Author: Xiao Yifeng
Translator: PapaSmurf0700
With a sharp intake of breath, Kuro managed to quickly mask the surprise that had flashed across his face. "Hmph!" he retorted coolly, "I am Klahadore. I have no knowledge of any Kuro, let alone acknowledge being a pirate."
Though his expression was a study in calmness, Kuro discreetly readied the ten concealed blades within his glove. If his true identity were to be revealed, he knew he couldn't maintain his facade indefinitely. Having meticulously laid his plans over numerous years, Kuro wasn't about to let them crumble.
At that moment, Zoro seemed to piece something together. "Kuro? That name does ring a bell — a notorious pirate with a bounty of 16 million Bellys," he mused. "I heard about Kuro getting captured by the navy right when I started my journey at sea. Did he manage to break free?"
Bai Ye, maintaining his intense gaze on Kuro, interjected, "It's not a matter of escape." He paused for effect before adding, "He was never actually captured."
"What?" Zoro exclaimed, taken aback. "The navy nabbed the wrong guy? How could that happen?"
Before Bai Ye could delve further into his explanation, an unexpected voice cut through the tension. "Enough!" It was Kaya, her voice quivering with uncharacteristic anger. "Klahadore has been with our family for three years, caring for me. I won't stand for these baseless accusations!"
She then turned to Usopp, confusion etched on her face, "I'm grateful for your concern for my well-being, but... this isn't right." Her voice hardened, "You must leave now!"
Though Kaya shared a profound connection with Klahadore, she held a bond just as deep with Usopp. Faced with an impossible choice, she chose to sever ties with Usopp, banishing him from her life.
Bai Ye pivoted to address Kaya, his smile soft, "Miss Kaya, please don't rush your decision. Hear me out first." He explained, "We had a stopover at Shells Town. There, we encountered Captain Morgan, the naval officer credited with Kuro's arrest."
With a flourish, Bai Ye presented a bounty notice to the onlookers, posing a question to Zoro, "You've dueled with him. How would you rate his prowess?"
"Pathetically weak," Zoro replied curtly.
"And compared to Buggy, whom we've bested, and who has a bounty of 15 million?" he pressed.
"Buggy would have him beaten without breaking a sweat," Zoro responded without hesitation.
"So," Bai Ye deduced, "how could a man who doesn't hold a candle to Buggy capture Kuro single-handedly? There's only one logical conclusion: the Kuro in custody isn't the real one."
His words resonated with undeniable logic, leaving the listeners to grapple with the implications.
"Ha, that's just your..." Kuro began to scoff, only to be cut off by Bai Ye, "One-sided narrative, correct?" He eyed him keenly, "You seem rather flustered, Mr. Kuro."
Faced with his teasing yet piercing gaze, Kuro's composure faltered. "I merely object to being accused by pirates," he defended stiffly.
"The truth of these claims will soon come to light," Bai Ye assured calmly. "At that naval base, I uncovered extensive information about Kuro. For instance, his signature weapon involves ten blades concealed within a glove. To prevent self-harm, he has a unique mannerism of adjusting his glasses with his palm. An uncommon quirk, wouldn't you agree?"
He turned his scrutiny back to Kuro, "Interestingly enough, this habit mirrors yours, sir."
"Mr. Klahadore?" Even Kaya couldn't help but voice her doubts, for, after years of companionship, she was intimately familiar with his habits.
Kuro stumbled over his words, "This... this is merely..."
"A coincidence?" Bai Ye finished for him, "Curiously enough, Mister, Kuro was 'apprehended' three years ago, around the same time you appeared here." His voice dripped with insinuation, "Kuro has a habit of adjusting his glasses with his palm, and so do you. One coincidence could be dismissed, but a series of them? Surely, they point to something more."
He paused, his voice a dramatic whisper, "And..."
In a swift motion, Bai Ye produced another bounty notice. "Care to address the striking similarity between your face and the one on this bounty poster, Mister?"
WHAT!!!
The reveal struck like lightning, dumbfounding everyone present, save for Bai Ye and Kuro. The evidence was irrefutable, rendering words unnecessary.
"YOU SCOUNDREL!!" Usopp exploded with rage, the first to break the stunned silence. The realization that a pirate had been lurking beside his dear Kaya all this time was unfathomable. Overwhelmed with fury and concern, he lunged forward, seizing Kuro by the collar. "What have you been plotting against Kaya?!" he bellowed, his fist flying toward Kuro's face, targeting his glasses.
But in a blur, Kuro intercepted Usopp's punch, his grip iron. With a forceful swing, he hurled Usopp to the ground.
"Usopp!" Kaya's cry pierced the air.
"Three painstaking years under the guise of anonymity," Kuro spoke, his voice a low growl as he adjusted his glasses. The composed gentleman morphed instantly into a figure of madness. "Just a mere two more days... that's all I needed."
His gaze turned steely, a tyrant's ambition naked in his eyes. "All would have come to fruition shortly, rendering my patience worthwhile. But now, it's all futile!"
His glare fixed on Bai Ye, venomous as if staring down the inevitable. "Why interfere? Why now?"
"Curse you, pirates!!"
Amidst Kuro's menacing aura, Bai Ye responded nonchalantly, "Well, despite the insults, I might just hail you as the mightiest."
"Klahadore??" The tremble in Kaya's voice was palpable as she stared at the man she had known intimately for three years, her cheeks streaked with tears. "Why... why resort to this?"
Kuro faced her, his expression devoid of warmth. "For a justifiable inheritance, Miss," he drawled, the title dripping with sarcasm. "My original plan was to kill you slowly with poison, but time has become a luxury we no longer possess."
With a sinister rasp, a blade emerged from Kuro's glove. "It seems I have no choice but to eliminate everyone here and now."
"TO HELL WITH YOU!" Luffy roared in defiance.
As Kuro's blade descended towards Kaya, Luffy intervened:
Gomu Gomu no Hook
Yanking her to safety. He couldn't stand by and watch.
"A devil fruit user?" Kuro's surprise was evident, but he scoffed, "Worthless. You won't stop my next strike."
Swish! Clang!
The scene unfolded in the blink of an eye. Positioned between Luffy, Kaya, and an advancing Kuro, Bai Ye materialized, his left hand raised, his form enveloped in a golden aura.
Kuro's blades met the radiant barrier, and in an instant, they shattered, fragments clattering to the ground.
IMPOSSIBLE!!!
Kuro reeled in shock. His prized techniques, [Stealth Walk] and [Shakushi], had been effortlessly neutralized.
"Not too shabby," Bai Ye quipped, a smirk playing on his lips. "However, it falls short."
With precision, Bai Ye unleashed his pent-up energy!
Tai Chi Strength - Crash
Kuro was catapulted backward from the impact to his cheek, blood spewing from his mouth before he crumpled to the ground, unconscious.