Chapter 15 The End of the Road for Hundred-Plan KroLuffy hadn't gone far; his Observation Haki firmly locked onto Kuro's presence.
The treacherous butler hadn't truly left Syrup Village; he was merely hiding in the woods on the village's outskirts, awaiting the cat-man brothers' signal.
Time ticked by, but the promised signal failed to arrive.
Kuro's eyes behind his glasses grew increasingly grim, his fingers unconsciously pushing up the frames—a habitual gesture when he was thinking.
Something went wrong? Had the cat-man brothers failed? Or were those outsiders…?
Kuro stopped waiting and silently crept back to the vicinity of the villa.
When Kuro climbed over a hidden corner in the backyard and saw Sam and Banchi lying in the storage room like tattered sacks, his face turned completely dark.
The plan had failed.
But Kuro didn't panic; three years of patience had made him accustomed to preparing a backup plan.
He quickly regained his composure, loosened his tie, and instantly switched back to the panicked butler's expression, rushing into the villa through the front door.
"Miss! Something terrible has happened! I heard there are intruders breaking in! Are you alright?!"
Kro shouted as he rushed into the living room, his acting superb; anyone would have thought he was a loyal servant worried about his master's safety.
The maid, still shaken, pointed upstairs: "Miss...Miss is upstairs, there are guests..."
Kro sneered inwardly. Guests? It was them after all!
Kro hurried upstairs and rushed into the living room, his face filled with anxiety: "Miss! You..."
His words trailed off.
In the living room, Kaya sat on the sofa, her face still pale, but her eyes no longer held their usual gentle dependence; instead, they were filled with pain as she looked at him.
Noki stood beside her, gently supporting her shoulder.
The boy in the straw hat leaned against the window opposite, his back to the sunlight, his expression obscured, but Kuro could feel a cold gaze upon him.
Kaya's voice trembled, choked with disbelief and tears: "Mr. Krabatel... they say it was you... you ordered... to kill me..."
Kro's heart skipped a beat, but his face instantly contorted with shock and anguish at being wrongly accused. He stepped forward, his voice rising, filled with "sincere" grief and indignation:
"Miss! How could you believe the nonsense of outsiders!
I've served you for three years, caring for your daily needs, managing the household affairs, working diligently—how could I possibly harm you?
It must be these pirates of unknown origin. They murdered the villains and are trying to frame me to seize your inheritance, Miss!"
Kro's voice was full of emotion, even his eyes reddening, his finger trembling as he pointed at Luffy.
This performance, under normal circumstances, would have been enough to shake the kind-hearted Kaya.
But now, having witnessed the cat-men's ferocity firsthand, heard Luffy's calm yet confident accusations, and heard Nojiko's quiet additions of details, Kaya's resolve had already shifted.
Looking at Kuro's familiar yet unfamiliar face, Kaya felt a wave of nausea rise from the depths of her heart.
Luffy, who had been facing away from the window, slowly turned around.
Sunlight streamed in from behind, gilding Luffy's features but casting his face in shadow, making him appear even more enigmatic.
"Kuro, what are you pretending for?"
Luffy's simple six words instantly froze Kuro's performance on his face.
The grief, resentment, and loyalty on Kuro's face vanished like the receding tide, replaced by a chilling ruthlessness, as if all pretense had been torn away.
Kuro slowly straightened up, adjusting his glasses. The glare from the lenses obscured his eyes, but the previously restrained ferocity now emanated undisguisedly.
Kuro's voice became deep and smooth, devoid of any butler's humility, replaced only by the coldness of a pirate:
"Heh... I really underestimated you. Since you've been seen through, there's nothing I can do."
Kuro flicked his wrist, and ten sharp blades, like cat claws, silently emerged from his always-gloved hand—his signature weapon, "Cat Claws"!
"I was hoping to let you live a few more days, but alas..."
Kuro's figure suddenly blurred, and with superhuman speed, he lunged at Kaya on the sofa!
His target was Kaya! Once Kaya was dead, there would be no way to prove anything, and he could still use his position as the butler to control everything and pin the blame on these pirates!
"Miss, be careful!" Nojiko cried out, trying to shield Kaya, but Kuro was too fast!
Kaya closed her eyes in fright.
However, the expected blade didn't come.
A fist covered in black Armament Haki, arriving faster than expected, seemed to transcend space, slamming firmly into the side of Kuro's outstretched cat paw!
Clang—!!!
A deafening clang of metal clashing rang out! Sparks flew everywhere!
Kro felt an indescribable force from the cat paw, making his fingers numb and his tiger's mouth split open!
The cat's claw, forged from high-strength steel, shattered like paper before this black fist, breaking inch by inch from the point of impact!
"What?!" Kuro's pupils constricted, his heart filled with horror!
The power of this punch completely exceeded his expectations! This was not the level of what the East Blue should possess!
Kuro reacted extremely quickly, attempting to retreat using the momentum, hoping to maneuver using his agile footwork and speed.
But Luffy was faster!
The instant Kuro moved, Luffy's figure appeared like a ghost, the hand that had just shattered the cat's claw now spread its five fingers, gripping Kuro's neck with the precision of an iron clamp, lifting him off the ground, and then slamming him violently against the wall beside him!
Boom!
The wall emitted a muffled thud, and spiderweb-like cracks spread from Kuro's back.
Kuro was struck so hard he saw stars, his internal organs felt displaced, and a mouthful of blood welled up in his throat, which he forced down.
He tried to struggle, to use his "Spoon" technique—a silent movement—but the hand gripping his neck was like cast iron, not only immobilizing his body but also suppressing his own strength with the terrifying aura emanating from it!
"Your schemes are useless against me," Luffy's voice was close at hand, eerily calm.
Luffy held Kuro by the neck with one hand, pinning him against the wall, his other hand casually in his pocket.
The absolute difference in strength rendered all his calculations a joke.
Kuro's face turned purplish-red from suffocation and terror. He futilely scratched at Luffy's arm, unable even to leave a white mark on the dark skin.
Despair overwhelmed him like icy water.
Three years of patient forbearance, meticulous planning, and yet he was ultimately defeated by a boy who appeared out of nowhere! And this boy was unbelievably powerful!
"Mr. Luffy..." Kaya's trembling voice came through the phone. Looking at Kuro's pained state, despite the anger of betrayal burning within her, her kind nature stirred a pang of pity.
Luffy glanced at Kaya upon hearing her voice.
His gaze remained calm, but the hand gripping Kuro's neck loosened slightly.
Kro gasped for breath like a dying fish, his eyes filled with fear and pleading.
Luffy released his grip.
Kro collapsed to the ground, coughing violently, tears and snot streaming down his face, a pathetic sight.
Luffy raised his foot and placed it on Kuro's chest, looking down at him condescendingly: "Want to live or die?"
Kro had no doubt that if he made the slightest movement, that foot on his chest would instantly crush his heart.
All his pride, all his schemes, became a pathetic joke before this absolute power.
Kro nodded with difficulty, forcing out a gasp from his throat: "Live...I want to live..."
Soon, the villagers and the sheriff, alerted by the maid, arrived.
When they saw the butler dragged out like a dead dog, his limbs twisted at bizarre angles, and the shattered cat paws beside him, everyone was stunned.
With Luffy's brief explanation and the cat-man brothers' confession, the truth came to light.
This butler, Krabatel, who had a good reputation in the village, was actually the pirate with a bounty of 16 million Berries three years ago—Kro the Hundred-Trickster!
He had meticulously infiltrated for three years, all to steal the enormous fortune of the Kaya family!
The enraged villagers bound the incapacitated Kuro and the cat-man brothers, preparing to hand them over to the Marines.
Meanwhile, their eyes were filled with gratitude and awe as they looked at Luffy.
This young man not only saved Miss Kaya but also eliminated such a terrible threat to the village!
Words like "benevolent," "powerful," and "reliable" began to circulate in Syrup Village.
Kaya stood at the villa's entrance, watching Kuro being taken away, her heart filled with mixed emotions.
Three years of meticulous care had turned out to be a carefully planned deception.
And the one who saved her from dire straits and exposed everything was a stranger she had only known for a few days.
Kaya subconsciously searched for that figure and saw him talking to Nojiko, his profile clearly visible in the sunlight.
Overwhelming gratitude surged within her. Kaya knew that her feelings for Luffy might have transcended simple gratitude.
[System Notification: Target Kaya's favorability remains at 65/100, gratitude + dependence + admiration + sense of security are at their peak, target status urgently needs adjustment.]
That night, Luffy came alone to Kaya's room.
The door was ajar, warm light shining from inside.
Luffy pushed open the door and entered. Kaya was sitting on a chair by the window, hugging her knees, gazing blankly at the night sky.
Hearing the sound, she turned around and saw Luffy. Tears instantly welled up in her sapphire-like eyes, shimmering in the lamplight.
Luffy walked to her side, said nothing, but gently wiped away the tears that had slid down her cheek with the pad of his thumb.
Luffy's movements weren't exactly gentle, even a little stiff, but his focus made Kaya's heart skip a beat.
"Mr. Luffy..." her voice choked.
"Call me Luffy," he interrupted, his voice lower than usual.
Kaya's face flushed instantly, her heart pounding so hard it felt like it would burst out of her chest.
She looked at the boy's face so close to hers; there was no smile, but no indifference either, only a calm that both reassured and unsettled her.
"L...Luffy..." Kaya mustered her courage and softly uttered the name.
Luffy lowered his head, his touch landing on her forehead.
Kaya trembled, her mind blank, feeling only a burning sensation where he had touched her, a heat that quickly spread throughout her body.
Kaya froze, unsure how to react.
Luffy straightened up, looking into her flustered yet shy blue eyes, and declared in a tone of pronouncement, "You're mine."
Kaya stared blankly at him. A few seconds later, she suddenly threw herself into Luffy's arms, hugging his waist tightly, burying her face in his chest, and tears streamed down her face again.
Luffy let her hug him, his hand gently stroking her long golden hair, but his gaze went beyond her head, looking towards the night sky outside the window.