"Ge... Geo... George!!!"
The last remaining pirate of the Black Cat Pirates, Buchi, the elder of the Nyaban Brothers, stood trembling, eyes wide with disbelief. His voice cracked as if denying the reality before him.
"Heh heh..."
Lying amidst shattered stones, Usopp flashed a white-toothed grin, letting out a cocky laugh.
That laugh immediately drew Buchi's attention.
With bloodshot eyes and twitching claws, Buchi stared at Usopp, now standing in the bloodstained ruins like an avenging ghost risen from hell.
For some strange reason...
The urge to avenge his brother vanished.
"Run... you can't beat him..."
"Run!"
"Get out now... or you'll die too!"
As Usopp slowly rose from the pool of blood, casting a shadow across Buchi's panicked face, a strange voice echoed in Buchi's mind.
He didn't know whose voice it was, only that it was eerily hoarse and chilling. It repeated endlessly, rising and falling like a haunting chant.
Usopp stood halfway turned toward Buchi, head low. The sun cast shadows over his goggles, hiding his eyes and lending an eerie glow to his face, making him look even more unfathomable and fearsome.
Under his breath, Usopp mumbled through ventriloquism:
"Run... you can't beat him..."
"Run... you'll die..."
Whispers, endlessly repeating.
"Aaaagh!!"
Already mentally shattered from watching all his comrades die in the span of an hour, Buchi finally broke. Screaming, he clutched his head, his sharp claws ripping through his scalp, and bolted toward the coast in a blind panic.
"Hah~"
Seeing this, Usopp finally exhaled, his entire body relaxing.
Pain wracked his body. He was exhausted beyond belief.
He had already lost too much blood, and the impact of his last attack had left his vision blurry. He wasn't even sure if he had the strength to draw his slingshot anymore.
Squelch!!
Just as Usopp tried to rest, a sudden flash of red streaked across his foggy vision.
"Ugh... ah..."
He heard a strangled gurgle, followed by the heavy thud of a body collapsing to the ground.
Then came a chilling voice.
"I never expected... really, I didn't expect this."
Captain Kuro flexed his fingers. The five blades attached to his fingers gleamed, flinging off fresh blood like a fastidious cat brushing off filth.
Buchi's eyes had rolled back in his head. His large body slumped lifelessly down the slope.
Five gaping stab wounds pierced straight through his chest. Blood flowed like a broken faucet, pouring freely.
Kuro, wearing his polished high-top shoes, stepped slowly toward Usopp.
As the figure approached, Usopp finally recognized him. His blood boiled with rage as he croaked hoarsely:
"Klah... Klahbahter!!"
"What did you do to Kaya!?"
Usopp couldn't believe his eyes.
According to the plan he had overheard yesterday, Kuro and the hypnotist were supposed to infiltrate Kaya's mansion, hypnotize her, then unleash the pirates to plunder the village, and finally kill Kaya under the guise of a pirate attack.
That way, Kuro could legally inherit her mansion and fortune.
Usopp had rushed to the coast to intercept the "hitmen" first. He planned to present their corpses to the villagers to prove the conspiracy.
But what he didn't expect was,
Kuro, impatient with waiting, had come to the coast himself!
Seeing this scheming villain, so utterly detestable, Usopp, who had always taken pride in being the son of a pirate, for the first time in his life, loathed the word pirate.
Yet Kuro looked calm, as if still playing the role of Kaya's butler. In a soft, polite voice, he adjusted his glasses with one clawed hand and said:
"Don't worry... Kaya is just fine."
"Though I must admit... the Black Cat Pirates have disappointed me far more than I imagined."
"But..."
A sinister aura spread across Kuro's face. His catlike expression twisted into something truly terrifying as he growled:
"You... are going to die today."
Shing!
His five clawed blades gleamed like a flash of icy light.
With a sudden stomp, Kuro vanished from Usopp's sight.
"What?!"
Usopp panicked at the sudden disappearance. As he turned to search for Kuro,
A voice whispered right in his ear:
"Looking for something?"
Squelch!
Five cold blades plunged straight through Usopp's thin chest, entering from the back and emerging from the front.
The steel, coated in blood, dripped with fresh heat.
Kuro held Usopp aloft like a rag doll. Usopp's eyes dimmed, yet he refused to shut them. His mouth hung open, a strangled whimper escaping his throat.
Blood poured steadily from his torn body.
Tap... tap... tap...
Plop...
Kuro flicked his hand, flinging Usopp to the ground like garbage. He stared down at the dying boy with a cold, unreadable gaze.
For a brief moment, a strange mix of emotions passed through Kuro.
Frustration... and a trace of reluctant respect.
He never expected this worthless brat he usually ignored to ruin his grand plan at such a critical moment.
Now, the plan had to change.
The warm sunlight reflected off the cold blade in his hand, casting a sinister green glint.
Kuro raised his black boot, now stained with blood, and took a step forward.
"Hmm?"
Through his glasses, Kuro noticed something grabbing his ankle.
It was a filthy hand, slick with blood and dust, tightly gripping his leg and staining his pristine black trousers.
"Unbelievable... you're still alive?"
"I guess the Nyaban Brothers' loss wasn't so unfair after all."
Kuro twisted his wrist. His glinting blade pointed straight at Usopp's head.
His voice was colder than ever:
"You're done. You've lost your value."
Usopp's eyes had lost all color. His blood drained rapidly. All thought had vanished, leaving only pure will.
His trembling hand clung tightly to Kuro's pant leg, refusing to let him take another step forward.
He mumbled incoherently, the words indistinguishable.
Kuro sighed. With one hand, he adjusted his glasses again and muttered:
"Let go. You're already, "
"Useless."
With that, he drove the blade straight toward Usopp's bandana-covered head.
"NO!! KLAHBATER!!!"
A piercing scream erupted from the hill.
Kaya, supported by the three kids from Usod Kuro about to kill Usopp.
Tears streamed down her face like spring rain.
Her frail cry froze Kuro in place.
The blade stopped just short, slicing open Usopp's bandana and revealing his thick, black curls.
Kaya wept uncontrollably. Eyes shut tight, as though unwilling to accept such cruelty from the world. Her sickly body barely stood upright as she shouted again:
"I'll give you everything!! All my fortune!!"
"Please! Please! Don't hurt Usopp, don't hurt anyone else!"
With those words, she collapsed to the ground, sobbing helplessly.
Clang...
The blades clinked as Kuro slowly lowered his hand, turning his cold gaze toward Kaya.
"Fine..." He smirked, narrowing his eyes at her. Just as he opened his mouth to speak,
BOOM!!!
A thunderous roar split the skies like an exploding stormcloud.
The ground trembled.
The blast rang in Kuro's ears, stunning him to the core.
His eyes filled with panic.
His heart raced so fast, it felt like it might burst.
For a brief instant,
The world stood still.
And from the forest behind Kaya,
Figures slowly began to emerge...
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