While Zoro was already hard at work, Usopp and Bon Kurei were still searching for him in Kibi. What they didn’t know was that Zoro, through a series of frantic sprints, had already reached the Flower Capital. Even if they searched Kibi to death, they would never find him there.
“What do we do? Once that guy Zoro gets lost… who knows where he’ll end up?”
“I don’t know either. We’ll just have to leave it to fate. He should be able to take care of himself. Let’s stick to the original plan.”
Although an accident had occurred, they couldn’t keep searching forever. If they failed to find Zoro and wasted all their time, they’d end up going hungry that night. They had virtually nothing to their names.
Trying to hunt or steal food would only increase the risk of exposing themselves.
“I guess that’s our only option… Still, I think the people in this country seem genuinely happy. The smiles on their faces don’t look fake. Maybe Kin’emon and Kanjuro weren’t telling the truth.”
“Perhaps. Whether it’s true or false, only they know. But these people really do look happy. When I was working for Zero-chan, I saw expressions like that. The people of Alabasta smiled the same way when they welcomed their hero… Usopp, look over there.”
Kibi was mostly endless pastures. Compared to the now densely populated Hakumai and Flower Capital, Kibi could be described as vast, but sparsely populated. At the border of the boundless grasslands, a notice board stood out very conspicuously.
“Job recruitment… weather forecast… wanted posters?”
“That’s right. And there are wanted posters for Kin’emon and Kanjuro too… Arson?”
Before fleeing Wano Country, they had set a fire in Kuri, causing considerable trouble. Naturally, they had ended up on Wano Country’s bounty list.
“Wanted for burning down three city streets…”
“What? Have you seen these two wanted criminals? They’re worth a hundred gold coins.”
A woman’s voice suddenly came from nearby, startling both of them.
“Who goes there?!”
“Show yourself! I, the great Usopp, command eight thousand subordinates!”
“Look down! Down here! What are your eyes and ears for?!”
Following the source of the voice, Usopp and Bon Kurei lowered their heads. Standing there was a tiny old woman, barely 0.8 meters tall, glaring at them angrily.
“Pff—sorry. The grass was blocking you earlier, so I didn’t see you.”
The pasture grass here was flourishing and apparently hadn’t been grazed recently. Nearly a meter tall, it had completely hidden her from view. Only after she emerged from a narrow path through the grass did they notice her.
“You were laughing just now, weren’t you? Do you think I can’t tell?! Though the two of you look…”
As she scrutinized them, Usopp and Bon Kurei thought for a moment that their cover had been blown. Instead, she simply pulled out a flyer.
“Interested in performing? We’re the most famous theater troupe in Kibi. Even Lord Wise King has watched our plays. I think you two outsiders have great potential.”
“How do you know we’re outsiders?”
“Granny Tamako is a celebrity around here, after all. You two didn’t react at all when you saw me, so you must be part of the latest group of newcomers from a few days ago. What’s strange about that? When I was young, I was considered one of the great beauties of the country. So, what do you say? Interested?”
She had taken a liking to Usopp and Bon Kurei’s appearances and felt they were well-suited to play special roles in the play. For example, Usopp could play a tengu yokai. He wouldn’t even need to disguise his nose, just apply some dye directly.
“Good thing our fake IDs put us in the same batch as those immigrants… What do you think of this job?”
“It doesn’t sound bad. That Wise King probably means Kaido, right? If these people regularly come into contact with Kaido, they should know more about the country and make gathering intelligence easier.”
“But what if Kaido recognizes us?”
“No chance. Why would someone that important remember insignificant people like us?”
Usopp confidently arrived at his conclusion and continued asking, “Grandma, when you say Wise King, do you mean Kaido?”
“Of course! Only Lord Kaido is worthy of the title of Wise King. If I were a few decades younger, I’d want to serve at his side personally.”
“Uh… then can you meet Kaido?”
“You outsiders should show some respect when you speak! Is Lord Kaido someone you can casually call by name?!”
Granny Tamako pulled out a paper fan from her robes and smacked both Usopp and Bon Kurei with it.
“Understood. Then, Grandma, do you normally get to see Kai..Lord Kaido?”
“Well… once or twice a year. Lord Wise King is very busy, after all. He can’t spend every day watching theater performances.
“But we’re the most famous theater troupe in Kibi, and everyone in Wano Country knows us. Every performance is packed, and even the Lady Shogun attends.
“In a little while, it’ll be time for the Fire Festival. If we win the theater competition, we’ll get to perform exclusively for Lord Wise King on Onigashima.”
Usopp and Bon Kurei exchanged a glance, then both agreed to her request and followed Granny Tamako into the grasslands of Kibi.
Meanwhile, Luffy, Law, and Sanji’s group encountered a completely different situation.
Zoro had gotten lost and ended up in the Flower Capital. Usopp and Bon Kurei remained in Kibi. As for the three of them, they had reached Kuri.
[Miltank Ranch Hiring Milkers]
[Leek Plantation Recruiting Workers. Sky Island Farm Recruiting Workers]
[Electivire Seeking Massage Therapists. Extensive massage experience required. Experience working with Mareep preferred.]
The existence of Pokémon had also created many new professions. Milking Miltank, shearing Mareep wool, collecting cotton shed by Whimsicott, and sharpening Bisharp’s blades were all similar professions, and in the eyes of Wano’s people, highly respectable ones.
To them, these were opportunities to come into contact with the gods.
“What do you think?”
“I think hospital work would suit me better. Black Leg-ya, you’d probably go work in a kitchen or somewhere similar, right?”
“Maybe. That would make it less likely for us to blow our cover. Earlier I heard a shop owner say you need a stall permit to run a business, otherwise I’d have set up a noodle stand. What about you, Luffy? Luffy?”
Just as Usopp and Bon Kurei had failed to stop Zoro from getting lost, Law and Sanji had failed to keep an eye on Luffy. They had only turned around for a moment, and Luffy had already vanished. The good news was that he hadn’t gone far. At that moment, he was waving at them from a distance.
“Hey! Over here! There are so many Hercules!”
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