Kuro, standing at the top of the slope, heard Tom's threat to beat him up. He pushed up his glasses with his palm and turned to Jango below. "I never imagined you would be stopped by such insignificant people. It seems the Black Cat Pirates have truly fallen."
"But you told me at the time these people wouldn't have any impact on our plan," Jango said, his body trembling as he looked at Kuro's sinister face.
When Usopp and Luffy had discovered Kuro and Jango's plot, Kuro had indeed said to ignore them.
While Kuro and Jango were talking, Tom glanced surreptitiously at Zoro's two swords, which had been thrown far away.
If I rush over now and throw those swords back to Zoro, he'll have a much easier time.
But Jango wasn't far from him. If he moved, Jango would definitely notice and stop him. In his current physical state, dodging the attack from those sharp rings wouldn't be easy either.
Tom had been sneak-attacked by Jango's rings from behind earlier and knew how fast they flew. After exchanging dozens of punches with Luffy and slamming hard into the Black Cat Pirates' ship prow, he really wasn't feeling great.
Although many of his bruises had healed over days of rest, the most severely injured parts—his back and the deep, bone-grazing wound on his right hand—were now throbbing with pain again.
Most importantly, after forcefully trading dozens of punches with the hypnotized Luffy, Tom's hands were still numb and weak. He could barely make a fist.
Realistically, Tom standing was an achievement itself. Actually beating up Kuro was beyond his current capability.
Luffy was pinned under the huge black cat prow and couldn't be relied on, though thankfully he had cleared out the pirate grunts.
Ignoring the severely wounded Usopp and the combat-ineffective Nami, that left only him and Zoro. But the enemies numbered four: the cat brothers, Jango, and Kuro.
Zoro, with only one sword, was being suppressed by the cat brothers. In his current state, facing both Jango and Kuro simultaneously would be truly difficult.
The cat brothers, one fat and one skinny, were a troublesome pair—one agile, the other with immense force that could shatter the ground with a kick.
Combined with the fact that neither he nor Zoro could fight at one hundred percent, the situation was very bad.
Things had come to this partly because the simple-minded Luffy was easily hypnotized, which indirectly dragged Tom down.
But if he had prioritized dealing with Jango the hypnotist from the start, it wouldn't be like this.
In the end, it's my responsibility too!
From this moment on, Tom decided that when facing enemies, if their leader was present, no matter how many grunts there were, he would go straight for the head. No questions asked.
In other words, the battle at Syrup Village set the tone for Tom's future combat style: a ruthless focus on "capture the leader first."
Usopp, Nami, if you don't want to die, just stay put and don't move!
Tom took a deep breath, glancing at the blood-covered Usopp lying on the slope and Nami slumped to the side. He forced himself to stay calm, waiting for an opportunity to turn the battle. He hoped Nami and Usopp near Kuro wouldn't make any rash moves. If they angered Kuro, given his and Zoro's current states, saving them in time would be nearly impossible.
So Tom continued to taunt Kuro, trying to draw his attention. But Kuro was oddly calm, showing no intention of attacking Tom.
"I did say they wouldn't be a problem, because I anticipated they would interfere. But I didn't expect you to be this weak. I don't want to hear your excuses," Kuro said coldly, looking down at Jango.
You didn't see it! A little while ago, that kid and the straw-hat guy were trading blows on the slope. If they kept fighting, by the time you arrived, this slope would have been destroyed!
Jango was dissatisfied with Kuro's words internally but didn't dare voice his anger.
"You dare call us weak?"
"Captain Kuro, watch what you say!"
The cat brothers, who had been jointly attacking Zoro with his single sword, stopped upon hearing Kuro's words, both speaking up.
Seeing the cat brothers' reaction, they clearly took issue with Kuro's statement. It made sense. Kuro had been away from the Black Cat Pirates for three years. His authority as the former captain would have diminished.
Tom felt a surge of hope. If they fight among themselves, that's our chance to counterattack.
Sure enough, the skinny cat brother, Sham, broke away from Zoro and charged up the slope toward Kuro. "You were indeed strong... but that was three years ago. While you lived a leisurely life in this village, we went through several life-or-death battles."
"That's right! We attacked many towns and defeated several pirate crews," the fat cat brother, Buchi, said, still attacking Zoro but addressing Kuro above.
"If your plan fails and you think you can kill us, you're mistaken! You think we'd die so easily?"
"You think after three years of a lazy life, you can defeat us, the active pirate cat brothers?!"
Sham and Buchi openly challenged Kuro on the slope, their tones full of defiance.
"Buchi! Sham! Both of you, shut up!" Jango shouted, alarmed as he saw Kuro's face darken. Provoking this man could get them all killed.
"What they said is right. When those two work together, even Captain Jango can't beat them."
"The cat brothers are definitely the strongest combo in our crew."
The downed Black Cat Pirate crew members seemed to have great confidence in the cat brothers.
Seizing the moment while Jango was distracted trying to stop Sham's charge, Tom immediately sprinted toward where Zoro's swords lay.
But Tom had barely started running when he sensed something flying at his back from behind. He hurriedly dodged sideways.
At first, Tom thought Jango's reaction speed was far beyond his expectations, to pursue him so quickly. But that wasn't the case.
What came flying at his back was Sham, who had charged at Kuro mere seconds ago. In the blink of an eye, Kuro had subdued him and thrown him at Tom to prevent him from helping Zoro retrieve his swords.
How did that happen?
Kuro's speed is incredible!
Tom ignored Sham, who had landed beside him. He glanced at Kuro, now standing in the middle of the slope, shocked at how he had moved from the top so quickly. But he kept running toward Zoro's swords.
"If his plan fails, don't expect the cat brothers to save us," Jango said, his face grim, addressing his fallen crew behind him. "That man's 'Silent Step' is a high-speed assassination technique. There's no escaping his control. Defeating him is impossible."
Silent Step? High-speed movement? And what's in that bag he's carrying?
Zoro's swords were now within reach. Tom didn't have time to think further. He reached out to grab them when a figure leaped over his head from behind, landing in front of him and blocking his path.
"I won't let you interfere," Sham said, his face still pale with fear from Kuro's display of power, but he had still managed to intercept Tom.
"I should kill you brothers immediately. But after three years of ordinary life, my personality seems to have softened," Kuro said with a cold laugh, addressing Jango and the others. "I'll give you five minutes to resolve this situation. If you can't, I'll personally step in and kill you all."
"We don't want to die!" The downed pirates panicked upon hearing Kuro's words. Many struggled to get up, but after being pummeled by Tom and Luffy, they truly couldn't rise.
"Five minutes is enough. We just need to deal with that swordsman and this injured guy, then we can attack the village," Jango said to the cat brothers. "Hurry up and finish them at top speed!"
"Just die already!" Sham used his foot to kick Zoro's two swords even farther away, then swiped his cat claws at Tom's throat, aiming for a quick kill.
Damn it! If I weren't injured and so slow, I would've gotten those swords to Zoro already.
Tom barely avoided Sham's attack. He wanted to counter-punch, but his arms were still numb and weak.
Under the immense pressure from Kuro, Sham and Buchi launched continuous attacks against Tom and Zoro. With Jango occasionally supporting with his sharp rings, Tom and Zoro were quickly pushed on the defensive.
Buchi, fighting Zoro alone with his single sword, was struggling slightly. But with Jango's support, he gradually turned the disadvantage around, fighting Zoro to a standstill.
While Tom and Zoro were locked in their difficult fights, Kuro turned and began walking slowly up the slope. But he soon stopped, because he saw a seemingly frail young woman with golden hair standing at the top of the slope. It was Kaya.
"Klahadore! What are you doing here?!" Kaya shouted, her face growing even paler as she saw the blood-covered Usopp lying on the slope. "Stop this! I know your goal now! I'll give you whatever you want!"
"Kaya! Why did you come here?!" Usopp, lying severely wounded on the ground, managed to speak upon seeing her.
"Young mistress, what a surprise. I didn't expect you to come here," Kuro said, his expression quickly returning to calm as he slowly walked toward her.
Crap! With her here, things just got more complicated!
Tom saw Kaya's arrival and Usopp's reaction. He grew frantic but was still tightly entangled by Sham.
"Merry told me everything," Kaya said, watching Kuro approach step by step. Though afraid, she didn't retreat. She had woken up to find Merry covered in blood, barely alive on the floor. From Merry, she learned of Kuro's plot and rushed here.
"I thought I had killed him. So he's still alive," Kuro said. He had tried to kill the butler Merry last night but hadn't expected him to be so tenacious.
This man really isn't Klahadore!
Hearing Kuro's words confirmed everything Merry had told her. Remembering what she had done and said to Usopp yesterday, her heart filled with regret. Her small hands clenched into trembling fists as she looked at Usopp.
"I'm sorry, Usopp. I don't think you'll ever forgive me, no matter how much I apologize. Because I refused to believe Klahadore was a pirate," Kaya said to Usopp, full of remorse.
"That doesn't matter! Why did you come here? I told you to run away! They'll kill you!" Usopp struggled to sit up and shouted at her. No sooner had he spoken than he felt a heavy impact on his head. Someone had kicked him hard, slamming his face into the ground, causing more blood to flow.
"Young mistress, I said there's no need to apologize to the son of a low-life pirate," Kuro said, his foot now planted on Usopp's head. "You, who just plays pirate games with three brats in the village, think you can stop my plan?"
"Stop! Don't do this, Klahadore!" Kaya tried to rush forward but froze as Kuro pulled out long-bladed cat claw gloves from a leather bag. The cold blade tip pointed directly at the bridge of her nose.
So that's what's in the bag—his claw weapons. Now I finally understand why Kuro has that weird way of pushing his glasses. It's because of his claw weapons.
But he hasn't been a pirate for three years, yet he kept this habit. Doesn't that mean he never forgot his original fighting style?
Distracted by thoughts of Usopp's situation, Tom got slashed on the arm by Sham's claws, though the wound wasn't deep.
Zoro, also momentarily distracted, was struck by a combined attack from Jango and Buchi. Several bloody gashes appeared on his chest, quickly soaking his shirt.
Yet Zoro fought more fiercely. Seeing the situation with Usopp, he began to turn the tide against Buchi and Jango even with just one sword.
"You punched me quite hard yesterday. I still remember it," Kuro said. As he spoke, he used the long blades on his gloves to carve five deep gashes into Usopp's back. Usopp endured the pain without a sound, still shouting to Kaya, "Don't mind me, Kaya! I'm a brave warrior of the sea! I won't lose to them! Just go back and rest. When you wake up, everything will be normal again."
"You liar sure talk big," Kuro said, stamping his foot heavily on Usopp's bleeding back, causing Usopp to cough up blood.
"Usopp..." Kaya covered her mouth, tears finally streaming down. Her feet felt rooted. How could she turn and run when Usopp was fighting so desperately for her and the village?
"That's enough!" Nami, slumped to the side, could bear it no longer seeing Usopp's worsening injuries. Ignoring her own pain, she picked up a long staff and swung it at Kuro's back.
But Kuro reacted swiftly, turning and deflecting the staff with a reverse swipe of his claw blades, sending Nami flying back to crash against the rocky wall once more.
"Sorry, Usopp... I really can't save you," Nami said, wiping blood from her corner of her mouth. Having been slammed into the wall twice, she had suffered internal injuries. A pallor began to show on her face.
Dodging another of Sham's attacks, Tom saw Nami daring to try and save Usopp even now. This woman always hides behind others, but in a crisis, she'll fight too.
"How touching. You've made some good friends," Kuro said mockingly. As he spoke, he used both sets of claw blades to slash Usopp a dozen more times. Usopp was now drenched in blood, lying completely in a growing pool of his own.
Despite over a dozen deep wounds from Kuro's blades, Usopp didn't utter a single cry of pain. He could only feebly wave his hand, signaling Kaya to run. He couldn't even shout anymore, showing how grave his condition was.
Kaya was paralyzed with horror at Usopp's miserable state, her mind blank. Weak to begin with, the tremendous shock made it a miracle she hadn't fainted.
"You idiot! What are you doing?!" Nami stood up, shaking her head to clear the dizziness from the hard impacts. Then she ran desperately down the slope, shouting at Tom.
"Weren't you the ones who said last night to just defeat the enemy? Then what are you dragging your feet for?!" Nami's voice was choked with emotion as she yelled.
"You're so noisy! I'll kill you first!" Sham said, seeing Nami running toward him. After forcing Tom back with a claw swipe, he charged at Nami.
Nami saw Sham coming. She glanced back at Tom, then kept running straight forward without dodging.
"Clueless woman! Let's see how I finish you!" Sham thrust his claws at Nami, but his hand stopped mid-air, caught firmly from behind by Tom, who had caught up.
"Shut up, woman! We just haven't warmed up yet!" Tom's face was now covered in crawling red and orange stripes. His pupils shifted, one turning red, the other gold. "Get lost. You're not the one I want to beat up right now."
BOOM!
As Sham stared in fear at Tom's strange heterochromatic eyes, Tom punched him, sending him crashing deep into the rocky cliff face, embedding him there.
Nami brushed past Tom without another word. Her target was Zoro's two swords ahead.
Seeing Kuro treat Usopp so cruelly had filled Tom with unbearable rage. Hearing Nami's words, a familiar power surged within him. Red and orange stripes rapidly spread across his body.
With Sham gone, Nami quickly reached the swords and kicked them flying toward Zoro.
As Zoro caught the swords Nami sent flying, Jango finished hypnotizing Sham—who was on the verge of unconsciousness from Tom's punch—and sent him to join Buchi in attacking Zoro.
"KIIIIILLLL!"
"Useless! Even with three swords, your power won't change!" Sham and Buchi roared as they charged at Zoro, who now held a sword in each hand and one in his mouth.
"You still don't get it? Three swords and Three-Sword Style are completely different!" Zoro said, his chest bloodied but his aura more formidable than ever.
"We have to finish them within five minutes! Go all out!" Jango shouted at the cat brothers. He was growing desperate. Nearly two minutes had passed, and both Tom and Zoro were still standing. Moreover, the power Tom had suddenly unleashed and the strange stripes on his face filled Jango with dread.
"Tiger Hunt!"
Zoro, with a sword in his mouth and the other two held in a distinctive back-carrying stance, unleashed a surge of power. The moment Sham and Buchi charged, he shot forward and slashed.
"GYAAAAAH!"
Both Sham and Buchi took severe wounds to their chests—gashes resembling tiger stripes—and screamed in agony.
"He took out the cat brothers in one move!"
The Black Cat Pirates were terrified to see Zoro defeat the cat brothers so easily.
First, Tom, who had been suppressed by Sham, turned around and punched him half to death. Now Zoro easily finished off the cat brothers. The pirates were utterly terrified, their courage shattered.
"Don't worry. You won't have to wait five minutes. We'll take care of all of you!" Zoro said, a sword in his mouth, pointing another at Kuro, who still had his foot on Usopp.
"Let me handle him. The fat one can still move," Tom said, looking at Buchi, who was trying to get up.
"His fat saved him," Zoro said, seeing Buchi being hypnotized by Jango. He walked toward Buchi, leaving Tom with a remark: "Hit him hard!"
"Yeah. That's the plan," Tom nodded and began walking up the slope toward Kuro.
"Kuro, you bastard! You really piss me off! I'm going to beat you to a pulp first, then finish you off!" Tom stood at the base of the slope, looking at Usopp under Kuro's foot, lying in a pool of blood, barely breathing. Rage burned within him.
The red and orange stripes crawling wildly over Tom's face began to recede as he focused on Kuro. They seemed to drain into his eyes. His face returned to normal.
The only difference was his eyes. Both pupils now shone with a deep, bloody crimson.
A faint golden light flickered around the edges of his dark red irises.
Tom could feel it clearly—he was different now. Especially in his eyes. It was as if an unknown power lay hidden within.
"You want to beat me up?" Kuro pushed up his glasses with his palm, his face dark. He stared at Tom and spoke each word deliberately. "Go ahead and try. I hope you're not like the liar under my foot—all talk."
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T/N :
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