The pirate Kuro

Pfft~

Hahahaha!

Lott and Zoro both burst out laughing, unable to hold it in any longer.

Only then did Ling'er realize the two had done it on purpose, and she shot Lott a reproachful look.

Then she explained to Usopp with an embarrassed expression, "We are pirates, but we might not be the kind you're imagining. What we yearn for is freedom, a life without restraints. Not treasure and robbery."

Only then did Usopp raise his head, his eyes gradually focusing. "Th-this really is Syrup Village. Are you really just here to travel?"

"Traveling is only one of our reasons for coming. The other is to find my brother, who I've been separated from for years."

Usopp rose somewhat shakily. "Your brother? Who is he? I know most of the people in this village. Tell me about him."

"His name is Kuro. He used to be a pirate too. A year ago, I heard he'd come to this island, so I came to look for him." Lott had a foxtail grass stem he'd plucked from somewhere between his lips, looking utterly relaxed.

"Kuro?" Usopp frowned, searching his memory for the name. After a long while, he shook his head.

"Why don't we ask around at the biggest restaurant in the village? There are lots of people there. We might find some news about your brother."

Lott nodded slowly. "Sounds good. We can try the local specialties while we're at it."

Inside the restaurant.

Glug, glug~

Ah~

Burp~

Zoro took a big gulp of wine, set his cup on the table, and pointed at the villa on the hilltop outside the window. "We haven't found out anything, but there's a wealthy household up there. They might know something about Kuro."

At Zoro's mention of the wealthy household on the hilltop, Usopp's gaze darted away several times, and he stammered, "Ahaha, th-the family up there hardly ever comes into the village. Th-they probably don't know. Anyway, I've paid the bill, so I'll head home first."

With that, Usopp made himself scarce.

Watching Usopp flee in a panic, Zoro asked in confusion, "Lott, isn't that guy hiding something from us?"

Lott stuffed the last piece of beef in his bowl into his mouth, wiped his mouth, and stood up. "Probably. Let's leave him be for now. Come on, let's take a look at that villa."

At the hilltop.

Kaya's villa.

"Y-you guys, what are you doing here?" Usopp stared in disbelief at Lott and his two companions as they appeared in the courtyard.

"What, did we interrupt your date?" Lott looked teasingly at Usopp, then at the sickly blonde girl in the second-floor window.

"Wh-what nonsense are you talking about?!" At Lott's teasing, Usopp flushed red, while the blonde girl's expression grew somewhat awkward too.

"Um, you three, may I ask who you are..."

Usopp scratched his head awkwardly and explained, "Kaya, they're my crewmates. They've come to ask me to..."

Before Usopp could finish, a somewhat terrified voice rang out nearby. "Miss Kaya, run! They're pirates, and they're major pirates with a two-hundred-million bounty!"

Looking toward the voice, they saw a man with a pair of sheep's horns atop his head and a head full of white curls appear in the courtyard.

"Merry? What did you say? They're pirates?" Kaya's already pale face grew even paler.

"Oh. Looks like your village isn't completely cut off from the outside world after all. I am indeed the pirate Lott." Lott nodded, putting on a friendly expression.

"What are you here for?!" Merry drew a pistol and pointed it at Lott, his face full of warning.

But his gun hand was trembling so much that he nearly lost his grip.

This was no joke. Standing before him was a major pirate with a two-hundred-million bounty, the kind of bounty he'd only encountered in legends.

Lott glanced indifferently at Merry, extended his right hand, and activated his electromagnetic force.

The pistol slipped straight out of Merry's control and slowly flew toward Lott.

Lott toyed with the pistol in his hand. "You can use something like this to scare children, but don't point it at me."

Merry collapsed to the ground in fright and shouted toward the second-floor window as though using the last of his strength, "Miss Kaya, run!"

"Hey, hey, hey, what's going on here? Pirate Lott, what are you doing here?"

A somewhat refined voice rang out just then.

"So you've appeared? Pirate Kuro."

A man in a suit with slicked-back hair stepped out of the villa's shadows.

The man pushed up his glasses with the heel of his right hand and said, "What Kuro? I'm the butler here, Klahadore."

Ling'er curiously studied the bespectacled man who had appeared before them, then looked at Lott.

Full of questions, she whispered in Lott's ear, "Hey! Lott, are you sure this is your brother? You two don't look anything alike."

Lott studied Kuro before him. This schemer, whose intelligence some fans in his previous life considered second only to Benn Beckman's, looked much the same as he did in the manga.

He turned to Ling'er and said with complete seriousness, "Ling'er, you don't understand. He's my biological brother by a different father and a different mother."

Ling'er's eyes went wide. "What do you mean, your biological brother by a different father and mother? But you two really don't look..."

Beside them, Zoro's entire face had turned red from holding back. If not for his special training, he might already have laughed aloud.

For the moment, Kuro had no idea what Lott intended. He knew that with Lott's strength, there was no need for petty tricks.

Lott activated the Electromagnetic Fruit, encoded "Kuro, you should know who I am, and I know who you are. I'll wait for you on the northern shore tonight" into an electromagnetic message, and transmitted it into Kuro's ears.

Then he addressed the blonde girl on the second floor, who was already on the verge of collapse. "It seems my brother isn't here. Sorry for the intrusion, Miss Kaya."

With that, he took the lead in walking out of the villa.

Zoro and Ling'er followed.

On Syrup Village's northern shore, the setting sun painted the sky gold. Rosy clouds hung in the sky, blushing shyly.

"Pirate Lott, just what do you want?"

Lott sat on a rock without turning around. Only his voice came back. "Kuro, I know everything about you. I came here specifically to find you."

Indeed, Lott had come to Syrup Village specifically to find Kuro.

From reading the manga in his previous life, he knew Kuro was highly intelligent and deeply calculating, a rare talent for intrigue.

He also knew that Kuro wasn't really a bad person. Though some of his methods seemed rather cruel, he held back at every turn.

And those rumors of his cruelty were merely propaganda the Marines had spread to smear him.

Overall, Kuro could be considered a "good person."

"What did you come to find me for?"

Kuro knew he was no match for Lott. Besides, with such a major pirate coming specifically to find him, he had to show him that much respect.

If Lott wanted to do anything to him, there would be no need to discuss it with him at all, nor to go through all this.

"Come be my crewmate." Lott extended a hand in front of Kuro.

Kuro's face was full of question marks. "What's going on? Why?"

He had his pride and confidence, but he didn't think there was anything special enough about him to occupy the thoughts of a major pirate with a two-hundred-million bounty.

"The pirate Kuro, nicknamed 'Hundred Plans,' captain of the Black Cat Pirates..."

Lott slowly recited the information about Kuro he had read in the manga, his expression still indifferent as he watched him.

But the more Kuro heard, the more alarmed he became. He stared at Lott in disbelief.

If this hadn't been their first meeting, he really would have thought Lott was his twin brother.

"What do you think?" Having finished speaking, Lott raised his head and looked at Kuro.