The smile faded from Wayne's face as he regarded Kuro with solemn eyes.
Panic flashed across Kuro's features. He spun on his heel and bolted toward the village.
"Shave."
In the next instant Wayne blocked his path. Even though Kuro was over two meters tall, the Warlord's three-meter-plus frame loomed above him.
Kuro's shoulders sagged. "Why would a man like you care about a small-time pirate such as me?"
Robin handed Wayne a wanted poster. Wayne read aloud. "Kuro of a Hundred Plans, bounty sixteen million Beli. A big name in East Blue a few years ago." He tapped the photo. "Officially captured by Captain Morgan of Shells Town… but that was only your shell-game. What you really wanted was to retire as a wealthy gentleman, correct?"
Kuro's mouth hung open. The years of patience and plotting he thought so clever now felt like a child's trick under Wayne's gaze.
Wayne's tone turned playful. "But quitting our line of work is not so simple. Tell me, what will it be?"
Kuro swallowed. "What do you mean?"
"I like your brain," Wayne said. "Come work for me. A Warlord's crew is the best place for a pirate who wants a clean slate."
Kuro said nothing, weighing his odds. Wayne raised a hand to speak further
"Silent Step. Scoop."
Kuro's claws flashed as he launched his signature assault.
"Shave."
Wayne sidestepped so easily it looked casual, then jabbed with a fingertip. "Finger Gun."
Snap. The ten claws shattered. Cold sweat slid down Kuro's neck.
Wayne did not press the attack. "Decent speed, but your version of Shave goes only in a straight line. That's one of the Navy's Six Styles. Interested in learning the real thing?"
A spark of curiosity lit Kuro's eyes. "Six Styles?"
"Just a warm-up compared to what the Grand Line offers. So, will you join me and see it for yourself?"
After a long silence Kuro bowed. "Pirate Kuro pledges himself to you, Boss."
Wayne nodded, unsurprised; the Superstar title had its own gravity. "Wise choice. From now on you are Agent Black Cat, number zero-eight." He clapped Kuro's shoulder. "My ship is the safest in the New World. One day you will thank me."
That night Wayne explained everything to Kaya. Kuro officially boarded the Apocalypse.
Half a Month Later
The dreadnought cut through East Blue toward Reverse Mountain. The Four-Seas Tour was finally behind Wayne; now the Grand Line awaited.
For Kuro, the past two weeks felt like a fever dream. Wayne's "introductory course" started at five each morning: calisthenics, breakfast, sparring, lunch, more drills, more sparring, dinner, sparring again, collapse into bed.
Any time Kuro lay half-dead on the deck, Wayne's restorative meals filled him with new strength painful and exhilarating in equal measure.
Progress was undeniable. The once-rusty pirate now executed a rudimentary Shave, and his appetite key in this world had doubled.
One afternoon he sprawled on the planks, gasping. "Exhausted… but the Captain's food is incredible."
"Ku-ro!"
Gloria's voice sent a chill up his spine. She had been his main sparring partner, and bruises still bloomed where her kicks landed.
"Coming!" Kuro stumbled toward her, bracing for another round
"Captain wants you," she said, sounding almost disappointed.
Relief flooded him. He hurried to the bow, where Wayne, Robin, Gloria, and several deckhands had gathered.
"We will pass Reverse Mountain shortly," Wayne announced. "Most of you have done it before, but Kuro watch yourself."
He pointed to the colossal peak ahead, its sky-piercing river shining like a silver road. The sight humbled everyone anew.
Kuro sniffed, unimpressed. "Just a mountain," he muttered until the Apocalypse rounded a bend and the full grandeur of Reverse Mountain filled the horizon.
His jaw dropped. "Na… ni?"
Everyone laughed as the ship began its climb toward the Grand Line.