The manor walls shrank in the distance behind them, the gravel path crunching beneath their feet as they walked in silence. The tension hung in the air like the smell of gunpowder before a fuse was lit.
Zoro was the first to speak.
"So… he knows we know."
"Or at least he thinks we do," Nami added with a slight frown, arms crossed. "That might be worse."
Usopp nodded silently, his face serious — eyes focused ahead, gears turning behind them like a clockwork maze. This wasn't the time to panic. If they showed their hand now, everything would fall apart.
Then—
"USOPP!"
Three high-pitched voices screamed across the road, followed by three dirt-smudged figures barreling out from the nearby thicket.
"Ninjin?! Piiman? Tamanegi?!"
The kids came skidding to a stop, panting hard, faces bright red and dripping sweat. Their legs were shaking, their hair stuck to their foreheads.
They were covered in sweat, dirt, leaves stuck in their hair and on their clothes, gasping like they'd sprinted the entire village looking for him.
"T-THE GUY!" Piiman wheezed, pointing frantically. "The one you told us about — the weird one! He's in town!"
Usopp blinked. "Wait… What?!"
"He walks weird!" Tamanegi added, practically dancing in place. "Like—like THIS!" He tried to mimic Jango's moonwalk, which mostly looked like someone slipping on soap.
"Yeah!" Ninjin jumped in, panting, "He showed up earlier! We were looking all over for you, but you weren't at the ship! and we've been running everywhere!"
Usopp's eyes widened.
No. No no no… Not now. Not today. It can't be—
"How long has he been here?" he asked, forcing calm into his voice.
"About five hours, maybe more!" Ninjin said. "We didn't know where you were!"
Usopp's eyes darkened. "...Five hours…"
Five hours. That was before their meeting with Kuro — way before.
That meant…It was today.
The plan. The attack. TODAY.
He kept his panic tucked under a crooked, grateful grin.
"Alright," Usopp said, crouching down, gripping each kid by the shoulder. "You guys did good. You did great, actually. Now listen — go home, get clean, get safe. Understand?"
"But—" Ninjin protested.
"No buts," Usopp said, more firmly now. "This is the part where the big liars take over, alright? I've got this. I swear. You were brave. Now go be smart, okay?"
The three kids looked at him, eyes wide with trust, then nodded. "Be careful, Usopp!" they said in chorus before sprinting off.
Luffy laughed. "You've got your own crew! That's awesome!"
Zoro raised an eyebrow. "You used kids as your spy network?"
Usopp just smiled. "What? They're faster than pigeons and smarter than half the adults in this town."
His smile dropped quickly.
"We need to move."
They took off at a fast walk — not enough to draw attention, but just enough to get where they needed without wasting time. Usopp's eyes were hard as flint now, darting left and right, mind racing.
Nami, ever the practical one, leaned close and asked, "Are we warning the villagers? Just in case?"
Usopp shook his head. "No. I'm betting Kuro's not bringing his crew in through the village port. He's not stupid. He's methodical — he'll go for the rocky coast. That's where they know the terrain, where they practiced docking. I trapped it up good."
"How good?" Zoro asked.
Usopp's lips twitched into a grin. "Enough that they'll think the island itself is fighting back."
They reached a rise overlooking the coastal cliffs, dense trees obscuring most of the path. And there—
"There he is," Usopp whispered.
Jango.
The infamous hypnotist strutted into view, hips swinging, fingers clicking in rhythm with his moonwalk across the forest floor like he was in some bizarre cabaret. His outfit was just as ridiculous as the wanted poster suggested — round glasses, blue-and-white striped pants, a huge heart-shaped pendant bouncing with every step.
He was alone — but clearly heading somewhere.
"Stay low," Usopp hissed. "Luffy, remember what we practiced?"
Luffy raised a hand. "No laughing. No shouting. No gum-gum-ing."
"Good," Usopp nodded. "Everyone keep quiet and stay hidden. We tail him, but no heroics. Not yet."
They fanned out, Zoro and Nami flanking Luffy just to keep him stealthy, while Usopp took point. They followed Jango through the trees until they reached a secluded clearing near the rocky shore.
And there, like a phantom, stood Klahadore.
Or rather — Kuro.
The two men met under the twisted shadows of the tall coastal trees. The sea whispered in the distance, but the air between the pirates was taut and sharp.
Kuro's voice was low, cold.
"I told you to be discreet."
Jango blinked, offended. "I was! I perfected the art of blending in! I can be invisible!"
"You moonwalked into town."
"It's a signature move!" Jango protested, swinging his arm flamboyantly. "I even slept on the roadside, totally blending in with the landscape!"
There was a pause.
"…Right," Kuro said flatly.
Behind the trees, Luffy had to bite down a laugh, the bile in Usopp's stomach was rising fast. His fingers itched to pull the firearm. Just one hit…
"Are the preparations complete?" Kuro asked, brushing a leaf from his pristine sleeve.
Jango nodded, his grin wide. "Yup. Crew's ready. Operation Rich Girl Murder Plan is underway!"
Nami nearly choked.
Usopp's fists clenched tight.
Zoro's jaw was tight, his eyes narrow.
"Don't call it that," Kuro said sharply. "We're not just murdering. This is art. This is the erasure of a life with finesse."
"Right, right!" Jango said, nodding. "It's not a murder — it's a tragedy! A girl sick with grief, wasting away in her family estate, surrounded by money and opportunity. It's heartbreaking, really."
Kuro sighed like he was burdened with the weight of too many fools.
"Is the crew briefed?"
"They know their role," Jango said. "They cause a big ruckus near the village. All eyes there. I sneak into the manor from the woods — and if I may say so, Captain, pretending to be a doctor was a genius idea!"
"You were going to cure her with interpretive dance," Kuro said dryly.
Jango scratched his head. "…Fair."
The conversation shifted, and the tone grew darker.
"This island," Kuro said, voice sharp and precise, "is going to be our new base of operations. And by 'our' I mean you and I. No more 'Black Cat Pirates'. No more petty raids. We'll become businessmen. Shipyards. Trade routes. Influence."
Jango's eyes sparkled. "From pirates to moguls. I love it."
"But first…" Kuro adjusted his gloves. "We get rid of the crew."
Usopp felt his chest seize.
What...?
"They're liabilities," Kuro continued. "Loud. Stupid. Greedy. They attack, they die, heroes emerge. Namely me. The loyal butler, risking his life to save his lady's home."
"Won't they figure it out?" Jango asked.
"Dead men don't talk," Kuro replied. "And even if someone gets suspicious, who would accuse the man who saved their village?"
Usopp's knuckles were white around the hilt of his slingshot. Nami looked physically sick. Even Zoro was scowling now, the corners of his mouth pulled tight.
Luffy muttered under his breath.
"…I hate this guy."
They listened further.
"In a few months, Kaya's condition worsens," Kuro said smoothly. "Natural, of course. Tragic. But not suspicious. She's ill. Her health has always been fragile. And then…"
"She passes," Jango finished with an exaggerated sigh. "Leaving everything to her beloved butler."
"Exactly," Kuro said. "Land, estate, accounts, and with the mayor in my pocket by then? My transformation into a legitimate man of wealth will be complete. Even the Marines will thank me for getting rid of the scum that used to be Captain Kuro's Black Cat Pirates."
Zoro exhaled slowly. "Okay… yeah. That's a plan. I hate how well-structured it is."
"Yeah," Nami muttered, eyes narrowed. "This guy's disgusting. But he's smart."
Usopp swallowed hard.
No more pretending.
No more stories.
They'd heard it from the culprit's mouth. This was no small-town con artist. This was a man who'd lived as a shadow for four years — and was about to step into the light by burning everything behind him.
Usopp stood, steady now.
"...So. That's what we're up against."
Luffy cracked his knuckles.
"Let's ruin his plan."