"F-... food... so, so much food..."
After Karl followed Komachiyo and arrived at Amigasa Village in Kuri.
The villagers, seeing the huge pack on Karl's back, showed the same expression as Otama.
Some of the adults even looked ready to pounce and snatch.
Even so, they merely surrounded him, hemming Karl in and staring hard at the food sticking out of the giant pack.
"Everyone, big brother's food, it's..."
Seeing the wall of bodies, little though she was, Otama—precocious and clever like Carina—leapt from Karl's shoulder, anxious to talk the villagers down.
Before she could finish, Karl smiled. "It's fine. Let's share the food with everyone."
He set down the enormous pack, took out some provisions and filled Otama's arms, then put some on Komachiyo's back.
Then he casually lifted seven or eight more massive packs—together over a thousand catties—and tossed them before the villagers. "Everyone, take these and divide them up."
"Th-thank... thank you... thank you!"
Karl's action snapped the nearly unhinged villagers awake.
Many looked ashamed, but their hands moved fast, grabbing food, bowing to Karl, and leaving with smiles.
"Thank you, big brother!"
Otama, like the others, looked at Karl with heartfelt gratitude.
"Otama, take me to your home."
Karl scooped her up again. "You have a master, right? Before we head for the Flower Capital, let's bring some food to your master."
"Mm-hmm... big brother, this way."
Otama nodded rapidly and kept guiding Karl.
On the road, she asked worriedly, "Big brother, if you give all the food to everyone, what do we do? How about you give me and Komachiyo just one share?"
Though poor enough to taste rice only on her birthday and New Year each year.
Otama's nature had not turned dark because of hardship. She was kind, optimistic, and grateful.
She only ate because Karl gave it to her.
But after the drumstick, even if she was hungry, she would not glance again at the giant pack, afraid Karl would think she hadn't eaten enough and keep giving her more.
It was what Karl liked most about her.
So he pinched her cheek and smiled. "It's fine. I brought plenty of money. If I get hungry, I'll eat in the Flower Capital."
"Money from outside?"
Otama hurried to remind him. "Master says Wano Country uses different money because of its closed borders."
"I know."
Karl nodded. "That's why I brought gold."
Like Skypiea's extol, Wano's currency isn't Berries.
Wano uses platinum, gold, and silver.
Platinum is worth the most. One platinum can build a house in Wano.
Next are gold and silver.
Unlike Skypiea, which will exchange for Berries, Wano rejects foreign currency because of isolation.
At Otama's home.
She seated Karl on the tatami, poured a cup of boiled well water, then took the food and Komachiyo to find her master, Tenguyama Hitetsu.
Not long after, Karl sensed a decent aura approaching.
"Big brother, I'm back!"
Otama ran in with a small bundle, panting, face lit by a smile cute enough to make Karl want to pinch her cheeks again. "Master agreed I can go to the Flower Capital with you, but he said I have to change clothes before going out."
She set the bundle on the tatami.
When she opened it, a fairly new kimono—though patched in places—came into view.
"Master's kimono."
Otama cradled it and handed it to Karl. "Master says outsiders entering the Flower Capital will give themselves away by clothing. You have to wear a kimono so you won't be discovered."
"Alright."
Karl patted her head, took the kimono, and stood. He removed his knight's armor in front of Otama.
Seeing that, the little imp flushed, covered her eyes with both hands, and turned to dash outside. "Big brother, I'll wait outside!"
Her home was too small.
With no curtain divider or closet, there was nowhere else to change.
"A kimono, huh? First time wearing one..."
Karl muttered, "How do those guys fight at a hundred percent in this stuff, clomping around in geta?"
With his body, one hard step might crush the geta.
But before forging a bond with Otama, Karl would not head for Onigashima.
Even if he disliked kimonos and wooden clogs, he could only compromise to avoid bringing trouble to Otama and Amigasa Village.
After he donned the kimono and geta, he stashed his armor and sword in a corner, slipped a few gold bars into his sleeve pouch, and stepped outside.
"Otama, let's go."
He picked her up again, then hopped onto Komachiyo. The two and one dog set off toward the Flower Capital.
From start to finish, Karl never looked at the hidden figure.
Otama likely didn't notice her master tailing them, either, as she leaned against Karl's chest and chattered about the fun and odd little things she'd seen in her few years.
Karl listened patiently, using Observation Haki to keep tabs on Tenguyama Hitetsu.
Sensing no malice, only guarded worry that Karl might hurt Otama, and seeing a cautious shadow following them, Karl ignored him.
With his experience raising Carina, winning the favor of a five-year-old like Otama was easy.
He also genuinely liked this clever, brave, kind little girl.
Gentle like a big brother, bright and handsome...
If you turned Otama into numbers, you would find that as she chatted, little +1s kept popping above her head.
If Karl had a so-called route system, Otama's route would be ticking up at about one percent per minute.
As Otama's affection kept leveling up toward full, Karl would only need to say, "Do you want to leave with me?" and he could whisk away a five-year-old.
Given how like Carina she was, perhaps Otama would choose to go with Karl on her own.
But maxing affection takes time.
So Karl planned to spend a few weeks, even a month, building that bond.
Soon he scrapped that plan.
It was still the season when cherry blossoms danced over the Flower Capital.
Some distance from the city gate, Karl and Otama dismounted from Komachiyo and sent him to wait where no one would see him.
Since both wore kimonos, they drew no suspicion and entered the capital smoothly.
But walking the streets, Karl's interest plummeted at this place that looked lovely yet was backward to the extreme.
Otama, by contrast, was full of excitement at Wano's most prosperous city.
Only now did she seem like a five-year-old, eager to play.
And so.
Karl took Otama strolling the streets of the capital.
Like an older brother with his little sister, he used Observation Haki; whenever she showed interest in something or a street stall, he took her to buy to her heart's content or play until she was happy.
At first, Otama felt shy about spending Karl's money.
But soon her age-appropriate love of fun took over and she dove into eating, drinking, and playing.
Watching from a disguise in the capital as well, Tenguyama Hitetsu saw it all. Feeling guilty, his gaze toward Karl grew friendlier.
In the afternoon, after sampling the capital's food, Karl only lost more interest in the small portions and poor taste.
Some of it might have been polluted by Doflamingo's wastewater.
Even the always-hungry Karl had no appetite.
After returning to Amigasa Village, he would dive into the sea for a big fish to fill up.
Yes.
He had basically decided that aside from Otama, everything about Wano clashed with him.
Watching Otama happily taste the treats, he didn't stop her.
At least these were healthier than the rations handed to refugees.
After the meal, Karl took Otama out of the capital, heading back to Amigasa.
Bang.
As Komachiyo sprinted over the barren wasteland toward home.
A gunshot snapped past Karl's ear.
He turned. A bullet wreathed in fire streaked from afar toward Komachiyo's head.
The shot came from a man on a dinosaur, wearing a black helmet, like a hunter.
"Komachiyo!"
Otama heard it too. Seeing the bullet flying, her face changed.
"God's Verdict!"
The next second, Karl, holding her, thrust out his right hand.
His wrist and forearm blazed with blue-white current, and in a blink became a colossal pillar of lightning that roared forth.
It swallowed the bullet, melting it to iron water, and swallowed the dinosaur and its rider as well.
Before the pillar's crushing electro-heat, man and mount became dust in an instant.
He had angered Karl.
"Big brother, did you eat one of those strange fruits too?"
Otama wasn't frightened.
Seeing Karl unleash the lightning pillar, she brightened. It was the joy of finding a kindred spirit.
"You too, Otama..."
Karl played along, feigning surprise.
"Mm-hmm... kibi dango!"
Otama nodded hard, then plucked a glowing dumpling from her cheek.
"Amazing. So young, and already a Devil Fruit user."
Karl showed frank admiration, patted her head, and praised her. "You're a genius, Otama. With talent like yours, you can become a great samurai or a kunoichi."
"Eh... does big brother want me to be a samurai or kunoichi?"
Otama blinked, then misunderstood, thinking Karl liked female samurai and kunoichi.
Master had said that path was very hard.
Their speech would carry a certain old-fashioned ring.
But... speaking like that seemed cool too.
Did big brother like that style?
Karl didn't know that one line of praise had set her mind spinning.
Seeing her spacing out, he was captured once more by that adorable look. He rubbed her cheeks and passed on knowledge. "Otama, the strange fruits are called Devil Fruits. If you ever see a fruit with special spiral patterns, no matter how hungry you are, don't eat it, because..."
As Karl explained.
Evening turned to night.
Back in Amigasa Village, while Otama boiled water for a bath, Karl used the Rumble-Rumble Fruit to instant-shift away, dove into the maelstroming sea, seized a giant sea beast, and hurled it onto a cliff top.
That night, Karl took Otama to the cliff. They ate barbecue and gazed at the beautiful stars.
Though Wano's resources were polluted, the weather was lovely.
To Otama's astonishment, Karl single-handedly finished a sea beast the size of a small sailboat, leaving a pile of bones, then took her home to bathe.
Late at night, because the house was small and there was only one quilt.
So.
Though they had only known each other half a day, their fondness was mutual, and they slept together.
Like when he held Carina as a child, Karl embraced Otama like an older brother with his little sister and fell asleep.
Over the next two weeks, Karl lived with Otama.
Every day they went out to find bamboo and brought it back, learning to weave straw hats from the villagers.
At noon or in the afternoon, Karl took Otama to the capital to eat, drink, and play, and bought food to bring back to the villagers.
Their bond grew day by day.
Because lying against Karl gave her a deep sense of safety, Otama napped and slept at night in his arms.
When they went out, she rode his shoulders, or he carried or piggybacked her.
A five-year-old's reliance on the blond big brother deepened each day.
Seeing the route nearly full, Karl finally showed the true face of a master of nurturing.
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