A sense of unease gnawed at her.
Kaya, waking earlier than usual, sat on her bedroom bed, hugging her knees somberly.
Usopp's behavior from yesterday haunted her. They'd always been close, but why the sudden change? He was clearly off, not himself. A liar, yes, but he'd never badmouthed others.
Her deep trust in him kept her awake through the night.
Looking up, she gazed out the window.
The rising sun illuminated the tree's base where he usually sat.
Something was wrong.
The thought swirled, drawing a sigh.
"Ha… Usopp, what's wrong? Did something happen?"
No answers came, only a desire to see him.
She had to ask him directly.
Unable to stay still, she slipped off the bed, donned a cardigan, and left the room.
It was early morning—too soon to meet Usopp.
She'd wait for daylight.
Heading to the kitchen for water, she heard a commotion at the entrance—people arguing. Curious, she approached.
Children's voices shouted.
The Usopp Pirates—Carrot, Pepper, and Onion.
Surprised to see familiar faces, Kaya walked toward them.
"What's wrong, everyone? So early."
"Kaya-san!"
"Oh, milady… Sorry for the early disturbance."
Merry, looking exasperated, seemed relieved by Kaya's arrival.
Something was up.
Kneeling to their level, she listened.
She knew their bond with Usopp, sometimes joining them to enjoy his tall tales. This was their first direct visit, and they seemed desperate, not joking.
The three spoke frantically.
"We knew something was off with Captain yesterday."
"We checked his house this morning—he's gone. Nowhere."
"And smoke's rising from the north coast. Never happened before, right?"
"North coast? Wait, what's going on…?"
Her calm heart stirred.
Their words were unclear, but were they saying Usopp's warning about pirates was true? His desperate cry echoed in her mind.
She'd sensed he was different but hadn't imagined actual pirates.
Glancing at Merry, she saw his troubled frown.
The full picture was unclear, yet a bad feeling grew.
"What do you mean? Usopp's warning about pirates?"
"It's true! Not a lie!"
"Captain lied to us because no one believed him. He's fighting alone!"
"He's like that—keeping us out! We can fight too!"
Their angry, convinced faces held makeshift weapons—frying pans, bats, shovels. They meant to fight if pirates came.
Pepper, resolute, raised his bat, bold for a child.
"That Klahadore's a pirate! Otherwise, Captain wouldn't lie to us!"
"Don't be foolish. Klahadore's served milady for three years. Why would a pirate do that? Don't slander without proof," Merry scolded.
Kaya's expression turned pensive.
He had a point. Usopp wouldn't spread malicious lies. But that suggested a terrible truth.
Without looking at Merry, she asked, "Merry… where's Klahadore today?"
"He took a planned day off, heading to the next town—milady, no."
"I want to believe it's not true, but…"
"I know you do. Klahadore, a pirate? Impossible."
"I want to believe that. He's been by my side all this time."
Dark thoughts crept in.
She didn't want to consider it—the worst outcome.
If Usopp spoke the truth and they dismissed him, defending a liar instead, it would be their sin, the entire village's.
If pirates destroyed the village because of this…
A chill ran down her spine; she couldn't stay calm.
Seeing her changed expression, the children spoke, resolute.
"Kaya-san, we'll check it out."
"Yeah, Captain's at the coast. We'll see."
"We'll tell you first. It might be dangerous, so stay here."
"Wait."
Hand on her head, heart aching, she took a deep breath.
Looking up, she acted strong despite cold sweat, speaking firmly.
"I'm going too. Let's go together."
"Milady!? No, it's too much!"
"It's fine. They'll protect me."
"Yeah! Leave it to the Usopp Pirates! No one touches Kaya-san!"
Smiling at their raised weapons, Kaya stood, meeting Merry's eyes.
He'd never seen such a fierce gaze.
Her usual fragility gone, she spoke without hesitation.
"I need to see for myself. I can't stay ignorant of what's happening."
"Let me check. It could be dangerous."
"No. I didn't believe Usopp… He's helped me so much, but I failed him when it mattered."
She might've disappointed herself, murmuring weakly.
Merry fell silent.
Had he seen her this hurt before? Perhaps when her parents died, her lonely face mirrored this one. Over time, she'd changed—Usopp was there.
A liar, but not cruel.
Recalling this, Merry's face twisted in distress.
"I can't wait. I'm going to see Usopp."
"Milady… Fine. If you insist, I'll go too."
"Merry."
"Protecting you is my duty."
Merry's smile brought one to Kaya's face, brightening her.
Turning to the trio, she smiled.
"Let's go. Usopp's at the north coast, right?"
"No doubt! Captain's fighting alone!"
"Yeah, we have to hurry."
The five rushed out, heading to the coast.
An odd premonition struck. The children's words felt true, but that meant Klahadore's kindness was a lie. The dilemma tormented her.
Unable to choose, she abandoned thought, focusing only on moving forward.
"Troublesome. Come at me together. Don't go down too easily."
With a third sword in his mouth, Zoro grinned belligerently, showcasing his three-sword style.
Facing a wall of flames, he confronted two men.
The Nyanban Brothers, known for claw-gloved, cat-like agility. Their movements suggested strength, but how strong? Could two satisfy him?
He hoped for strong foes to hone himself.
Since leaving his village, no one-on-one fight had challenged him. Recently, he'd suffered a crushing defeat against the Marines—not personal failure, but as a crew. He believed greater strength could've changed it. Frustration lingered.
One or two foes made no difference.
The situation wasn't an issue; power surged within him.
"They're underestimating us. He thinks he can win," Shamu said.
"Is this the Pirate Hunter? Three swords?" Buchi added.
"Yeah, some bounty hunter."
"Good thing it's two-on-one."
Poised to move, they licked their lips confidently.
Zoro, equally confident, showed no sign of backing down.
They locked eyes for seconds.
Suddenly, the Nyanban Brothers charged, attacking simultaneously.
"Neko-Yanagi March!"
"We'll tear you apart!"
Claws gleaming, they rushed head-on.
Their flurry of rapid strikes was too fast to track easily, hinting at combat experience.
Zoro merely raised his swords.
Unfazed, unmoving, he blocked their assault.
Their relentless, swift strikes were parried effortlessly. Claws clashed against steel, deflected.
Not one touched his skin.
Without grand movements, he neutralized every attack. The brothers, undeterred, pressed on, believing a gap or fatigue would emerge. They just had to avoid showing weakness.
The high-speed barrage continued.
Still, Zoro remained untouched.
Far from tired, he eyed them boredly, wielding three swords to deflect every strike.
Their repetitive attacks grew tiresome.
Suddenly, Zoro tensed his arms.
His sword caught Shamu's claw, forcefully shoving it aside.
Shamu's balance broke. Despite no change in motion, the clash left him stumbling forward, exposing his back.
Zoro coldly eyed it.
Buchi tried to intervene, but Shamu felt death looming.
"Shamu!?"
Buchi leaped over Shamu, thrusting claws to intercept. Zoro calmly parried, sending Buchi tumbling past.
In that instant, Shamu retreated, leaving Zoro flanked.
The attack paused. The Nyanban Brothers gritted their teeth, faces grim.
Zoro's strength exceeded expectations. No fatigue, only sharper intensity. His aura was terrifying, almost wrathful.
A chilling moment froze them.
Zoro glanced at them, speaking dully.
"That's it? I was a fool to expect more."
"What…!?"
"You mocking us!?"
"Don't want to be mocked? Show some skill. Keep this up, I'll cut you down now."
Power surging, he grinned disdainfully.
Furious, the brothers capitalized on flanking him, charging with raw emotion.
"You bastard!"
"After Captain Kuro left, we're the Black Cat Pirates' number one!"
"Three-Sword Style…"
Swords raised, Zoro's presence grew without looking at them.
As the brothers leaped, claws bared, he spun, slashing without haste.
A fierce gust arose.
Training with Silk taught him: even without powers, peak physicality could summon wind under the right conditions.
This was that technique.
The tornado carried a slashing force.
"Tornado!!"
Slashed deeply, the brothers were flung into the air, knocked out instantly. They crashed hard, unable to brace.
The fight ended swiftly.
Without savoring victory, Zoro sheathed his swords, wiped his hands, and exhaled.
Too easy. That was all he thought.
No joy, sadness, or anger—just over.
Frustrated after getting fired up, he glanced at the fallen duo.
"Not much of a Black Cat Pirates. I could take you all alone."
Tying a cloth to his left arm, he approached the cliff, looking up.
Kiri stood, watching the slope. Noticing Zoro, their eyes met.
"Oi, Kiri, I'm done. Pull me up."
"Wait, the fire's almost out. Things are shifting up here."
"What's that mean?"
"Also, it's a hassle."
"I'll knock you down."
Kiri's usual demeanor returned, but he glanced away quickly, focusing on the slope.
Something serious was happening.
Zoro looked past the fading flames. Someone stood atop the slope, unfamiliar, wielding odd weapons.
A different aura.
Luffy, inexplicably, slept in the path's middle. Silk faced the man, while Kiri and Usopp watched from the cliff. Things had shifted unnoticed.
Zoro called up again. Kiri didn't meet his gaze.
"Need backup?"
"Nah, let Silk handle it. She's been training, no real combat yet."
"She's not mastered it. Sure she's ready?"
"She's got potential. Improved a lot in a short time."
"Fine by me…"
"Can't let my guard down for backup. Rest for now."
"Tch, lousy role."
Arms crossed, Zoro stood before the flames, watching Silk's back.
She was starting to wield her power, but that was training. This was her first real fight.
Her stance was surprisingly confident.
Maybe she had it in her.
With flames blocking the path, he entrusted the strongest foe to Silk, watching intently to see how far she'd go.
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