𝐋𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐅𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 ➳ 𝐋𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐀𝐭 𝐒𝐞𝐚 (one piece fanfic)

Chapter 81 🌞🌞

“I guess this is the Island,” Ko mumbled, overlooking an island from the sky. She felt an overwhelming presence covering the whole island, there could be only one person hiding there—Kaido.

She wanted to get her mission over with quickly but she didn’t know how Kaido would react to her presence, she didn’t have enough information. So instead, she dropped down in a desertic spot, changing her appearance to one of a little child, to be more precise, Konan’s genderbent child-version. A child tended to be more easily overlooked.

He sat down, closing his eyes before butterflies started detaching themselves from him. Slowly, they spread throughout the island, gathering information for him. 

After a while, he could feel a headache forming, it was a familiar pain, usually a sign of poisoning. He opened his eyes and glanced around him. He quickly noticed the problem. He cut a small plant and licked the stem. Poison. Looking around, all the plants gave off the same smell, even the small spot of water. Using Chakra, he expelled the poison from his body before heading for the nearest village.

With the most basic of information, he walked into a village, staying in the shadows, observing. The houses were made of wood and straw, barely holding up together. Food was scarce as people walked with no real energy in their steps. They avoided the sun, scurrying in the shadows. The dark corners of the streets were filled with humans with barely some flesh on their bones.

This reminded him of his own childhood. One of extreme poverty. He frowned.

At the same time, he received information about the capital, a beautiful flowery city with extravagance interwoven in the streets.

There was a big gap between the citizens and the leading authority. He had an inkling it had to do with Kaido’s presence and the numerous factories found around the island.

His thoughts were interrupted when a little girl fell face first in front of him. 

“Hey, are you alright?” Konan bent down to help her up. 

The little girl quickly got up, nodding vividly as a bright smile illuminated her face, “I’m fine! Thank you for your help.”

Konan smiled, extending his hand to her in greeting—gathering information from locals was always better. “I’m Kan, nice to meet you.” His mission as Ko was only to extend Big Mom’s invitation to Kaido, but the sights that greeted him on this island weren’t ones he could ignore.

“Hi! I’m Tama.”

“Want some candy?” Kan offered, taking a treat from his pocket. “I’m not hungry, I already ate.” He added when he saw her hesitate. 

Tama didn’t want to accept at first but when her stomach growled, she blushed and accepted the offer. “Thank you.” She bowed deeply before starting to eat.

Kan sat down on the dirt, patting the spot beside himself. 

She soon obliged. At first she was wary but he was kind and she liked the food he gave her, so she happily chatted with him.

Kan took a piece of paper out, his hands quickly folding the corners till it formed a cherry blossom. “Here.” He gave it to her, enjoying the way her face lit up. He continued taking out pieces of papers as she admired his hands expertly crafting all sorts of beautiful objects, a dragon, a sword, a bouquet of flowers, anything she asked for, he crafted. 

Without them noticing, night came as a small crowd of children gathered around them, each asking for something timidly. They talked, the children telling stories of their childhood, some complaining about their living situations, the bandits living around, Kaido, probably repeating words they had heard from the adults around them.

It had been a while since he last created origamis with his hands and it was as calming as he remembered, it seemed like the world faded away while he focused on his tasks. He had forgotten how much he enjoyed doing so. How much he enjoyed making children smile.

As the adults started calling back their children, he discreetly distributed his secret stash of sweets. It wasn’t very healthy but it was better than nothing and it was all he had. 

Only Tama stayed till the end, sitting beside him, fiddling with her origamis. “You’re really good with your hands Kan…” She turned toward him. “Can you stay here?” She knew he wasn’t from around, but after just a day spent together, she knew she would miss him if he left. Speaking to him was enjoyable, he was kind and she felt safe around him, a bit like the older brother she had met a long time ago, Ace.

“If you want you can stay at home with me.”

Kan shook his head gently, “I can’t stay here forever, I’m sorry Tama.”

“Just one or two days then?” She gripped his Kimono, eyes pleading. “Pretty please?”

While it was true he couldn’t stay on this island for a very long time, there was something he could do before leaving. Ko was rich, income constantly flew in, and she scarcely spent it, save for building brothels, her bases. She could afford to take a loss.

What Kan had learnt in a day was the tragic story of the island, how Kaido came to power by suppressing its inhabitants, taking advantage of Oden’s kindness before slowly pushing him out of power. In the end, Oden died honorably to save his comrades and the inhabitants, but his death was in vain as Kaido completely disregarded the inhabitants of the island. They were thoroughly exploited. 

As much as Konan wanted to help dethrone Kaido, she knew she wasn’t his match. But she couldn’t turn a blind eye to the situation either. Not when little children like Tama were forced to suffer in depilated cities. She wouldn’t be able to help everyone, but for the few that she could help, that would make a difference.

Thus Kan spent the next week discovering the region, trying to find a way to help without putting the citizens in any further danger. Taking any drastic measure would attract unwanted attention and endanger the people.

In the end, he decided to pay the Shogun a visit. No one knew what happened that night, but the next day, restaurants opened in the poorest regions, with one order from the Shogun not to touch them under any circumstances. No one knew either why he started fearing purple-haired children. But all of this happened quietly, words spread amongst the poor about these extremely cheap restaurants but nothing ever reached Kaido’s ears.

After finishing his business in the outer regions, Kan hired Tama in one of his restaurants, he taught her the basics of origami folding, and some self-defense.

He then bid Tama good bye, promising to come back when he could. 

It was now time for Ko to meet Kaido. She just had to fetch the chaperone Big Mom had decided to send with her first.