Defeating Kuro

Usopp arrived at the gates of Anderson Manor, panting for breath. He shouted inside, "Kaya! Mr. Anderson! Open the door!"

A guard opened the door. Usopp rushed in without a second thought, only to find the Anderson Family held captive in the hall by a group of men armed with machetes.

"Usopp, run! They're all Pirates!"

Usopp had been Kaya's only friend for as long as she could remember. Forgetting that she was a hostage herself, she immediately warned him to flee.

Usopp's jaw nearly dropped when he saw more than a dozen Pirates closing in. His legs began to shake. But he soon steadied himself. He even started singing.

"Believe in yourself, whoa-oh-oh-oh!"

Usopp pulled a hammer from his satchel. Don't ask how a little bag held a hammer bigger than a wagon wheel with "10T" written on it.

Hoisting the ten-ton hammer onto his shoulder, Usopp declared, "I'm Captain Usopp, and I have eight thousand men under my command! This hammer weighs ten tons! Come at me if you're not afraid to die!"

"What? A ten-ton hammer!"

One Pirate recoiled in fear. Another smacked him on the back of the head and cursed, "It's obviously a fake! Get him!"

Sweat beaded on Usopp's face. "Take this! Usopp Ten-Ton Hammer!"

A Pirate instinctively raised his machete. A thunderous bang knocked him off his feet. Usopp's hammer was a balloon, and the blade had punctured it.

Usopp didn't panic. Instead, he swiftly loaded two pellets into his slingshot. "Take this! Special Attack: Smoke Star!"

Usopp fired the two smoke bombs, and the hall filled with smoke. Seizing his chance, he ran upstairs and pulled out another pellet. "Special Attack: Pepper Powder Star!"

The pellet burst against a Pirate's face, coating him in pepper powder. He sneezed so hard he could barely hold his sword.

"Damn it, get him! He's just one kid! There's nothing to be afraid of!"

Usopp immediately fled in a panic. Fortunately, fighting while running away was his specialty. He could have given Jackie Chan, the god of furniture-store fights, a run for his money.

Back at the ruins of Usopp's house, Rubick smiled. After entering Gear Second, he could see through Kuro's movements, which looked like teleportation to everyone else.

Once Kuro used Shakushi, he couldn't even control where his attacks would land. His speed might have approached Soru, but that meant nothing against Rubick.

Rubick barely had to dodge. Eight times out of ten, Kuro was fighting empty air. Rubick almost laughed aloud.

Rubick rubbed his stomach. He was getting hungry again. "Better finish this early. Maybe I can still get a late-night snack at the Andersons'."

Whoosh!

By chance, Kuro swept past Rubick again, slashing at his head with the Cat Claws. Rubick answered with Gum-Gum Bullet, driving a fist into Kuro's chest. His arm stretched out, pinning Kuro against a distant boulder.

"Pfft!"

Kuro spat blood and dropped out of Shakushi, regaining some clarity.

Rubick yanked his arm back, swung Kuro around, and slammed him into the ground. The blow knocked Kuro unconscious.

Rubick hauled Kuro close and snapped his neck. Kuro had already faked his death once; even if Rubick took his head to the Marines, there was no guarantee he could collect a bounty.

Leaving the body behind, Rubick headed for Anderson Manor. He had solved a major problem for them. Surely he deserved something in return.

He was only halfway there when he spotted Usopp being chased by more than a dozen men.

"Hey, mister! Help! They're Pirates!"

Without another word, Rubick knocked them all down, one punch each. He grabbed a Pirate and said, "I've killed your boss, Kuro of a Hundred Plans. If you know what's good for you, get off this island."

"Okay! We'll leave right now!"

Of course they would. If more than a dozen of them couldn't beat Rubick, staying would be suicide.

They didn't believe Kuro was dead, though. To them, he was an invincible fighter. How could some nobody have killed him?

But as they fled toward the docks and passed the ruins, they were stunned to discover that Kuro really was dead. They picked up their captain's body and quickly disappeared toward the docks.

"Mister, you're incredible!"

"Come on. Let's go to the Andersons'," Rubick said. "I've been fighting all evening. I need a good meal or I won't be able to sleep."

"Isn't eating that much at night bad for you?" Usopp asked.

"That's only because you're too broke to eat dinner, isn't it?" Rubick shot back.

Usopp immediately slumped. "That's right. I'm so poor I can't afford dinner. My life is nothing but darkness. I don't want to live anymore."

Rubick ignored him and went straight to Anderson Manor.

A man who looked like a sheep opened the door. It was Merry, the newly appointed butler.

"Mr. Rubick, you're finally here."

Merry ushered Rubick inside and greeted Usopp, who had come along, with a smile.

In the hall, Powell looked rosy-cheeked and full of energy.

"Ha! I knew you could do it, Rubick."

Powell personally pulled out a chair for Rubick. "I could tell something was wrong with Klahadore, but he hid it too well at first."

"Then he brought in a lot of men, claiming they were here to protect us. They were all his men, weren't they? After that, they kept us under watch, and my wife and I grew weaker by the day."

Powell took Rubick's hands and said gratefully, "We owe you so much. What do you say to my offer? If you agree, you and Kaya can get engaged this year and marry in a few years. The Anderson Family's estate will be yours someday."

Usopp stared in disbelief. He hadn't expected Powell to be so generous. If it were him, he would have agreed on the spot. He could always do what his dad had done and set sail whenever he wanted.

Rubick shook his head. "I'm sorry, but I have to refuse. There's already someone I love."

Powell looked disappointed, but Rubick added, "Still, I did you a big favor. It wouldn't be too much to ask for something in return, would it?"