Uh… th-thank you.
Usopp raised his head and gave thanks to Reiner and Nami beside him.
He had thought he was surely dead. After all, the enemy was a pirate with a 16 million Berry bounty.
Though he was always spouting tall tales, Usopp knew exactly how weak he truly was.
Yet these people—Luffy, Reiner, and the rest—people he'd only met yesterday, had actually chosen to risk themselves against the infamous Captain Kuro.
"You misunderstand."
Reiner pulled back the bolt of his rifle, glancing at Usopp and Kaya sitting on the ground.
"First off, we came here to deal with Kuro, not for your sakes. Second, there's a ship here."
He paused, then added, "Let's call it a deal. We take down Kuro, and in return, you give us the ship."
Kaya looked at the man before her. His expression was lazy, careless, and she couldn't tell whether he was genuinely helping or just after her family's ship.
But right now, it didn't matter. Even if his intentions weren't pure, so long as she survived this crisis, the result was good enough.
After all, he had just saved her and Usopp's lives.
"I understand. Thank you again for rescuing us."
Kaya was far more tactful than Usopp. Even if they had ulterior motives, she had no room to refuse.
Reiner grinned. "Hey, Luffy! Looks like we've secured our ship!"
"Shishishi! Then we've got even more reason to beat this guy up!"
Luffy cracked his knuckles with a wide grin, charging at Kuro.
Zoro followed close behind. Reiner gave no hesitation either, sending both of his demons forward.
The clash of blades rang out again and again, sparks flying in the air.
"These guys… each one is more ridiculous than the last!"
Kuro clenched his teeth, nearly grinding them to dust. He could feel the immense strength pressing against his Ten Blades, and it shook him.
"All four of them… each one individually has power at least equal to mine. How can a pirate crew this strong exist without me having heard a single word about them!?"
But it wasn't his fault. This was only their second day at sea.
Yesterday, they'd only just stirred up Branch 153. And early this morning, they'd already landed in Syrup Village.
No matter how sharp Kuro's intelligence network was, there was no way it could have kept up.
Within just a few exchanges, Kuro was already pinned down.
Then—WHAM!—Luffy's fist slammed into his gut.
Kuro doubled over, only to feel the Chainsaw Devil rip open his back with a vicious cut.
"Arghhh!"
The searing pain made him stagger, but he clenched his teeth and forced his legs to move, bursting away with Silent Step to put distance between them.
Cold sweat trickled down his forehead. His eyes darkened.
"…I'll have to use it. That move."
Shakushi. Kuro's strongest technique—the evolution of Silent Step.
So fast, even he couldn't see where he was striking. Once unleashed, it didn't stop until either his target was dead or his own stamina ran dry.
He adjusted his glasses with the palm of his hand. Crossing his arms, the claws glinted ominously.
"Shakushi!"
In the blink of an eye, Kuro vanished. A storm whipped across the lawn, blades of wind tearing through everything in its path.
"So fast!"
"I can't even see him at all!" Luffy and Zoro exclaimed, stunned by the speed.
SLASH, SLASH, SLASH!
The ground is split with deep gashes. Then the walls. The trees.
Random. Unpredictable. Merciless.
"Fall back! Get clear of this area!" Reiner barked, his face tight with focus.
He crossed one arm over his chest, the other over his throat, shielding his vital points as he backed away.
Usopp dragged Kaya to safety.
Nami, far more sensible, had already ducked into hiding. She'd seen enough of their power to know—if they couldn't handle Kuro, she had no chance.
CLANG!
Sparks erupted from the Blade Devil's sword, fresh cuts appearing on its legs.
"Luffy! Zoro! Fall back and let them take it!"
Reiner shouted. Shakushi was as fast as the Navy's "Soru." None of them could track him yet.
Their only hope was to endure—either wait for Kuro's stamina to burn out, or catch him the instant he struck. A gamble.
But with Reiner's undead, it was easier.
They weren't alive. They could take the hits. If they broke, he could just repair them—it only cost him stamina.
"Got it!"
Luffy and Zoro withdrew without hesitation. This wasn't a duel. They weren't dumb enough to just stand there waiting to be cut down.
The Blade Devil and Chainsaw Devil braced themselves.
They raised their weapons high, ignoring the cuts ripping across their backs.
Then—slashes tore open the Chainsaw Devil's chest.
The undead moved instantly, swinging their weapons with deadly force.
"GAAAHHHH!"
A scream erupted. Blood sprayed.
The Blade Devil had landed a lucky strike, clipping Kuro mid-sprint.
The high-speed captain staggered, tumoring across the ground in a bloody heap.
"My arm!!!"
Kuro shrieked, clutching the bloody stump where his right arm had been. Agony wracked his body.
The undead charged again, weapons poised to finish him.
Strangely, Kuro exhaled in relief. He knew this was the end.
"…So it ends here."
His expression dimmed. He had no strength left to move.
"This is why I hated this life. Always living in fear—wondering which stronger pirate would come for me next, or dealing with endless pests gnawing at me."
"…How annoying."
"If I'd known, maybe I should've just kept living quietly after all."
SLASH! SLASH! SLASH!
Blood burst forth.
Kuro's vision blurred. His body collapsed, sprawled across the blood-soaked lawn.
For Reiner, his death stirred no emotion.
There were countless ways to live peacefully. He could've stayed hidden in Kaya's mansion forever, and it wouldn't have been so bad. In the end, it was his greed that doomed him.
Every choice has a cost. Kuro had simply lost his gamble.
"Is he dead?"
"Yeah. Dead as can be."
Reiner replied to Usopp, stepping forward to harvest data from Kuro's corpse.
The man's explosive leg strength was impressive. Fragile, yes, but Reiner's powers could make up for that.
His raw strength was lacking, but with weapons, he'd still be deadly in the early stages.
Reiner's expectations for him were high.
Before long, Kaya's guards rushed out to clean the scene, and the group was invited into the mansion.
Led by the butler Merry, they entered through the grand doors, down a long corridor, and into the reception hall.
It was vast and luxurious—a massive round tea table at the center, surrounded by leather sofas, a crystal chandelier above, patterned tiles below.
Reiner leaned back into the sofa, letting his eyes wander. Priceless art pieces adorned the room. Just the paintings alone numbered a dozen.
No wonder Kuro had been tempted. This single hall was worth several times his bounty.
"Heh. I knew she was rich, but this is ridiculous."
Reiner smirked to himself. Maybe he should extort a little more. Surely, the family had fine wine and tobacco stashed away.
For Kaya's health, of course—he'd just have to "relieve" her of them.
What's that? Shameless?
Yes, that's me.
Meanwhile, Nami's eyes shimmered with despair. So many treasures, right in front of her, yet she couldn't take a single one.
"Maybe just a few pieces... just a few," she whispered to herself.
"No. I swore I'd only steal from pirates."
"But—but we did save her life. Taking a little wouldn't be so bad..."
"No, Nami! That'd make me no different from them."
"But I am a pirate!"
She was having a full-blown argument with herself, which made Reiner snicker.
"Please, stay for dinner tonight."
Kaya entered with a gentle smile. "Later, I'll show you the ship. Merry designed it himself."
This trip has really paid off, Reiner thought, reclining in satisfaction.