Bounty Poster Arrives, Despairing Jango

Just as Zoro and Usopp were breaking out in a cold sweat, watching in despair as Luffy was about to be killed.

A golden-green light whip suddenly appeared, instantly sending Captain Kuro flying over ten meters, smashing him directly into the giant cat head at the very front of his pirate ship.

Above the slope, Can Yue appeared.

Seeing this, Zoro immediately let out a sigh of relief and stopped running towards Luffy. Instead, he stood on the beach and confronted Jango and the Cat-man Brothers.

Usopp was stunned by Can Yue's move.

The attack had come from above the slope, a full hundred meters away from where Luffy had been.

Who is this white-haired man? Such terrifying power, to send Captain Kuro flying from this distance.

Usopp looked at Can Yue and swallowed.

~

Jango and the Cat-man Brothers were equally shocked. How could such a small village, besides that rubber man, produce another Devil Fruit user?

But the three were merely shocked; they weren't worried about Captain Kuro's safety at all. They knew exactly what their captain was capable of.

As expected, Captain Kuro slowly slid off the cat head onto the beach and stood firm.

His black suit and white shirt had been torn by the Time Whip from Can Yue, with bloodstains imprinted on his chest. However, his body had not been corroded by Can Yue's poison.

The reason for this was that Can Yue didn't intend to kill him himself; he wanted to leave him for Shushu to practice on, so he didn't use poison.

Otherwise, Jango and the Cat-man Brothers' confidence would have been a complete joke.

~

Captain Kuro wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, a result of his internal injuries. His gaze was fixed on Can Yue above the slope. Though he appeared calm, he was inwardly terrified.

He hadn't noticed the previous whip attack at all and couldn't have dodged it.

If that white-haired man attacked him again, he had no confidence in winning.

This feeling of powerlessness in combat was something he had experienced three years ago, when the East Blue overlord, Clown Buggy, had nearly killed him.

It was after that near-death experience that he decided to fake his capture and execution by Marine Colonel Morgan.

As long as the world believed he was dead, he could completely become an ordinary person and live his life.

No, I must achieve a stable life. I can't continue to live a life on the run like this.

Thinking of his efforts over the past three years, Captain Kuro gritted his teeth and decided to fight with all his might.

How could he be willing to give up like this?

There can't be anyone as terrifying as Buggy in this East Blue.

I must have just been too focused on the Straw Hat kid and didn't pay attention to the white-haired man's attack. It seems my combat awareness has declined over the past three years. I need to concentrate from now on.

Captain Kuro thought he had found the most reasonable explanation, though it was unclear if it was self-consolation or if he truly believed this reason.

He readjusted his stance, pushed his broken glasses up with his palm, and entered combat mode.

~

Meanwhile, Zoro had already clashed with the Cat-man Brothers. The Cat-man Brothers were very fast, and their attack techniques seemed to have been developed from studying how cats fight.

Their style focused on quick grabs and scratches.

However, Zoro was in excellent condition, with his stamina and energy at their peak.

He soon gained the upper hand against the Cat-man Brothers. Even with Jango interfering from the side, it didn't affect Zoro's advantage.

~

Captain Kuro, having successfully convinced himself, looked up. Besides Can Yue, the dog that could transform was also there.

He sensed that attacking would be very risky, but for the sake of a peaceful life, he had to try.

Captain Kuro ordered all his remaining subordinates to charge upwards, while he followed closely behind, unleashing his most skilled technique, "Silent Step."

This footwork was like that of a feline, making no sound when moving. Combined with his speed, Captain Kuro was confident he could land a fatal blow.

As long as I take down the white-haired man, I can deal with that big dog with peace of mind.

Muffling his sounds, concealing himself, and using his subordinates to attract attention for a sneak attack, he was like a hunter in the darkness – insidious, cunning, and bloodthirsty.

~

Usopp, Nami, and Kaya watched as over forty fierce pirates charged towards them with fierce cries. Lacking any courage to resist, they all hid behind Can Yue.

Can Yue sighed helplessly, grabbed Luffy's leg with one hand, and swung him.

Luffy, stretched out by the inertia, swung like a whip and struck the attacking pirates. With just one swing, he sent nearly half of the fodder flying.

At that moment, Can Yue's pupils shifted, and he turned, kicking towards the side.

Captain Kuro, who thought his attack had succeeded, was hit in the abdomen by the sudden kick.

"Pffft!" He spat out a mouthful of blood, his body bent like a shrimp, and he was instantly kicked back onto the beach, kicking up a cloud of sand.

~

Jango, who had been harassing Zoro's fight, saw this and his eyes widened.

No matter how it was explained, the scene just now showed that Captain Kuro, who represented killing and power in his eyes, was crushed by the white-haired man above the slope.

Jango was suddenly very confused. He felt like he had been trapped in a dead end.

Ignoring the Cat-man Brothers who were about to be defeated by Zoro, he leaned against the pirate ship alone, staring blankly at the battlefield.

After disengaging from the fight, Jango watched the entire battlefield situation, breaking out in a cold sweat.

His Black Cat Pirates, facing Can Yue and the others, were like mice being toyed with by cats, purely struggling for survival before death.

'They are leisurely, while we struggle desperately. Heh, the Black Cat has become the mouse.'

Jango was in extreme despair. He knew he couldn't do anything. If he was a mouse about to be torn apart by a wild cat, he might as well face death calmly. At least that would be more dignified.

Can Yue looked at Captain Kuro, who had stood up again, and said to Shushu.

"You handle it!"

Shushu let out a howl and transformed into a 5-meter-long giant dog again, charging towards Captain Kuro below.

Captain Kuro, unable to tend to his injuries, immediately used his speed to entangle with Shushu.

At this moment, Captain Kuro was greatly shocked. How could the speed of this big dog be completely different from when they first encountered it?

Captain Kuro could barely dodge Shushu's attacks.

Even when Captain Kuro entered his Silent Step state, Shushu could still easily detect his exact location using its sense of smell and react accordingly.

"Hahahaha, this Captain Kuro has been reduced to being toyed with by a dog."

Jango, leaning against the pirate ship, was in extreme despair, watching the battle with a bitter smile.

Standing outside the fray, he was even more certain of his side's inevitable defeat.

"Before I die, it's at least reasonable to know who they are."

Perhaps heaven heard the plea of a dying man. At that very moment, a News Coo arrived at this remote little village, right above Jango.

The bird loosened its beak, and newspapers scattered down.

Jango smiled with relief upon seeing this, "To be able to read the news before dying."

But when he picked up a newspaper and scanned its contents, his pupils immediately widened, and his breathing became rapid and choked.

A glaring news headline in the East Blue section of the newspaper read:

[Straw Hat Pirates Defeat Buggy Pirates]

Below the headline were printed photos of Can Yue, Luffy, and the others.

The newspaper also contained their Bounty Posters.