The mask of Klahadore, the meticulous butler, fell away completely. Kuro simply shrugged, his voice a low, sinister drawl that was utterly alien to the man Kaya thought she knew.
"Miss Kaya," he said, the words dripping with a cold mockery of his former solicitousness. "Life is always full of surprises. The only difference is, your little illness is incurable. My plans, however... are eminently salvageable."
Kaya could only stare, her mind reeling. The familiar, gentle facade of the (noble gentleman) was gone, completely erased and replaced by something (vicious and ruthless). The memory of three years of seemingly kind service now sent a violent shiver of revulsion down her spine. She had been living with a monster.
"My plan, meticulously crafted over years... ruined by some meddling brat," Kuro hissed, dark anger clouding his features. "But it doesn't matter..." he continued, a cruel smile twisting his lips. "Once I remove all of you, my path to a peaceful, wealthy life remains clear."
As the last word left his mouth, there was a series of sharp shings. Gleaming, razor-sharp blades, like polished feline claws, snapped forth from the fingertips of his black gloves.
The Cat's Claws. His infamous weapon.
"Nami, Makino, look after Kaya," Leo said, his voice calm but leaving no room for argument. He gently guided the trembling girl towards them.
"Leo, don't you dare let this bastard get away!" Nami snarled, her small fists clenched, glaring pure hatred at Kuro. If she had the strength, she would have launched herself at him then and there.
Makino, her gentle nature revolted, carefully supported Kaya, her own expression one of deep, physiological disgust. "Captain," she said, her voice softer but no less fierce, "make him pay."
For the usually serene Makino to say such a thing spoke volumes about her rage.
Leo felt it too. His initial plan had been simple: expose Kuro and deal with him swiftly. But the pirate's choice to cruelly taunt Kaya about her illness had ignited a colder, more deliberate anger within him. Now, a quick death was too good for him.
"Hehehe~ Teach me a lesson?!" Kuro sneered, his confidence surging as he felt the familiar weight of his weapons. "My claws haven't tasted blood in three years. Today, you will all serve to quench their thirst!"
"Shakushi (Silent Step)!"
With an unnatural, eerie quietness, Kuro's form seemed to blur and vanish from his spot.
There was a flash of movement, the whisper of sharp metal cutting air, followed by a single, incredibly crisp snap.
In the space where Leo had been standing, his arm was now raised, covered in a sheen of impenetrable black—Busoshoku Haki (Armament Haki). At his feet lay several neatly severed, gleaming white blade tips.
Kuro stared, his triumphant smirk freezing and then shattering into pure disbelief. His prized weapons, the extensions of his will, had been shattered against the man's skin like glass.
"Trash," Leo stated flatly, lowering his arm, his face an unreadable mask.
Before Kuro could even process the shock, Leo's hand shot out, clamping down on his shoulder with a grip like a sea king's jaw.
Whoosh~
A mental command. A spatial coordinate. Instant Transmission.
In the span of a single heartbeat, the opulent mansion's drawing room was gone. They now stood on the barren, windswept shore of a completely deserted island. The cries of unfamiliar seabirds echoed around them.
Kuro stumbled, his glasses askew, staring at the alien landscape in utter, mind-breaking horror. This wasn't Syrup Village. This wasn't even the same stretch of ocean.
"Y-you... What kind of sorcery is this?!" he stammered, his voice trembling, all his cunning plans rendered meaningless in the face of this impossible power.
Leo didn't answer. A cruel, cold smile finally touched his lips.
"I was going to leave you with a whole corpse," he said, his voice low and deadly. "But now..."
Run!
It was the only thought screaming in Kuro's mind. This wasn't a fight; it was an execution. He pushed his Shakushi technique to its absolute limit, his form becoming a barely visible blur shooting towards the dense jungle.
But his speed was a joke compared to Leo's.
What followed was a methodical, brutal dismantling.
A series of precise, sickening cracks echoed across the beach, each one distinct. Shoulder blades. Collarbones. Fingers. Arms. Legs. Every bone that could be broken without causing immediate death was systematically targeted and shattered. His body was twisted into a grotesque, non-lethal parody of itself.
Agonized, blood-curdling screams tore from Kuro's throat, lasting for several long minutes, scattering every living creature from the vicinity.
The pain was so absolute it distorted his face into a silent rictus of agony.
Leo reappeared several meters away, a long sword now materialized in his hand. He gave it a casual flick.
Swish. Swish. Swish.
A dozen razor-sharp flying slashes of air sliced through the space between them, each one finding a precise mark on Kuro's contorted body.
After a second of numb shock, a sound emerged from Kuro that was no longer human—a raw, guttural, demonic shriek of pure torment. Leo had effectively turned him into a human pillar, utterly helpless.
Leo had put distance between them for a simple reason: he didn't want the coppery stench of blood on his clothes. He disliked it, and he knew Nami and Makino would too.
"Reflect on your choices here," Leo said coldly, looking down at the bloody, whimpering form. He focused his mind, locking onto the spatial coordinate he'd left in Kaya's mansion.
Whoosh!
He was gone.
...
"Where did Mr. Leo go? Is he going to be alright?!" Kaya asked, her voice laced with genuine concern as the two men vanished into thin air. If Kuro was really the captain of the Black Cat Pirates, he had to be incredibly strong. A bounty of 16 million Berries in the East Blue signified a truly powerful and dangerous pirate.
"This..." Nami and Makino exchanged a worried glance. The truth was, they weren't entirely sure of the full extent of Leo's power. They knew he was fast, and strong, but...
Their worries were cut short as Leo reappeared in the center of the room, looking completely unruffled, as if he'd just stepped out for a breath of fresh air.
The three women let out a simultaneous, relieved sigh.
"Mr. Leo... where is Kuro?" Kaya asked after a moment's hesitation.
Leo walked over to her and, in a gesture of surprising gentleness, placed a broad hand on her forehead. "Don't worry," he said, his voice warm and reassuring. "I've taken Kuro to a place where he can never harm anyone again. His days of doing evil are over."
Kaya nodded, a sense of profound relief washing over her. Then she just looked at him, her gaze thoughtful. They had been strangers mere hours ago. She had never truly believed there were people who fought for justice simply because it was right. She was deeply moved.
"Kaya," Leo began, suddenly changing the subject. "Would you like to see the world? To go out to sea?"
Kaya was taken aback for a second, then nodded without a moment's hesitation. "I would." But then her face fell. "But... my body..."
In a move that made both Nami and Makino blink in surprise, Leo reached out and casually, affectionately, pinched Kaya's cheek. "Did you forget?" he said with a warm chuckle. "The second reason I came here was to cure you. Did you think I was joking?"
"R-really?!" The sheer joy and hope in her voice were palpable. Her trust in him, forged in the fire of the recent betrayal, was now absolute. "You can really cure me?!"
"Of course I can," Leo affirmed with a confident nod. Then his expression turned slightly serious, a hint of concern appearing. "However, your illness has persisted for a very long time. Curing it won't be simple. The most important factor is that we cannot be disturbed during the process."
"Here's what we should do," he suggested smoothly. "We'll go to your room. I need to conduct a thorough examination to understand the root cause before I can apply the correct treatment. Does that sound right to you?"
Kaya nodded immediately, her trust erasing any suspicion. Of course that was how one treated a complex, long-standing illness. It made perfect sense.
After instructing Merry to ensure Nami and Makino were comfortable, Kaya led Leo towards her private chambers.
Watching them leave, Nami facepalmed.
Another beautiful flower is about to be plucked.
Makino, however, covered her mouth to hide a giggle.
Ah, she thought. So the Captain uses a different reason every time.
She turned to Nami, a playful glint in her eye. "Nami," she whispered, "what reason did the Captain use to convince you to join the crew?"
Nami's face instantly flushed a deep crimson. Could she say it was for money? How utterly embarrassing!
"Oh, come on, Makino! Don't be so nosy!" she deflected, grabbing the older woman's arm. "I'm starving! Let's go find something to eat!"
Makino just smiled her gentle smile and didn't press further, allowing Nami to drag her away.
This story is rewritten version of a famous fanfic so if you find any similarities please dont mind . Thank you .
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T/N :
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