Kuro Only Wants a Peaceful Life

East Blue Sea.

A pirate ship trailed Gawain's warship from afar.

A thin man wearing heart-shaped sunglasses stood atop the lookout tower, peering through a telescope at the warship several kilometers away.

After confirming the warship's identification number, the man took a Den Den Mushi from his clothes and dialed it.

"Moshi Moshi~"

"Captain Kuro, Morgans's warship's course has been confirmed. They should be heading to nearby Mizuki Island for supplies."

"Good."

On the other end of the call.

Kuro stared expressionlessly at the Wanted Poster in his hand, his voice indifferent.

"Jango, once this matter is settled, I will reward you all."

"Yes!"

A near-tangible greed flashed through Jango's eyes, and even the arm holding his telescope trembled slightly.

He understood Kuro's nature. He was vicious, cruel, sinister, and cunning, but he always kept his word.

Even after sailing the seas for years and facing countless opponents.

From Marines to pirates, including ruthless figures such as Morgans, Admiral Creek, and Fishman Arlong, not a single one could compare to Kuro in terms of intelligence.

Not to mention that near-teleportation-like skill. Once activated, it became indiscriminate slaughter. No one could survive under such an ability!

Jango was utterly certain of this, and he feared Kuro immensely.

He lowered his telescope and directed the pirate ship to follow the distant warship, precisely maintaining a distance where they would neither be discovered nor lose their target.

Clearly, he had done this countless times before.

Elsewhere.

After hanging up, Kuro turned to look at the pirates before him, his eyes concealing a deep disgust and exhaustion.

By now, he had forgotten why he had gone to sea in the first place. He only knew that the Claw Blades on his ten fingers had taken countless enemies' heads.

He had risen from an ordinary pirate to the captain of this pirate crew, naturally after killing the original captain.

His Bounty had also climbed all the way to fifteen million.

Fighting, killing, plundering, drowning himself in pleasure...

It was foreseeable that this life would continue until the day he died at an enemy's hands.

Instead, he had begun to envy a peaceful life—growing flowers, raising dogs, enjoying afternoon tea and desserts, elegant and composed like the nobles he had once seen at banquets in his youth.

Rather than living as he did now, having to think about how to evade the Marines' pursuit and find his next prey the moment he opened his eyes.

The path of a pirate.

Failure meant death.

"Who would ever know?"

"I, Kuro, only want a peaceful life..."

Kuro muttered to himself, a trace of longing appearing in his eyes.

"However, as long as the plan proceeds smoothly, those days will come soon enough."

As he spoke.

Kuro picked up a pure white handkerchief and gently began wiping the Claw Blades that had accompanied him for years, as though caressing his lover.

More than ten minutes later.

Kuro stepped out of the captain's cabin. His subordinates had long been waiting on deck, and when they saw him arrive, obvious fear flashed across their faces.

"Captain!"

Kuro returned to his expressionless, cold demeanor. His chilling gaze swept over the crowd, sending shivers through them all.

"Our prey this time is Navy Lieutenant Commander Morgans."

"As long as the plan proceeds smoothly, I will temporarily leave the Black Cat Pirates. My successor will be chosen from between Jango and the Catman Brothers."

"If the plan does not go smoothly..."

"Then I will kill you all."

Two days later.

Aboard the stolen warship.

The lookout reported to Gawain with a grave expression.

"Captain Gawain, we're being followed."

"They're experienced. They've controlled the distance perfectly, but after following us for so long, they were bound to reveal flaws."

"My preliminary judgment is that they started following us not long after we left the Deserted Island."

Gawain raised an eyebrow slightly.

Ever since he realized that the people aboard had nearly exhausted their potential that day, the experience provided by their training had steadily dwindled.

By now, even if everyone trained together, they could only provide a few scattered experience points each day, and sometimes none at all.

Just when he was desperately in need of experience packs, Gawain naturally could not let these visitors slip away.

"Can you tell whose men they are?"

The lookout shook his head.

"They aren't flying a flag, but judging by their behavior, they're undoubtedly pirates. I just don't know which pirate crew they belong to. Still, anyone daring to directly track a warship must have quite a background."

"What should we do?"

The lookout looked somewhat panicked.

The pirates aboard gradually gathered as well. When they saw Gawain's calm expression, it was as if they had found their backbone, and their faces slowly relaxed.

Some of the more battle-hungry ones had even begun checking their guns and ammunition, polishing their blades and weapons.

After more than a month of training, their potential had been excavated nearly to the limit, and their combat strength had naturally improved considerably.

Along with that rise in strength came pirates' bloodthirsty instincts. They craved a battle to prove themselves.

Gawain swept his gaze over the eager crowd and said calmly.

"Move in. Prepare for battle. While ensuring your own safety, capture as many alive as possible."

"Yes!"

Everyone answered loudly.

The helmsman cranked the Ship's Wheel hard over. The sails rose, and the warship deftly turned around, charging at full speed toward the distant pirate ship.

"Have we been discovered?"

"That makes sense. Without a perfect method of concealment, being discovered after tracking them for so long was only a matter of time."

Jango watched the warship speeding toward them. The corner of his mouth lifted slightly, and there was not a hint of fear in his eyes.

"Even alone, the captain could slaughter everyone aboard Morgans's ship. Blame your bad luck for being chosen by the captain to become part of his plan."

He turned and directed the subordinates aboard the ship.

"Retreat! Rendezvous with the flagship!"

The pirate at the helm answered. Just as he placed his hand on the wheel.

Several piercing roars came from the horizon.

Several cannonballs landed around the pirate ship, triggering violent explosions.

Columns of water shot into the sky.

At that moment, the Den Den Mushi in Jango's arms rang.

"I'm here."

Kuro's emotionless voice came through the receiver.

On the distant horizon, the pirate ship led by Kuro cleaved through the waves and raced toward the center of the battlefield.

Fire burst from its cannons, launching a sky full of crimson meteors.

Boom!

Boom!

Boom!

Amid the concentrated bombardment, several cannonballs flew straight toward the warship beneath Gawain's feet.

As the pirates scattered.

The sword at Gawain's waist left its sheath. A silver-white Flying Slash shot forth, cutting every incoming cannonball in half.

The Sword Qi continued skyward without losing momentum, instantly drawing everyone's eyes.

"What... was that?"

Jango did not understand what he had seen, but he could still sense a deadly threat from that silver gleam.

Just as he was about to react, a blond figure leaped from the distant warship, shooting toward the pirate ship beneath his feet like a cannonball.

"Wait!"

"You're not Morgans?!"