfolding around you, whereas you had no idea what to expect. So, if he decided to attack you once the confusion started, you'd have to be ready for it.

«I'm eager to find out what role you'll be playing then.» he said, before going back to his table.

Kyoshiro was aware of your eyes fixed on him as the party continued. If he minded, he didn't show it. You saw how everyone treated him with reverence and respect, certainly more authentic than the one reserved to the shogun. You learned he was the lord of the red light district, where Komurasaki belonged. Then you saw the fleeting grimace that curled his face once Orochi himself dropped by and addressed him directly.

How interesting.

It took a little more than expected for shit to go down. More specifically, it took Orochi to go on a paranoid ramble about a prophecy from twenty years ago, a lady Toki, the Nine Red Scabbards that supposedly were to appear again and take their vengeance on him.

You'd heard that stuff before, from the old lady in the misery village. The white bow pulsed against your leg.

The whole room went silent, men and women sealing their lips and trying their hardest not to laugh at the shogun's words. You rolled your eyes beneath your mask.

I wonder how often he gives this idiotic speech.

Suddenly, a childish laugh broke the silence, brusquely interrupting Orochi. Everyone froze. The laugh didn't stop.

«Who is this? Who dares to LAUGH at me?!»

Most people immediately dropped their eyes and stayed still. Except for a small group of kamuro, on the far end of the hall, desperately trying to shut a little girl's mouth.

«O-Toko, don't! You'll get killed!»

«I-I'm sorry! I know I shouldn't laugh! But!» the girl fell into another fit of cackles.

You frowned.

She was one of the kamuro that served you an appetizer before. Very young, pink hair, big smile.

«Everyone is making fun of the shogun! I can't stop! I'm sorry! Ahahahaha!»

Kids will be the death of me.

Orochi stood, shaking with fury.

«This displeases me. I am the shogun.»

Is he going to kill a child?

He unsheathed his sword.

He's going to kill a child.

You sighed and lifted yourself from the wall.

Sorry Drake.

You picked up the bow but, as the shogun moved toward the girl, the oiran bolted to her feet and spoke.

«STOP THIS! My Lord. She is but a child!»

People gasped, the air in the room tensed up even more.

«The oiran!»

«Somebody stop her!»

«This is bad...»

Orochi turned toward the courtesan, rage burning on his ugly features.

«Be silent, Komurasaki!»

As Orochi moved to attack the girl, the oiran slapped him. Right across the face.

Okay, this is getting interesting.

Everything happened quite fast after that.

The shogun turned into a Yamato no Orochi. A dragon with several heads. A fucking dragon.

Most guests were now screaming in horror and dread.

«Apologize, Komurasaki! Fall on your knees, grind your head to the floor, beg for your life!»

«I refuse. I do not grovel before anyone.»

As the oiran stood before him, the dragon snarled, spat threats, then, blinded by rage, his heads started to attack random people around him. Everyone began to yell and run, knocking down plates and tables.

In the confusion, Nico Robin snatched the child away, but the ninja dropped from the ceiling, right in front of her.

Finally, chaos ensues! And, for once, not my fault!

You wielded Yugure no Taka.

The first arrow was for the ninja in front of Nico Robin and the kid. She was prepared to shield the girl with her body, and she blinked in surprise when the blow never came. The ninja fell back.

Nico Robin immediately turned to you. Your eyes met for a second. Then her gaze flicked to your wrist.

Fuck.

A ghost appeared to her help as more ninja joined in, claiming her full attention.

That's the Soul King. So her crewmembers are around.

For a moment you wondered if Monkey D. Luffy was there too, but you quickly discarded the option. He likely couldn't stay hidden for long, so if he hadn't shown himself by now, chances were the Fifth Emperor was not around.

Meanwhile, the dragon/shogun had attacked Komurasaki, shaking her between his jaws before dropping her onto the floor. He loomed over the courtesan with a low growl.

Should I kill him?

Your fingers caressed the fletching of your second arrow. The bow creaked in your hand.

And you wielded it again, but not against Orochi.

You jumped aside like a cat and pointed the nocked arrow right between Kyoshiro's eyes, inches from you.

«There's no sneaking up on me twice, oyabun.» you murmured, then clicked your tongue «Well, most of the time.»

«Forgive me, O-Kotori-san. And thank you for being such a good protection for Komurasaki. Now I know where you stand.»

To your surprise, he bowed.

«Allow me to take it from here.»

Kyoshiro marched toward the shogun and the oiran.

You could perceive his power, rumbling below that calm exterior. He put a hand on the hilt and draw his katana.

You eased the arrow, even if Taka squeaked in protest. You really wanted to see the samurai in action. Plus this meant you didn't have to betray Drake.

Kyoshiro walked up to the dragon. But then he passed by and stopped in front of the woman.

«Now you've really done it, Komurasaki. Are you ready?»

She smiled.

«I am.»

Then he killed her.

The scarlet blood spurred free from the wide slash across her body. She fell to the ground and lay still.

You blinked and pressed your lips together awkwardly.

«Well, that's a bummer.»

The shogun shrieked in horror and yelled at Kyoshiro, but the samurai didn't flinch. Meanwhile, more ninja had joined the battle and, possibly, more pirates in disguise as well.

In the confusion, you thought you saw Kyoshiro furtively glance at a small piece of paper in his hand.

«Oi, guard!»

You winched as one of Orochi's men yelled in your face.

«What the hell are you standing there for?! There are intruders here!» he frantically pointed at the throng of ninja and pirates.

«Right.»

You drew the bow.

Here you go buddy.

The arrow took down another ninja.

«HEY! THAT'S ONE OF OURS!»

«Oops. Guess I'm not too good with this thing, uh?»

Your Observation gave a curt, loud warning. You turned just in time to see the dark cloud swelling on the ceiling.

«Well, I'm outta here, bye.»

«WHERE THE HELL–»

You launched yourself out of a window just before the lightning struck down the entire hall.

I hate pirates.

One hour later, you were dragging your feet down the silent streets of the Flower Capital, covered with the mud you landed into to avoid the giant lightning.

You'd lost the map in the commotion, so now finding the mansion was all a matter of luck.

«"You likely won't have to do anything but stand there. It's just a formality!"» you grumbled to yourself, mockingly imitating Drake's words.

You thickened your voice and sharpened your frown for the next impression.

«"Your only duty is to stand there without creating problems. Is this something you can do, Kotori?"»

Your Observation alerted you of a quiver in the night.

Taka rolled from your back into your hand and you turned to the closest building, trying to spot the threat.

Someone dangerous. Deadly.

You slowly parted your feet for better balance and lifted the bow.

«Were you doing my impression?»

The voice came from behind and made you jump thirty feet away.

«WHADDAHELL?!»

Drake raised an eyebrow at the arrow staring back at him. His stance was relaxed, his hands nowhere near his axe, he was even holding a small paper bag.

Damn, I guess my Observation messed up with the direction. No good. I must be more tired than I thought.

Drake shook his head.

«Just so you know, I sound nothing like that.»

You lowered the weapon and offered him an innocent smile.

«My bad. I'll do better next time.»

The pirate scoffed, his lip twitching lightly.

«How was the mission?»

«Well... the oiran is dead.»

He pinched the bridge of his nose with a grimace.

«What.»

«Relaaax, Dino-man, we're fine.» you waved the problem away «It was Kyoshiro-oyabun himself that killed her. She defied the shogun or something.»

Drake's body stiffened slightly at the nickname but the news seemed to ease him.

«I see. That sounds messy.»

«It was.» you shrugged «Did you find the soba cook?»

«No, but he had a run-in with Page One. Apparently, he's a much bigger threat than we thought. Research will resume first thing tomorrow.»

Who the hell is Page One? Ah, forget it, I'm too tired for this shit.

«So... back to the headquarter?»

Drake nodded and (thankfully) started walking down the street, in the opposite direction of where you were heading before. When he passed by you, he put the small bag in your hands without stopping.

You frowned in confusion, moving to follow him. Your hand dived into the bag and pulled out a small package.

Black coffee powder.

A genuine smile sneaked onto your lips before you could suppress it.

«You know, you're not so bad, Dino-man.»

He didn't turn.

«Stop calling me that.»

«Okay, okay.»

...

«You were lost, weren't you.»

It was your turn to scoff.

«Of course not! Who do you take me for?»

Just a few feet away, behind the building, Trafalgar Law loosened the grip on his sword. Your voice was still echoing in the night, now farther ahead.

He let out a breath, the fingers of his right hand flexing a couple of times before he gritted his teeth.

Shit.

*

Notes.

1. [ADS INTERLUDE!] This scene is included as a cameo in a One Piece story by my fellow fanwriter RavenRunning, "Until the Last Petal Falls". I strongly suggest you go read this story, or any of her works, she's a very talented writer, I look up to her skills quite a lot

2. Smashi: short for "Smart Tanishi", Wano's version of the Den Den Mushi. Smashi's are smaller than a regular snail, and the elongated shell is used as a handle

3. Sora no Kariudo: "Sky Hunters", the name of the white bows. Birdie's "Hawk of the Dusk" is one of them

Japanese terms

· Geisha: professional entertainer, with dances, music, singing, and company

· Hakama: traditional Japanese trousers, the ones birdie wears are specifically umanori

· Izakaya: small bars or food places

· Kamuro: young girls tending to courtesans

· Kimono: traditional Japanese clothing

· Maiko: apprentice geisha

· Oiran: highest-ranking courtesans in ancient Japan

· Oyabun: "boss", in this case of the Yakuza

· Shamisen: traditional Japanese musical instrument, the one that Komurasaki plays

· Shogun: in One Piece, the highest authority of Wano

· Taka: literally "hawk". Abbreviated name for Yugure no Taka, birdie's bow

· Tasuki: sash used for holding up the sleeves of the kimono

· Tenpura: typical Japanese food consisting in seafood and vegetables that have been battered and deep fried

· Yakuza: organizations that controls the underworld, in One Piece assumes a more positive connotations of organization providing protection to people in exchange for money and favors

· Yamato no Orochi: Orochi's devil fruit, creature from Japanese folklore