As time passed, the raging fire gradually died down.
A few lucky pirates managed to escape the inferno at the last moment, seizing the opportunity to flee toward the sea, narrowly avoiding a fiery end.
Six pirates emerged from the water, slowly surfacing.
Every single one of them bore a look of deep terror, and boundless rage.
The Black Cat Pirates, once a crew of nearly fifty,
Now reduced to just these six survivors.
And their opponent? A mere village boy.
The humiliation was unbearable. A disgrace of the highest order.
Buji clenched his clawed hand tightly, his eyes blazing with fury as he pointed at the scrawny Usopp and roared like a madman:
"Get him!!!"
The traps on the hillside, once a hidden danger, had been completely exposed in the blaze and were no longer a threat. The remaining pirates, filled with murderous intent, raised their weapons and charged straight toward Usopp.
Among the six survivors were the Black Cat Pirates' two strongest fighters outside of Kuro and Jango, the Cat Brothers.
"D-Damn it…"
Usopp's legs trembled as he watched the pirates close in, his heart pounding wildly.
Faced with razor-sharp claws, gleaming blades, and the cold black mouths of loaded guns, only one thought filled Usopp's mind:
Run.
But…
He couldn't.
Though usually a coward, today, staring death in the face, he didn't flinch. His eyes, bloodshot and wide with desperation, burned with the fire of someone gambling it all.
He raised his slingshot, aiming at the approaching pirates, and shouted with defiance:
"I, I won't let you through this slope!"
"Because yesterday, I told a lie just like always!!"
"So today… today the village must remain peaceful, just like always!!!"
The small green slingshot trembled in his tightly clenched fist. Behind his goggles, his eyes glowed with an unshakable resolve.
His attention laser-focused, he zeroed in on the pirates charging toward him.
Thwip! Thwip! Thwip! Thwip!…
Black spherical bullets fired from the slingshot at lightning speed.
Each shot flew with deadly precision toward the pirates.
Thud!
One pirate took a direct hit to the forehead. A deep crater formed instantly.
His skull cracked under the force of the lead shot, and the impact knocked him unconscious. He tumbled backward, rolling helplessly down the slope.
Clang!
Buji managed to block a bullet with his clawed hand.
"Argh!"
But another pirate was struck in the gut, screaming in pain as he followed the first down the hill.
Buji gritted his teeth, frustration burning in his chest:
"We can't let this kid keep holding us off!"
─────────🏴☠️────────
Meanwhile, inside a lavish estate near Syrup Village...
Butler Klahadore stood silently by the window, gazing out over the distant landscape.
Tap… tap… tap…
The light, casual sound of leather shoes echoed behind him.
It was Merry, another loyal servant of the Kaya family, his head shaped like a sheep's. He approached Klahadore with a cheerful smile, eyes crinkling into slits.
He looked overjoyed, a stark contrast to the gloom clouding Klahadore's face.
"You're up early, Butler Klahadore!"
Merry greeted him warmly, his voice full of admiration.
Klahadore adjusted his glasses, the lenses flashing white and concealing his eyes.
Without turning, he responded in a voice unlike his usual gentle tone:
"…It's not early anymore."
The calm voice carried a chilling undercurrent, making Merry pause.
"That's… odd," he thought uneasily.
Then, remembering Kaya's instructions from the day before, Merry took a gift box from behind his back, holding it out with a soft smile:
"Klahadore, this is from Miss Kaya."
"Today marks your third year working here. She wanted to celebrate."
Klahadore accepted the box and once again adjusted his glasses, whispering to himself:
"…Anniversary."
"Yes!" Merry beamed, tears starting to well up in his eyes.
"Miss Kaya noticed your glasses always slide down, so she personally designed a new pair and had them custom-made in the neighboring town."
"She's such a kind and thoughtful girl…"
Klahadore remained silent, slowly unwrapping the gift with his back to Merry.
He held the new glasses in his hand.
"Speaking of anniversaries…"
Suddenly, he pushed up his slipping glasses one last time, then raised his head.
His reflection in the glass revealed a sinister, chilling expression.
"…Today really is a wonderful, anniversary."
"W-What?"
Startled by the twisted face reflected in the window, Merry stumbled back.
Klahadore turned to face him, revealing his true, murderous aura.
He continued:
"A day like this… gets the blood pumping!!!"
"Hahahahaha…!!!"
With a manic laugh, he hurled the new glasses to the floor.
CRACK!
With a single stomp, he shattered the delicate gift beneath his polished shoes.
"K-Klahadore!!!"
"Wh-What are you doing?!"
"How could you destroy the gift from Miss Kaya…?!"
Terrified, Merry cried out.
Klahadore slid his hands into his trouser pockets, coldly staring at the broken shards on the ground.
"A gift…?"
"I'll accept it."
He looked up, his eyes gleaming with unrestrained greed. With a villain's triumphant grin, he declared:
"But not the glasses."
"I'll take this entire estate, and every last bit of Kaya's family fortune!"
"Wha—?!"
Merry stared in disbelief, stumbling back toward the door.
But Klahadore had no intention of letting him leave.
"There's no point pretending anymore."
"In a few short hours… everything will be in motion."
Terror-stricken, Merry backed away, trembling and wailing as if the world had fallen apart:
"M-Miss Kaya!!! Run!!"
"Three years… such a long time to wait…"
Suddenly, blades gleamed in Klahadore's hand, five razor-sharp claws extending from his fingers like part of his body.
Shing,
A flash of silver swept across Merry's chest.
A moment later, his body collapsed, torn open by the cat-like blades.
A pool of blood spread rapidly across the polished floor.
Klahadore adjusted his glasses once more, glancing out the sun-drenched window and muttering impatiently:
"…What's taking so long?"
"Those fools…"
"They know what happens when they mess up my plan… and they dare to keep me waiting?!"
"If any of them screw this up, they're all dead!!"
Having shed his disguise, Klahadore's words dripped with malice. He stepped through Merry's blood, striding toward the mansion's exit.
He wanted to see for himself,
Just what the hell was going on.
How dare they make him wait this long?
─────────🏴☠️────────
Meanwhile…
"Bastards! You're all laughing at me!"
"You're mocking my pirate blood! I'll kill you all!"
Usopp's eyes had gone white, veins bulging as he brandished a long knife, swinging wildly at the terrified villagers.
"Usopp!!! Stop!!"
Kaya appeared suddenly, throwing herself in front of him.
But Usopp grabbed her wrist violently, raising the blade as he screamed like a beast:
"Damn you!!! I'll kill you too!!!"
─────────🏴☠️────────
"AAAHHH!!"
Kaya jolted awake, gasping for breath.
"Haa… haa… haa…"
She clutched her head, drenched in sweat.
The pain slowly receded, and she curled up in bed, hugging her knees, sobbing in anguish.
"I… I don't understand…"
"Usopp… why would he do that…?"
Cough… cough…
She had known Usopp since they were children. You could say they were childhood sweethearts.
Even though Usopp always told wild lies, she never disliked them. In fact, she saw them as stories he carefully crafted just for her, and she listened with joy.
Because of her fragile health, most of Kaya's understanding of the world came from her family, her servants, and… from Usopp.
But this morning, Usopp's actions had been… unbearable.
Yes, Klahadore had accused him of being born from pirates, that was cruel.
But it was also a truth everyone already knew.
What hurt Kaya the most was that Usopp had tried to claim that Klahadore, a gentle and loyal servant, was a pirate.
She could only hope Klahadore hadn't taken it to heart.
And the gift she gave him… she wondered if he liked it…
With a sigh, Kaya slowly pushed herself up, slipped on her favorite slippers, threw on a robe, and stepped out of her room.
Knock knock knock…
"Klahadore, are you there?"
She stood in front of his room, calling softly.
There was no reply.
She knocked again.
The door hadn't been fully closed, and her knock pushed it slowly open.
"Ah!!!"
Kaya screamed at the sight inside, staggering backward. Her robe slipped from her shoulders and fell to the floor.
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