Chapter 23: Multiple People Chasing
In one sentence, Chloe's fate was almost sealed.
"How is that possible?"
Kro stared in horror at the steel arm blocking his way.
Having mastered the two major movement techniques of silent walking and spooning, speed has always been his source of pride.
But just now, he didn't even see how V got here.
His opponent struck first despite being behind, not only intercepting his fatal blow but also preventing him from even tracking the trajectory of his movement.
Cold sweat instantly broke out on Kro's back, and an indescribable sense of panic rose in his heart.
V, however, appeared relaxed on the second floor, even joking with Kaya behind him:
"Miss Koya, now you can tell who's a good person and who's a bad guy, right?"
Kaya's face turned deathly pale.
"K...Krabatel…" Her voice trembled with sobs, her eyes filled with disbelief and despair, "You...you really are a pirate…"
"Heh." Kro took a half step back to steady himself, his eyes behind his glasses turning completely cold.
He slowly took off his glasses and casually tossed them aside. His originally gentle butler demeanor receded like the tide, replaced by the sinister and dangerous aura of "Hundred Plans" Clooney.
"Since I've been seen through, there's no need to keep acting." He cracked his knuckles, his cat paws reflecting a cold metallic sheen in the sunlight. "However…"
His gaze swept over the guards lying haphazardly in the courtyard, the critically injured and dying Django, and Luffy and his crew standing on the lawn looking up, finally settling on V's face.
"Even if you see through my plan, so what?"
A cruel smile curled at the corner of Chloe's lips.
"The Black Cat Pirates have indeed been dealt with by you, but the situation on this island... remains under my control."
As soon as he finished speaking, his figure suddenly blurred!
Instead of rushing towards the V, it rushed straight out the window.
Kro's figure swooped down from the second-floor window like a black crow.
Three years of forbearance have made him better at assessing situations than anyone else—V's speed, strength, and the strange intelligence that came from nowhere have far exceeded his expectations.
Since Zango, the hypnotist, is no longer useful, it's almost impossible for him to try to whitewash his past.
Staying here to fight to the death will only be a waste of energy, and there is even a risk of defeat.
Since that's the case, why not use the lives of the villagers at the foot of the mountain to extort a large sum of money from Kaya, and then leave this place to plan for the future?
Having spent three years with Kaya, he knew all too well the almost naive kindness in this rich young lady's heart.
"They ran away already?"
V, who had anticipated Kro's actions, smirked but did not give chase. Instead, he pointed towards the hillside outside the courtyard.
"Luffy, Zoro—"
"This guy is yours to handle."
"Pay attention to his footwork—even on the Grand Line, it would be considered a rare combat technique."
Kro is a genius.
Unfortunately, only the brain is there.
With a mind that ranks among the best in the world, he managed to develop a footwork comparable to one of the Six Styles, "Shave," using his own frail body...
spoon!
"oh!!!"
Luffy had been waiting impatiently for a long time, and his rubber arm shot out with a "whoosh," grabbing Kuro in mid-air.
Zoro then flashed forward, drawing all three swords simultaneously to block Kuro's most likely escape route after landing.
But it is no easy feat for Kro to make a name for himself in the East China Sea with his "hundred schemes".
In mid-air, he twisted his body strangely, his cat paw lightly resting on Luffy's outstretched rubber arm, using the force to flip in mid-air, and actually landed in a dense thicket on the side of the manor.
"Silent Step!"
The moment he landed, Kro bent his legs slightly, and his figure suddenly turned into a blurry afterimage, almost skimming the ground as he sped away.
Wherever he went, the grass did not sway and the wind did not rustle, as if he were a ghost walking close to the ground.
With a few turns, he leaped out of the manor and disappeared into the woods outside.
"So fast!"
Zoro's eyes sharpened.
As expected of something V asked them to pay attention to, they've definitely got some skills.
He alone is probably no match for this guy.
"I won't let you get away like that!"
"Rubber rubber... rocket!"
Seeing Kuro about to disappear into the bushes, Luffy stretched his arms forward without hesitation and placed his hands on the wall of Kaya's house.
In an instant, his arm snapped shut, and he shot off like a cannonball in the direction where Kro was fleeing.
Boom!
Luffy savagely smashed a path through the bushes, sending branches and leaves flying everywhere.
Seeing this, Zoro gritted his teeth and clumsily chased after them.
If he lets even someone of this caliber go, how can he possibly have the face to pursue his own ambitions?
Suddenly, a thrilling human-powered rally race unfolded in the tranquil forest.
Damn it!
"How come another monster has appeared!?"
Kro's face was grim as he disappeared into the woods.
He hadn't expected that besides V, this group would also include Luffy, this weirdo.
If it were an open area, Kro was confident he could throw anyone off his feet.
But in the jungle, he couldn't reach his full speed.
Instead, the freak behind him used his strange body and the trees to catch up with him at a speed that was almost like flying.
tread!
As he assessed the situation, Clooney's heart sank, and he quickly steadied himself.
"This can't go on any longer!"
"If I sprint at this speed at full speed, even if I reach Xiluobu Village, my physical strength will be completely exhausted."
"If those two catch up with us, we're doomed!"
A calculating glint flashed in Kro's sinister eyes.
"Take care of these two pursuers right here!"
Thinking of this, he suddenly turned around, his cat paws spinning in his palms, emitting a cold, sharp light, his eyes fixed on Luffy charging towards him.
"Huh? Why did it stop?!"
Luffy dashed through the forest, completely unprepared for Kuro to suddenly turn around.
Without noticing, he rushed straight ahead.
"Bang!"
Luffy's rubber head slammed into a thick tree trunk with a dull thud, causing the entire tree to shake violently and leaves to fall in a flurry.
"Ouch—that hurts!" Luffy clutched his head and crouched down, a large bump rising on his rubber head.
"Idiot! Focus on the fight!" Zoro's voice came from behind him.
Despite his best efforts, he managed not to fall too far behind.
But instead...
Zoro's stamina has been largely depleted.
He barely managed to catch up, gripping the three knives firmly in his hands, his sharp gaze fixed on Kro.
Kro's lips curled into a cold smile: "It seems I overestimated you."
"The only truly powerful one is that guy, right?"
"Tch!" Zoro didn't answer, but just spat out a disgruntled sound, and then began to adjust his breathing.
In an instant, Kro moved.
His figure suddenly blurred, not rushing forward in a straight line, but moving through the forest like a ghost, each step he took was silent, not even disturbing the withered leaves.
Silent Step - Cat Strike!
In the blink of an eye, Kuro had circled around to Zoro's left side, his cat claws aimed straight for Zoro's ribs!
Kill the weakest one first!
Zoro's pupils contracted, and he almost instinctively crossed his three swords to parry.
Clang!!
Mars explodes!
Zoro was jolted back two steps, but then his brows furrowed suddenly.
"Um?"
"Why does it feel like... after a single sparring session, my physical exertion is increasing instead of decreasing?"
Zoro instinctively looked at his wrist.
The prosthetic body, which symbolizes "effort leads to success," is currently emitting a faint glow.
"This is!?"
Zoro was startled.
As a complete novice when it comes to cybernetic bodies, a strange idea suddenly popped into his mind:
"Could it be that combat is also a form of cultivation!?"
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End of this chapter.