Chapter 58

The Flower Capital was a kaleidoscope of falling petals and rising lanterns. It was the only part of Wano that thrived under Orochi's rule-a paradise built on the starvation of the rest of the country.

Kurumi and Perona walked through the bustling main street. They had successfully infiltrated the city, trading their pirate attire for local Wano silk.

Kurumi wore a deep crimson kimono with golden spider lily patterns, her hair pinned up with expensive lacquered combs. She looked like the daughter of a wealthy daimyo.

Perona, true to her aesthetic, wore a frilly, gothic-lolita style kimono in shocking pink and black, carrying a parasol that looked like a cute demon.

"Waaah! Look at that!" Perona squealed, pointing at a stall selling intricate sugar sculptures. "It's a sugar dragon! Buy it for me, Captain! Buy it!"

Kurumi chuckled, opening her coin purse (filled with gold stolen from Lucas the Pirate back in the day).

"We are on a mission, Ghost Princess," Kurumi teased, handing the merchant a gold coin. "We need to find information on Shogun Orochi's movements."

"We can multitask!" Perona snatched the sugar dragon and took a bite. "Mmm! Sweet! Wano is the best!"

Kurumi offered her arm. "Shall we, then? The 'investigation' continues."

Perona blushed, looking at Kurumi's offered arm. "Hmph! Don't think this is a date or anything! I'm just… ensuring you don't get lost in the crowd!"

She grabbed Kurumi's arm tightly anyway.

**The Sanoba Stand**

They sat on a red bench under a weeping cherry tree, sharing a plate of *Mitarashi Dango* (sweet soy sauce dumplings).

"So," Perona chewed, sauce on her cheek. "What's the plan? We just eat until the Shogun shows up?"

"Listen," Kurumi sipped her tea, her eyes scanning the crowd. "Do you hear the whispers?"

Perona paused. She extended her *Negative Ghosts* into the ground, turning them into listening devices.

*"…The Fire Festival is coming…"*

*"…Komurasaki-dayu is performing tonight at the pleasure hall…"*

*"…The Kyoshiro family is collecting protection money again…"*

*"…They say the ghosts of the Kozuki clan are returning…"*

"Ooh," Perona shivered. "Ghosts? My kind of people!"

"Focus on Komurasaki," Kurumi whispered, wiping the sauce off Perona's cheek with a handkerchief. Perona turned bright red at the touch. "She is the Oiran. The top idol of Wano. If anyone knows how to get close to Orochi, it's her."

"You want to meet an idol?" Perona pouted. "Am *I* not cute enough for you?"

Kurumi laughed, a genuine, soft sound. "You are the cutest ghost in the world, Perona. But Komurasaki is the key to the castle."

**The Ruffians**

"Hey, hey! Look at these two beauties!"

The peaceful atmosphere was shattered. Three samurai with jagged topknots and the crest of the **Kyoshiro Family** blocked their path. They smelled of cheap sake and entitlement.

"You two aren't from around here," the lead thug leered, reaching for Perona's parasol. "That's some fancy silk. How about you pay the 'Beauty Tax'?"

Perona shrank back behind Kurumi. "Ew! He smells like pickled radishes!"

"Beauty Tax?" Kurumi stood up slowly. She didn't look frightened. She looked bored. "And what if we decline?"

"Then we drag you to the magistrate!" The thug grabbed Kurumi's kimono sleeve. "Don't play hard to get, missy. We run this town."

Perona's eyes flashed. She raised a hand to summon a *Negative Hollow*.

"No," Kurumi stopped her with a touch. "Don't use your powers. It'll blow our cover."

"But-!"

"Allow me."

Kurumi smiled at the thug.

"Sir. You have a loose thread."

"Huh?" The thug looked down.

*Zafkiel: Eye of the Mind.*

Kurumi saw the thug's movement before he made it. She saw the exact pressure point on his wrist. She saw the structural weakness in his hakama pants.

She didn't draw a weapon. She simply… tripped him.

With a graceful shuffle of her wooden sandals, she hooked his ankle at the precise moment he shifted his weight.

*THUD.*

The thug face-planted into a pile of horse manure on the street.

"Boss!" The other two drew their katanas. "You bitch!"

They swung.

Kurumi grabbed Perona by the waist and spun. It looked like a dance.

*Step. Turn. Dip.*

The blades missed them by millimeters. To the onlookers, it looked like pure luck. To Kurumi, it was calculated geometry.

As she spun, she "accidentally" bumped into a street performer juggling fire batons. The bump sent a baton flying… directly into the thugs' pants.

*WHOOSH.*

"HOT! HOT! MY ASS IS ON FIRE!"

The thugs ran screaming down the street, trailing smoke.

The crowd erupted in laughter.

"Oh my," Kurumi covered her mouth with her sleeve, feigning shock. "How clumsy of them."

**The Sunset Promise**

They quickly left the scene before the real yakuza arrived, finding a quiet spot on a bridge overlooking the capital as the sun began to set. The sky turned a bruised purple and gold.

Perona leaned against the railing, clutching her parasol.

"That was… kind of cool," she admitted quietly. "You didn't even use Haki."

"I used physics," Kurumi leaned next to her. "And a little bit of luck."

"You protected me," Perona looked down at the water. "Even though I'm supposed to be getting stronger."

Kurumi reached out and tucked a strand of pink hair behind Perona's ear.

"You are strong, Perona. But today… today is a date. And on a date, the partner protects the lady."

Perona's face went nuclear red. Steam practically shot out of her ears.

"D-D-Date?! I told you it wasn't a-!"

Kurumi silenced her by placing a skewer of *Sanoba* (soba noodles) in her mouth.

"Eat up. We have work to do tonight."

Perona chewed angrily, then happily. "It's delicious! Okay, fine! But next time, *I* pick the snacks!"

**The Intel**

As night fell, the lanterns of the capital lit up.

"Captain," Perona said, her voice serious now. "While you were dancing with those idiots… my ghost found something."

"Oh?"

"The Castle," Perona pointed to the massive structure shaped like a tree in the center of the city. "There's a basement. My ghost couldn't go in. It felt… cold. Like Sea Prism Stone."

"A dungeon," Kurumi's eyes narrowed. "Or a weapon factory."

"And," Perona hesitated. "I saw a poster. Wanted. A samurai with a crescent moon on his ankle."

"The Kozuki crest," Kurumi nodded. "The rebellion is alive."

She took Perona's hand.

"Good work, Ghost Princess. We have our target. Tonight, we infiltrate the Red Light District. We need to find Komurasaki."

"More dressing up?" Perona groaned, but she didn't let go of Kurumi's hand.

"Only the best for my partner," Kurumi smiled, pulling her into the night. "Let's go steal some secrets."