"So… what can you guys do?" Usopp asked, glancing nervously between the group.
"Punch!" Luffy grinned, stretching his fist out.
"Cut." Zoro rested a hand on the hilt of one of his swords.
"Steal!" Nami raised her hand with a wink.
"Rest," I added casually, leaning back against a tree trunk.
"You need to fight too!" Luffy, Zoro, and Nami all turned their heads at me and yelled in unison.
"I'll hide then," Usopp declared, inching backward.
"You as well!" They all shouted at him with the same deadpan expression.
Nami sighed and pressed her hand to her forehead. "Alex, don't joke like this. You need to fight and protect me so I can steal their treasure."
"Alright, alright." I raised my hands in mock surrender, then looked over at Usopp. "So, what's the plan? We're not charging headfirst, right?"
Usopp looked relieved that someone was on his side. "Exactly! That would be suicide. Kuro's crew is dangerous—especially Jango. He's got hypnosis!"
"Can't we just punch them?" Luffy asked, already stretching his arms in preparation.
"Yeah, let's just cut them down," Zoro added with a casual roll of his shoulder.
"Hmph… Considering your strength, that wouldn't be a problem." I nodded. "But Luffy, you're reckless and easily distracted. Against a hypnotist, that's a liability."
Luffy blinked. "What does 'liability' mean?"
"It means you're more trouble than help," Nami snapped.
I smirked. "Zoro's reliable, but facing an entire pirate crew alone isn't smart either. That's why I'll join in too."
I placed a hand on my hip, where my blade hung loosely sheathed. The polished hilt caught the early rays of the sun.
Zoro's eyes narrowed. "You're a swordsman?"
I tilted my head with a grin. "Among other things. But yes—I know my way around a blade."
"Then why haven't you used it yet?" Zoro asked, his tone shifting into something between suspicion and curiosity.
"Because I haven't needed to."
Zoro's frown deepened. "If you're a swordsman, then we really need to fight."
"Not now!" Nami cut in, stepping between us. "Save the ego for later. We've got enemies coming."
"Right." Usopp gulped. "They should be arriving at the beach path just down the slope."
Luffy grinned and cracked his knuckles. "Let's go beat 'em up!"
I looked out at the treeline, sensing the subtle shift in the wind.
Then I heard them.
Footsteps. Heavy ones.
"Too late," I muttered.
Dozens of shadows emerged from the woods—black uniforms, bandana masks, and curved blades. The Black Cat Pirates. At their front walked Jango, the hypnotist, spinning his circular blade in a slow rhythm.
"Alright, boys!" he shouted. "Time to erase this village and make our captain rich!"
He clicked his fingers with a snap. "Sleep!"
"Close your eyes!" I shouted immediately. "He's trying to put us under!"
Everyone shut their eyes, except me, just in time to avoid the hypnosis—except Luffy, who was mid-stretch and still staring.
"Luffy, no—!"
"Hmm?" Luffy blinked. "Oh no—"
Thud.
He collapsed flat on the ground, snoring with a wide grin on his face.
"I'll wake him," Zoro muttered, dashing off.
I drew my sword in one smooth motion. The air grew heavy around me as I stepped forward, eyes locked on the pirates now rushing toward us.
"Alright," I murmured. "Let's test what this weakened body can still do."
A pirate lunged, blade raised—too slow.
I stepped inside his swing and slammed the hilt of my sword into his gut, doubling him over. Before he hit the ground, I spun and parried another strike, then slashed his knee with the flat of the blade. No killing—just disabling.
"Usopp!" I shouted.
From behind a tree, Usopp popped out with his slingshot drawn.
"On it! Usopp Rubber Band of Doom!"
It bounced harmlessly off a pirate's face, but it gave Zoro just enough time to rush in and finish the job.
Meanwhile, Nami darted between the chaos, swiping gold chains and coin purses from unconscious pirates like a fox in a henhouse.
"I love battles!" she cackled.
Jango clicked again. "Sleep!"
"Yeah, no." Since I am an Undead, I have my natural resistance to mind control. If someone needs to brainwash me, then he at least needs a world-class item.
I threw a stone at his hand—his ring blade missed the mark, and his eyes bulged as he turned toward me.
Can't have him hypnotize my friend, can I?
"Oh, you want to play, huh?" Jango spun the blade faster, then rushed toward me, flipping through the air.
We clashed—his blade against mine, metal screeching.
But I was faster. I might be sealed, but I wasn't helpless.
I ducked low and swept his feet, sending him crashing to the ground. His blade spun out of his hand, embedding in a tree.
"You're not hypnotizing anyone else today," I said calmly.
"Luffy!" Zoro called out. "Wake up!"
Zoro punched him hard.
"OUCH!" Luffy bolted upright. "I'm up! I'm up!"
Zoro raised an eyebrow. "You're welcome."
With Luffy awake, the battlefield tipped dramatically. He catapulted into the fray, fists flying, knocking pirates into the air with reckless glee.
"Gomu-Gomu—Pistol!"
Bam! Two pirates went sailing into the forest.
As the battle wore on, the enemy numbers thinned quickly. Between Zoro's blades, my swordwork, and Luffy's unpredictable strength, the Black Cat Pirates crumbled.
Usopp managed a few decent hits too—beaning one pirate with a frying pan he "borrowed" from Kaya's kitchen.
And Nami?
She had more gold in her bag than anyone expected.
When the dust settled, Jango lay unconscious, half buried in sand. The surviving pirates were tied up or too injured to move.
We stood at the edge of the clearing, panting but victorious.
"Nice job," I said, resheathing my sword.
Just then, a voice was heard. "Pathetic, you lost to some children." It was Kuro.
~~~
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