I always work alone (Eustass Kid x OC)

Chapter 22 : Battlefield and Ebisu

When Lanniya finally managed to get up, she was really hungry and thirsty. She ate some plants and found a river, but seeing how it was glowing, she decided to drink the water of a puddle instead. It was maybe not better, but she had to survive for the moment.

She decided to return to the battlefield to find her stick back and eventually clues on where were the others. From what she understood, Kid was at a place called Udon and the crew was somewhere else. She needed to find the crew first and Killer. She reached the place. There was not a ship, now. They apparently moved the Victoria Punk. There were still remains of weapons and she saw a long stick half buried under a corpse. It was her scythe. But excepting that, there was nothing that could give her any clue about where they were.

Since the forest was on a hill, she decided to climb it and see what was behind it. But for that, she needed other clothes. She searched for some clothes in a better state than hers. In an old house, she found a shirt, a skirt and a long cape. She threw her old clothes in the sea and started to climb the hill. Behind it, there was a huge city surrounded by a really poor village. She walked slowly towards it, acting like a beggar and hiding from Kaido's men.

You reached it the night after. You leant on the wall of a house that was falling into ruins. You looked at the stars. You hoped the people would not be mad at you. They probably didn't have much to eat or drink. When the night ended and the people started to come outside, you started your begging. After maybe a couple hours, a jolly voice came from a small man in front of you.

- Oi, oi. You are new here, aren't you ? A so young beggar.

He was smiling at her. He had big black hair, like a hedgehog. Before she could say anything, he called the people around. She started to feel uneasy.

- Look how young she is and she's begging.

To her surprise, they all laughed really hard.

- She is begging in front of poor people. She must be even more poor than us, he continued, dancing around.

They all continued to laugh.

- You've met the bottom of the bad luck in Wano, young girl, laughed a woman.

What's funny about poverty ?  she thought.

- Here is the last cup of drinkable water I have, laughed another man, handing you a cup of clear water.

She took it, but did not drink it. She was confused about these people and this village.

- Don't you want to keep it for your family ? she shyly asked.

- My father just died yesterday, he laughed. I have no family anymore.

The man that came to her at first seemed to notice her trouble.

- Welcome in Ebisu ! The village where we are all happy despite our poverty.

- Drink on !

Lanniya took a large sip, feeling really guilty but too confused to rebel. After the whole hilarity went over, the man from the beginning gave her his hand.

- Come to my house, she must have things to talk about.

She followed him, still acting a little bit. His home was as depraved as the others. She didn't dare to take off her cape that hid her face.

- Want to stay hidden ? As you wish, if you hide yourself in this country, it means that you are not a friend of Kaido and Orochi.

That name was familiar to her. He was the Shogun, if her memories were good. She started to trust the man a little bit more.

- I don't know what I am to them. But probably more of an enemy, if I got discovered.

- Are you coming from Kuri ? Ah, and by the way, my name is Toyo.

- I... I don't know anything about Wano's geography. I'm probably not even from here, but I don't really know.

- Ah, I see. You got lost after your village was destroyed, or something like that.

- Y-Yeah. But I don't want to talk about it.

- Don't talk about it, laugh about it ! he laughed.

- How can you all be that happy here ?

- The people don't have the choice.

- What do you mean ?

- They can't express any other emotion.

It didn't really answered her question but she thought that they maybe had a trauma that made them unable to express any other emotion than laughter. Lanniya decided to ask him questions about her crew.

- Can you answer some questions I have ?

- What are they ? he said softly sitting in front of her.

- A person very dear to me was captured by Kaido and brought to a prison. Where would that be ?

- He probably talked about Udon. It's the big hill with factories. He makes prisoners work until they break and work for him.

It won't work with Kid.

- And what happens if they don't break ?

- As long as they don't rebel against the guards, they will work in the prison.

Let's just hope they roasted him enough so he won't do anything.

- And the town over there ?

- It's the Floral Capital. Where our shogun Orochi lives.

- You know... Some of the people from my village were taken by Kaido as well, would they be there ?

- Maybe... What kind of village were you from to interest Kaido that much ?

- We... were trained to fight at a young age.

- I see. There are so much interesting countries out of Wano. But I see you don't have a proper kimono. Here, I received an old one you can use.

It was black and had bright pink motives on it. The big heavy tissu waist band was black and golden with traditional motives on it. Toyo also gave her socks and shoes, so she could pass for a normal woman. However, Lanniya chose to keep her cape since her hair was short and unusual for the place. She slept in Toyo's house, but left the next morning. She thanked him and he asked her  where she wanted to go.

- I need to go to the capital. But I'll remember your help, Toyo.

- You can't go that easily in the Capital.

- Don't worry, I'll find a way.

So she made her way towards the Floral Capital. She acted like an old woman and talked like one. She knew that they probably had guards. Luckily, a cart went by and she managed to jump on it. There were corpses of prisoners from Udon. She hid under some of them and went out when they stopped in a small alley. Once in a bigger street, she looked up. It was beautiful and different from everything she had known before. She was amazed and scared, knowing that it was just the beginning of the struggles.