Kuro

"Stop it, Usopp!"

Kaya, by the window, let out a cry of alarm upon seeing this scene, "No more violence!"

To Usopp, Kaya's voice was more effective than any restraint.

His body stiffened abruptly, his raised fist freezing in mid-air.

The hand gripping Kuro's collar slowly loosened.

Seizing the opportunity, Kuro shoved Usopp's hand away and indifferently straightened his wrinkled suit.

"Please leave this place. Don't come near this villa again."

Ronan looked at Usopp, who was trembling all over with grief and indignation, and sighed heavily in his heart.

Although he also disliked Yasopp's abandonment of his wife and child, Usopp shouldn't have been treated with such malicious distortion.

He glanced at Luffy and Zoro beside him, who also had grim expressions, knowing that the anger in their hearts had reached its peak.

Ronan decided he couldn't watch any longer.

He knew Kuro's background—a hypocritical pirate who had lost his ambition and was trying to impersonate a butler to steal property. He was in no position to say such things to Usopp.

All of Kuro's righteous pronouncements were merely a ploy to seize Kaya's family fortune.

Ronan took a step forward, his gaze calmly falling on Kuro.

"Hey, Kuro. Aren't you a pirate too? Are you retiring from piracy by working as a butler here?"

As soon as Ronan finished speaking, Kuro's pupils constricted sharply, and the calm on his face was instantly replaced by solemnity and panic.

He pushed up his glasses and looked at Ronan with ill intent, "What nonsense are you talking about? I'm no pirate!"

Luffy and the others also looked at Ronan in confusion.

Luffy asked, "Ronan, do you know this person?"

"If I recall correctly," Ronan's tone was calm, but his words were resounding, "three years ago, there was a pirate named 'Kuro' with a bounty of sixteen million Belly who looked exactly like you.

Although the Navy unilaterally declared him dead, he faked his death and escaped, becoming a butler here."

"Captain of the Black Cat Pirates, 'Kuro the Hundred Plans'!"

Nami let out a sudden shriek. She instantly recalled this notorious pirate who had once been famous in the East Blue.

"I remember now! He was indeed a very famous pirate around the East Blue! Speaking of which, you really do look exactly like him!"

Kaya, standing by the window on the second floor, turned deathly pale. She still couldn't believe it, her voice trembling as she tried to argue, "How could that be... you must have misunderstood something!"

However, Luffy and Zoro had already received confirmation from Ronan and Nami. The doubt on their faces had vanished.

It was replaced by solemn and battle-ready expressions as they stared intently at Kuro.

Kuro knew his disguise could no longer be maintained.

He took a deep breath, all pretense of refinement and composure shattering, revealing a sinister and ferocious gaze.

"I didn't expect... after three years, someone would still remember my appearance."

He lowered his voice, his tone filled with extreme unwillingness and anger at his plan being ruined.

"I was so close! My plan was almost successful! Why... why are you forcing me to kill you!"

As his words fell, Kuro's suppressed aura exploded, his killing intent sharp and fierce, completely transforming him from a docile butler back into the insidious and cunning pirate captain!

Kuro didn't take Ronan and the others seriously. In his eyes, these brats in front of him were no match for him.

Usopp, standing nearby, was stunned speechless by the cruel truth, muttering to himself, "Kuro... a pirate with a bounty of sixteen million Belly?"

Kuro took a step forward, his eyes fixed only on Kaya, who stood by the window, pale and incredulous.

"So much has happened in these three years."

Kuro's voice was filled with twisted self-pity.

"Since your parents passed away and you fell ill, we spent a long time together, didn't we? I often think back to those days when we shared hardships..."

His voice suddenly turned venomous and distorted.

"I often stayed by your bedside, taking care of you. You happily listened to me speak, and I poured all my thoughts into you...

I've been, I've been enduring it all! Yes, it was all for the sake of killing you and legitimately inheriting your fortune!"

"I, who once called myself 'Captain Kuro,' had to smile at a snot-nosed little girl and say things I didn't mean to please you... Can you understand that, those humiliating years?"

Kuro's mockery was like a blade, "Can you understand the feelings of me, who was once called Captain Kuro!"

He raised his head, revealing an extremely cold smile. "And, Kaya, do you know what? Your parents—I killed them!"

The last sentence completely shattered Kaya's sanity.

She could no longer hold back, letting out a pained whimper before her body went limp, and she fainted in agony.

Usopp, witnessing Kaya's pain, was completely enraged by Kuro's cruelty.

He roared, swinging his fists filled with hatred at Kuro!

Kuro let out a cold laugh, his body unmoving.

Amidst Nami's gasp, he simply lifted a foot and precisely, mercilessly kicked Usopp several meters away!

Usopp crashed heavily onto the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Kuro's eyes were cold, his killing intent sharp:

"Brat, did you really think you could be my opponent? You ruined my plan, preventing me from smoothly taking over this place. Then you all deserve to die!"

He raised a hand, gently wiping his cheek that Usopp had just hit with his fingertips, his tone returning to a chilling calmness:

"Speaking of which, kid. You really hurt me just now."

Just as Kuro was about to strike the fallen Usopp again, Luffy moved.

As a user of the Gum-Gum Fruit, Luffy's arm stretched back violently, and with a short "Gum-Gum--".

A powerful punch sent Kuro crashing to the ground!

Kuro quickly got back on his feet, surprise and wariness filling his eyes: "Devil Fruit user..."

At the same time, Zoro drew his Wado Ichimonji.

The sharp blade glinted coldly in the sunlight.

Instantly, an icy, sharp aura locked onto Kuro.

Ronan gripped the half-broken wooden stick in his hand, his gaze focused intently on Kuro's every move.

Though it was just a wooden stick, his aura was contained and solid, like a lurking tiger.

Kuro's eyes flickered as he adjusted his glasses with his wrist.

He could clearly sense that although the people before him were young, they weren't opponents he could defeat quickly with just his fists and feet.

With his usual weapons not at hand, he didn't choose to clash head-on with Ronan and the others. Instead, he stomped his foot and dashed into the villa at extreme speed.

Kuro's actions stunned both Luffy and Zoro.

Luffy asked in confusion, "Did that guy run away?"

Ronan said gravely, "He probably went to get his usual weapons. After lurking here for three years and having his plan disrupted by us, he surely can't swallow that insult."

As soon as Ronan finished speaking, Kuro returned.

He wore sharp, long bladed gloves on both hands, which gleamed menacingly in the sunlight. He reappeared before them.

He looked at Luffy with a grim expression, his tone chilling:

"You hurt me quite a bit just now. I didn't expect to encounter a Devil Fruit user here."

Luffy didn't back down and met his gaze squarely: "I ate the Gum-Gum Fruit, so I'm a Rubber Man!"

Kuro's ten sharp claws glinted menacingly, his killing intent fully revealed:

"Since the plan has failed, I'll kill you all and then force Kaya to write her will!"