Chapter 7: A Hundred Schemes Expose Kroo's Identity"Besides, aren't we on our way to find a ship?"
Nami sighed, feeling utterly exhausted. "That Syrup Village you mentioned, does it really have a large ship that can take us on a long voyage?"
Luffy gave a thumbs up, looking confident. "Absolutely! That ship has the potential to become a ship spirit."
"A ship spirit?" Nami was taken aback. "Don't be ridiculous, that's just a fairy tale for kids."
Luffy smiled but didn't argue. The scene of the Going Merry burning down in the anime had brought tears to his eyes, even though he was a grown man.
This time, they didn't go looking for trouble with Buggy. Instead, they turned their ship around and headed straight for Usopp's hometown.
As expected, the heavens were uncooperative. Large, dark clouds pressed down like the bottom of a black pot.
A torrential downpour instantly poured down, drenching the world.
"It's all your fault for jinxing me! My clothes are soaked!"
Nami shivered, her head resting on an empty sake barrel, barely managing to shield herself from the rain.
Luffy and Zoro were completely drenched.
"Zoro, honestly, you didn't even bring an umbrella."
Luffy accused, wiping his nosebleed as he reluctantly averted his gaze from Nami's soaking wet body.
This rain couldn't have come at the right time!
Zorro was furious: "Huh?! You idiot, what's it to me? You didn't bring one either!"
"This isn't about bringing an umbrella! You two morons!"
Nami felt her sanity teetering on the edge of collapse.
Suddenly, Luffy pointed to the misty sea in the distance.
"Look! There's a big ship up ahead!"
The group looked closely and saw a pirate ship flying a black cat and skull flag anchored in the rain.
"Haha! Just when I was sleepy, someone delivered a pillow!"
Luffy abruptly stood up, his arms twisting wildly like pretzels a dozen times.
"Gum-Gum—Propeller!"
Luffy stretched his hands underwater at the stern and spun them at high speed like a motor.
"Wait a minute!!"
Nami hadn't even reacted before the immense force threw her into Luffy's arms.
The unsuspecting Zoro was tragically flung away like a cannonball.
"Damn Luffy!! I'll kill—you—!"
Zoro's screams faded into the distance with the waves.
"Swim over here! Let's steal the ship first!"
Luffy yelled at Zoro, who was floundering in the sea.
Zoro, choking on water, cursed angrily: "I! @#￥%..."
Meanwhile, on the Black Cat Pirates' ship, two lookouts, wearing straw hats, were grumbling miserably in the rain.
"In this awful weather, not a soul in sight, and we're forced to stand guard."
"Exactly! Those guys are all inside drinking and eating, it's so unfair."
"Hey, the old captain actually contacted us this time, it's like the sun rose in the west."
"I heard he worked as a butler for a rich family for three years."
"Pshaw, to put it bluntly, he's after their fortune. He called us here to take down that heir."
"As expected of Hundred-Strategy Kro, I admire his patience."
"Haha, indeed..."
The two were chatting animatedly when suddenly a scream came from below.
"Go!"
"Aaaaaah!"
The next second, an ridiculously long arm grabbed the mast, and Luffy, along with Nami, shot up like a slingshot.
"So there were two gatekeeper henchmen too."
The moment Luffy landed, before the two unfortunate pirates could even see what was happening, he delivered a flying kick.
The two pirates screamed and flew off the deck like shooting stars.
Thump!
Nami punched Luffy hard on the head.
"You want to die?! Can't you at least give me a heads-up next time?! You scared the wits off my back!"
Watching Nami's chest heave violently, Luffy rubbed his head, which didn't hurt at all, savoring the sensation, and chuckled, "Next time, I'll definitely."
But in his mind, he silently added: "You'll do it again next time!"
Then, Luffy swaggered in, leading Nami towards the cabin door.
Inside, the Black Cat Pirates were having a wild party, the air thick with smoke.
"Men, stand on the left! Women, stand on the right! Hand over your money if you don't want to die!"
Luffy kicked open the door, his voice booming like a bandit's.
Nami: "..."
Come on, you're a Marine now, can't you have some professionalism?!
Luffy realized he'd picked up the wrong script and quickly coughed twice to cover his embarrassment:
"Ahem, a slip of the tongue, a slip of the tongue, let's start again. I am Marine Headquarters Captain Luffy, everyone immediately put your hands on your heads and kneel down, or you will be killed without mercy!"
The pirates in the cabin were startled at first, and a few cowards reflexively raised their hands.
What's going on? Why would a Marine Headquarters officer come to this remote corner of the East Blue to ambush them?
Has their plan been exposed?
But after waiting for a long time, apart from these two fools, there wasn't a single Marine in sight.
The hypnotist with heart-shaped glasses praised him.
Hearing Luffy's seemingly all-knowing words, Kuro's previously well-maintained mask finally crumbled, his face darkening as if it could drip water.
He simply couldn't understand how this straw-hatted brat had managed to completely expose his meticulously crafted plan.
At this point, even a fool could see his identity was utterly exposed; there was no point in continuing the charade.
Only Kaya, as innocent as a blank sheet of paper, blinked her large eyes, looking blankly back and forth between the two, completely oblivious to the cryptic conversation.
A fierce glint flashed in Kuro's eyes, then he forced a gentle, fake smile.
He adjusted his glasses, his tone remaining calm: "This guest is quite the joker. Where would a 'Hundred-Tricked Kuro' come from in this secluded place?"
Luffy chuckled, his gaze as if looking at a monkey performing a trick: "Don't pretend. I think you're a carbon copy of that guy on the wanted poster. Even plastic surgery couldn't make you look this similar."
Kuro remained unmoved, his composure astonishing.
He retorted slowly and deliberately: "The world is full of wonders. There are countless people who look alike. Besides, that guy on the wanted poster has a fierce, menacing face. How does he resemble my refined butler even a little?"
Luffy shrugged indifferently, his gesture exuding the casualness of a street urchin.
He clutched the back of his head and said, "Since you're so stubborn, then how about we trouble Butler Krabatel to come to the naval base? We can verify your identity. If we've arrested the wrong person, I'll definitely bring you back safe and sound."
The tension in the air grew increasingly palpable. Even the oblivious Kaya sensed the deadly camaraderie in their words.
Panic gripped her, and she quickly stepped in to defend him: "Mr. Luffy, you must be mistaken! Butler has worked diligently for our family for so many years, he wouldn't even step on an ant, how could he be a bad person!"
Kro, seizing the opportunity, immediately adopted a look of utter injustice and sneered at Luffy: "Trying to smear someone's innocence with just words? Do you have any evidence? Or is your navy's current investigative style just grabbing any innocent civilian to take the fall?"
Luffy innocently shrugged, his expression utterly irritating.
"Yeah, I just don't have any evidence."
This was like a slap in the face, almost giving Kuro a stroke on the spot.
Luffy grinned, revealing a set of pearly white teeth: "I just don't like you and suspect you, what can you do about it? Cooperating with the Navy's investigation is every citizen's honorable duty, don't you know the law?"
The veins on Kuro's forehead throbbed like wriggling earthworms, and he almost spat out blood.
Zoro and Nami next to him shrugged, desperately pinching their thighs to keep from laughing out loud.
Luffy's move was blatant thuggery. If it really came down to evidence, the Black Cat Pirates' ship at the dock was full of witnesses and physical evidence; you could grab a handful at a time.
Kuro's face was as black as the bottom of a pot. He stared intently at Luffy, gritting his teeth and growling, "You want me to go with you? No way! Unless you bring a corpse! Then the scandal of the Navy's indiscriminate killing will be all over the sea by tomorrow!"
Luffy clicked his tongue twice, looking like he was enjoying the drama. "As expected of the intelligent Kuro, I admire your stubbornness."
Just as the two sides were at a stalemate, a commotion suddenly erupted outside the villa.
Several young, panicked voices screamed.
"Captain Usopp! Something terrible has happened!"
"A terrifyingly large pirate ship has docked on the east coast!"
"It's a real pirate ship! Its flag has a black cat and skull on it, it's creepy!"
Onion Head and his two little brats came running up the slope, their faces filled with fear.
Kuro, who had been trying to maintain his composure, suddenly changed color completely, his expression a mix of emotions that could only smack of something as unbelievable as someone who had swallowed a pound of flies.
These incompetent, useless idiots!
Of all times, their whereabouts were discovered at this critical moment?
He abruptly turned to Luffy, only to see Luffy leisurely picking his ear and casually adding insult to injury: "Oh, I forgot to tell you, I took down a bunch of pirates on the way here. Since they're your old subordinates, I thought I'd bring them along for a chat."
"You dare to play me?!"
Kuro could no longer maintain his feigned gentlemanly demeanor; his face instantly contorted with rage.
Luffy laughed heartily at the sight of his opponent's broken defenses: "Getting impatient! Looks like your composure still needs work."
Kro gave the group a sinister look, his eyes as cold as a venomous snake.
He slowly removed his glasses, his tone turning icy: "Since you can't keep up the act anymore, don't blame me for being impolite."
He sighed, as if regretting something: "One by one, you all want to jump out and become my stumbling blocks."
"These three years of forbearance, every single second has been torture for me."
Kro glared fiercely at Luffy and the others, his murderous aura radiating almost tangible power.
Kaya stared incredulously at the man who had suddenly become a stranger, her voice trembling as she asked, "What nonsense are you spouting, Butler Bartel?"
She couldn't accept that the butler who had always been so caring and kind to her was now displaying such a devilish expression.
Kuro completely ignored her, stomping his feet on the ground and vanishing in an instant, becoming a blur like a ghost.
Zoro's pupils constricted sharply, his hand instantly gripping the hilt of his sword: "So fast! Gone?"
Kaya burst into tears, screaming in despair, "Krabatel, I don't believe you're a pirate! This is impossible!"
Kro's maniacal voice echoed in the air: "For three whole years, I spent like a dog, trying to please these stupid villagers in pursuit of that damned peace of mind. That feeling of being trusted was nauseating!"
"Just when I was about to achieve my goal, take the money, and run away to enjoy life, you bastards had to come and interfere!"
"You ruined my flawless plan! Now I, Captain Kuro, have to fawn over a snotty-nosed blonde brat and force myself to try and appease you against my will!"
"Can you understand? The humiliation of having my dignity trampled underfoot! The once mighty Captain Kuro, who once dominated the East Blue, has fallen to this level!"
Kuro roared hysterically, venting his pent-up resentment as he rapidly shifted his position.
Everyone in the villa was shocked by this utterly shameless declaration.
Kaya was already sobbing uncontrollably, trembling on the floor.
Nami and Usopp were furious, their teeth itching to bite him.
Even Zoro, who was used to seeing villains, felt a physical disgust for this ruthless pirate, his brows furrowed deeply.
When Kuro reappeared, his hands were now clad in gleaming cat-claw gloves, the sharp blades radiating a bloodthirsty aura.
He glared fiercely at everyone, his eyes filled with murderous intent: "Since the plan has fallen through, killing you all won't hurt! As long as the dead shut their mouths, I can still take the money and leave!"
"Shut up! I won't allow you to hurt Kaya!"
A furious roar suddenly rang out.
Usopp, seemingly finding courage from nowhere, shakily drew the flintlock pistol from the waist of one of his bodyguards, closed his eyes, and pulled the trigger at Kuro.
Bang!
Sparks flew, and the loud gunshot made Kaya scream in terror.
Kuro, however, merely sneered contemptuously, his foot slightly shifting as the bullet grazed past his clothes as if guided by instinct.
The next second, he teleported directly behind Usopp.
"Speaking of which, if it weren't for you, you good-for-nothing, causing trouble every day for the past three years, Kaya would have been meeting her parents long ago."
Kro's chilling laughter rang in Usopp's ears, ten cold blades already pressed against his neck.
Usopp was instantly terrified, his legs shaking wildly as if they were powered by motors.
"Hey, hey, aren't you being a bit too arrogant?"
Luffy lazily put his legs back on the sofa and stood up: "Taking a hostage in front of the Marines, do you think we're just for show?"
Kro glanced at Luffy disdainfully: "Just a little brat, stealing a uniform and thinking you're a Marine? You look like a complete waste of space."