This Debt Will Be Repaid by Your Father!

The moment Kuro appeared, Zoro's beastly instincts immediately sensed how powerful he was. This was a worthy opponent.

"The East Blue's newest Pirate Hunter, known as the beast in human skin! Roronoa Zoro!"

Kuro pushed up his glasses with his palm and spoke without emotion. Though he had gone into hiding, he had still kept an eye on the various events taking place in the East Blue.

That was how a clever man valued information. After all, he had considered the possibility of someone coming after him.

"Mr. Klahadore, y-you really are a pirate?"

Merry stared nervously at the familiar man, whose demeanor had changed completely. The kindhearted butler had become a cold, terrifying, and brutal pirate in an instant.

"If I kill all of you, then I won't be a pirate anymore! Mr. Merry, I'll kill these two pirates to avenge you!"

Kuro's dagger shot toward Merry's chest. He showed no mercy, even though he had spent two years with the gentle servant.

Clang!

"Hey, you can't kill people right in front of me!"

Zoro drew his sword in an instant and blocked Kuro's dagger, saving the terrified Merry.

"Ten minutes, Zoro! Otherwise, I'll take over!"

Daddy picked up the frightened, limp Merry and tossed him aside, then casually found a place to sit and watched the two men fight.

"Hey, Kuro, why not use your Den Den Mushi to call the Black Cat Pirates for help? And where are your Cat Claws?"

Against a highly intelligent and arrogant man like Kuro, Daddy planned to crush him head-on and give him a chance to save face. If Kuro still couldn't be recruited, Daddy would show him what cruelty meant!

"Are you looking down on me? Or overestimating yourselves?"

Kuro's eyes turned completely cold. Two years ago, his bounty had already reached 16 million. If he hadn't faked his death and escaped, his bounty would certainly be higher now than Krieg's, the so-called "Overlord of the East Blue." Krieg's bounty was only 17 million.

What right did these two rookie Pirate Hunters have to challenge him?

"Then let's make a bet. If you lose, you join us. If we lose, our lives are yours!"

Daddy gave a light laugh and looked at Kuro of a Hundred Plans provocatively, his eyes seeming to brim with contempt.

"Hmph! A crude provocation! You snot-nosed brats!"

Kuro didn't take the two of them seriously at all. He had to kill the two Pirate Hunters quickly, then deal with Merry and return to his original plan.

He lunged at Zoro, the Pirate Hunter, but after just a dozen moves, he realized that without his Cat Claws, he couldn't suppress the green-haired brat!

Kuro feinted with a kick, then vanished through the doorway in a blur and hurried back to his room to retrieve his Cat Claws. At the same time, he called Jango on his Den Den Mushi and ordered him to come to Syrup Village at once.

Even though he suspected Jango had leaked the information, he needed to make sure. If he found out that Jango really had betrayed him, he would hunt him down and wipe him out!

Zoro had been getting into the fight, and he swore as he chased Kuro into the mansion. But the moment he stepped inside, he got lost and ran off in the opposite direction.

Daddy's eyelid twitched at the sight. Zoro really was terrifyingly directionless!

Well, I guess that means I have to step in!

Meanwhile, the servant Merry hurriedly found Kaya and told her everything. Usopp had also climbed in through the window and happened to hear that Klahadore the butler was a pirate.

"Kaya, we have to get out of here! Let's lie low somewhere!"

Usopp nervously jumped into Kaya's room and hurriedly urged the frail young lady to escape. The battle between pirates and bounty hunters was terrifying.

Kaya didn't reject Merry and her friend Usopp's suggestion. They would leave first and figure things out afterward. She, too, couldn't believe that Klahadore, the butler who had looked after her so attentively, was a pirate.

Still, she wanted to confront Klahadore herself and ask why he had deceived her.

They had just run out of Kaya's room and reached the hall when they encountered a familiar figure.

But the once-kindhearted butler had become a cold-faced demon.

"I didn't expect you to find out after all! What a nuisance!"

Captain Kuro, the Cat Claws fitted to both hands, pushed up his glasses with his palm and spoke in a sinister tone.

His appearance left Usopp and Merry trembling, but Kaya, despite her frail health, stepped forward.

"Why? Klahadore, were your care and affection over these past two years all an act?"

Kaya asked, her face pale. She had always trusted the butler completely.

"Miss, Merry and that brat Usopp have conspired with pirates. Once I've dealt with them, I'll explain everything to you properly!"

Kuro smiled faintly. He planned to kill everyone, then have Jango hypnotize Kaya into making a will that left him all her property. Some villagers might grow suspicious, but he had no choice but to carry out the plan.

He had originally planned to wait until Kaya was even frailer before inheriting her fortune without raising suspicion.

Two years ago, he had assassinated Kaya's parents. After Kaya fell ill, he had also put something in her medicine, making her weaker and dependent on long-term treatment.

"You pirate, get out of my way! I'm Captain Usopp, with eight thousand men under my command!"

Feeling Kuro's icy killing intent, Usopp was terrified, but he still stood trembling in front of Kaya to protect the young lady he loved.

"Hah! Pathetic!"

Kuro stopped wasting words. His Cat Claws gleaming coldly, he charged at Usopp, who stood in his way. He would kill that liar and Merry, then carry out his plan.

"Don't!"

Kaya wept in terror and squeezed her eyes shut. Usopp and Merry were too frightened to move.

"Clang!"

"Usopp, remember this: you owe me your life. Have your father, Yasopp, repay the debt someday!"

A transparent Barrier appeared in front of the three of them. Daddy strolled in, while Kuro was hurled backward by the tremendous force of his own attack rebounding against him.

"You!" x2

Merry and Usopp exclaimed in unison. They had both met Daddy before, and they couldn't believe this stranger had come to their rescue.

"A Devil Fruit User?!"

Kuro narrowed his eyes and stared gravely at the bounty hunter. He hadn't expected Roronoa Zoro, the Pirate Hunter, to be so strong. This man seemed even stronger.

There weren't many Devil Fruit Users in a small place like the East Blue. According to his intelligence, the ones he knew of were Buggy the Clown and White Hunter Smoker.

"Kuro, the bet still stands! Either get beaten to death or join us! Show me your strength and ambition!"

Daddy slowly drew Sandai Kitetsu. The atmosphere turned strangely cold, and everyone seemed to sense the ominous aura of the Cursed Blade.