Exposing Kuro

"Six Powers?"

Zoro, Lina, and Gin all looked over, curiosity in their eyes.

Daniel shrugged. "All I know is that the Six Powers are the Navy's strongest physical techniques. They include Shave, Rankyaku, Iron Body, Shigan, and Geppo. I don't know the details!"

Once they reached Syrup Village, Kaya's home was impossible to miss.

They only had to look for the biggest and best place. Especially from the air, where it was easy to spot at a glance.

He descended directly from the sky and landed in the courtyard.

There, he saw a young girl standing before a second-floor window.

She had blonde hair, fair skin, and the air of a refined young lady. She gave people a very comfortable feeling.

It was precisely because of her gentle and kind nature that everyone liked her. In the One Piece anime, she was a delicate beauty with a uniquely graceful temperament.

Honestly, women with that sort of temperament were still incredibly lethal to men.

"Giggle, giggle, giggle..."

At that moment, Kaya covered her mouth and laughed softly, her eyes curving into crescents. Clearly, her smile came from the heart.

At the same time, Ener turned his gaze toward a tree at the front of the courtyard.

A long-nosed fellow sat on one of its branches, boasting loudly.

"Usopp!"

Ener recognized him at once. That long nose was simply too distinctive.

Though Usopp could be unreliable at times, he was a kind person. Kaya's parents had tragically passed away half a year ago, and grief had left her bedridden. Seeing how pitiful she was, Usopp often told her exaggerated stories to cheer her up.

It was also with his help that Kaya emerged from the pain of losing her parents.

"Who?"

At that moment, a cold voice rang out.

It immediately startled Kaya and Usopp.

"Ah!"

Usopp was so frightened that he fell right out of the tree, hitting the ground while crying out in pain...

"Uh?"

But then, he noticed Ener standing in the courtyard. Kaya did as well.

"A Navy officer?"

Seeing Ener in his Navy uniform, both of them were deeply puzzled.

This island was tiny. Forget Navy officers—even pirates had never been seen here.

At the same time, a man with slicked-back hair, glasses, and a suit stepped out. When he saw Ener standing in the courtyard, he froze for a moment as well.

His heart immediately rose to his throat.

"A Navy officer? Why would there be a Navy officer here? Could I have been exposed?"

However, Kuro was a deeply calculating man. Not a trace of panic showed on his face. Instead, he politely bowed to Ener. "May I ask what business this Navy gentleman has at our manor?"

Ener smiled. "Naturally, I came for you—Captain Kuro of the Black Cat Pirates, Kuro of a Hundred Plans."

"What? The butler is a pirate captain?" Usopp cried out.

"Impossible! He is our butler, Klahadore. He isn't Kuro of a Hundred Plans!"

Kaya's face was full of disbelief as she stepped forward to deny it.

Ener turned to Kaya. "The butler you call Klahadore was originally Captain Kuro of the Black Cat Pirates. Three years ago, he faked his own death and entered your household. His purpose was to seize your family's property."

As he spoke, Ener pulled Kuro of a Hundred Plans' wanted poster from his coat.

"Sixteen million Berries!!!!!"

Usopp was utterly stunned, his face turning pale. He understood that this was one of the East Blue's top pirates. He was not someone Usopp could possibly handle...

When Kaya saw the wanted poster, her face also turned pale, her eyes filled with disbelief.

Then Merry, the real butler, came out. His expression was ugly beyond measure.

Unlike Kaya, he immediately understood the crucial point. He stared at Kuro with eyes full of hatred. "So he was the one who harmed the master and mistress?"

Ener nodded.

"What?!!!"

Kaya cried out. The expression on her face then became incredibly complicated. Finally, she looked at Kuro as though seeking confirmation. "Klahadore, is what this Navy officer says true?"

"Heh heh..."

Kuro adjusted his glasses with his peculiar gesture, then sneered. "In that case, I'll kill every last one of you!"

There was no way to hide it anymore.

Then there was no need to hide it.

"Klahadore has become... so... so terrifying!" Usopp staggered backward in fright, his eyes filled with terror.

"He isn't Klahadore. He is Kuro of a Hundred Plans." At that moment, Kaya finally came to her senses.

As she looked at Kuro now, her eyes burned with intense hatred.

If she had possessed the strength, she would already have rushed at him to avenge her murdered parents.

Kuro frowned slightly, his gaze toward Ener extremely hostile. He disdainfully glanced at the Captain insignia on Ener's uniform. "A mere Navy Captain—who gave you the nerve to come before me and spout such nonsense?"

As he spoke, he swiftly scanned behind Ener. He did not believe that only one Navy officer had come. After all, the Navy never acted alone.

That was why he did not attack Ener immediately.

Instead, he turned and dashed into the house. When he came back out, the Ten-Blade Cat Claws were already on his hands.

And he was standing behind Ener.

Without a sound.

The Ten-Blade Cat Claws rested against Ener's neck.

"Tsk, tsk. Are you ready to die?!" Kuro cackled.

"Nuki Ashi?"

Kuro's most outstanding trait was his intelligence, which Eiichiro Oda had acknowledged as extremely high, second only to Benn Beckman, vice-captain of the Red-Haired Pirates.

What truly caught people's attention, however, were his unusual weapons, as well as his two great techniques: Nuki Ashi and Shakushi.

When One Piece fans first saw those two moves, they were blown away by how cool they were.

That was why Ener immediately understood what technique Kuro had used. And honestly, this move was similar to Shave, but it had an even greater advantage.

It was completely silent.

It was practically an assassin's ultimate technique... Who knew how many people in the East Blue had died to this move?

But who was he?

Ener sneered. "We still don't know who's going to die!"

"The one who dies will only be you... Slash..."

As his words fell, he exerted force with his hand, savagely slashing Ener's neck with the Ten-Blade Cat Claws.

Even the collar of Ener's Navy uniform was sliced open.

"Ah!"

Seeing this, Kaya let out a scream. She covered her eyes in fear, unable to bear watching such a bloody scene.

"Hiss..."

Usopp and Merry both sucked in sharp breaths, their jaws practically dropping in shock.

Because...