Hearing Viktor's arrogant declaration, the veins on Kuro's forehead bulged, his face contorting into that of a literal demon.
"You damned brat..."
But Viktor clearly had no interest in listening to the wails of a defeated dog.
"Body Flicker."
The air vibrated, and Viktor's silhouette vanished instantly. When he reappeared, he was standing face-to-face with Kuro, their breaths almost mingling.
Kuro's eyes bulged. That move again!
Fortunately, he had been on guard. He swung his remaining right hand, the five-bladed cat claws tearing through the air with a shrill whistle, aiming directly for the crown of Viktor's head.
"DIE!!"
Faced with this desperate strike, Viktor only offered a mocking smile.
"With only one arm, how do you expect to stand against me?"
CLANG!
Viktor swung his longsword with a single hand, effortlessly parrying the cat claws. Then, with a flick of his wrist and an explosion of chakra, he shoved outward with overwhelming force.
"What?!"
The loss of his left arm had already compromised Kuro's balance. He felt a mountain of force collide with his blade; his remaining arm was violently thrown wide, leaving his entire midsection wide open!
Viktor's eyes remained ice-cold. His right leg coiled like a spring, seizing the split-second opening. He delivered a brutal, driving kick directly into the unhealed sword wound on Kuro's chest.
THUD!!
"AAAAAGH!!!"
Kuro let out a gut-wrenching scream. His mouth fell open, his eyes nearly popped from their sockets, and a spray of blood and bile erupted from his lips.
The massive impact sent him hurtling backward. He soared over the ship's railing like a discarded ragdoll, crashing heavily into the sand below.
BAM!
Dust and sand billowed into the air.
"CAPTAIN!!" "CAPTAIN KURO!!"
Several pirates who had been tangled with Luffy nearby panicked at the sight. they rushed to Kuro's side, frantically helping him up.
Then, they looked up at Viktor, who stood on the prow of the ship looking down at them like a god of death, and roared with indignation.
"You bastard! Why would you be so cruel to our Captain?!" "You monster!!"
Hearing these accusations—as if they were the victims—Viktor tilted his head slightly, a look of genuine confusion crossing his face.
"Huh? What does my killing you have to do with you?"
Snake – Ram – Monkey – Boar – Horse – Tiger.
Before his words even finished echoing, Viktor's hands moved in a blur of seals.
"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!!"
"HUUUU—!!"
Viktor showed no mercy. A massive fireball, carrying a churning wave of heat, erupted from his mouth and hurtled toward the clustered group of pirates and their fallen captain.
"NO!!" "RUN!!"
The flames reflected in the pirates' terrified pupils. Just as the orb reached them, the nearly unconscious Kuro suddenly moved. Looking at the encroaching sun of fire, a gleam of absolute malice flashed in his eyes.
"GET OVER HERE!!"
Kuro's right hand shot out, grabbing the nearest subordinate by the collar and yanking the man directly in front of him.
"Cap... Captain?!" The pirate turned back in disbelief.
BOOM!!!
The fireball slammed into the beach, the impact shaking the sand as the group was swallowed by ravenous flames. Heat rolled across the shore, and embers scattered like fireflies.
When the fire finally dissipated, the pirate who had been used as a shield was a blackened, unmoving husk draped over Kuro. Because Kuro had been at the bottom of the pile and used his own men as heat shields, he had miraculously survived with only minor external burns.
"Get off me!"
Kuro violently shoved the charred remains of his subordinate aside. He stood up unsteadily, reached up to remove his cracked glasses, threw them into the sand, and crushed them under his heel.
Crunch.
With the shattering of his glasses, the last tether of Kuro's sanity snapped. He lowered his head, his body swaying in a grotesque, rhythmic motion, and let out a bone-chilling laugh.
"Hehe... hehehe... die... all of you die..."
"SHAKUSHI!!"
Kuro unleashed his ultimate technique one last time. But this time, he abandoned all control. He became an invisible blur of slaughter, moving at high speeds across the beach in a mindless, indiscriminate massacre.
Slash! Slash! Slash!
The sound of blades rending flesh echoed across the coast.
"ARGH!!" "Captain?! What are you doing?!" "Stop! I'm your loyal follower!!"
The members of the Black Cat Pirates were cut down like wheat by their own captain, their blood soaking the sand crimson.
"Whoa!" Even Luffy, standing a short distance away, took a shallow cut across the shoulder from an invisible strike. He reacted instantly, leaping backward. "That hurts! What's with this guy? He's too fast!"
"Heh, has the little kitten finally gone mad?"
Viktor stood calmly on the ship, watching the grotesque spectacle below. He let out a soft chuckle. "How ugly. Allow me to end your suffering."
To the others, "Shakushi" was an invisible blur. But to Viktor, with his Sharingan active, the trajectory was clear.
Whoosh.
Viktor leaped from the ship, descending like a hawk into the slaughterhouse below.
"DIE!!" The frenzied Kuro saw Viktor's descent, the red light in his eyes intensifying. His speed spiked as he lunged with primal savagery.
For a moment, it was as if Viktor were standing in a room made of blades. Attacks came from every angle—ambushes from behind, sweeps from the side.
"Too slow." "Is this your limit?"
Viktor moved as if taking a stroll in a park. With every strike, he either parried perfectly with his blade or leaned slightly to let the lethal claws whistle past his skin.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Sparks danced in the darkness of the night.
"WHY! WHY CAN'T I HIT YOU!!" Kuro's attacks became increasingly ragged and desperate. Every swing sprayed droplets of his own blood, like a beast at the end of its tether.
"Because," Viktor said coldly, "you are weak."
He caught the perfect opening, swinging his sword with a burst of power that knocked Kuro's claws aside, shattering the pirate's balance completely.
"It's over."
A predatory smile finally broke across Viktor's face. He raised his longsword high and brought it down without a shred of hesitation toward Kuro's remaining right arm.
Squelch!
A clean sound of bone snapping. Kuro's right hand, still encased in the steel cat claws, flew into the air and thudded into the sand.
"Uh... ah..."
Deprived of both arms, Kuro fell to his knees, his strength spent. He looked up at Viktor, the madness in his eyes replaced by a void of bottomless terror.
"You... who are you..."
Flash.
Viktor didn't answer. A flick of the wrist, a glint of steel.
One clean decapitation.
Kuro's head rolled onto the sand, his eyes still wide in a permanent stare of disbelief.
"Phew..." Viktor flicked the blood off his blade. A few droplets of warm blood had splattered onto his cheek, but he didn't wipe them away. The red glow in his eyes faded, leaving behind only cold indifference.
He knew well that in this cruel world of pirates, mercy to an enemy was a death sentence for oneself. If he had lost today, Kuro's methods would have been a thousand times more sadistic. By comparison, a quick death was practically an act of charity.
I really am a saint, Viktor thought, the pleasant, smiling mask returning to his face.
Nearby, Jango had just groaned and blinked his eyes open, only to see his "invincible" captain's head roll past him. He froze, his gaze turning vacant.
"No... no... it can't be..."
And then, he fainted yet again.
[Ding! Congratulations Host for changing the plot and defeating the Black Cat Pirates and Captain Kuro.]
[Battle Evaluation: S (Fluid, cold, and decisive).]
[Reward: 2,000 Shinobi Points.]
[Reward: Slight permanent increase to Physical Stats.]
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