Harem Navigation: Starting from Overthrowing Nami

As soon as Reno finished speaking, the butler Claudius immediately said angrily, "There are no bad people here, and you don't look like a doctor either."

"Merry, see them out immediately."

Kaya gently scolded him: "Claudius, a guest is a guest. Don't be so rude."

"Miss, they—"

Kuro let out a cold snort and ultimately said nothing more, but his unease only grew.

Glancing sidelong at the increasingly restless Kuro, Reno sneered inwardly.

If not for fear that Kaya would hold a grudge, he would have killed this bastard outright without a second word.

"Sir, please come inside and speak," Kaya said, inviting Reno and his two companions through the door.

Inside the mansion's hall, Merry poured tea for Reno and the others.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Kaya got straight to the point: "Sir, can you really cure my illness?!"

Chapter 9: Kuro's Identity Exposed! (Request Data)

Kaya spoke with earnest hope.

The chronic illness that plagued her had always been a thorn in her heart.

Because of her sickness, she couldn't even leave her home.

Let alone see the world beyond the village.

If Reno truly had a way to cure her disease, even if there was only a sliver of hope, she was willing to try.

Facing Kaya's question, Reno smiled. "Miss Kaya, curing your illness is the second thing I came here to do."

"I think it's more important to deal with the bad person by your side first."

Let alone the fact that Kaya's illness wasn't terminal.

Even if it were an incurable disease, eating the Healing Fruit would make a full recovery in no time.

It wasn't a problem at all.

"Bad person?!" Kaya's beautiful eyes furrowed.

Everyone around her was good. Where was there a bad person?

"Mr. Reno, you must be mistaken. They—"

"I'm not mistaken. Am I, Mr. Claudius?"

Before Kaya could finish, Reno looked toward the butler beside her.

Caught off guard by Reno's sudden call, even though Kuro was prepared, his pupils still contracted instinctively.

Though he masked it well the next second, Reno caught it sharply.

Claudius pushed up his round glasses with his palm and said calmly, "Sir, I don't know what you mean."

"Mr. Reno, you must be misunderstanding. Claudius is my butler. He's been with my family for three years," Kaya said quickly, waving her hands to defend Kuro.

Her meaning was simple: if he were really a bad person, in three years he'd had countless chances to make a move. Why wait until now?

"Miss Kaya, you're still too naive." Reno shook his head and continued, "Kuro, captain of the Black Cat Pirates, alias Hundred Plans, with a bounty of 16 million Belly."

"Three years ago, he was executed by Marine Morgan, a feat that earned Morgan a promotion to Marine Colonel."

Pausing here, Reno smiled faintly as he looked at the expressionless Kuro.

"But in reality, this was all part of Kuro's plan. He had his subordinate hypnotize Morgan into believing that the man he executed was Kuro."

"But the real Kuro had already changed his appearance, come to Syrup Village, and settled down under a new identity."

"Is that right, Mr. Claudius?!"

"No, I should call you Mr. Kuro."

Clap, clap, clap.

As Reno finished, applause followed.

A playful smirk curled at the corner of Kuro's mouth. "Mr. Reno, your story is certainly entertaining, but do you have proof?"

"I don't know what your intentions are in approaching Miss Kaya, using such low-class tactics to slander me."

"But I believe Miss Kaya will never take your word alone."

Kuro's words were firm and resounding.

"This guy—"

Nami and Makino frowned at the same time.

Sure enough, after hearing Kuro's words, Kaya spoke with a hint of displeasure: "Mr. Reno, if you don't have—"

"Of course I have proof." Reno smiled, cutting Kaya off.

"Identity and personality can indeed be hidden, but some instincts carved into the bone can never be changed." Reno paused, looking at the black gloves on Kuro's hands, and said slowly:

"According to Marine records, the pirate Kuro's weapon, the Ten Blades, is hidden inside his cat-claw gloves."

"Miss Kaya, if you have any doubts about this, you can send someone to look into it."

Hearing this, the previously calm and composed Kuro finally showed a subtle change in expression.

"If I'm not mistaken, inside your gloves are your usual weapons, the Ten Blades, right? Mr. Kuro."

"Miss Kaya, you've lived with this butler for three years, yet I doubt you've ever once seen him take off those gloves, have you?!"

Kuro fell silent. This was evidence he couldn't refute.

"Well, well, hiding your identity and staying by her side for three years—what's your real goal?!"

Nami, who had long been fed up, demanded loudly.

Makino watched Kuro warily, instinctively moving closer to Reno.

"Mr. Claudius."

Kaya stared at him with wide, bright eyes.

After three years of care, she had originally trusted Kuro deeply.

But when Reno laid out that reasoned argument, and Kuro offered no defense, doubt finally crept into Kaya's heart.

"Mr. Claudius, could you take off your gloves and let me see?" Kaya's voice trembled.

If he took them off, the truth would be clear at a glance.

"Hahahaha."

Just then, Kuro suddenly burst into laughter.

"Three years, three whole years..."

Kuro let out a long breath, his face gradually twisting. "Do you have any idea how I've lived these three years?!"

"So close, I was so close to succeeding!!!"

"If I could just get Kaya's fortune, I wouldn't be a pirate anymore. I could live completely in the light."

"Why, why did you have to ruin my plan?!!"

As he spoke, Kuro's aura shifted abruptly.

Like a wild beast, dangerously sharp.

"You... you're really Kuro?!"

Kuro's vicious expression turned Kaya's face pale, and she stumbled.

Quick as a flash, Reno moved to Kaya's side and gently steadied her.

Kaya stared in terror at Kuro, who was a completely different person from before, a chill running through her. She had been living with a pirate for three years?!!!

"Hehehe... Miss Kaya, you see? Like your illness, life is always full of surprises."

With his identity exposed, Kuro finally dropped the pretense, his voice turning low.

Chapter 10: Kuro Made Into a Human Pig, Treating Kaya's Illness! (Request Data)

Having shed his mask, Kuro shrugged, his tone dark:

"Miss Kaya, life is always full of surprises. The difference is, your illness can't be cured, while I can still turn things around."

Kaya stared blankly at Kuro, lost in a daze.

She could no longer sense the familiar, gentlemanly butler's demeanor in him. Instead, there was only ferocity and ruthlessness.

Thinking back on their three years together, Kaya shivered with fear.

"I planned this for years. I didn't expect some imp to mess it up. But..." Kuro paused, black lines forming on his forehead. "If I get rid of you all, my plan can still succeed."

With that, several razor-sharp blades sprang from the fingertips of Kuro's gloves.

The weapon, Ten Blades!

"Nami, Makino, take good care of Kaya." Reno handed the trembling Kaya to the two women.

"Reno, don't let that bastard off easy!!" Nami clenched her fists, glaring fiercely at Kuro.

If she weren't too weak, she'd charge in and take him down herself.

Makino, like a gentle older sister, carefully supported Kaya while feeling a visceral disgust toward Kuro.

"Captain, teach him a good lesson!"

For the gentle Makino to say such a thing showed just how furious she was.

Reno felt the same.

He had planned to expose Kuro's scheme and then deal with this guy casually.

But he hadn't expected Kuro to rub salt in Kaya's wound by bringing up her illness.

He was practically asking for death.

"Hehe... teach me a lesson?!!"

"My Ten Blades haven't tasted blood in three years. Today, I'll use you to whet them."

"Silent Step!!"

In utter silence, Kuro's figure abruptly vanished from where he stood.

A blade shadow swept past, and a crisp, clear shattering sound rang out through the hall.

Under Kuro's disbelieving gaze, his prized Ten Blades snapped cleanly in two.

"Trash." Reno lowered his Black Arm and spoke expressionlessly.

Before Kuro could react, Reno grabbed him by the shoulder.

Set the coordinates, long-range Teleportation!

The next instant, the two appeared on a deserted island.

Taking in the unfamiliar surroundings, Kuro finally lost his calm.

Staring at Reno as if he'd seen a ghost, his voice trembled: "You... how did you do that?!"

This was clearly not Syrup Village.

It wasn't even the same Sea Area.

Reno couldn't be bothered to answer him, a cruel smirk curling at the corner of his mouth:

"I was planning to leave you a whole corpse, but now—"

Run!

That was the only thought in Kuro's mind.

He was no match for Reno at all.

He pushed Five Sounds Step to the max.

But how could his speed possibly outpace Reno's?