Chapter 16 Weed ControlThe night sky was deep, dotted with stars, a stark contrast to the village below, which had just regained its peace.
Kuro was being held captive by the villagers in a makeshift cell converted from an old warehouse at the east end of the village; the cat-men brothers were likely nearby.
The villagers' guards were practically nonexistent in Luffy's eyes.
The girl's sobs in his arms gradually turned into soft whimpers, until she finally fell into a deep sleep from exhaustion.
Luffy gently laid her on the bed and covered her with a light blanket.
Luffy stood by the bed for two seconds, then turned and silently left the room, closing the door behind him.
The corridor was quiet. There was no light under the crack in Nojiko and Nami's room door; they were probably asleep too.
Luffy's Observation Haki silently activated, confirming that everyone in the villa was fast asleep, including the maid on duty downstairs, who was also dozing off from the day's fright and exhaustion.
He moved like a shadow, nimbly vaulting out of the second-floor window and landing silently on the soft grass of the garden.
The properties of the Gum-Gum Fruit made his landing as light as a feather.
The night breeze was cool, carrying the scent of the sea and vegetation.
Luffy pulled his straw hat down low, his figure blending into the shadows of the villa's exterior wall as he moved swiftly towards the east end of the village.
His speed was incredible, yet his steps were as light as if weightless, weaving through the shadows of houses and trees, perfectly avoiding the occasional villager still strolling in the street.
His Observation Haki acted like precise radar, pre-planning the most concealed path.
The old warehouse was on the edge of the village, near the woods.
Two villagers stood guard at the entrance, carrying homemade hunting rifles, but it was now late at night, and both were drowsy against the wall.
Luffy emerged from the shadows on the side of the warehouse, like a ghost.
He didn't even look at the two guards; two leaves, coated with a wisp of Armament Haki, were flicked lightly between his fingertips.
*Thud. Thud.*
Two very faint muffled thuds.
The two guards jolted, then collapsed limply, falling into a deep coma.
Luffy controlled his strength, ensuring they would only sleep until dawn, waking up to believe they were simply too tired to move.
A rough iron chain and lock hung on the warehouse door. Luffy placed his fingers on the keyhole, his fingertips coated with Armament Haki, and applied slight pressure.
*Click.*
The lock's internal structure was precisely shattered.
Luffy removed the chain, pushed open the heavy wooden door, slipped inside, and left the door slightly ajar.
The warehouse reeked of dust and hay, with only a few pale moonlight filtering through a small window high above.
In the corner, three figures were tightly bound with thick ropes—Kuro and the cat-man brothers Sam and Banchi.
Kuro, his limbs dislocated, slumped against the wall, his face ashen.
The cat-man brothers were bruised and battered, looking utterly dejected.
Hearing the door open, all three looked up simultaneously.
When they saw it was Luffy, extreme terror instantly erupted in the cat-man brothers' eyes. They struggled violently, making grunting noises, but their mouths were gagged with rags.
Kuro's pupils contracted sharply, but then a knowing despair replaced his fear.
He was, after all, a seasoned pirate who had roamed the East Blue for many years, and had seen truly ruthless characters. This young man coming alone late at night was definitely not up to any good.
Luffy approached step by step, his footsteps echoing in the empty warehouse, each step feeling like it was pounding on the hearts of the three men.
Luffy reached the cat-man brothers first.
The two men were terrified, writhing wildly, their eyes pleading.
Luffy looked at them, his gaze calm and unwavering, as if he were looking at two lifeless objects.
Luffy raised his foot, his toes covered in Armament Haki, and, to their utter horror, gently tapped their hearts in their chests.
Thud! Thud!
Two more muffled thuds.
The cat-men's bodies arched violently, their eyes bulging, then they collapsed, lifeless.
Luffy had controlled his power, shattering their hearts, yet leaving almost no visible wounds.
Having dealt with the minions, Luffy turned to Kuro.
Kuro stared at his fallen cat-man brothers, a bitter, twisted smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. His voice was hoarse as he spoke, "As expected… you won't let me go."
Kuro made a final attempt to fight back: "Killing me won't do you any good. I can tell you more about the East Blue Navy, and I have hidden treasure…"
"No need. You don't know as much as I do," Luffy interrupted him.
Kuro paused, then, as if realizing something, the last glimmer of light in his eyes went out.
That's right, this boy seemed to know everything about his plans… Just who was he?
Kuro asked unwillingly, "Why? My limbs are crippled; I'm no longer a threat to you. Hand me over to the Navy, and you'll at least gain some reputation…"
"Reputation? What's the use of that?" Luffy tilted his head slightly, as if he'd heard a trivial word.
Luffy crouched down, looking directly into Kuro's despairing eyes: "Your very existence is a variable. I don't like creating potential trouble for my future self, even if there's only a one in ten thousand chance."
Kuro felt a chill run through him; he understood completely.
This boy wasn't a hot-blooded, impulsive brute, nor a fool chasing after empty fame.
"Heh...hahaha..."
Kuro chuckled, a chilling laugh.
"I schemed and plotted my whole life, Kuro, but in the end...I died at the hands of someone even more ruthless than me!"
Luffy didn't waste any more words. He reached out, his index finger, covered in Armament Haki, and touched Kuro's brow.
"In your next life, don't block my way."
He applied slight pressure with his fingertip.
Kuro's laughter abruptly stopped. His pupils dilated, his body slowly slumped, a faint red dot appearing on his forehead, his life force instantly extinguished.
Luffy stood up, flicking his finger as if it were merely brushing away a speck of dust.
Luffy looked around the warehouse, found an old oil lamp with leftover oil in a corner, and lit it with a tinderbox.
The dim light illuminated a corner of the warehouse.
Luffy kicked the lamp over, the oil spilling out, and flames quickly spread along the dry grass.
He then searched Kuro and the cat-man brothers, finding several small items that would identify them as pirates, and carelessly tossed them near the edge of the fire.
Having done all this, he retreated to the doorway.
The flames began to rise, thick smoke billowing.
Luffy took one last look at the three corpses gradually being engulfed in the flames, turned, pushed open the slightly ajar door, slipped out, and reattached the broken chain.
From the outside, the lock appeared perfectly intact.
Luffy silently returned to the villa, following the shadowy path he had taken.
Behind him, the fire at the eastern end of the village grew larger, reddening a small patch of the night sky.
A few minutes later, sharp screams and the clamor of firefighting could be faintly heard from that direction.
Luffy vaulted back into the corridor through the second-floor window, not a trace of smoke or fire on him.
He pushed open Kaya's door and glanced inside. The girl was still fast asleep, oblivious to the faint commotion outside.
He returned to his assigned room, took off his coat, lay down, and closed his eyes.
The sounds of firefighting outside gradually subsided, and the village fell asleep again.
It was as if nothing had happened; only the old warehouse at the east end of the village had unfortunately caught fire, killing three notorious pirates.
As for how the lock broke, how the fire started, who knows?
Perhaps it was infighting among the pirates, perhaps it was the dry weather, perhaps… they deserved it.
The moonlight still gently shone on the villa, as if concealing all the bloodshed in the darkness.
A new day dawned, and the sun rose as usual.