The walk back to the village felt gloomy. Usopp in particular looked utterly dejected, his shoulders slumped and his steps heavy. "I told you, she wouldn't sell it," he lamented in despair.
Peter, walking beside Zoro, lowered his voice to almost a whisper. "Hey, did you sense something back there? About that butler, Crowe."
Zoro, who had seemed indifferent, narrowed his eyes. "Him," Zoro grunted. "Sharp. Like a sheathed sword. Did you sense it too?" He turned his head, looking at Peter with a hint of surprise.
Peter shook his head and lied smoothly. "You're overestimating me. I just thought he looked like a famous pirate captain from a few years ago."
Zoro's eyes narrowed further, his gaze sharp and focused. "A pirate captain? Are you sure?" his voice was low, audible only to Peter.
Peter nodded slowly, his eyes still fixed on the distant mansion behind them. "His face... I feel like I've seen it on a wanted poster. Kuro of a Hundred Plans, captain of the Black Cat Pirates. Said to have died during a Marine arrest, but..." Peter sighed. "His body was never found."
"Black Cat Pirates?" Usopp, walking near them, suddenly interrupted, his face pale. "Are you sure? That... that was a notoriously cruel crew! They were a symbol of terror years ago!" Memories of the horror stories he'd heard made him tremble.
"Exactly," Peter replied. "And if Crowe really is Kuro, it explains his dangerous aura. His movements were too strange, especially when he adjusted his glasses."
Hearing this, Zoro and Usopp tried to recall the earlier encounter. Their expressions gradually changed—Zoro grew more serious, while Usopp panicked in fear.
"What should we do... Kaya is still in that house, she's still with that cruel pirate..." Usopp shouted in panic, which caught the attention of Nami and Luffy.
Seeing Luffy and Nami were now interested, Peter explained briefly. Luffy's usual carefree expression instantly shifted, a rare look of focus and seriousness in his eyes. "So that butler is actually an evil pirate?"
"Seems so," Zoro answered, his hand still resting near the hilt of his sword. "And he's hiding here, close to the wealthy and ill Miss Kaya. He's probably after her fortune."
"In fact, the death of Kaya's parents might..." Peter didn't finish, but everyone understood.
Nami let out a long sigh. "This is getting complicated. But if he really is a dangerous pirate, we can't just stand by."
"Of course not!" Luffy clenched his fist with determination. "We have to stop him! I hate scumbags like him!"
"But... but he's really dangerous!" Usopp trembled, looking around warily. "He has the entire Black Cat Pirates crew! They might be hiding around here!"
"His crew can't possibly be here, you know everyone in this village, right?" Peter rolled his eyes at Usopp's tendency to exaggerate his fears.
"However, we don't know what he's planning. Anyway, we need to act fast."
Zoro crossed his arms over his chest. "So what's the plan? Charge straight into the house?"
---
The afternoon air grew chilly as they turned back, their resolve hardening with each step. Usopp's face was still pale, but a spark of courage flickered in his eyes.
"You sure about this?" Zoro hissed at Peter, his eyes remaining vigilant as they scanned the area.
"No time for complicated plans," Peter replied flatly but with conviction. "Every second we waste, Kaya's life is in greater danger. Besides, we don't know what Kuro's planning."
Luffy nodded, his expression unusually serious. "Peter's right. Let's go beat him up." But Luffy was still Luffy; he only listened to the fighting part.
They split up. Nami and Usopp went back to the earlier eatery to wait, while Luffy, Zoro, and Peter headed to Kaya's mansion.
The three men climbed the hill back to Kaya's house. They avoided the main gate and chose a hidden spot in the iron fence.
"Get ready," Peter whispered. In an instant, all three of them were inside the grounds. "Wait here. After two minutes, you can start the plan." Peter vanished into the house after Zoro nodded.
Peter moved swiftly and silently through the corridors. He found Kaya reading in her room. Without much explanation, Peter touched her shoulder, and they disappeared, reappearing near the eatery where Nami and Usopp were waiting.
---
Usopp anxiously checked on Kaya. "Kaya! Are you okay?!"
Kaya still looked confused and pale. "Usopp? What's happening? Why am I suddenly here?"
Usopp took a deep breath and told her about their discovery. "Crowe... he's not an ordinary butler. He's Kuro, the cruel captain of the Black Cat Pirates...."
Usopp's sudden statement stunned Kaya. "B-but..." Kaya trembled, "He's been serving my family for three years..."
Nami interrupted firmly, "He must be planning something against you and your fortune. Someone like him only has one goal."
Kaya's face turned pale. "What do you mean? Did he..." She couldn't finish her sentence, but her eyes showed she was beginning to understand the horrifying truth.
After a moment, Kaya slowly calmed down, though her eyes were swollen from crying. Peter nodded at Usopp. "Look after her. I have to go back."
In an instant, Peter disappeared and reappeared near Kaya's mansion. From behind the trees, he witnessed the battle had already begun.
***
Luffy and Zoro were facing Kuro, who had removed his glasses and donned his metal claws. Kuro's movements were incredibly fast, almost like a moving shadow.
"Shakushi!" Kuro yelled, vanishing from sight.
"BEHIND YOU!" Zoro warned sharply.
Luffy turned and blocked with his flexible arm. "He's so fast!"
Peter watched calmly from a distance, ready to intervene if needed. The intense battle between Kuro and the duo of Luffy and Zoro continued.
With lightning-fast movements, Kuro swung his metal claws at Luffy. "You're just brats who don't know your place!"
Luffy dodged flexibly, his rubber body stretching unnaturally. "Zoro, now!"
Zoro, who had been preparing on the other side, swung his three swords with perfect precision. "Santoryu: Tatsumaki!" His spinning attack forced Kuro to jump back—right into the path Luffy had calculated.
"Gomu Gomu no... PISTOL!"
Luffy's fully charged fist struck Kuro's chest with tremendous force.
A sickening sound of breaking bones was heard before Kuro's body was sent flying and crashed into a large tree at the edge of the property. He lay motionless, his metal claws scattered beside him.
Peter approached the helpless Kuro, making sure the threat was completely neutralized.
"It's over," Peter said to Luffy and Zoro, who were still on guard. "He won't harm anyone anymore."