Two-in-One, Five Thousand Words

"Since you insist..." Jango pressed down on the black cloth cap on his head. "Then let's use the secret hypnosis we practiced before, the one that can increase your strength twentyfold. That way, none of us will have to die..."

"Look at me, Sham!" Jango shouted, swinging the circular saw in his hand. "Jango's Ultimate Hypnosis! Awaken your strength!"

Sham stared intently at the circular saw, his eyes wide as saucers. The muscles in his bare arms bulged one after another, veins spreading like tangled tree roots, and his burly frame suddenly grew taller.

He seemed unable to control the power inside him, and stamped one foot heavily on the ground as if to vent it.

Boom!!

The rocky ground beneath his foot cracked. Cracks about a centimeter wide spread outward from the footprint for several meters.

Buchi glared viciously at Cabaji. "With this power, I'll only need a minute to finish you off, then I'll quickly take care of the rest of those nuisances!"

"Cabaji, need any help?" Buggy watched with his head propped up. "You don't? Fine, don't say anything. I know how you feel."

"..."

Cabaji hesitated, then squeezed out a few words. "Captain Buggy, you really understand me..."

"You still dare to get distracted? Die!" Buchi leaped high into the air, his right foot raised, then brought it down with terrifying speed and force.

Buchi's fearsome move, Cat Kill!

Cabaji's expression turned solemn. He gripped the hilt of his sword tightly in his right hand. The turbulent wind blowing downward swept the hair covering the right side of his face behind his head.

In that instant, his body moved like a fragile willow branch. He shifted his steps with the wind and appeared three meters away.

Suddenly, he drew his sword!

Sakura Blizzard drifted down like swirling snow, slow and unsteady. A flash of white light burst forth, a sight of breathtaking beauty.

Buchi's body slammed down from above, cracking the rocky ground for more than twenty meters into dozens of uneven chunks amid the white blade-light. Dust and stone fragments filled the air.

After dodging the attack and landing six precise slashes in an instant, Cabaji quickly leaped away through the dust to avoid the collapsing ground. He had thought his opponent was as good as dead, but a sudden sense of foreboding washed over him as a powerful gust rushed straight at his face.

Clang!!

He hurriedly raised his sword to block. A terrifying force struck the blade and traveled into his palm, numbing the web of his thumb. Sakura Blizzard nearly flew from his grasp!

As he blocked one of those Cat Claws, the other followed immediately, striking his chest with blinding speed and sending him flying before he could react.

Boom!!

Cabaji's body slammed into the mountainside like a cannonball. Even the solid rock face cracked, sending rubble tumbling down.

Buchi snorted through his nose, trying hard to keep his breathing steady and prolong the effects of the hypnosis.

He wearily turned around and glared at Buggy and the other pirates. "I've taken care of one. The rest should be much easier."

"That was close... If I hadn't dodged in time, every bone in my body would've been shattered..."

A voice came from the dusty rock face.

Cabaji emerged from the mountainside with his clothes torn and five clear claw marks across his chest. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. Looking at Buchi, who was bleeding all over but still able to move freely, he said in bewilderment, "No wonder you didn't fall after taking six of my slashes. Looks like all that thick fat saved you..."

Buchi stomped both feet against the ground, his expression twisted with disbelief. "You're still alive!"

"Yeah, but you're the one who'll die next..." Cabaji held Sakura Blizzard upright in front of him. "This move, 'Ghostly Appearance,' may not have much force behind it, but you'll see how terrifying it is..."

"Quit your boasting! This time, I'll take your life for sure!" Buchi roared and charged at Cabaji.

Cabaji's figure swayed back and forth as he darted around Buchi, stabbing rapidly. He seemed to vanish into thin air, only to reappear in another direction a moment later. At times, Sakura Blizzard in his hand seemed like a tiny nail clipper; at others, it seemed like a blade dozens of meters long, creating an astonishing illusion of sudden shifts in scale.

His movements seemed to throw the whole space into disarray. His body appeared on the left, yet Sakura Blizzard would stab from the right. Every second, his blade left another shallow scratch on Buchi's body, like a knife scraping scales.

Buchi, furious as a raging bull, stumbled around like an ant on a hot pan. He could do nothing against Cabaji, who darted around him like a slippery eel. Between his mounting frustration, anger, and the aftereffects of pushing his body too hard, his speed and strength began to decline.

Watching the battle from the hillside, Kuro pushed up his glasses with his wrist and said coldly, "Three minutes left."

Suddenly, his feet shifted slightly as he used Silent Step to dodge a bullet that skimmed past him.

Then he turned to look at the person behind him, and his expression finally changed. "Kaya... Miss Kaya..."

Kaya stood among the trees, supporting Usopp, whose body was covered in exhaustion and wounds.

"Klahadore... No, I should call you Captain Kuro."

Kaya pressed her thumb hard into the flesh of her palm. An indescribable sense of disappointment rose within her. "I... trusted you so much... I was truly happy during the time we spent together these past two years... Why would you do something like this...?"

"You heartless pirate! If Tamanegi hadn't sent word..." Usopp glared at Kuro through gritted teeth. "I could tell from the start you were no good. Kaya, don't pity this man. He's been plotting this from the very beginning!"

Kuro looked at Usopp in some surprise. "I never thought... You really are tenacious. I assumed you'd died out in the wilderness last night... I'd planned to blame your death on the pirates, but now this is a headache..."

Usopp's eyes were resolute. "I'm not going to die that easily. Protecting this place and Kaya is partly my responsibility. Don't... underestimate 'the proud Usopp'!"

"You're so noisy... Long Nose." Kuro glanced at Usopp with no change in expression, then turned his gaze to Kaya. "Miss Kaya, whenever I saw you studying those medical books, I thought you were just playing around. It seems there was more to it... It's hard to believe you were the one who saved this fellow, but there's no other explanation..."

"Klahadore... Why won't you answer me directly? Are you afraid to?" Kaya bit her lower lip, her face paling.

"Afraid?" Kuro's expression stiffened. He gently pushed up his round glasses with his wrist.

"I used to be Captain Kuro... And yet I had to smile politely at a little girl who cried at the drop of a hat, and do everything I could to please you, even when I didn't want to. Can you understand that? Those humiliating days... How could a sheltered young lady like you, born into wealth and free of worries, understand the peace a pirate adrift at sea longs for?!"

Kaya trembled slightly. "I understand... I'll give you all my property. Please leave this village!"

Kuro smiled faintly. "You don't understand. I want more than just your property..."

Boom—

The tremendous sound of something heavy hitting the ground cut Kuro off. Everyone's attention turned to Buchi, who was badly wounded and on the verge of death.

The battle was over!

Cabaji, standing on the slope, coughed up a streak of blood and glanced sideways at the people above him. "That was such a boring conversation, I was sick of listening to it. I had to hurry up and end this fight..."

"Indeed. Five minutes are up." Kuro pushed up his round glasses with his wrist. The Cat Claws on his fingers crossed over each other and pointed coldly at Usopp. "The plan may have strayed from the course I laid out, but it doesn't matter. This man means a lot to you, doesn't he, Kaya?"

"I'll kill him, then..." Kuro used Silent Step and vanished from where he stood. When he reappeared, five nearly meter-long Cat Claws stabbed toward Usopp.

Meanwhile, inside the Big Top.

Mohji stood with his arms crossed, leaning against the corner of the wall. Beside him, the lion Richie lazily picked his nose, looking dazed, drool running from his mouth.

"Let me through, you man with one combined chest and head of hair!" Mikuru, hidden beneath her cloak, reprimanded him righteously.

"Combined... chest... and head of hair..." Mohji murmured, deeply wounded. He clenched his fists and roared, "You strange creature! Don't call me that!"

"You dare call me a strange creature? I'm a descendant of the Cat God... You insolent man, I'll take your pathetic, maggot-like life!" Mikuru set down her pack. The Cat Claws on her hands suddenly crackled with layers upon layers of static electricity, and her body curled slightly like a cat with its fur standing on end.

"I know this ship's no place for a fight, but if you insist on starting one, I'll have to oblige..."

"Then... die!" Mikuru narrowed her eyes dangerously and suddenly sprang forward.

"Mohji-sama's Secret Ultimate Technique—" Mohji had already prepared something. He pulled it out and announced it with a perfectly serious expression. "Also known as 'Cat Training Rhapsody'!"

Whoosh!

A ball of yarn, wound into a tight bundle, sailed through the air in an arc.

Mikuru's eyes widened and began to sparkle. Her fury vanished without a trace. Like a well-behaved little cat, she narrowed her eyes and pounced on the ball of yarn in midair. Her cat ears quivered nonstop as she hugged the ball and rolled around on the ground.

"Roll, roll~ So cute~"

"Hahaha!" Mohji planted his hands on his hips and let out an exaggerated, contemptuous laugh. "Well? Now you know how formidable I am, don't you, you foolish little cat?"

Mikuru carefully hugged the ball of yarn, looking indignant. "How awful! Using such a despicable trick! How could you use a move like that? I'm furious!"

As she spoke, she gazed at the ball of yarn with sparkling eyes and hugged it, unable to stop stroking it.

"I'm nowhere near as despicable as someone named Cabaji. Now that's despicable. Compared to him, I'm nothing!"

"Hey, it's a world of difference."

"Shut up!!" Mohji shouted in embarrassment. "Don't even think about going after the treasure on this ship!"

"Mm..." Mikuru's eyes darted around. She shifted her feet slightly to the left, and Mohji shifted too, blocking her path. Just as she seemed poised to rush forward, Mohji smugly raised the ball of yarn in his hand.

"Ugh... What a tightly guarded man! A cat really has no way to get past you!" Mikuru gritted her teeth, looking ready to devour him.

"Actually..." Mohji began. "We could make a deal!"

"What deal? What are you trying to say, you despicable man?"

"That Black Cat Pirate Ship beside this one must have plenty of treasure aboard. If we work together..."

On the slope by the shore.

Usopp stared in shock at the bloody gash on his shoulder. "Kaya... you..."

Kaya looked at Kuro with a pale face. She was terrified and unsettled by what had just happened, but her strong sense of danger made her struggle to support Usopp as she retreated.

A strange liquid completely blocked Kuro's vision. He wiped his glasses with his palm, but the stains wouldn't come off.

Just then, Kaya moved her right hand, and a thin-film bubble suddenly enveloped Usopp. When Kuro approached him, the bubble disrupted the rhythm of Silent Step.

Moreover, the thin-film bubble was surprisingly resilient. It slowed Kuro's stabbing motion by a fraction of a second, allowing Usopp to narrowly escape with only an injured arm.

"What did you do..." Kuro asked, his face cold with surprise. "I've served you for so long, yet I never imagined that someone as frail as you had a trick like that..."

"I..." Kaya bit her lip and shook her head as she helped Usopp retreat. "I don't know..."

"Jango!" Kuro said coldly. "Find a way to get... the young lady to sign that will. If you do, I'll let you live through this."

Gulp.

Jango swallowed, sweat beading on his forehead. He replied without delay, "Understood, Captain Kuro. I'll do as you say right away."

With that, he hurried over.

"Wait!" Shuma jumped down from a nearby rock wall, pointed at Buggy, who had just yawned, and blocked Jango's way. "Even though dancing ingredients are fun... Buggy said I can't let you go."

Buggy stood up and stretched. "That's right. Time to limber up..."

Jango held a circular saw between the index and middle fingers of each hand. His expression darkened. "I don't have time to waste talking with you. Since you're looking to die, I'll stop holding back!"

"Fine..." Shuma shrugged.

"Brat! Die!!"

Jango flung both hands, and the circular saws became blurs as they sped toward Shuma.

Shuma drew both hands to his sides. Two objects appeared in his palms, and he casually played with the circular saws. "What's this... They don't have any force behind them at all."

Jango's eyes widened, but he kept his mouth shut. He glanced down at the wrinkled joints of his fingers. Anyone trained to use this kind of boomerang knew that the weapon demanded not only keen eyesight but also considerable finger strength and dexterity. It took years of training the fingers and coordinating the hand muscles to unleash its full power.

That was why so few people used such weapons... Apart from hypnosis, his circular saws, capable of slicing through a tree one meter in diameter in an instant, were his ultimate technique...

How had that young brat across from him caught them!!!

"All right, here you go." Shuma flicked both hands, sending the circular saws flying back toward Jango.

Jango focused intently and slightly curled his fingers, ready to catch his weapons. Suddenly, his pupils contracted. Two blurs crossed past his hands in an instant. The saws sliced along both sides of his face, leaving fine lines of blood, while the gust they carried blew his black cloth cap to the ground and revealed his curly hair.

The sudden approach of death left his mind blank. His legs gave way, and he fell to his knees.

The circular saws spun once through the air and returned to Shuma's hands. He chuckled. "You're fun, dancing ingredient, so I won't kill you."

"Captain Kuro... I shouldn't have placed my hopes in you. I can't believe two years have made me this useless..."

Kuro glanced at the battle, his face expressionless. He removed his glasses, now covered in grime, and his body swayed slightly. "Forget it... None of this matters anymore. If all of you are killed here, the plan won't go too far off course. I can always find a way to make up for it later..."

The Black Cat Pirates whom Cabaji had cut down were beginning to regain consciousness, though they still pretended to be dead. They finally staggered to their feet, staring in terror at Kuro's movements.

"Could that stance mean... He's going to use that move?!"

"There are only a few opponents... It can't be! He's going to use that move, 'Scoop'! It's 'Scoop'!"

"Hey, this is bad, isn't it? We'll get caught in it too. It's an indiscriminate attack that'll kill us as well!"

"Stop, Captain Kuro! Don't use that move! We'll do whatever you say! Please, Captain Kuro!!"

The pirates below screamed desperately, backing away.

Kuro let his body hang loose, swaying back and forth. Before using Scoop, he had to empty himself of all tension.

The wind blew, and air currents began to spread wildly in every direction...

Kuro vanished from where he stood!!!

"No!" The Black Cat Pirates clutched their heads and fell helplessly to their knees. "We're all going to die..."

The pirates struggled helplessly for a moment, then exchanged astonished looks. "Why? Why didn't Captain Kuro's indiscriminate attack hit us?"

"Yeah, there aren't even any Cat Claw marks on the rock face or the ground!"

"Strange, isn't it..." A voice seemed to come from the void. One of the pirates suddenly appeared suspended in midair, as if something unseen had seized him. Five deep Cat Claw marks abruptly appeared across his body, and he was thrown to the ground, badly wounded.