A pirate ship trailed Gawain's warship from a cautious distance.
Atop its watchtower, a lanky man in heart-shaped sunglasses stood with a telescope in hand, observing the warship several kilometers ahead. Once he confirmed the identification number of the vessel, he retrieved a Den Den Mushi from his coat and dialed.
"Moshi Moshi~"
"Captain, we've confirmed the Morgan warship's course. They're headed to Mizuki Island for supplies."
"Understood."
On the other end of the line, Kuro stared at the bounty poster in his hand, his expression blank, his tone devoid of emotion.
"Jango, once this job is done, I'll reward you."
"Yes, sir!"
A glint of greed flickered in Jango's eyes, and the hand gripping the telescope trembled slightly. He knew Kuro well—fierce, cunning, ruthless—but a man of his word.
Throughout his years at sea, Jango had faced all sorts: Navy officers, cutthroat pirates, and even monsters like Morgan, Admiral Krieg, and the Fishman Arlong. But in terms of intellect and strategy, no one compared to Kuro.
Especially his terrifying ability—an almost teleportation-like speed that struck without warning. Once he made his move, there were no survivors.
Jango knew this all too well. And it scared him.
Lowering the telescope, he began issuing commands to maintain their pursuit of the warship—close enough to track, far enough to remain undetected. Clearly, he had done this many times before.
Meanwhile...
After ending the call, Kuro turned his gaze toward the pirate standing before him. His eyes brimmed with quiet loathing and exhaustion.
He could no longer remember why he had taken to the seas. All he knew now was that the claws on his ten fingers had severed more heads than he could count.
He had risen from an ordinary crew member to the captain of this pirate crew—by killing the former captain, of course. His bounty had climbed to 15 million.
Fighting. Killing. Pillaging. A life drenched in blood and fleeting pleasures.
And it would all continue—until the day he died at the hands of a stronger enemy.
What he truly envied was a peaceful life: planting flowers, raising dogs, enjoying afternoon tea and pastries—like the noblemen he had once seen at banquets in his youth. Calm. Refined. Untouched by chaos.
Not this life, where every time he opened his eyes, he had to calculate how to evade the Navy and find his next target.
Such was the life of a pirate.
Failure meant death.
"Who knows…"
"I, Kuro, just want to live a peaceful life," he muttered, a flicker of longing in his eyes.
"But if everything goes according to plan, that day might not be so far off."
He picked up a pristine white handkerchief and slowly began polishing the claw blades he had wielded for years—his beloved weapons, almost like an extension of himself.
Ten minutes later, Kuro emerged from the captain's quarters. His crew stood waiting on the deck, their faces tensing with visible fear the moment they saw him.
"Captain!"
Returning to his usual cold, expressionless demeanor, Kuro's sharp gaze swept over them like a blade, chilling them to the bone.
"Our target is Lieutenant Commander Morgan."
"If everything goes according to plan, I will temporarily step away from the Black Cat Pirates. My successor will be decided between Jango and the Cat Brothers."
"If it doesn't…"
"Then I'll kill all of you."
Two Days Later
Aboard the Captured Marine Warship
A lookout approached Gawain with a grave expression.
"Captain Gawain, we're being followed."
"The pursuers are experienced. They've maintained their distance expertly, but after such a long period, some flaws have started to show."
"From what we can tell, they've been on our tail since we left the deserted island."
Gawain raised an eyebrow slightly.
Ever since he'd realized his crew had almost reached the limit of their potential, the experience points he could draw from them during training had rapidly diminished. Now, even if the entire crew trained together, they barely yielded a few points—sometimes none at all.
At a time when he desperately needed an 'experience pack', Gawain had no intention of letting such an opportunity slip away.
"Can you identify who they are?"
The lookout shook his head.
"They aren't flying any flags, but based on their style and formation, they're definitely pirates. We can't determine which crew, but considering they're bold enough to tail a warship, they must be backed by a powerful group."
"What should we do?"
The lookout's voice betrayed a hint of panic.
The rest of the pirates began gathering, tense and alert. When they saw Gawain standing calm and composed, their nerves settled. Some of the more battle-hungry crew members even began checking their guns and cleaning their swords.
After over a month of intense training, their strength had grown exponentially. And with that strength came a hunger for battle—a need to prove themselves.
Gawain cast a glance at the restless crowd and spoke lightly.
"Prepare for combat. Prioritize capturing them alive—but don't endanger yourselves."
"Yes, sir!"
The helmsman immediately spun the rudder. Sails unfurled. The warship turned gracefully and surged forward, heading straight for the pirate ship.
"Discovered, huh?" Jango muttered.
"Well, with no proper method of concealment, it was only a matter of time."
Still, he wasn't worried.
Watching the charging warship, Jango smirked. There was no fear in his eyes.
"Even if the captain went alone, he could wipe out everyone on Morgan's ship. Looks like you're just unlucky—getting caught in the captain's plan."
He turned and shouted at the crew.
"Retreat! Regroup with the main ship!"
The helmsman moved to obey.
But before he could even touch the wheel, several piercing whines cut through the sky.
Shells rained down around the pirate ship—explosions erupted in all directions, sending massive columns of water into the air.
Just then, Jango's Den Den Mushi rang.
"I'm coming."
Kuro's emotionless voice came through the receiver.
On the distant sea, his ship cut through the waves like a dagger. Cannons flared, spewing fire and smoke.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
Amid the deafening roar of cannon fire, several shells slammed into the deck of Gawain's warship.
As the pirates scrambled in chaos, Gawain calmly drew his longsword.
With a sharp arc, a silver-white slash shot through the air, cleaving all incoming shells in two. The radiant sword energy soared skyward, immediately drawing everyone's attention.
"What... what is that?" Jango murmured.
He didn't understand it—but he could feel the deathly aura radiating from the silver light.
Just as he braced himself to react, a golden-haired figure leapt from the distant warship, hurtling toward him like a meteor.
"Wait—!"
"You're not Morgan?!"