"A special person?"
Usopp propped his chin with one hand, muttering to himself.
Meanwhile, Kuro also frowned in thought. He wanted to know who was the special person mentioned by Kaya that could improve her condition so significantly.
"Such a person, shouldn't exist in this world."
Kuro thought secretly.
"Usopp, thank you for coming to chat with me."
"However, I have some things to deal with."
"So, I'm afraid I have to ask you to go back now."
Kaya said.
Now that Kaya knew the true identity of the butler Klahadore, naturally, she didn't want her friend Usopp to come to the villa, to avoid any threat from Captain Kuro.
"Eh?" Usopp was a bit stunned when he heard Kaya's words.
However, seeing the stern look from Klahadore beside him, Usopp had no choice but to accept Kaya's suggestion and leave.
But after taking a couple of steps, Usopp thought of the situation with Merry he encountered earlier.
So, curious, he turned around to ask Kaya:
"Kaya, I heard from Merry that you're preparing to build a three-masted sailing ship."
"Are you planning to set sail?"
Usopp wouldn't have asked Kaya such a question in the past. After all, Kaya was frail and not suited for sea voyages. But now that Kaya's health was as good as any normal person's, setting sail had become a possibility.
Beside them, Captain Kuro's eyes flashed with a sharp light upon hearing this. For a moment, his gaze towards Kaya became even more puzzled. In his memory, there was no recollection of Kaya wanting to build a ship.
"Could it be she plans to leave Syrup Village?"
"And then personally inspect the family's assets outside?"
Kuro thought, frowning. As someone who had been lurking within Kaya's family for many years, he was well aware that the wealth of Kaya's family wasn't just concentrated in Syrup Village. On several islands overseas, there were assets belonging to Kaya, managed by trusted individuals left by her parents. If Kaya really planned to leave Syrup Village, it wasn't out of the realm of possibility.
Thinking this, Kuro immediately asked Kaya:
"Miss Kaya, did you commission Merry to build a ship?"
"Why is that?"
Hearing Captain Kuro's question, Kaya said with a light laugh:
"I'm helping a very special person build a ship."
Captain Kuro's frown deepened.
"A special person?"
"Is it the person who helped improve your condition, Miss Kaya?"
"Who has such ability?"
"Miss Kaya, do you just intend to give the ship to this person?"
As Kuro asked, Usopp too looked over, equally curious.
"Klahadore, you will know who that person is."
"But not now."
Kaya smiled meaningfully at Kuro, then turned to Usopp.
"As for your question, Usopp… about setting sail."
Kaya looked up at the sky, her eyes glinting with longing.
"If the opportunity arises, I indeed want to set sail."
"But not just yet."
After answering Usopp, Kaya glanced secretly at Kuro. Until the issue with Kuro was resolved, even if Kaya wanted to see the world for herself, she couldn't leave.
"That would be great! If you do decide to sail later, consider joining the grand Usopp Fleet."
Usopp laughed loudly, pointing to himself with his thumb.
"A brat known only for lying, talking about being the grand Captain Usopp."
"Scram, Miss Kaya has already asked you to leave," Kuro said, narrowing his eyes, his tone cold toward Usopp. He was already irritated about Kaya wanting to build a ship, and Usopp's irritating voice only fueled Kuro's anger further.
Feeling the air around him grow colder, Usopp shivered involuntarily.
"Alright, Klahadore, Usopp means well," Kaya shook her head at Kuro, then turned to Usopp and said, "Usopp, I appreciate your consideration. For now, please head back. I have my own matters to attend to."
After nodding to Usopp, Kaya turned and walked back into the mansion. Perhaps due to her growing physical strength, Kaya could vaguely sense Kuro's increasingly icy expression. To prevent him from actually harming Usopp, she chose to cut the conversation short.
"Setting sail, huh? Once Arton-san arrives, I might be able to join him on the sea," Kaya thought, her tense mood easing slightly at the prospect of Kuro's threat being neutralized and her being free to explore the seas.
Usopp glanced at Kaya's retreating figure and then at Kuro's grim expression, shivering once more. The next moment, he turned and dashed toward the shore.
Kuro watched all this with narrowed eyes. After a while, he stepped aside, pulled out a Den Den Mushi from his pocket, and dialed a number.
Meanwhile, on Arton's ship.
"Bruru bruru bruru! Bruru bruru bruru!"
The urgent ring of the Den Den Mushi suddenly broke the silence, causing Jango, who was overseeing his subordinates' work, to stop and quickly approach Arton, who was engrossed in jotting down in his logbook.
"Arton-san, the phone, it's ringing," Jango said hastily.
"It must be your old captain, Kuro, calling."
Arton looked up, interestedly glancing at the Den Den Mushi in Jango's hand, and then chuckled:
"It's fine, just answer it."
"Let's see what he wants to say."
Following Arton's instruction, Jango took a deep breath, picked up the receiver, and answered:
"Hello, this is Jango."
As Jango finished speaking, a very somber voice came through the Den Den Mushi.
"Jango, how long will it take for you to reach Syrup Village?"
The speaker was none other than Captain Kuro.
***
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