Note of the author:
This story is the first I post so please let me know if things are a mess or if the writting isn't good.
English isn't my first language so sorry for the miss translation or the grammar.
If you want to take some part of the story or else, please let me know. Don't be shy to let me some reviews and comment if you like it or not. I want to inprove.
I'll post as I feel like it but I have chapters already written so, feel free to ask if you want to know what happens next.
The story will follow the main event from the End of Punk Hazard to the beginning of Wano (more or less)
I follow the story and the events but I twist them a little since the story is based on what my original character is doing while the story that we know happened.
If you have any questions about the story or anything regarding the story, please ask.
I don't own the OP characters, only my Ocs.
Some chapters can contain some language warning and such.
I hope you'll enjoy it as I enjoyed writing it.
disclaimer: this chapter is longer than the other but I couldn't find the right place to cut it.
The Informer
Fourth chapter
They had finally arrived at Wano. Kate had been surprised by how beautiful the landscape was. She had heard about the island by many people but she had never thought that it would be so much green and full of life from where she stood on the beach. Only a few hours after their arrival she had already left the group and wondered by herself. She had talked to the samurais and the surgeon about their plan and went on her merry way, making sure that everyone knew what they needed to lay low and obtain as many information as possible. She had worked to do, it wasn't every day that you could enter a country closed to the world and she wasn't about to lose that opportunity. For an informer like her it felt almost like a dream.
She had decided to start to gather information at the capital, letting her ears open in tea shops or while walking in the street in her uncomfortable disguise. She had successfully infiltrated a school for a few days, trying to learn about the history of the place and what was taught to the future generation. She stopped at the market, trying to figure what was the life of a merchant was like, what kind of people were living there. She had been satisfied of her work after a week or so, already ready to leave for the country side. She had paid for the room she had been able to find and thanks the old lady that had rent it to her before to leave. That was when she had walked into the sniper with a fake beard. She had stopped to see him selling something, she had faked being interested in after his last buyer went away. He had been surprised to see her but kind glad to see a familiar face. They talked for a few minute, letting him know her whereabout in case something happened and left as soon as she arrived. The country side was lovely outside the capital, but the more Kate was walking away, the more she understood what was really happening to the country and why the samurais and the little prince had asked for help. She had walked from town to town, telling she was visiting her poor grama after giving a name of a city rather far from where she was. She was always stopping at a restaurant, ears dropping on conversation and such. One day, she had arrived in a town that could have been abandon years ago that she wouldn't have been surprised, the people were almost dying in the street and the little clothes they had on were nothing but pieces of very old vail and tissues. She had spend a few hours in the town but it was enough to notice two things: one was that the people were dying of hunger and by overworking in the factories. The second was that, the more she was traveling into the country, the more she had caught herself hoping for their stupid plan to work and to make Kaido fall. She had seen many island and many politics and tyrant over the years and she had never been more angrier than she was today. Maybe it was because she had spend to much time with the Strawhats or just because she was getting tired to see awful people getting richer by making their people suffer just because they had the mean. She wasn't a saint either, God knows how many she had helped to win a battle thanks to her knowledge. At that time, she was giving anything anyone wanted if the prize was good. It took her a few years to stop bargaining with thieves and murderers. She had helped to much people that didn't deserved it and helped in the misery of many. She had stopped when she had ran into the revolutionary chief one day. Her name had travelled a bit around the dark market and pirates and she had first thought that he was here to ask for her help. How wrong she had been. He had threaten her, oblied her to work for him. She had refused right away, almost laughing at his face. She was eighteen and rich, what a man like him was expecting from her? Letting her business behind to live as a wanted people and running away, hiding in the shadow without nothing but yourself to count on. She remembered him putting the files on the table, sliding them to her before to leave the bar. She had taken two hours to go trough everything, every records, every pictures that felt like a knife stabbing her over and over. He had gave her the result of her work, how a small detail giving to the wrong man had been the massacre of many people, how cities had fallen into the wrong end or how people had been murdered because of her. She had burned it and went after the revolutionary that had waited outside. He had taken her and she had worked for them for a while. After that, she had started to bargain information but only if she trusted or knew what it will cost in the wrong hands. But this, what was happening in the country, she couldn't bare it anymore. She was ready to do anything to watch them succeed and free the country. That is how she had ended up in a town near a factory. Taking a job as a waitress in a bar had been enough to collect information on drunk and tired workers, even pirates. A few night had been enough and she had left again, ready to join the others again. She had arrived in the ruin three days later, exhausted. She had a run off with a few bandits on her way to their meeting point and had a bad injury on her left side. She had been able to overpower them rather quickly but she hadn't been able to avoid the sword. It was her fault, she hadn't been concentrated enough, and the lack of proper food and water qas finally showing its effect. So, when she finally arrived at the meeting point she was gladded.
"Yeah, you three!" She had called to the bear and the two weirdos with him. The three Heart Pirates had jumped in surprise, visibly not prepared to see anyone here.
"Mis..Miss Kate!"
"You're here!"
"You're hurt!."
"I need to talk to your captain, is he around?" She asked them, putting her belongings against a tree. "it's important." She took out her notebook and her pen before to pull out her shoes and socks, letting her feet touch the grass.
"I go get him!" Yelled the three men at the same time, running away. Kate rolled her eyes before to sat down, putting the top of her dress off, letting it slide to her waist seeing her wound more clearly. She had put what was left of her water on it to clean as the best she could before to put some bandages. Even though she had been careful she knew it was infected and needed medical care. Yet, she had changed her bandages once again before and put her dress back on, waiting for the surgeon. While waiting she went through all the information she had ever written on the country, making sure to forget nothing. She had remember a week ago that she had written things down a few years ago but she couldn't remember what was it or if it was even important.
"Miss Kate, what a surprise to see you here." The surgeon had said when he arrived with the three other. Kate stood up after noticing his presence, yet, she must have done it to quickly that she had to put a hand on the tree behind her to preserve her balance. "You don't seem right and noticing the blood on your dress I'll say you had a fight, didn't you?" Already walking to her to check on her injuries, the surgeon looked at her from head to toe, scaning her.
"It can wait. I have important information." She responded immediately letting go off the tree. She walked to him meeting him half way, ready to share everything she had learnt the past few weeks.
"How about we discuss it while I look after that injury of yours ?" He asked, his left hand slowly touching the part of her dress with the blood. She flinch a bit before to slap his hand away.
"I'll rather discuss it with a drink." She said to him.
"It seem that your arm had been injured too." He said, showing the red dot on her left arm. She looked over, not remembering being touch at this spot. Without thinking about it, she took out the left side of her dress off, letting her arm free. She carefully turn it and saw a piece of wood in it. She sighted a little but before she could take it out she had been sat down on the grass by the surgeon.
"I'll take it out." He said before to start working. She rolled her eyes before to open her notebook, flipping through the page . Then, she eyed the three men still standing near them.
"Can you bring me something to drink and some food?" She asked them, showing that their captain being occupied on her arm restrained her to move.
"Yes Ma'am!" They said, the surgeon asked for some supplies as well and they ran off.
"Glad to see that people doesn't change." She said to the surgeon who smirked a bit.
"May I ask what happened?"
"Some low life attacked me for my money. Six against one. I've been to soft on them at the start but I kicked their asses obviously."
"Obviously." He repeated, a smile on his face as he took the piece of wood out. Then, the three men arrived, giving their captain what to patch her up and her what to sustain her thirst and hunger. She was about to complain that they bring her water when the bear explain that they didn't have sake. She rolled her eyes and started eating an apple. When she finished, she started to tell what she had learned since they had departed two or three weeks ago, she couldn't remember. She explained everything, to every single detail that could make a difference. The surgeon interrupted her only a few time, wondering how she could be sure about something or just to lay down to take care of her injure on her left side. She almost punched him when he poked her wound, knowing that he did it just to annoy her. An hour later, she was all patched up and the hunger long gone. She was still explaining things to him more that to his crew, she had even started to improve the plan. She was giving him everything she had, showing things in her notebook, making maps, taking out of her bag some items she had been able to steal.
"It's all I have for now. I might be able to obtain some explanation about…"
"It's enough for now. Take a few days." He said to her.
"What?"
"I said that what you already have is enough for now. You should rest a bit."
"Did he contact you?"
"Not yet. They should arrived soon though." She nodded before to close her notebook.
"I'll stay for a few days." He nodded and stood up, ready to take is leave. "Oh, I found something else." She said in a rush, grabbing her bag behind her with one hand. She searched for a few seconds before to take out a piece of paper fold in four. "I thought that it might interested you." He took it curiously. The look on his face wasn't saying much but she knew that if he could he would kill him in the instant. The bear looked over his shoulder before to overreacted, quickly followed by the other two. "It's new, from a day or two. I heard people talking about seeing a man looking like the drawing not far away."
"He chose his first mate wisely." He said, not pleased at all. Yet, she chuckled a bit as he crunched the paper.
"You better find him quickly before he does something more stupid." The surgeon closed his eyes for a moment, thinking. It had always and will always be amusing to Kate to see him lose his temper because of the Strawhat crew. "Miss Kate, would you pleaase go look for that moron?" He asked her, almost knowing what she would say. "I'll pay you." He added before she responded.
"Well…"She started with a smirk. "I was about to say yes but since you propose me a payment. How can I refuse?" She said taking back slowly the wanted poster he had crushed into his fist. His eyes darken again for a few second. "I'll be nice with you and only ask for a favor."
"What favor?" He asked with a sight, already regretting asking the question. He knew it would be something that will cost him more that money, and with her, it could easily become a life or death kind of thing.µ
"I'll see when the moment come."
"Alright…only if you bring back the swordsman."
Why did she agree to this? All she had to do had been to find a moron and bring him back, not run into a battle, found 2 morons and a little girl dying kid on cat/lion thing. She had saw them from afar, how could anyone missed them with all the yelling and hugging they were making. So, she had walked to them, already tired to see them again. Yet, by the time she arrived some others people had showed up and were fighting them. She had stood next to the lion, looking at two idiots swords fighting with the enemy without even bothering to understand why. Correction, she was watching one moron fight with his swords while the other was punching the enemy while holding a sword. She wasn't even mad to see another supernova in the battle, reassuring herself that it would have happened at some point anyway. She had stood their for a minutes when she noticed the little girl all feverish on the back of the animal. She had jumped on the "pet", looking if she could do anything while waiting for the fight to stop. The little girl was hot and sweaty, delusional maybe. The fever was what worried Kate the most. She looked at the battle, not hearing any scream of pain anymore, they were now talking to the other supernova. Kate damned them all and rolled her eyes before to focus on the girl again. It was getting worst and worst, if she didn't get to a doctor soon or received any kind a treatment in the next hour, she will probably die. She didn't know what happened to her or why she was in their company but, knowing them a little, she knew that they must be trying to help her. Kate reaped her right sleeves, trying to spong the sweat off the little girl face. She wined a little before to cough. Kate tried to reassure her as the best she could before to take out her water, she poured a little bit on the sleeves, putting the cold thing on the girl forehead before to kneel beside her head, trying to elevate her a little to make her drink. Without noticing it, the cat had started moving, the stupid captain and his first mate hee too. She slowly smile at the girl when she cough a little after drinking.
"What are you doing here?" Asked the swordsman noticing her presence. If Kate could move she would have punched them both.
"I'm the one who should ask that question!" She said, yelling at them. She then looked down a the little girl you wined again. "You." She started again still angry but most quietly for the sake of the girl. "What the fuck where you thinking, killing those people! You just had to stick to the plan and not put any attention on yourself! I know it's hard for a moron like you to understand things but thanks to your selfishness you put everyone in danger." She said to the swordsman who was ready to respond but she didn't let him the chance to even make a sound. "I don't want to hear your excuse or even know what happened. You knew that you have to lay low and if you end up in a mess where you had to kill that many people it means that you hadn't. You are lucky that people here doesn't know who you really are or you would already be dead as the rest of us." He looked at her for a few second before to turn around, knowing that she was right. Then, she turn to his captain who hadn't stopped looking at her since he clinbed back on the animal. "And you, what the fuck are you doing ? We are waiting for your call! You shouldn't be wondering around by yourself and not even be trying to save a little girl!"
"She needed my help." He simply responded.
"You can not stop at every person needed help. Not right now."
"She needed my help. I'm responsible." He explained, kneeling next to the girl too. "She's like this because of me. I need to save her." Kate looked at him for a moment before to see the little girl move her hands to his, she kindly smile through the pain. Then, they were attacked again by a puppet or something like that, Kate didn't pay attention since the girl was coughing once more. She hadn't been very focus on what happened around her, all her attention was a the little girl that was whispering things, hallucinating. All her body was shaking slowly, the fever was worst than ever and Kate had been wiping the sweat off her face wasn't making such a difference. The little girl was talking softly, talking about her brother or someone else, Kate couldn't understand clearly but, she heard the name, his name coming out of her mouth. Kate froze, taken aback, not ready to hear someone talking about him, especially here. The little girl coughing made Kate moved again. Without noticing, Kate had looked at the captain, her mind going several miles the second, wondering if it was a coincidence or if Luffy was aware of it. The little girl knew Ace, she couldn't have invent the name and Kate would not believe that someone else could have a name like that around here. So she was talking about him, it was obvious. Yet, she couldn't understand how. She was trying to find an explanation, a rational one. It hit her, everything made sense. The information she remembered having written about the country years back, it came from him. He had told her about his time here, how he had been captured at their arrival and how they had been welcomed to stay. He had told her about a little girl remembering him of his brother. He had told her one night and she had written it. She knew were she could find the information in her notebook and why she hadn't seen it when she had search for it.
"Kate?" She looked up at the swordsman, looking a little lost. "I asked you how was she?"
"Oh." Kate said, looking down at the little girl. "She needs a doctor, fast."
"Will be there soon." Said a woman that Kate had never seen in her life. But, whoever was she, she had been right. A few minutes later the little girl had been laid down at a tea shop by the captain and the woman. Kate slides of the lion, not sure if she wanted to enter now or wait for the girl to feel better. She sat down near the shop, her bag at her feet. She could see the swordsman talking to a huge fat man. She smirked a bit seeing the exchange before to look at her bag. She took out her notebook in a second and start to turn the pages quickly before to stop soon after. She read the pages as if she was sacred, passing her right hand on her old writing.
"Tama." She whispered before to close the notebook. She stood up, passing the swordsman, before to enter the shop. The little girl was laying down, sleeping peacefully. "How is she?"
"Better." Said the captain sat by her side with another woman that Kate had never seen too. "She will need food when she wakes up." He said to the two women. "I can't pay you right now but…"
"I can." Said Kate immediately. "I can pay you. Whatever you need but Tama need all the care she can."
"Don't worry, we will take good care of her." Kate smiled at the lady before to go outside again. The swordsman was still sitting were she had been a few minutes before, her bag and notebook untouched.
"How did you know her name?" Asked a voice next to her. She didn't respond immediately, not knowing what to say exactly.
"And you? How did you meet her?"
"I met her on the beach. She took me home with her after I saved her from being kidnapped. She offered me rice but I didn't know it was the only food they had in months. She drank the river's water to stop her hunger but…"
"Kaido's factory are polluing the rivers." She finished for him. Understanding now what happened to the girl and why she was in a bad shaped when she met her.
"You did not answer my question." Luffy said, a point of frustration in his voice.
"I know." She responded quietly. "I don't know how to." She looked at him for a second before to look at the swordsman a little bit away from them. They stayed in silence for a moment, Kate didn't know what to say or how to explain herself.
"She knew Ace." He said calmly. Kate looked at him surprised. She had been taken aback once again today. She didn't know that hearing his name out of other people mouth would hurt her that much. "He came here 4 years ago and they became friends. She told me that when he'll come back she will became a member of his crew and take the sea."
"Did she…she didn't know, did she?" He shook his head as a no. Kate sweared, pinching her lips together. "That is why she said his name earlier." She almost whispered to herself. Then, he cleared his throat and went back inside, letting Kate alone with her thoughts. She had stayed still until she heard the little girl talking inside. Knowing that she was safe and sound Kate walked to the swordsman and grabbed her bag.
"We need to go now." She said to him. "Go grab your captain, we need to move." He looked at her before to smile a little to her, not moving from his spot.
"You know that we will stay here as long as Luffy decides." He noticed her rolling her eyes and look back at the tea shop. "We are not in a hurry, relax a bit." He said, pointing the spot next to him, welcoming her to sat down. She rolled her eyes again before to turn to the mountain, looking at the topn knowing that the surgeon was waiting from them and probably seeing them too. The little girl came running outside with the captain, laughing about something. The next thing she knew, the girl was sat between the captain and the swordman, a bowl in her hands. Kate was sat in front of them, or was more laying on the ground in front of them, her head on her bag, waiting. She was looking at the sky while listening to the little girl talk. He heart ached when she heard her crying. She supposed it was for the food and smile softly. Now, the girl was napping happily not far from them. Kate was looking at them every once in a while, making sure she was okay.
"We should get going." She said after a while to the two men in front of her. They didn't listen, of course they didn't. They never listened. She didn't know why she was still trying with them. No matter what anyone could say those brats will not listen and acted as they pleased. It really was a wonder how they managed to succeed this far on their own. Yes, they were strong and had a unbreakable will but you need so much more to win battle.
It had happened again. Something had happened and this time Kate was as pissed off as the rest of them. Rready to follow them and screw the plan if necessary. The kaido's pirates took Tama. Those bastards had took her and were probably torturing her somewhere. And here Kate was, waiting for a stupid brat to fight a sumo. She understood that this would lead them to their leader and to Tama but she couldn't help to worry about the girl. At every second the little girl must be suffering and they were waiting. Kate had never been great at waiting when someone was tortured somewhere. Just standing there wasn't something she was used to do and she hated it. Fortunately, the fight didn't last long for the sumo and they soon all started to fight as well. She had been so angry since she had discover how was ruled this country that she didn't restrain herself, not bothering to kill some men that wasn't direclty responsible. She had never been the kind of fighter to kill everyone in her way, taking life was something of importance and she liked to believed that this act should be reserve to only some kind of people. But today she didn't cared, she hadn't really fight since the war and what she did on Dressrosa wasn't called fighting. Kate could merciless and she could ripped open anyone in front of her with her knives. The swordsman looked for her once his last enemy had taken down. He knew that she could take care of herself without any help but he was curious. He hadn't really saw her fight after all, she had let him handle his fight the last time and he didn't know what kind of fighter she was. Her bounty was high, really high ( it had been higher than his captain when they met) he guessed that a good half of her bounty was because of her "work" and the rest for her affiliations and for her time at sea. She had set sail at a young age and started in her teens, she must have been at sea for almost ten years now. He didn't really know if she could be called a pirate but did it really a matter if the world government had put a price on your head ? She was wanted and "Only Alive" for a reason that was not clear to him and it wasn't only for the information she had, it was something else too. Yet, when he had looked at her fighting against a large group of men he had been astonished to see her in action, moving with agility and ferocity, eliminating men at the seconds, cutting their throat, stabbing their vital organs or just snapping their neck. She was like dancing around them and at each move people were falling to the ground. She stopped after stabbing the two last men in the heart, staying still, hearing their pain, coughing on their own blood, fighting for the air. When she pulled the knives out she watched as their dead body felt to the ground and kneel before them, reaching for one man blouse. She cleaned her knives one by one on the dead men clothes before to put them back where it belongs, on in her boots and the other in her sleeve. She looked up, looking around, searching for someone and stop when she saw him. He could tell she was about to ask him something. Movement behind her caught his eyes, a man was trying to sneak on her from behind, but, before he could even touch his swords, she had took out a gun front behind her back, turn slowly to her right and shoot without taking her eyes from him. The man dropped dead immediately, the bullet letting a hole in his throat. she put her gun back and walked to him, stepping over dead bodies that were mostly hers.
"Where is the thing that serve you as captain?" She asked him. His captain showed up followed by the man they were looking for at the instant she asked. "Don't tell me he is fighting the guy?!" She questioned with anger. They knew that fighting wasn't really the solution but if they touched a leader they were dead and they could say goodbye to their plan. She thought about the surgeon for a instant, knowing how unhappy he would be. Her worries about his reaction disappeared the moment Tama came into view. The straw-hat stood next to them, as angry as Kate, ready to punch the guy. The only thing Kate cared about now was the girl and only the girl. She couldn't care less if they decided to attack the leader and started a battle: she would do anything for the little girl safety. But, the Strawhats were already on the move. She watched as Luffy saved Tame and as the swordsman tried to overcome a dozen of men for a boat of food. She was about to yell at the captain to give her the girl but he threw her at her before she could say anything. She caught the little girl mid-air and ran with her in her arms to the swordsman who had already secured their escape transportation. Kate carefully put the girl on the boat and told her to stay still and not move before to jump back and secured the area. She fought a few men who came as reinforcement. Not three minutes later, the little girl, the swordsman and the samurai lady that came along to help were almost out of the city with the food. She look with amazement how Tama's devil fruit worked. She was in a full conversation with the horsewoman when she heard yelling in the back. She walked slowly to the two men who were arguing. She smirked a bit when she saw the surgeon grab the swordsman like a child who was being schooled.
"And you!" He shouted at her. "What are you doing!" He walked to her, pointing at the swordsman at the same time. She laughed a bit before to answer.
"I'm bring you back the swordsman. I respected my share of the deal. I let you know when you would have to respect yours." She said to him, a devilish smile on her face.
"It wasn't the agreement we had!"
"I needed to bring back that moron right?" She asked pointing at the green haired man behind them, visibly not amused being yelled at. "Well, there he is. My part is done. Moreover, you had never told me how I should bring him so, you better respect our agreement or we will have a problem Law." She explained, deliberately using his first name. She was right, she knew it and he knew it, yet, he started arguing with her. He was right too, they blew up everything and they put everyone life on the lines. But saving Tama's life was worth it and she would do it over again if she had to.
"Look, we messed up and I'm sorry okay. If they hadn't attacked first I would have done it anyway. Tama's life was in danger, I wasn't going to let her die." She explained after he calmed down a little. The swordsman looked at her shocked to hear her apologizing.
"Who is this little girl anyway?!" He asked still enraged.
"She risked her life for Luffy so we…"Started the swordsman.
"She's important." Kate interrupted ,her voice cold and harsh.
"She called Luffy brother earlier." Added the swordsman. The surgeon looked at the little girl then at Kate before to sight. He whispered something to himself, probably cursing her and the Strawhats. When they arrived in the city, Kate didn't left Tama's side, not even a second, making sure she was safe and sound. The little girl didn't mind, she liked Kate. She hadn't met her before but something about her reassured her, she felt safe and loved in a way that she hadn't felt in a long time. Where Luff was reminding her of Ace in his action and in his movement, Kate was like him too in a way. She couldn't say why but the girl knew that Kate had known him, she could see it in her eyes and how she was watching over her. She didn't know how to ask her, even thought she liked Kate, the woman still terrified her a bit. And, with the blood on her clothes and her hard tone when she talked to the others, she was a bit afraid to talk to her. Yet, when she saw the woman alone looking at her, she came to sit by her side, holding the apple Luffy had gave her. She was about to go home and she knew that they might never see each other again. It was her only chance. The woman softly smiled without saying anything, letting her the time to speak.
"Kate?" She asked uncertain, her hands shaking a little. "Can I ask you a question?" Kate nodded, reassuring her a little by putting her right hand on hers. "Did….did you knew Ace too?" Tama felt Kate's hand froze for a moment, she felt her holding her breath. The girl got so scared suddenly that she had looked down, closing her eyes, almost sure to receive a punch. As the seconds went by and that nothing happened, she slowly opened her eyes again, posing her eyes on Kate. "Luffy said that he died but…he promised to come back you see, so, he can not be dead. He has to take me as a crew member." Tama explained to her, less and less frighten. Kate looked at her for a moment, listening to the girl, feeling her inside crushing. She knew her heart wasn't there but the pain was even harder to bare than before. Tama looked at her, tears in her eyes but Kate could see the hope. Hope that would soon to be crush as Kate took the little girl in her arms. She could feel Tama crying and it hurt even more.
"I'm sorry Tama." Kate whispered to her. "He won't come back."
"But he promised me." She said, the sound muffled.
"I know." Kate said before to feel the knot in her throat. The little girl looked up, watching Kate small smile on her face. A smile that was fake and hiding so much pain.
"Did you knew him well?" She asked.
"Well, yes." Kate started. "We were friends for years. We sail together too."
"How was it?" She asked immediately. Kate chuckled a bit and passed a hand on the girl cheeks, wiping the tears away. Then, she started to tell her how bad at sailing he was at first but what a great captain and friend he had been. She talked for a few minutes, telling stories to make the girl smile a bit, trying to make the ache a little less painful for the girl. Tama hugged her one last time before to smile at Kate. She jumped on the ground and left. Kate smiled a bit and waved at her from afar. Once the girl was out of sight, Kate lost her smile and stood up. She wonder around the villagers for a moment, looking at the food they had bring them. They were so much joy in the air that Kate thought about leaving.
"I saw you with the girl." Said a voice near her. She looked around she saw the surgeon laid against a piles of woods, waiting for everyone to get ready. "Are you okay?"
"I need a drink." She only responded. He pointed at something behind her, there was a full box of sake. She watched around her and grabbed four. She put some into her bag and opened one, she nodded at the surgeon before to start to walked away, she turned around a few second before to reach and grabbed two other bottle. "We need to go before someone finds us." She simply said before to walk to the other you were still waving goodbye to Tama.
A few hours. That was the time Kate had to rest before everything went to shit again. They hadn't even been at the ruined that the swordsman had to stay behind to deal with someone, or something, attacking them. Once at the top, she had let the Strawhats (because the other morons arrived to ate's joy) to deal with the craziness of the samurais lives and time travel story. It was fun to watch from afar, them being confused while hearing the story. She had stood outside the shelter, lay down against the wall with the surgeon and the three members of his crew present. They were talking about the time travel things, wondering what and when they would go if they had the chance. Kate had been surprised when Bepo turned to ask her the same question. She looked at them for a few minutes before to say that she didn't know or even care. The three crew members nodded and continued their discussion. The surgeon, sat not that far from them, resting as best he could. He had noticed how out of character Kate was behaving. For started, even thought she had took five bottle down in the village he hadn't see her drink any since then, she had even welcomed the Strawhat crew politely before to let them be. The Kate he had learn to know would have yelled at the cook or at list punched him in the arm, making him know that what he did was stupid. But, when he had welcomed her, heart in his eyes she had simply replied that it was good that he wasn't dead and went away. Even the navigator had been surprised to see Kate small smile on her face. Something was wrong with the woman since she had talked to that child and he couldn't figured what.
"I'm going to see if I can find the swordsman. Care for another deal Doc?" Kate asked while standing up, stretching her legs a bit before to jump on the grass. She smirked when the surgeon rolled his eyes and lowered his hat on his head. He could hear her walking away while trying to put her shoes on, she had taken that habit to take them off ever since she had to walk in the traditional one she had been given when they first arrived.
"Do we need to go after her captain?" Asked the bear. The surgeon looked up from under his hat, she was gone now and his crew were looking kind worried.
"Why? She's a strong girl, finding the green head will not be hard for her." He said, laying down.
"No it's just that…"
"Bepo's worried because he smelt a strong smell of alcohol coming from her."
"Sorry." The surgeon looked up once more at his crew. He hadn't seen her drink, that was true, but he hadn't seen her packed the bottles too. Did she drank all the bottles between their talk to the village and their departure to the ruin? It had been what, twenty minutes during those two separate time. He knew she was a fast drinker and that she could hold down her liquor better than anyone he had drank with, but even for her so many in a short amount of time could not be good. But, like he said a few second before, she was more capable to handle herself.
"She will be fine."
Kate had, in fact, drank every bottle except one that she had hidden into her kimono. After walking away from the surgeon she had hided behind a house, sat down, and drank the sake. She didn't plan on drinking that much but after finishing the first three bottles in a row she hadn't care if she drunk another one. She had heard the others gathered for leaving when she was about to start the last one. She had hidden it, leaving the empty bottles behind her as nothing had happened. When she said she was going to find the swordsman, she meant it. She had searched for him for ten good minutes before to find a good tree and sat underneath. She took out her last bottle and her notebook. She drank it while flipping through old memories almost forgotten. Hours later, the bottle long finish and the notebook left on the side, the alcohol kicking in, Kate was lay down on her back, singing some songs half drunk, half asleep. She couldn't remember the melodies or half of the lyrics but she was remembering a time of her life long gone. She could hear some old voices in the wind, she even thought that someone was there with her for a while. She kept singing though, half aware that a few meters away, people were their. Its only when she felt the ground shaking, people screaming and a bright light in the sky that she knew that something wasn't feeling right. She had grabbed her notebook immediately before to stand up as straight as she could. She didn't know if the trees around her were moving because of the earthquake she felt or if it was her. She breathed slowly before to start walking, faster and faster, getting used to the spinning around her. She stopped when she walked into the surgeon and Strawhat standing still, looking at the top of the mountain. Kate walked slowly next to them before to put a hand in front if her eyes, the bright light blinding her. When she succeeded to take a final look she saw it, freezing in the instant. The ruined were gone, everything were gone. She looked a little bit, trying to find what might have happened, that is when she felt it, the heavy murderous being in the sky above the city. She turned her head, shaking a bit. He was there. Kaido was there. Into his dragon form. It took only a second to Kate to realize what had happened: he had blasted the top of the mountain, trying to kill them. Then, she looked at the two men beside her and realized that, he had succeeded, he had killed their crew and the samurais. He had killed them because they were no way he hadn't. She looked as the Strawhat yelling in pain and anger. She watched him run as a manic to the beast as fast as he could. She couldn't even called after him, or even move. She heard the surgeon yelling before to see him lose faith for the first time. She had put her hand on one of his shoulder. The next things she knew, they were in the city. He had teleported them.
"We need to stop him!" He yelled at her, grabbing her right arm, making her move beside him. They hide behind houses or falling walls while running to the center of the city. Kate looked around, lost. Things happened to fast that she didn't had the time to fully understand what was happening. The alcohol didn't help either. Things were still spinning around her and the surgeon voice wasn't as loud as she thought it would be. She knew that Kaido was above their head and that the Strawhat wasn't far enough. He was probably dead by now, if he went straighter to fight. When she looked up, trying to figure if they had a chance to survive too, she saw him falling of the sky like a cannonball. She looked at his destination and she couldn't believe that the dragon hadn't seen it already. She stopped her run, making the surgeon look back at her still shouting instruction to her. She grabbed his cloths and threw him on the ground before to do the same, both hiding behind a fallen wall. She saw him trying to get up but she put one hand on his head, putting it on the ground. They lay there, the surgeon still trying to stand up. The next moment, the impact was so strong that they would have been flown away if they had kept running. When they finally looked up, neither of them had imagined to see Luffy standing in front of the dragon's head. Kate was shocked, for a split second, and because of the alcohol, she genuinely thought that he had won.
"Kate! Come on!" Yelled the surgeon to her already on his feet. She watched him run to Luffy that had moved across the street. When she finally joined them seconds later, she was horrified to see the horselady from earlier on the ground badly wounded. Strawhat was shouting at her, asking something, but Kate couldn't hear him, everything was muffled around her. She looked as the horse trying to talk but Kate was only wondering what was she doing here? She left a few hours ago.
"Tama…"Kate said, looking at the surgeon next to her. "Law…Tama…" He looked at the horse on the ground as she fainted, letting the Strawhat in more rage than before. When the surgeon turned back to Kate he was surprised to see her eyes watering. "Law…where is Tama?" she asked, worried. The horse was supposed to be with Tama. If she was here, injured, where was the little girl? Was she safe? Was she home?
"He killed her." Stated Luffy coldly. Kate could feel is anger, his pain. He was determinate to kill the responsible. Kate looked at the lady before to look at the ground, her hands closed into fist, shaking in anger. Kaido had killed her. She noticed the surgeon lips moving, trying to talk to her. She didn't heard a single thing, but she felt his hands on her shoulders. The Strawhat was already gone, ready to make him pay. She thought about it for a second and she concluded that she wanted to kill him too. She took her knives out in a second, her mind made up. If Luffy didn't succeed, she would take him down by herself. She followed after Luffy, knowing that the surgeon was behind her, yelling at her to stop, that she needed to calm down.
"Kate the fuck are you doing!" Yelled the surgeon as he had grabbed her arm, pulling her out the street. He looked around them for a moment before to shout at her, his hands on her arms, shaking her a bit, trying to make her understand that she needed to calm herself down.
"He needs to pay for what he had done. And if Luffy loses, I'll do it myself." She said blankly to him, not a ounce of emotion in her voice. He rolled his eyes before to look at her. He frown a bit ready to shout one more time but he didn't say anything. Instead, he grabbed her head and looked into her eyes.
"Fuck woman are you drunk!" She didn't flinched, not even when he punched her into the wall. She could hear the battle had started again. "You had to be drunk now!"
"Drunk or not it doesn't change anything!" She yelled back at him.
"Yes it does!" He yelled once more, pushing her on the ground this time, making sure she would not wonder off. Once he was sure she wouldn't move he passed his hands on his face, not believe the situation he was in. He walked a few steps away from her, looking at the fight that was happening not that far before to turn to Kate who had stood up. "You are as dumb as Strawhat! And I don't need another him right now!" He said to her and himself as he walked to her again. It was true, when Kate was drunk she didn't care about the consequences and did what the she thought at the moment. How many mistake had she done under the influence of the alcohol? Too many if you asked her but she knew that if she did something it was because deep down she wanted it or thought that it wasn't that bad after all.
"Law…he killed them." She said, finally realizing that their comrades were dead. "He killed them…Tama, Bepo…everyone." He looked down for a moment but rapidly notice that she was getting more and more upset. Kate voices cracked a little bit, her eyes filling with tears. Yet, something was off. It wasn't sadness or pain: she was mad. He knew enough about her to know that she could be fearless and dangerous when she decided to fight or kill someone.
"I know." He replied putting on of his hand on her shoulder, trying to calm her a bit. The surgeon and Kate started to believe that the Strawhat might win when they saw him attacking without getting hit. Kate even thought that he might kill him. But, when a few minutes passed and Kaido finally stroke back with his weapon, they both knew that it was over. One kick was all it took to put Luffy to the ground. Kate immediately took her knives out again, ready to walk down there and fight when Law stopped her, putting his arms around her shoulder from behind. She tried to push him away but he started to talk into her ear.
"Kate, think." He said to her. "If you go you will end up as Strawhat…or worst."
"He need to pay for what he did." She said coldly.
"And he will. But for now we need to go." He said slowly letting his arms go, seeing if she would move forward to the fight or not. She looked at the battle field for a moment before to look at the surgeon still close to her in case she started running. Kate didn't. She put back her knives into her kimono, showing him that he was right. If she went right now she would die. He put on hand on her arm and teleport them on top of the mountain where no one would think to come looking. He let her go once arrived and looked as she walked to the edge, without taking her eyes off the city below as if she could see and hear what was happening. She knew that Luffy wasn't dead but she couldn't help but think that he was. She could hear the surgeon's crew, and the others behind her. They didn't died. The ground had slide under them, saving them from the blast. Everyone started to asked what happened and where was Luffy. Law explained rapidly that Strawhat had been capture and that they needed to act fast now if they wanted to succeed. She heard him explaining that the plan hadn't really changed but that they had to be more careful now.
"What about Luffy?" Asked the navigator concern for her captain. The surgeon didn't respond, ignoring her question. When she repeated herself Kate responded.
"We don't have time for him."
"What does that mean?" She asked harshly. Kate looked at the city one last time before to face the girl and the others. They were all concerned about Luffy after all.
"That means that we don't have time for him. We don't know if he will survive or not." The navigator hadn't liked Kate the moment she met her, but hearing her say that her captain won't survive in the most monotone tone she had ever used was the last straw for her.
"He will survive! We can't leave him behind! It's Luffy! He will defeat him! We need to do something about it." She yelled at Kate who stayed unfazed.
"If he wasn't dead when we left he'll probably be in the next hours."
"You stupid bitch!" The red hair yelled, ready to jump at her. The cook stopped the navigator from moving, knowing that she would just start a fight with the girl for nothing. He wasn't glad about how she was talking either but fighting would do any good.
"Listen," Started Kate, trying to sound sorry. "Not knowing what will happened to your captain sucks, he might survive or they might kill him. I'd rather tell you not to have hope. I know how they work and letting someone as powerful as Strawhat alive would be stupid of them. I know how…" Kate tried to explained. It wasn't her intension to hurt them with her words but they had to understand that what may happen to their captain it wasn't their mission to save him. Moreover, she was still shaken by what happened and the alcohol she had drank was making everything harder.
"You don't know anything!" The navigator yelled back, cutting Kate in her explanation. "Luffy will not stand there and wait to be killed! Not when he thinks that those people killed his crew! He will fight them and win! As always! But you don't have faith in him! You hate him! Letting him for dead was you idea!" The navigator continued yelling, pushing the cook aside to walk closer to Kate.
"I didn't…" Kate tried to say but the navigator was to angry to even let her talk.
"Knowing that he is not around is pure joy for you, isn't it? You say you know how we feel about our captain being capture but you don't! You care about no one but yourself!" The redhead shouted at Kate, her staffs into her hands. Kate noticed as she had took out her weapon as she was yelling. The surgeon noticed it too. He had glared at the cook, making sure that if anything came to happened they were ready to stop them. "I don't even know why I thought you might care!" Continued the navigator. "You care for no one and certainly not Luffy! You stay here, saying what we should do, acting like a chief, but you are nothing to us! I don't trust you, no one does! Just the simple fact that Luffy, the most gullible guy on earth doesn't trust you prove my point!"
"You should be careful. I played it nice with you before but…"Kate warned her as the navigator started to get ready to attack. Kat looked murderous for a split second. It had been enough for the surgeon to know that if the navigator went to far, Kate won't hesitated. He had noticed how her aura had changed when he had stopped her. She might had decided not to kill and jump into the fight that the need of doing it wasn't still there. He watched as the navigator's anger built as the second pass too. Kate emotionless face and reaction didn't help, it was angering the redhead even more.
"But What? You want to attack me? Do it! You already fought with Luffy why not with me too! You might even be with the enemy for all I know! The information you gathered through the years, you must have gathered information on us! Say it that you are here only to destroy us all! Say it!" The navigator yelled louder and louder as she spoke. She took a long breath, adjusting her hands on her staffs. Seeing Kate so impassible was unbearable. Not a single emotion was coming form the woman in front of her and not making her react was becoming hell. That is when the navigator thought about something. She has thought about it right after leaving Zou, her conversation with the woman still fresh in her memory. She hadn't any proof and hadn't dare talked about it with her captain but she was so pissed right now that she didn't care less if it was true or not. Kate needed to be taught a lesson and she will give it to her. She had wanted to do it since she had step on their deck.
"I know why Luffy hates you that much." Started the navigator again, her yelling stopping a bit, but her disgusted look hadn't. Kate eyed her, daring her to continue her speech, almost wondering what she would say. "We never knew what happened at the war. Only that our captain and you had a fight after it." She explained to the woman. She saw her move, Kate had lower a head a bit and cracked her fingers. She was listening carefully to the words that the navigator was saying, hadn't thought that she would even dare talk about the war. "You know the first commander, you said it yourself to me and Zoro. So, you knew Luffy's brother too. You wouldn't have been at the war if you hadn't knew him. Why would you have been there otherwise, unless…" Everyone present would noticed how the tone had changed. The navigator was accusing Kate.
"What are you talking about?" Asked the cook, trying to understand.
"Isn't it obvious." The navigator said looking back at her crew member for a few seconds. When she turned to face Kate again she took a step back, not noticing that the woman had closed the space that was separating them before. The cook had looked at the surgeon and nodded. They both slowly steps froward, ready to stop what was about to happen. The cook didn't really know what was really about to happen though. He knew the navigator well to know that she could fight if needed be but he didn't pictured her attacking someone out of anger. He didn't knew Kate but she wasn't known as a fighter, her bounty was highyes, but it everyone said it was because of her work. The navigator noticing the two men and turned to Kate confident. Kate wouldn't not attack her, not with them around, not with the surgeon here. She knew that Kate was smart enough to no start anything. But when she looked into her eyes, seeing how murderous they looked, she doubt for a moment. But, the navigator of the Strawhat Pirate stood high, not fearing anything.
"Afraid to speak?" Kate asked her. The navigator hear the mocking tone in her voice. So, she tighter her hands on her staffs and spoke.
"Luffy hates you because you had his brother killed. You sold him out to the marine. Ace died because of you. That is why Luffy hates you and why you can't stand being around him." As the words had been out of her mouth Kate had took out one of her knives and put it at the navigator throat. Everyone had frozen the instant the navigator had screamed. The navigator didn't dared to move, feeling the cold blade touching her skin.
"Honey I would have sold your life over a thousand time by now if I was that pathetic." Spat Kate before to take the blade off the navigator before to sweep the little cut she had done. "Like you said yourself, I'm only here to take you down right? So hurting the merchandise isn't good for business." Kate smirked a bit before to wipe the drop of blood on her finger on the navigator clothe. Kate smiled at the girl before to take a few step back, looking at the cook and the surgeon. "I thought you knew me better. I don't kill people who don't deserved it." She looked once more at the navigator. "It was fun to see you acting tougher that you really are. I understand why you want your captain back." The redhead looked at Kate turned her back, walking to the edge of the mountain again. She was in rage. And hearing Kate laughed as she walked away made her see red. So, she was ready to attack. The cook noticed and walked to the girl but stopped moving when he heard a gun shot. The surgeon had reacted immediately and teleport a piece of rock in place of the bullet. Kate had sent the navigator's fury at the same time the cook had but, whereas he was about to talk to his crewmate, Kate wasn't about to let her attack her from behind. She had put out her gun as quick as possible and shoot. As she noticed that the bullet hadn't entered the navigator's head she turn to the surgeon right away, the bullet at his feet. He saw that she was about to shoot again.
"Kate." He said firmly. Kate looked at the redhead with despise. The cook had stepped in front of the navigator, providing Kate to shoot at her again, he hoped. Seeing that she was hesitating the surgeon appeared to her, pulling the gun down with one hand. "That is enough now." His tone wasn't a demand. Kate looked at him side way. She knew that if he had to he would put her down.
"If I were you I wouldn't do anything like that ever again." Kate said to the navigator who was shaking a bit. "Next time he won't be here to stop me."
"Kate." Said the surgeon after she threaten the girl. Kate looked at him, daring him to say anything else. She had every right to be angry. The girl had tried to attack her from behind after being humiliated. Even for pirates it was low and Kate was done playing nice with them.
"I'm going to find that swordsman of yours. At least he offers me sake." They watched her walking away, passing the group of people still a little shocked. Kate chuckled when she noticed that they had put out their swords too. Once out of sigh the surgeon looked at the navigator still shaking of fear. She was whispering things to the cook who was making sure she was okay, even the little doctor had came to examinate her cut. It was barely a cut now and the blood had already stopped bleeding. Then, after a moment, the navigator was back on her feet. When she saw the surgeon she couldn't helped herself, even after what had happened minutes ago.
"It's your fault." She accused him. He turned to her, his eyes shouting daggers.
"I'll gently advice you to stop talking."
"You bring her here, it's yo…" She stopped herself as she noticed how he changed his stands and put down his sword that he had always against his shoulders.
"You bring it to yourself. And before who add anything else, next time I won't be stopping her." The navigator didn't respond and went away almost immediately. He sighted, putting back his sword where it belong before to turn to his crew who was safe and sound.
End fourth chapter.
Thanks for reading, don't forget to tell me what you think :)