Chapter Sixty-Two: You and I Are Destined by the Cat (Part Two)

Qiubai pulled the coat emblazoned with the word "Justice" from behind him and wrapped it around his mouth and nose. It wasn't that he feared the "contagion"; rather, the pervasive stench of decay in Flevance was simply unbearable—especially in the height of summer.

Perhaps a gas mask would have been the wiser choice. Though a great many corpses had been dealt with during the war, countless still remained, and the risk of an epidemic breaking out here was all too real.

Every corner of this country was piled with human remains.

What evokes the deepest sorrow? The answers are manifold, but the extinction of an entire human community is surely among them. The so-called "paragon of all living things" was now reduced to nothing but heaps of rotting flesh.

Qiubai skirted a dark drainage ditch swarming with flies; he didn't need to look to know what filled it. He forced his gaze to level out, focusing on distant buildings, trying to suppress the wave of nausea boiling in his gut.

"Good thing I didn't let Ein come along," he thought, the absurdity of random musings flitting through his mind. No, perhaps letting his brain drift to unrelated thoughts was the only sensible thing to do in a place like this.

Since the dawn of human civilization, there has always been disparity. Human society is, by nature, hierarchical: crudely classified into those who rule—the upper class, who display themselves as controllers—and those who are ruled, the lower class, often denied even the right to survive, as in Flevance.

The rulers’ zenith might be the Celestial Dragons, while the ruled often can't even secure their own existence.

Qiubai tapped his foot on the ground. With each step, a sticky resistance clung to his soles, as if fresh blood still stained every inch of earth.

In such an environment, Qiubai couldn't help but ponder profound questions of natural science—such as, do ghosts or spirits truly exist?

He ventured deeper into the heart of Flevance. Once a beautiful city, it had now become a field of ruin. The "White Town's" famous amber lead artifacts had disappeared, likely repurposed into weapons during the war—amber lead, after all, makes perfectly good bullets.

Though he had entered the city without much trouble, Qiubai had no intention of taking action immediately. He wanted to find a place to rest, regain his strength and spirit, and only then begin the task Doflamingo had assigned him.

Soon enough, Qiubai found a relatively clean house and decided to rest there. Days of sailing, pilfering, and impersonating a Navy officer had left him thoroughly exhausted.

However, Qiubai was unaware that, during his respite, a series of coincidences conspired: a genuine surveillance officer from the World Government’s special department had entered Flevance just after him.

……

When Qiubai awoke again, it was already midday. He first replenished his food and water, then resumed his activities in this city of ghosts. To avoid ingesting amber lead, he relied solely on supplies brought from his ship.

Though he wasn’t terrified of amber lead disease, he certainly wasn’t so reckless as to disregard it entirely.

"If I want to do what Doflamingo asked, I need to understand the city's layout first…" To confirm whether the amber lead mine still existed, Qiubai would have to find its entrance.

He needed a detailed map.

That was no simple task, given the city’s current state. Maps would be hard to find—but at least, if he did find one, he could take it without paying.

Qiubai began searching along the main avenue. After breaking into four or five bookstores, he finally found what he was after.

"A map of Flevance," he murmured.

But just as he reached out, a hand shot out from the other side of the standing bookshelf, pressing down on the map.

There was still someone alive in this city?

No time to think, Qiubai quickly stepped back, eyes wary as he looked up at the person who had appeared before him.

Thankfully, it was a person, not some specter.

The boy wore shoulder-length hair, a black suit, gray shirt, and white tie. He appeared to be about Qiubai’s age, though taller and more slender.

Yet his eyes were anything but youthful—the gaze of someone who’d dwelled in darkness for years.

There was something familiar about him, though his appearance and attire weren’t distinctive enough for Qiubai to identify him. Still, one thing was certain: this stranger was not a resident of Flevance.

One hand pressed on the map, the other drew a small notebook from his jacket. His sharp eyes flicked between the notebook and Qiubai’s face.

"Claimed to be Navy Headquarters Lieutenant Commander, special surveillance officer, entered Flevance last night on a classified mission… but is that identity genuine?" the stranger said, voicing the doubt.

"And who are you? Do I have to explain myself to a brat like you?" Qiubai immediately donned his "Lieutenant Commander’s face," just as he had the night before. He certainly wouldn’t give himself away so easily.

So long as no one could prove he was a fake, then he was the real deal. Wasn’t it as simple as that?

"No, I’m not questioning your identity. In fact, I am also an official of the World Government. Perhaps we both have confidential missions. There’s no need to verify each other’s credentials. Still, since we’re both here in Flevance, we might need to contact each other, whether necessary or not. So, for convenience… can you state your full name again, just as you did last night, Lieutenant Commander Makarov?"

"My full name?" Qiubai was momentarily at a loss, but he answered anyway—what did it matter, since it was all fake?

"I am Vladimir Ivan…"

"What was it again?"

Damn it, this wasn’t simple at all—Qiubai couldn’t even remember the long-winded name he’d made up. For once, he regretted his own glibness. If only he’d just called himself 'Evil God of Fire Clouds' last night and been done with it!