Every nonlethal bone that could be broken—Kuro's shoulder blades, collarbones, finger bones, arm bones, and leg bones—was shattered without exception.
Every part of his body was dislocated.
His shrill, bone-chilling screams echoed over the island for several full minutes, startling countless birds from the depths of the forest.
The intense pain twisted Kuro's face into a grotesque mask.
Reno flashed several meters away from Kuro, and a long blade appeared in his palm.
With a casual swing, over a dozen Sword Slashes tore through the air and struck different parts of Kuro's body.
After several seconds of numbness, Kuro's pupils suddenly dilated, and a demonic howl burst from his mouth.
Reno had turned him directly into a human stick.
As for why he had kept such a distance, it was naturally because he did not want the smell of blood on himself.
He did not like it, and neither did Nami or Makino.
"Repent properly here."
After casting a cold glance at the blood-soaked man on the ground, Reno locked onto the coordinates he had left in Kaya's Mansion.
Whoosh!
"Where did Mr. Reno go? He won't be in trouble, will he?!"
Seeing the two of them suddenly disappear, Kaya asked anxiously.
If Kuro really was the captain of the Black Cat Pirates, then he had to be extremely strong.
Besides, in East Blue, a pirate with a bounty as high as sixteen million was already considered a Great Pirate.
"This..."
Nami and Makino exchanged glances, and concern appeared on their faces as well.
In truth, they did not know exactly how strong Reno was either.
He was certainly fast.
As the three girls worried, Reno's figure appeared in the hall once more, returning safely.
Thank goodness he was all right.
The three girls let out sighs of relief.
"Mr. Reno, where is Kuro?!" Kaya asked after hesitating for a moment.
Reno walked up to Kaya and gently touched her forehead with his broad palm, his voice warm.
"Don't worry. I've sent Kuro where he belongs. He'll never do evil again."
Kaya obediently nodded, then stared at Reno with an unreadable look in her eyes.
They had clearly been strangers just today.
So there really were selfless people in this world.
She was moved.
"Kaya, do you want to go out to sea and see the world?!"
Reno suddenly changed the subject.
Kaya froze, then nodded without hesitation. "I do."
But after saying that, she looked a little dejected. "But my body..."
Under Nami and Makino's astonished gazes, Reno familiarly pinched Kaya's cheek and smiled. "Did you forget? Besides helping you beat up the bad guys, I came here to treat your illness."
"Did you think I was joking?!"
"Really?! Can my illness really be cured?!" Kaya's recognition of Reno had not made her reject his rude behavior.
Especially after what had happened with Kuro, she trusted Reno's words for some reason.
"Of course it can." Reno nodded firmly.
But then he spoke with some difficulty. "However, you've been ill for too long. It won't be easy to cure you completely, and most importantly, we can't be disturbed."
"How about this? Let's go to your bedroom, and I'll examine you properly. Only then can I prescribe the right treatment. Doesn't that sound right?!"
Kaya nodded immediately, without the slightest suspicion.
Wasn't that how difficult illnesses were treated?!
After telling Merry to take good care of Nami and Makino, Kaya led Reno toward her room.
Watching their backs, Nami helplessly pressed a hand to her forehead.
Another beautiful flower had been ruined.
Makino covered her mouth and giggled.
Ah.
So her captain used different excuses every time.
She suddenly looked at Nami and asked in a low voice, "Nami, how did the captain get you aboard the ship?!"
At that, Nami's face flushed red with embarrassment.
Could she say it was for money?!
That would be so humiliating.
"Come on, Sister Makino, why are you so nosy? Let's get something to eat. I'm starving."
Makino smiled gently and did not continue teasing Nami.
Kaya Recovered, Testing the Devil Fruit Ability!
Inside a bright room decorated mainly in pink.
Kaya stood by the bed with her little fists clenched, looking somewhat uneasy and nervous.
Although it was for treatment, this was still the first time she had brought a man into her bedroom.
It felt a little strange.
"Relax. It's all for the treatment."
Noticing Kaya's unease, Reno comforted her softly.
He was not lying.
With Kaya's current physical condition, she simply could not endure his several hours of instruction.
The most urgent matter was to cure Kaya first.
Only then could they proceed with the normal process.
"Mm." Kaya nodded obediently.
Due to her shyness, a rare blush rose to her sickly pale face.
"Mr. Reno, I've seen many doctors, but none of them could do anything about my illness. Do you really have a way?!"
After calming herself down, Kaya looked at Reno with both nervousness and anticipation.
Reno gave Kaya a reassuring look, and a green Devil Fruit suddenly appeared in his right hand behind his back.
The Healing Fruit.
Like performing a magic trick, Reno took the Healing Fruit out from behind his back and handed it to Kaya.
"Mr. Reno, what is this?!" Kaya blinked and asked in confusion.
Reno cleared his throat and spoke seriously. "Kaya, there is actually a force of Healing Power inside my body. By expending a certain amount of my lifespan, I can materialize that Healing Power in the form of a fruit. As long as you eat this fruit, not only will you recover, but you may even gain this Healing Power."
"I condensed this fruit using five years of my lifespan. Eat it."
"Ah?! Mr. Reno, how can I accept that?!"
Kind-hearted Kaya believed him completely and repeatedly waved her hands in refusal.
She wanted to cure her Incurable Disease, but she could not do so at the cost of harming someone else.
If Nami had been here, she definitely would have made a sarcastic remark.
What an innocent little girl. So easy to fool.
Reno hooked a finger beneath Kaya's nose and smiled. "Silly girl, the fruit has already been materialized. Wouldn't it be a waste if you didn't eat it?!"
Kaya froze.
That seemed to make some sense.
Seeing that Kaya was still hesitating, Reno continued pressing his advantage. "Kaya, haven't you always wanted to treat illnesses and save people?! Once you recover, you'll be able to use the Healing Power inside you to help others."
"Really?!" Kaya cried out in delight.
Her greatest dream was to become a doctor and save lives.
This struck right at her heart.
"Of course it's true." Reno nodded in confirmation.
"Then I'll eat it." Kaya's voice was firm.
But after saying that, she looked at Reno with concern. "Mr. Reno, I'm sorry you have to make such a sacrifice."
After all, that was five years of his lifespan.
Reno immediately put on a stern face. "Call me Brother."
Kaya froze, then lowered her head, her voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz. "Brother Reno."
"That's better." Reno's expression brightened as he placed the Healing Fruit in Kaya's hand. "Hurry and eat it."
Out of absolute trust in Reno, Kaya did not hesitate. She opened her mouth and took a bite.
"So sweet." Kaya's eyes lit up.
It was the sweetest fruit she had ever eaten.
Reno smiled. After all, the system had already removed all side effects.
The moment Kaya swallowed her first bite of fruit flesh, a strange power suddenly surged within Reno's body.
Reno knew that Ability Sharing had taken effect.
Just like Kaya, he now possessed the Healing Fruit Ability.
Not only that, Kaya's complexion visibly became rosier.
Her former sickly pallor was rapidly fading.
Reno could clearly sense that Kaya's physique had strengthened considerably.
Of course, this improvement was merely the transformation from a frail patient into a normal person.
"I'm really cured?!" Kaya also noticed the changes in her body, her expression somewhat dazed.
The Incurable Disease that had plagued her for years had been cured just like that?!
But when she remembered that Reno had exchanged five years of his lifespan for it, her expression darkened again.
She truly had no way to repay such a tremendous kindness.
Could Reno really be someone heaven had sent to save her?!
Not only had he exposed Kuro as a bad man, he had also cured her illness.
Kaya stared blankly at Reno, tears glimmering in her eyes.
"Thank you, Brother Reno." Kaya took Reno's hand on her own initiative and gently placed it against her cheek.
An exceptionally pure smile appeared on Reno's face.
"This is something to be happy about. Why are you crying?!" Reno gently wiped away the tears at the corners of Kaya's eyes.
"Your Incurable Disease has been completely cured. Next, let's try out your other abilities."
Kaya nodded.