The Curtain Falls on Kuro

"Th-thank you."

Usopp looked up at Reiner and Nami beside him, thanking them.

He had thought he was a goner; after all, the opponent was a pirate with a 16-million Beli bounty.

Though he usually boasted a lot, he knew his own limits.

He hadn't expected that Luffy, Reiner, and the others, despite having only met them today, would be willing to offend the infamous Kuro for their sake.

"You're mistaken."

Reiner cocked his gun, glancing at Usopp and the other person sitting on the ground.

"First, our reason for coming for Kuro has nothing to do with you. Second, there's a ship here."

He paused, then added, "Consider it a trade, then. After we defeat Kuro, the ship is ours."

Kaya looked at the man before her, his expression lazy and indifferent. She couldn't tell if he was genuinely trying to help or if he was just after her family's ship.

However, as long as they could get through this current predicament, it didn't matter if he had ulterior motives.

After all, he had just saved her and Usopp's lives; at least the outcome was good.

"I understand. Thank you again for your help."

Kaya was much more sensible than Usopp. She knew that even if the other party had ill intentions, she had no choice.

Reiner grinned. "Hey, Luffy! We've got our ship sorted too!"

"Hehehe, then all the more reason to give this guy a good beating!"

Luffy chuckled, staring at Kuro, rubbing his hands together as he charged forward.

Zoro followed closely, and Reiner didn't hesitate either, controlling the two devils to swarm forward.

The clash of blades produced continuous clang sounds, and sparks occasionally flew through the air.

"These guys, each one is more outrageous than the last."

Kuro was practically grinding his teeth at this point, secretly alarmed by the force transmitted through the 'Ten Blades' in his hand:

"Each of these four, taken individually, has strength no weaker than mine. How could such a strong pirate crew be completely unheard of?"

It wasn't Kuro's fault; today was only their second day at sea.

Yesterday, they had caused a ruckus at Marine Base 153, and this morning they arrived at Syrup Village.

No matter how well-informed Kuro was, he couldn't be aware of things that quickly.

After only a few exchanges, Kuro was completely suppressed.

Suddenly, he was caught off guard by a heavy punch from Luffy to his abdomen.

Kuro clutched his stomach, and then the Chainsaw Devil delivered another blow to his back, carving out a gash.

"Ah!"

A sharp pain surged through him. Kuro gritted his teeth, enduring the pain, and pushed off with his feet, using Silent Walk to create distance.

Cold sweat continuously seeped from his forehead, sliding down his face. A gloomy glint flashed in Kuro's eyes.

"…I can only use that move."

Shatter Dead, Kuro's strongest technique, an advanced form of Silent Walk.

Because of its extreme speed, even he couldn't clearly see what he would cut. Once activated, it was a fight to the death, only stopping when his stamina was completely exhausted.

Kuro raised a hand to push up his glasses with his palm, crossing his arms. The Ten Blades gleamed with a cold, sharp light.

"Shatter Dead!"

The next instant, Kuro's figure vanished from where he stood, and a fierce gust of wind, a deadly, blade-like wind, swept across the lawn!

"So fast!"

"I can't see him at all!" Luffy and Zoro were astonished by his speed.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Several deep claw marks suddenly appeared on the ground, then on the walls, and tree trunks.

There was no warning, no discernible pattern.

"Hey, let's get out of here first!" Reiner frowned, his expression turning serious.

He wrapped one arm around his neck and used the other to guard his chest, protecting his vital points as he retreated.

Usopp pulled Kaya, fleeing.

Nami had already sensibly hidden herself. After all, she had witnessed their combat strength; if even they couldn't win, she would only be in the way.

"Clang—"

Suddenly, sparks flew from the Sword Devil's blade, and it inexplicably sustained several cuts on its leg.

"Luffy! You two fall back and let them take the hits!"

Reiner shouted to the two in the fray. Shatter Dead was a move that could rival Soru in speed.

At this point, they couldn't capture the opponent, so they had to gamble!

They had to gamble that Kuro's stamina would run out first, or that they could seize the opportunity to grab him when he was hit. That depended on whether the strike would hit a vital spot.

But with Reiner's two Undead creatures, things became much simpler.

Just let them tank the hits!

Undead don't have a concept of life; if they're damaged, you fix them. It's just a matter of expending a bit of stamina.

"Got it!"

Luffy and Zoro decisively retreated. This wasn't a formal duel, and neither of them was foolish enough to just stand there and be cut.

On the field, the Sword Devil and the Chainsaw Devil faced each other directly, raising their hands.

They remained motionless even as their backs were struck.

It wasn't until the next moment, when several knife marks suddenly appeared on the Chainsaw Devil's chest, that the two 'people' reacted instantly, swinging their blade-saws down fiercely.

"Aaah!!!"

A scream rang out, and a splash of blood flew out of nowhere. The Sword Devil had luckily managed to land a blow.

Kuro, moving at high speed, stumbled and fell heavily to the ground, rolling several times.

"My hand!!!"

Kuro gritted his teeth, looking at his empty right arm. The intense pain made him tremble uncontrollably.

The Sword Devil and the Chainsaw Devil flickered, holding their blade-saws horizontally across their chests, and shot out along the ground.

Watching the two figures rushing towards him, Kuro actually sighed in relief. He knew his life was coming to an end.

"...Is it over?"

Kuro's expression was dim. He no longer had the strength to dodge.

"...That's why I hate this kind of life."

"Every day it's either worrying about some strong person showing up, or being constantly harassed by a bunch of ants."

"...It's really annoying."

"If I had known earlier..."

"I might as well have just continued living like this."

Shhh! Shhh! Shhh!

Blood spurted.

The vision in Kuro's eyes gradually blurred. His body, unable to support itself, tilted forward and collapsed onto the crimson lawn.

Reiner felt no ripple in his heart over Kuro's death.

There were plenty of ways to live a stable life. He could have even hidden in Kaya's house for his entire life, and it wouldn't have been bad. In the end, he was just greedy.

Every choice has a cost, and Kuro failed. That was all.

"Is he dead?"

"Mmm, completely dead."

Reiner replied to Usopp and walked over to collect Kuro's physical data.

The opponent had explosive leg strength, which could compensate for being squishy with his ability.

His strength was a bit lacking, but if he used weapons, his attack power would be sufficient in the early stages.

Reiner had high expectations for him.

Soon, Kaya's house guards came out to clean up. The group was invited into the mansion as guests.

Led by the butler, Merry, the group entered the main gate, passed through a long corridor, and arrived at the reception room.

The reception room was incredibly spacious, with a huge circular coffee table in the center, surrounded by luxurious leather sofas. Above them hung an exquisite crystal chandelier, and the floor was covered with patterned tiles.

Reiner leaned back on the sofa, surveying the entire room. Expensive artworks filled the space; there were no fewer than ten paintings hanging on the walls alone.

No wonder Kuro was so covetous. All the items in this single reception room combined would be worth several of his bounties.

I knew her family was rich, but I didn't expect it to be this exaggerated.

Reiner mused slightly. It seemed he'd have to extort a bit more. Their family probably had a lot of good wine and tobacco hidden away.

For Kaya's health, he should try to help her take these things away.

What, calling me shameless?

Yes, it's me, that's right!

Nami was currently shedding tears of sorrow. So many valuable treasures were right before her eyes, yet she couldn't take them.

"Maybe just steal a few things, just a few."

"No, I said I only target pirates."

"No, no, no, after all, we saved their lives. Taking a few things isn't excessive."

"No way, Nami, how is that any different from a pirate?"

"But I am a pirate!"

Nami was talking to herself at that moment, making Reiner want to laugh.

"Everyone, please stay for dinner tonight."

Kaya walked in from outside, a gentle smile on her face. "Later, I'll take you to see the ship. Merry designed it himself."

"What a fruitful trip this has been," Reiner said, leaning back contentedly on the sofa.