Chapter 6: Kuro, I Need You to Help Me Train
Usopp rushed frantically to Kaya's mansion.
Avoiding the guards, he snuck in and ran to the tree beside Kaya's room, leaping onto a branch.
"Kaya, this is bad!"
Usopp saw Kaya lying near the window, quietly reading a book.
His anxious heart finally settled.
There was still time. If he could just quickly tell Kaya the truth and get her away...
"What's wrong, Usopp?"
Kaya tucked a strand of golden hair behind her ear, pleased to see the young man, but then noticed the panic on his face and grew concerned.
"Kaya, listen to me! The butler in your mansion, Kuro..."
"He's a pirate!"
Usopp hurriedly told Kaya the information he'd just learned. "Come with me first, I'll explain everything slowly later."
"Hahaha, what are you talking about, Usopp?"
Kaya was stunned at first, then started laughing. "Is this today's story?"
Ever since Kaya's parents passed away, she had fallen into a state of depression, which even affected her physical health.
Usopp had been the one constantly by her side, often running over to tell her exaggerated stories.
Kaya knew they were fake, sometimes recognizing tales she'd read in storybooks.
But she never exposed him, simply playing along with Usopp, occasionally smiling.
Sometimes because the story was funny, sometimes because just looking at the young man inexplicably made her happy.
The anxiety on Usopp's face deepened; he knew Kaya thought he was telling another story.
His voice couldn't help but get louder. "No, Kaya! I'm telling you the truth!"
Suddenly, he remembered the bounty poster from Reiner and hastily fumbled for it in his waist pouch.
Knock, knock, knock—
A knock sounded at Kaya's door.
"Miss Kaya, it's me, Kuro."
"I've brought your lunch."
Hearing Kuro's voice, Usopp froze instantly, large beads of cold sweat forming on his forehead.
"Oh no, Usopp!"
Kaya became flustered. "You need to leave quickly! If Kuro finds you, he'll call the guards to chase you away again!"
"No!" Usopp's hand trembled as he thrust the bounty poster in front of Kaya.
"Look! I'm not lying! This is real! Hurry up and leave with me! I'll carry you and jump from the window! Trust me, Kaya!"
"Th-This is!" Kaya stared at the face on the bounty poster in disbelief.
Aside from some differences in clothing, the face was identical to Kuro's!
"How could it be... Kuro, he...!" Kaya found it hard to accept.
The gentle, refined butler was suddenly a notorious pirate with a 16 million Beri bounty?
"Miss Kaya, are you alright?"
"I'm coming in."
Outside the door, Kuro sensed something was wrong.
Today was the day he was supposed to meet Jango, but the latter hadn't shown up yet. He felt like tearing Jango to shreds.
Coupled with Kaya's reaction...
He had clearly heard movement inside but received no reply from Kaya.
Even if it wasn't convenient for him to enter, she would usually at least say something. A faint sense of foreboding crept into his heart.
"Could it be...?"
"Jango, that useless idiot!"
Kuro truly lived up to his reputation as a pirate known for his intellect; he figured it out instantly.
BANG!
Suddenly, with a loud crash, the room door was violently kicked open.
Kuro gritted his teeth as he saw Usopp by the window, holding Kaya and preparing to leave.
His face instantly became terrifyingly dark.
"K-Kuro!" Usopp and Kaya gasped.
Seeing Kuro pull out long, sharp claw gloves from his suit and put them on, Usopp couldn't help but tremble.
"Why?" Kuro's eyes were ice-cold as he spoke flatly.
"How did you find out? Don't tell me you, useless trash, defeated Jango?"
"Yo, we told him."
A clear voice suddenly came from outside the window.
Luffy was squatting on a tree branch, still holding a half-eaten plate of food.
He stuffed a piece of meat into his mouth and looked calmly at Kuro. "I'm the one who beat that weird glasses guy."
"Who are you?"
"My name is Luffy! I'm the man who will become the King of the Pirates!"
"King of the Pirates? So you're a pirate too."
Kuro looked coldly at Luffy. "Why interfere? We have no grudge between us, right? Or perhaps..."
"You just wanted to run over here and play the hero?"
"Hero? No, I already told you I want to be King of the Pirates. As for why..."
Luffy placed the plate on the windowsill, cracked his knuckles, and grinned, showing his teeth.
"I don't like the look of you, so I came to beat you up. It's as simple as that!"
As Luffy spoke, he stretched his arms out, wrapped them around Usopp and Kaya, and gently lowered them to the ground below.
"What is this!!"
"His arm stretched!!"
Usopp and Kaya stared wide-eyed at the arms encircling them, utterly aghast.
"Is that all?"
Kuro's face gradually twisted into a snarl. "Three years! Three years of my painstaking planning!"
"All ruined because of your nonsensical reason! All for nothing just because you didn't like the look of me!"
"You really deserve to die!!!"
Kuro roared, spreading the 'Ten Blades' on his hands, which glinted with a menacing light.
Swoosh!
The next moment, Kuro's figure vanished instantly from his spot. This was his 'Silent Step,' a high-speed burst movement technique performed soundlessly.
When he reappeared, he was already right in front of Luffy!
"So fast!"
Luffy was startled; he hadn't fully reacted to the opponent's instantaneous burst of speed.
Schlick!
Blood spurted as the 'Ten Claws' slashed several bloody marks across Luffy's chest.
"Damn it!" Luffy gritted his teeth. Although he had instinctively flinched backward, he was still hit. He performed a backflip, landing on the lawn.
However, Kuro didn't pause after landing the hit. He pressed his advantage, closing the distance again just as Luffy landed.
His sharp claws slashed down viciously!
CLANG—!
Sparks suddenly flashed in mid-air.
A figure clad entirely in black, with sharp teeth, parried Kuro's claws with swords.
"What the hell is this thing!?"
Kuro stared in terror at the Katana Devil. This person's appearance...
No, this thing didn't look human at all!?
This damned thing looked way too creepy!
Whirr— Whirr—
The sharp, grating sound echoed again as another bizarre figure emerged.
Its terrifying appearance surpassed even the Katana Devil's, with three high-speed rotating chainsaws that were chilling to behold.
"AHHH!!!"
A piercing scream rang out. Kaya covered her face with her hands as if seeing something utterly horrifying.
"How rude."
Reiner walked up from behind, followed by Zoro and Nami.
Looking at the terrified Kaya, Reiner lit a cigarette and said nonchalantly, "Little Knife and Little Saw will have their feelings hurt."
"Those names are creepy on them, damn it!"
Nami shot him a glare. "No matter how many times I see those things, they're disgusting!"
"Anyway, he's our target, right? Looks like a decent opponent."
Zoro drew his swords, eyeing Kuro with interest.
"Roronoa Zoro?"
Kuro looked at Zoro drawing his swords. Although retired behind the scenes, he still kept up with information from the outside world.
He was familiar with the pirate hunter who had gained fame in the East Blue over the past two years, the three-sword style swordsman Zoro.
Looking at Luffy, Zoro, and the two bizarre-looking creatures...
Kuro's expression couldn't help but turn grim. "This situation... is really not good!"
Reiner directed the two demons to surround Kuro while he himself stayed back.
He casually took the long rifle off his back and began loading bullets.
Four versus one?
No, it's five versus one!
This wasn't some kind of duel; no one would think it unfair.
Kuro, I need you to help me train!