Kuro's loud cry immediately drew the attention of the naval officers aboard the warships.
Very quickly, a golden flash shot out from one of the warships, moving at an unimaginable speed.
Before the surprise on Kuro's face could even settle, that flash had appeared on the little wooden boat he was riding, condensing before him into a tall, lean, strange-looking man with arms as long as an ape's.
This man was naturally Admiral Kizaru, who had come to East Blue to carry out the sweep operation.
"So strong!"
With just one look, Kuro felt a suffocating pressure emanating from the man before him.
The man did not make any move. He merely smiled casually, yet Kuro still felt an instinctive fear rise from the depths of his heart.
"He clearly looks so sleazy, and that smile is so unserious..."
"Yet I still find him terrifying."
"Is this... the aura of a legendary powerhouse?"
Kuro's heart quietly pounded as his nerves tightened to the point where he could hear every breath he took.
At that moment, the construction workers on the cola ship behind him also noticed the Marines' arrival and hurriedly stopped chasing Kuro.
"You..."
Kizaru studied the sweat-drenched Kuro with interest. The sleazy smile at the corner of his mouth carried a faintly dangerous edge:
"Are you one of Demacia Company's people?"
He tossed out the guess, then immediately shook his head to himself.
"No."
His gaze seemed careless, yet it saw straight through Kuro at a glance:
"You're a pirate, aren't you?"
Kizaru smiled playfully.
"I... I..."
Kuro's legs immediately went weak with fright, and he could only hurriedly produce his lifeline:
"Although I'm a pirate, I have something important to report to the Marines!"
"Monkey D. Luffy, the son of the rebel leader Dragon, is... he's on