Chapter 26: Gap — Kuro Escapes
The wooden block shielding Kuya Mi suddenly began to crack.
One more strike and it would burst apart.
Kuro's blows weren't light—each one carried enough force to splinter the defense. Fortunately, his attack frequency wasn't rapid.
Cheng Lang rushed to Usopp's side, ready to build another wall of blocks. But before he could, a flash of white light caught his eye.
Stab!
A harsh screech of metal rang out as five blades raked across his chest.
"Hiss… that really scared me." Cheng Lang touched his chest.
His clothes were intact, but five pale marks streaked across his skin. His iron chestplate had lost one point of durability.
"So dangerous…" Cheng Lang muttered, staring at Kuro, who had also paused in surprise.
"I didn't expect both of you to be Devil Fruit users," Kuro said, his tone edged with disbelief.
He knew well the legends of the sea's secret treasures. He had even seen one before—Colonel Smoker of Rogue Town, a man whose powers were said to guard the gateway to the Grand Line.
Before he could finish speaking, Luffy lunged.
"I got you—ow!"
He had grabbed Kuro's wrist, only to be slashed by the cat-claw blades. Five bloody lines tore across his arm.
But as his rubber limb snapped back to normal size, the wounds shrank too—long gashes reduced to five shallow cuts.
Ding!
Zoro seized the opening, his swords flashing.
Numbers had their advantage.
Meanwhile, Cheng Lang reinforced the barrier around Usopp and Kaya. Realizing Kuro couldn't break through his defenses, he grew bolder. He drew his iron sword, narrowed his eyes, and prepared to face him.
He knew the principle of Kuro's "Silent Step"—a burst of speed from rapid footwork, like a crude version of soru. But knowing and executing were different things.
Brain: I understand.
Eyes: Simple.
Hands: As long as you have hands.
Feet: You're dreaming.
Kuro, however, had no intention of clashing head-on. He deflected Zoro's strike and retreated swiftly.
"Three with special abilities?" Kuro's scalp prickled.
Each one was troublesome.
One couldn't be cut.
Another shrugged off wounds.
And the last blocked attacks as if they were nothing.
Before he could act again, Zoro had already reset his stance, unwilling to risk another blindside.
Luffy closed in as well, determined not to lose sight of him.
The combined pressure left Kuro flustered, unable to use his Silent Step freely.
Alvida, gripping her mace, watched with conflicted eyes.
"I couldn't see him at all. But those two can—barely. They can't keep up, but at least they can block when he gets close." She tightened her grip. Without her Devil Fruit's immunity to slashes, she would have been cut down already.
Cheng Lang scratched his head.
He hadn't seen anything either. If not for his iron armor, he would have been injured.
"The gap is too obvious," he sighed.
As they spoke, the battle shifted.
Kuro took a punch from Luffy and a slash from Zoro, then disengaged. Without a word, he vanished again into Silent Step.
"Oh no—he's trying to escape!"
Alvida rushed forward, but she wasn't fast enough.
Luffy and Zoro gave chase, but Kuro's speed outstripped them.
"Damn it!" Luffy shouted, fists clenched.
Zoro frowned. In raw strength, Kuro wasn't his match. But his speed was overwhelming.
In close combat, his step technique was limited. But in open space, it gave him a clear edge.
Worse, under the moonlight, his polished claws reflected flashes of silver. Each swing left afterimages that lingered in the eyes, like staring at a bright light in the dark. Even when you blinked, the phantom gleam remained.
The longer the fight dragged on, the more their vision blurred.
That was why, despite their strength, neither Luffy nor Zoro had been able to finish him.
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