The night was deep, and the sea wind howled like a mourning ghost. On the cliffs of Syrup Village's coast, a staggering figure finally collapsed back into his hidden base.
The excruciating pain was more than Kuro could bear. He sank to his knees at the cliff's edge, facing the hidden pirate ship below, and screamed with the last of his strength:
"JANGO—!!"
The shrill roar shattered the silence of the coast. Below, on the Bezan Black, several sentries jolted awake. They looked toward the sound, and under the pale moonlight, their eyes widened in absolute horror.
The Captain Kuro they knew—the man of peerless intellect and terrifying strength—was drenched in blood. Most horrifying of all, his left arm was gone, severed cleanly at the shoulder.
"Is that... Captain... Kuro?!" "The invincible Captain Kuro was...?" The deck erupted in an uproar.
"SHUT UP, ALL OF THE YOU!"
With a frantic yet lazy shout, the hypnotist Jango, wearing his signature heart-shaped glasses, rushed out of the cabin. When he saw the mangled state of his captain on the cliff, his jaw nearly hit the floor. He didn't waste a second, leading his subordinates to scramble up the cliff.
"Captain! What... what happened?! Your arm?!" Jango supported the swaying Kuro, panic lacing his voice.
"Save the talk!" Kuro's face was contorted, his eyes so dark they seemed to drip venom. He shoved Jango away violently. "Get the doctor to stop the bleeding! NOW!!"
"Yes! Yes! Hey, you lot! Carry the Captain back! Gently!!"
They rushed Kuro back to the ship and laid him on the soft, oversized bed in the captain's quarters. Soon, the ship's doctor burst in, drenched in sweat.
"Treat the Captain, quickly!" Jango roared. "Yes, Lord Jango! Right away!"
The doctor knelt by the bed, his hands trembling as he cut away the blood-soaked rags Kuro had used for a makeshift tourniquet. When the jagged mess of flesh and bone was exposed to the air—
"AAAAAAGH!!!" Kuro let out a suppressed roar, veins bulging on his forehead. Cold sweat instantly soaked the sheets, but he grit his teeth, forcing himself to stay conscious.
"Captain... how did this happen?" Jango watched, his heart thumping. "Did the Marine Headquarters send someone?"
Kuro took several sharp breaths to dull the piercing agony. "A few pirates showed up today... I was ambushed by a red-eyed brat. And... the bastard knows who I am."
"What?!" Every pirate in the room gaped. To wound Kuro like this, it must have been a monstrous pirate! Jango gasped, "Knows your identity? Impossible! The plan was foolproof!"
As the doctor began to stitch the wound, Kuro's body shook with pain, but the killing intent in his eyes only intensified. "The infiltration plan is dead. Failed completely."
Kuro's eyes flashed with a manic light, his voice sounding like a cornered, rabid beast. "In that case... We'll settle everything the pirate way!"
Jango wiped cold sweat from his brow, glancing at the dark sky outside. "Understood, Captain. But it's the middle of the night... the men are mostly resting. Shouldn't we wait for dawn to launch the raid, as planned?"
"NO! NOW! IMMEDIATELY!!"
Kuro whipped his head around, his bloodshot eyes locking onto Jango. Jango stumbled back two steps. "Assemble the Meowban Brothers! Gather the entire Black Cat crew! We invade now!"
"I'm going to slaughter every person in that village, and those damned brats... not a single one left alive! And then, every Berry in that village belongs to us!"
Feeling the tangible bloodlust from his captain, Jango snapped into a salute. "YES!! CAPTAIN KURO! I'll assemble everyone at once!"
"Captain Kuro! We'll avenge you!" "Kill them all!!" "Hahaha! No survivors!"
The ship was instantly filled with a bloodthirsty fever.
Meanwhile, at the hilltop mansion.
Kaya's room was brightly lit and crowded. After a "friendly" physical exchange with the estate guards, Luffy and the others had finally convinced them of their good intentions and exposed Kuro's true identity.
Merry, the butler with the sheep-like hairstyle, was holding a warm towel, anxiously wiping the cold sweat from the unconscious Kaya's face.
"I can't believe it..." Merry's voice trembled. "That Klahadore... was actually a cruel pirate. To lurk here for three years... he must have been after Miss Kaya's family fortune."
"Hmph, I knew that four-eyed butler wasn't any good!" Usopp stood to the side with his arms crossed. Despite his worry, he couldn't help but brag. "My intuition is never wrong!"
"This isn't the time for that." Nami's brow was furrowed with concern. "We don't just have to worry about him. If he's the captain, his crew is likely waiting near the village. If a whole fleet attacks, that's when things get truly dangerous."
Viktor, who had been leaning against the wall with his eyes closed, opened them. He nodded and offered a thin smile. "Very sharp, Nami. You guessed correctly. The Black Cat Pirates are right under the cliff at the North Shore."
"WH-WHAT?!" Nami exploded, lunging forward to grab Viktor's collar. "You knew?! Why didn't you say so earlier!!" Realizing there was a patient in the room, she quickly covered her mouth and glared at him.
Zoro, clutching his Wado Ichimonji, analyzed the situation calmly. "If that Kuro made it back, he won't let this go. To get the treasure and silence the witnesses, he'll order a massacre immediately."
Munch munch. Luffy was chewing on a piece of bone-in meat he'd swiped from the kitchen. "Ah, so we're gonna fight, right?"
"Exactly," Viktor added. "A wounded beast is a desperate one. Kuro has lost his arm and his plan; he's snapped. They'll attack within the hour."
"How can this be..." Merry's face went pale, the towel slipping from his hand. "What do we do... I'll call the nearest Marine branch right now—" He scrambled for the Transponder Snail on the nightstand.
Snap. A slender hand pressed down on Merry's wrist.
Merry looked up into Viktor's smiling eyes. "Mr. Merry, by the time the Marines arrive, the battle will be over and the village will be ash."
Viktor's voice was calm and steady. "We'll handle this for you. In exchange—give us that big ship. How about it?"
"YES! THE SHIP! THE SHIP!" Luffy jumped up, his eyes practically sparkling.
"What are you so happy about?! That's a full pirate crew! The captain has a 16-million Berry bounty!" Nami grumbled.
"Hmph, not like we have a choice." Zoro tightened his grip on his sword, a battle-hungry smirk tugging at his lips.
"Hey! Is anyone listening to me?! It's the Black Cat Pirates!" Nami cried out.
Merry looked at the composed, red-eyed youth, then at the fearless Luffy and Zoro. He hesitated for only a second before nodding firmly. "Fine! As long as you protect Miss Kaya and the village, what's a ship? If you can win, it's yours!"
"YOSH!!" Luffy swallowed the last of his meat. "Deal! We head out now!"
"Mr. Merry," Viktor began, shifting into tactical mode. "Send your men to notify the villagers immediately. Lead everyone to the high ground here for safety. As for the fight, we'll intercept them at the coast."
Merry wiped the sweat from his forehead, his gaze hardening. "I understand! I'll send the guards to warn everyone!"
"Wait... I'M GOING TOO!!"
As the group prepared to leave, a determined voice rang out. Usopp gripped his slingshot tightly. His legs were shaking like jelly, but he shouted at the top of his lungs:
"I might be scared to death! But this is the village where I grew up! I'm going to protect it too!!"
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