Pirates: Martial Arts Masters on the Straw Hat Ship

"Stop it, Usopp!"

Seeing this, Kaya, who was by the window, screamed in terror, "Stop using violence!"

Kaya's voice was more effective than any obstacle for Usopp.

His body stiffened abruptly, and his raised fist froze in mid-air.

The hand gripping Chloe's collar slowly loosened.

Kuro seized the opportunity, slapped Usopp's hand away, and coldly straightened his wrinkled suit:

"Please leave this place and do not approach this villa again."

Ronan looked at Usopp, who was filled with grief and trembling, and sighed heavily in his heart.

Although he also disliked Yasopp's abandonment of his wife and children, Usopp should not be treated in such a maliciously distorted way.

He glanced at Luffy and Zoro beside him, whose faces were also grim, and knew that their anger had reached its peak.

Ronan decided to stop watching.

He knew Kuro's true nature—just a hypocritical pirate who had lost his ambition and was trying to steal property by pretending to be a butler. He had no right to say such things to Usopp.

All of Kro's righteous words were nothing more than an attempt to seize the property of the Kaya family.

Ronan took a step forward, his gaze calmly meeting Chloe's:

"Hey, Kuro. Aren't you a pirate too? What brings you here as a butler? Have you retired from the pirate life?"

As soon as Ronan finished speaking, Crowe's pupils suddenly contracted, and the calm on his face was instantly replaced by solemnity and panic.

He pushed up his glasses and glared at Ronan. "What nonsense are you spouting? I'm not some pirate!"

Luffy and the others looked at Ronan with confusion.

Luffy asked, "Ronan, do you know this person?"

"If I remember correctly," Ronan said calmly, but his words carried weight:

"Three years ago, there was a pirate named 'Kro' with a bounty of 16 million Berries who looked exactly like you."

Although the Navy unilaterally declared him dead, he unexpectedly faked his death and escaped, becoming a butler here.

"Captain of the Black Cat Pirates, Hundred-Purpose Kuro!"

Nami suddenly screamed, instantly recalling the once infamous pirate from the East Blue:

"I remember now! Back in the East Blue, he was indeed a very famous pirate! Come to think of it, you really do look exactly like him!"

Kaya, standing by the second-floor window, was deathly pale. She still couldn't believe it, and her voice trembled as she protested, "How could this be...you must have misunderstood something!"

However, Luffy and Zoro have already received confirmation from Ronan and Nami, and the doubts on their faces have disappeared.

Instead, his expression became solemn and full of fighting spirit as he stared intently at Kro.

Kro knew the pretense could no longer continue.

He took a deep breath, and all the civility and composure on his face shattered, revealing a gloomy and ruthless gaze.

"I never thought... that after three years, someone would still remember what I look like."

He lowered his voice, his tone filled with extreme resentment and anger at having his plans ruined:

"So close! My plan was about to succeed! Why... why did you force me to kill you all?!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Kuro's originally restrained aura exploded instantly, his killing intent was fierce, and he completely transformed from a docile butler back into that treacherous and cunning pirate captain!

Kro did not take Ronan and his group seriously, believing that none of the young men in front of him could match him.

Usopp, standing to the side, was stunned by this cruel truth, muttering to himself, "Kuro... a great pirate with a bounty of sixteen million Berries?"

Kro stepped forward, his eyes fixed on Kaya, who stood by the window, her face pale and her expression one of disbelief.

"So much has happened in these three years."

Chloe's tone was filled with twisted self-pity:

"Since your parents passed away and you became bedridden, we've spent a long time together, haven't we? I often think back to those days of sharing joys and sorrows..."

His voice suddenly became venomous and distorted:

"I often stayed by your bedside to take care of you, and you listened to me happily. I put all my heart into you..."

I've been enduring it all along! Yes, it was all for the sake of killing you, so I could rightfully inherit your fortune!

"I, who once called myself 'Captain Crook,' now have to smile obsequiously at a snotty-nosed little girl and try to ingratiate myself with her while saying one thing but meaning another... Can you understand those humiliating years?"

Crowe's sarcasm was dripping with sarcasm: "Can you understand how I, once known as Captain Crowe, felt!"

He raised his head, revealing a chilling smile: "And, Kaya, do you know? I killed your parents!"

That last sentence completely shattered Kaya's reason.

She could no longer hold back and let out a painful whimper before her body went limp and she fainted in agony.

Usopp, who was standing nearby, witnessed Kaya's suffering and was thoroughly enraged by Kuro's cruelty.

He roared and swung his fist, filled with resentment, at Kro!

Kro sneered, remaining motionless.

Amid Nami's gasp, he simply lifted his foot and, with precision and ruthlessness, sent Usopp flying several meters away!

Usopp crashed to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Kro's eyes were icy cold, filled with murderous intent:

"You brat, you think you can be my match? You ruined my plans and made it impossible for me to accept everything here. Well then, you'd better die!"

He raised his hand and gently wiped his cheek, which Usopp had just punched, with his fingertips, his tone regaining a chilling calm:

"Speaking of which, kid, you hit me pretty hard just now."

Just as Kuro was about to attack the fallen Usopp again, Luffy moved.

As the user of the Gum-Gum Fruit, Luffy suddenly stretched his arm backward, accompanied by a short "Gum-Gum—".

A powerful punch knocked Kro to the ground!

Kuro quickly stood up, his eyes filled with surprise and wariness: "A Devil Fruit user..."

At the same time, Zoro also drew Wado Ichimonji.

The sharp blade gleamed coldly in the sunlight.

In an instant, a sharp, icy aura locked onto Kro.

Ronan gripped the broken stick in his hand, his eyes fixed intently on Kro's every move.

Although it was just a wooden stick, his aura was restrained yet solid, like a lurking tiger.

Chloe's eyes flickered, and she adjusted her glasses with her wrist.

He could clearly sense that although the people in front of him were young, they were not people he could defeat in a short time with his fists and feet.

Since he didn't have a weapon at hand, he didn't choose to fight Ronan and the others head-on. Instead, he took a step and rushed into the villa at an extremely fast speed.

Kuro's actions surprised both Luffy and Zoro.

Luffy asked疑惑地问道, "Did that guy run away?"

Ronan said in a deep voice, "He probably took his preferred weapon. He's been lying in wait here for three years, and we ruined his plans. He must be furious."

No sooner had Ronan finished speaking than Crowe returned.

He reappeared before the crowd, his hands clad in sharp, cat-claw-bladed gloves that gleamed coldly in the sunlight.

He looked at Luffy with a grim face, his tone chilling:

"That hit me pretty hard. I never expected to run into a Devil Fruit user here."

Luffy didn't back down, facing the challenge head-on: "I'm a rubber man who ate the Gum-Gum Fruit!"

Kro's ten sharp claws gleamed with a cold light, revealing his murderous intent:

"Since the plan has failed, let's kill you all and force Kaya to write her will!"