Chapter 23 - Klahadore Appears

The force of his lightning-fast attack, even though I managed to raise my guard in time, still sent me staggering backward. My boots scraped across the unforgiving terrain, leaving behind a trail of marks as my body fought to regain its balance. It was perplexing to witness such tremendous strength emanating from someone so diminutive. The juxtaposition of his small stature and immense power was nothing short of bizarre.

Refusing to let him persist in his relentless assault, I decided to take matters into my own hands. With a resounding stomp, I exerted tremendous force on the ground beneath me, propelling my body forward at astronomical speeds. The earth cracked and trembled in response to this simple yet overpowering act, and Whiskers found himself caught off guard by my sudden burst of speed.

With my sword positioned to the left and my feet firmly anchored to the ground, I abruptly came to a halt just a hair's breadth away from Whiskers. Without wasting a moment, I smoothly swung my katana, aiming for a precise strike. But Whiskers, displaying a surprising agility, managed to evade at the very last second, diminishing the damage inflicted by my blade as he narrowly avoided its deadly edge.

"Why did you dodge? Where did all your confidence go?" I inquire, my gaze shifting to the left to study the small yet portly figure known as Whiskers. His right hand clutches his injured abdomen as I question him.

Recalling his earlier remark, I press on, "If my memory serves me right, you claimed this place wasn't suitable for someone like me. But now, look at you."

Whiskers doesn't immediately respond. Instead, he casts his eyes downward, and after a pregnant pause, a sly smile creeps across his face. His laughter starts softly, gradually increases in volume. "Hahahah, you're quite the character. Do you honestly believe you've achieved something?"

I narrow my eyes at him, refusing to back down. "I wouldn't be asking if I didn't think so. Explain yourself, Whiskers."

With a sudden, almost dramatic flourish, he initiated the process of shedding his clothing, a spectacle that unfolded before me in a manner both peculiar and astonishing. As his garments fell away, it became evident that his apparent overweight figure was a cunning illusion, concealed beneath a layer of thick, rubbery attire that granted him an uncanny agility and the ability to move with effortless bounce.

"I am done with this charade," he declared, the unveiling of his transformed physique now complete. No longer was he a diminutive, pudgy figure; his muscles were sharply delineated, a testament to hidden strength. "Ah, much improved! It seems I've relinquished a weighty burden," he commented, as if the attire he had worn had imposed upon him an unnecessary heaviness.

With his hands firmly rooted in the earth beneath him, he prepared for what appeared to be an imminent and relentless charge. His gaze locked onto mine with an unwavering resolve, and the anticipation in the air became palpable. In the heartbeat just before he launched himself at me, he delivered a solemn proclamation, his voice tinged with a chilling determination. "I've had my fill of amusement; it's time to swiftly conclude this."

His fingers dug into the earth, as if drawing power from the very ground itself, and with a burst of speed that defied comprehension, he surged forward, leaving behind his earlier velocity like a distant memory fading into oblivion.

I stood frozen, my reflexes betraying me, incapable of evading or even attempting to parry his oncoming onslaught. The impact of his clenched fist striking my abdomen was thunderous and visceral, a savage blow that violently expelled every last breath from my lungs. Helpless, I was propelled backward with an extraordinary force that seemed to defy the laws of nature. My body collided with a towering tree, and the impact was enough to set in motion a disastrous chain reaction. Like a sequence of dominos, the colossal trees around us began to topple, each one crashing to the forest floor with a deafening cacophony of splintering wood.

Amidst the chaos of falling timber, I found the strength to push myself back onto my feet, though my legs quivered beneath me. My gaze fell upon the katana clutched tightly in my right hand, its weight a familiar reassurance. "I thought I'd lost it," I muttered to myself, my fingers tracing the well-worn hilt. The memory of the enigmatic challenger's name hovered on the edge of my consciousness. "He's leagues beyond that jesting fellow," I mused aloud, straightening my posture with newfound determination. "What was his name again?" The question lingered in the air, an enigma that mirrored the formidable adversary before me.

The intense, searing pain that shot through me was beyond anything I had ever imagined. As my body throbbed with agony, I couldn't help but marvel at the unexpected ferocity of the pain. It was a grim reminder of how relentless Whiskers had become, his determination unyielding as he launched himself toward me once more.

Gone were his acrobatic leaps and spring-loaded somersaults. Now, without those bouncy clothes he once wore, he was a different kind of threat. He resembled a bullet in motion, hurtling toward me with a frightening, almost mechanical speed that made him far more predictable than I had ever anticipated.

My reflexes kicked into overdrive, and I narrowly avoided his oncoming assault. It was a hair's breadth escape, a split second before his expression of astonishment whisked past me like a fleeting shadow. The deafening crash that followed marked the brutal collision of his body with the trees behind me, their sturdy trunks no match for the force of his impact.

I couldn't resist the urge to offer a taunting remark as I surveyed the chaos he had wrought, "You might have caught me off guard at the beginning, but your movements have grown alarmingly predictable without those bouncy antics of yours." My voice held a hint of amusement, even as I assessed the destruction that now surrounded us.

"Hah, Don't get..." He began to say, his voice trailing off as his eyes widened with fear, and beads of sweat streamed down his forehead, pooling at his temples. I turned my head to see what had so abruptly captured his attention, and there, standing in the shadows, was none other than the butler, Klahadore.

"It's long past dawn," he said, his voice dripping with calculated calmness. He nonchalantly adjusted his glasses with the back of his palm, revealing the ominous claw-like blades. He directed his gaze toward Django, taking a deliberate pause before erupting in a furious outburst, "What in Neptune's name is going on!?" His anger was palpable, even from where I stood at a remote distance.

"Are you telling me these children held you up?" Klahadore continued, his eyes locking onto Django as if he were some kind of savage beast rather than a human being. "Is this what the pirates of the Black Cat have come to? Is that it, Django!?" He bellowed once more, his voice echoing through the area.

Ah, it was becoming clear now. Our little friend here had grown impatient and taken matters into his own hands. And as for their pirate name, "Black Cat"? I couldn't help but stifle a chuckle; it was a hilariously fitting name indeed.

Django's voice wavered with a touch of anxiety as he quickly responded to Klahadore's heated tone, "But you said it didn't matter if we let the kid go. That's what you said!" His eyes shifted towards Usopp, casting a furtive look that implied it was all Usopp's fault, though he knew deep down it wasn't entirely the young boy's doing.

Klahadore, on the other hand, remained steadfast in his conviction. He adjusted his glasses with the back of his palm, a habitual gesture that often accompanied his unwavering assertions. "Yes, I said that, and I stand by it," he replied with a hint of exasperation. "It really shouldn't have been a problem. Anyone with an ounce of foresight could have predicted that he would try to thwart us."

The tension in the air escalated as Klahadore continued, his voice dripping with frustration, "But what I didn't expect was your defense to be so feeble!" He leaned forward, his posture exuding an air of authority. "I am in no mood to hear excuses." His expression remained etched in anger, his piercing gaze unwavering.

What a cunning man Klahadore was, I mused to myself. I have become increasingly convinced that Klahadore is the type who adhered to plans with meticulous detail, and when circumstances deviated, he becomes utterly enraged. It is a stark realization, one solidified by this simple conversation between the two. The meticulous planner who could barely tolerate even the slightest hiccup in his grand design was now laid bare before him, and Django found himself treading carefully, realizing the extent of Klahadore's uncompromising nature.