At that critical moment, a look of absolute resolve flashed across Usopp's eyes.
Ignoring the agonizing pain tearing through his shoulder, and even the razor-sharp claws Kuro was already swinging toward him, he gathered every ounce of strength he had left. Snatching up a specially prepared explosive round mixed with his custom gunpowder, he hurled it toward the Nyaban Brothers.
"Don't you dare touch him! Gunpowder Star: Burst!"
BOOM!
The projectile exploded violently right in front of Sham and Buchi.
The blast wasn't powerful enough to seriously injure them, but it was more than enough to send them flying.
The shockwave and flying debris blasted both brothers off their feet, interrupting their attack. They crashed to the ground in a heap, covered in cuts and bruises.
Almost simultaneously, Kuro's icy voice rang out.
"So you've chosen death."
Slash!
His claws carved mercilessly across Usopp's back, leaving behind a gruesome, blood-soaked gash.
"Urgh!"
Usopp groaned as he was thrown face-first into the dirt. Blood rapidly soaked through the back of his shirt, and the overwhelming pain nearly robbed him of consciousness.
But he gritted his teeth.
His trembling hands pressed against the ground as he forced his battered body back up onto one knee, planting himself firmly between Kuro and the still-slumbering Luffy.
His vision blurred from pain and blood loss.
Every breath burned.
Yet his eyes still held determination.
As long as Luffy stayed behind him...
He could still fight without holding back.
Kuro glanced at the Nyaban Brothers, who had only just managed to crawl back to their feet while groaning in pain after being blown away.
His eyes filled with contempt.
"Worthless."
He had already decided.
If he intended to erase Kuro from history and live forever as the respected butler Klahadore...
Then every trace of his pirate past had to disappear.
Including every single member of the Black Cat Pirates.
From this day forward...
Kuro would die.
Only Klahadore would remain.
Ignoring his incompetent subordinates, he focused all of his murderous intent on the exhausted Usopp.
"How touching, Mr. Usopp."
Kuro's voice dripped with mockery as he slowly approached.
"Throwing your life away for a pirate you only met today. How utterly foolish."
"I am Kuro of a Hundred Plans. Unlike those fools, I will earn this village's admiration."
Usopp coughed up a mouthful of blood.
Sweat mixed with crimson trickled down his face as he glared stubbornly at Kuro.
"He... isn't a bad pirate..."
"He believed in me..."
"So... I believe in him too..."
"As for you..."
Usopp spat at him.
"Ptoo."
Kuro couldn't understand that kind of trust.
Nor did he care to.
All he knew was that Usopp had exposed a fatal opening to save the Straw Hat boy.
And now...
He would end his life.
Bonds.
Trust.
To Kuro, they were the greatest joke in the world.
Only intelligence and careful planning could obtain everything a person desired.
"Then take that ridiculous faith of yours to the grave!"
Kuro's body began swaying in that eerie rhythm.
The surrounding Black Cat Pirates immediately backed away.
They knew exactly what their captain was about to use.
"Captain!"
One of them shouted anxiously.
"The vice-captain is still over there!"
Kuro didn't even slow down.
Once Usopp died, none of them had any remaining value.
He would become the hero who drove away the pirates.
Afterward, he would eliminate Kaya as well.
His perfect plan would finally be complete.
"Shakushi!"
Usopp watched the deadly blur rushing toward him.
But blood loss and pain had made his body unbearably heavy.
He tried to move.
His legs refused to respond.
Move...
Move!
He screamed inside his own mind.
His vision grew increasingly blurry.
Kuro split into countless afterimages before his eyes.
Is this... the end...?
Mom...
Kaya...
I'm sorry...
Luffy...
A crushing sense of helplessness gripped his heart.
He had done everything he could.
He truly had.
Yet he still refused to surrender.
If he was going down...
Then Kuro had to die with him.
He could never allow monsters like these to enter his village.
The village would never survive such devastation.
His trembling hand reached toward the final specially-made explosive at his waist.
His last trump card.
A bomb powerful enough to level the entire area.
"...Sorry, Luffy..."
Usopp whispered quietly as his fingers curled around the fuse.
"Looks like... you'll have to die with me..."
He cast one final glance toward the village.
A trace of longing filled his eyes.
"Goodbye..."
"Mom..."
"Kaya..."
Kuro's claws screamed through the air, aiming straight for Usopp's heart.
Just as death was about to claim him...
"Three Sword Style..."
"Oni Giri!"
A green blur tore into the battlefield like a storm ripping through space itself.
Three razor-sharp sword arcs crossed in an instant, intercepting Kuro's fatal strike.
Had Kuro not instinctively leaped backward...
He would have been cut clean in half.
Zoro had arrived.
You could always trust the future Pirate King's right-hand man.
Well...
Except when it came to directions.
Standing before Usopp, Zoro slowly lowered his swords.
He looked calmly at the retreating Kuro.
"Picking off someone who's already badly wounded..."
He narrowed his eyes.
"That's pretty pathetic."
Kuro's pupils contracted.
He stared at the green-haired swordsman in disbelief.
When did he get here?
I didn't sense him at all.
No.
That wasn't the real problem.
The swordsman had charged straight through Shakushi.
Not only had he blocked the attack effortlessly...
He had counterattacked in the exact same instant.
He's strong.
A serious variable has entered my plan.
With a flick of his wrists, Zoro forced Kuro back several more steps.
Without turning around, he glanced over his shoulder.
"Oi."
"You still alive, Long Nose?"
Seeing Zoro's broad back standing firmly between himself and Kuro...
A back that looked capable of stopping anything...
The tension inside Usopp finally eased.
Despite the pain, he managed a crooked grin.
"...Who are you calling Long Nose, you moss-headed idiot..."
"I'm... not dead yet..."
"You finally... got here..."
"For a second..."
"I thought you'd abandoned your captain."
Zoro never looked back.
He didn't need to.
His very presence was reassurance.
Simply standing there alive made everyone behind him feel safe.
Because he was Roronoa Zoro.
At that moment, the Nyaban Brothers, Sham and Buchi, staggered back onto their feet.
Spotting Zoro's back turned toward them and the still-sleeping Luffy, vicious smiles spread across their faces once more.
The two exchanged a glance.
Without a word, they lunged together toward the unconscious Luffy.
"Got him!"
Sham laughed as he slashed downward.
But before either claw could reach Luffy...
Slash!
A brilliant crescent of sword light flashed through the air.
Zoro didn't even fully turn around.
He simply swung one sword behind him.
Slice!
The brothers froze mid-charge.
Thin crimson lines appeared across both of their chests.
A heartbeat later...
Blood burst from the wounds as both men screamed and were hurled backward once again.
Instant defeat.
Only then did Zoro slowly turn to face them completely.
The three blades in his hands glimmered beneath the sunlight.
His cold gaze swept over the collapsed brothers.
"You two..."
"What exactly were you trying to do..."
"...to my captain?"
At that moment, Zoro stood before both Luffy and Usopp like an unshakable guardian.
His overwhelming presence dominated the entire battlefield.
Watching his unwavering back, feeling that incredible sense of security...
The last trace of anxiety disappeared from Usopp's heart.
His lips curled into a faint smile as he whispered so softly that it was almost inaudible.
"...You're... really reliable..."
----------------------------------
Hooked already? Let me know what grabbed you leave a review and fuel the journey forward! and if we hit every 250 Power Stones, a bonus chapter drops!
Things are just heating up. Read ahead in Unbound Evolution and stay ahead of the crowd.
[email protected]/_tey
Change @ to a.