Raphael: <>
System: []
******
Luffy leaped gracefully from the large crystalline arm as it retracted back, landing on solid ground with a light thud. His expression softened as he held a small framed picture out toward Kaya. "Is this what you were looking for?" he asked, grinning at her.
Kaya's eyes widened in astonishment, her initial sobs turning into a gasp of pure relief. She reached out with trembling hands, cradling the frame as if it were a precious treasure. "You... you actually got it..." she whispered, her voice heavy with gratitude and disbelief. Hugging the picture close to her chest, Kaya managed a tentative, tearful smile as she looked up at Luffy. "Thank you... truly."
Luffy chuckled, attempting to deflect the intensity of the moment. "Yeah, well, don't go getting used to it," he teased, flashing her a playful grin. Then, his face turned serious, and he glanced around at the smoke-filled sky and the smoldering remnants of the village. "Now that you've got that picture, let's get out of here. All this smoke can't be good for either of us."
Kaya nodded, taking a steadying breath, and followed close as Luffy led her away. They moved quickly through the charred remains of the village, with Luffy carefully shielding her and summoning crystals to snuff out any lingering flames along their path.
After a few minutes, they reached the beach, where the rest of Luffy's crew was already hard at work aiding the villagers. Uta knelt by a group of injured villagers, using what little first-aid knowledge she had to patch them up, while Zoro and Kuina joined others in dousing small fires with buckets of seawater. But as Luffy approached with Kaya at his side, he could feel the palpable shift in the villagers' mood. They glared at Kaya with resentment, their expressions filled with simmering anger and grief. Kaya, visibly shaken, instinctively stepped behind Luffy, gripping the frame close to her chest.
Luffy let out a deep sigh. He understood the villagers' feelings; they had lost homes, belongings, and loved ones due to Kuro and his pirates' devastation. Though Kaya was also a victim of Kuro's deception, her association with him made her a symbol of the destruction the village had suffered. Knowing that keeping Kaya there would benefit neither side, he called out to Uta, who was helping someone nearby.
"Uta," Luffy called, catching her attention as she finished tying a bandage. "Could you take Kaya back to the ship?"
Uta nodded, quickly coming over and wrapping an arm around Kaya, leading her away without a word. Luffy gave her a reassuring nod before turning back to address the crowd. He approached a villager tending to a child's wounds and asked. "How's everyone holding up?"
The man glanced up, exhaustion etched into his face. "We're managing, somehow," he replied, handing the child back to their mother. But as his gaze shifted back to Luffy, his expression hardened. "And what was that girl crying about? It was her own servant who caused this disaster. Those rich folks always find a way to make it all about themselves."
Luffy shook his head. "Look, she's as much a victim as you all are. Kuro fooled her too. But what's done is done. Right now, I need to know the extent of the damage so we can figure out the best way to help."
The man let out a tired sigh, nodding reluctantly. "We've lost everything—homes, savings, people... Some are still missing." His voice grew somber. "We know that women and children were taken by those pirate scum, and others... well, they might be gone for good. But until we can get past the fires and search, all we can do is hope."
A pang of guilt washed over Luffy, and his face darkened. "I didn't realize they'd taken people too." He clenched his fists and sighed. "There's got to be something we can do."
"Actually, there is," another man joined the conversation, upon hearing Luffy's words. "Southwest from here, there is a small island, about three hours away. One of the scum who was looting my house said something about going there and laying low for a while. They were also talking about contacting someone regarding goods and such."
"They must be referring to the people they took from here," the first man said, gritting his teeth. "However, lad, you've already done so much for us. We cannot, in good conscience, allow you to risk your life any further."
"It's alright, old man. I've already helped you so much, so I might as well see this through," Luffy said with a wave of his hand, not telling them that he had an ulterior motive of waiting to gather as many achievements as possible from this adventure. Besides, he knew that with his current capabilities, the Black Cat Pirates weren't a threat to him or his crew. "Stay here, look after each other, and let me deal with those pirates."
******
"I think there are roughly 100 of them," Uta murmured as she scanned the uninhabited island through her binoculars. "And from the looks of it, they're partying without a care in the world."
After hearing about the Black Cat Pirates' whereabouts, Luffy wasted no time setting sail from Syrup Village, bringing only Uta along. He had left Zoro and Kuina behind to protect Kaya, ensuring she was safe from any villagers who might lash out in anger. He also wanted them to keep an eye on the village and help where they could in his absence.
"Perfect," Luffy grinned, his expression shifting to match the determination in his voice. "Let them keep partying; we're about to crash it in the worst way possible." His face turned serious as he looked over at Uta. "Alright, here's the plan. We'll do what we did back in Shells Town. I'll go in and take care of those dumb and dumber, while you take the ship around the island to rescue the women and children they've taken."
Uta folded her arms, pouting as she shot him an unimpressed look. "It's not fair! Last time, you got to have all the fun while I was stuck doing the errands!"
Luffy chuckled, trying to appease her. "I get it, but honestly, I don't think I'd be able to calm those women and kids down as well as you can. Besides, you're amazing at this stuff."
"Fine, fine, I will do it, just stop buttering me," Uta sighed, shaking her head. "Just make sure you take care of every single one of them. We can't risk anyone slipping away with knowledge of our abilities. The fewer people who know what we're capable of, the better."
Luffy nodded, then glanced back at the island with an unreadable look. "So... I'll have to kill them, won't I?"
"Luffy, don't fuck with me!" Uta glared at him. "Did you really set sail thinking you could keep your hands clean forever?"
He averted his eyes, hesitating. "No... not exactly. But it's just..."
Her expression softened as she reached out, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Look, I understand. It's not like I've had to take anyone's life before either. But think about it—if we just leave them subdued, do you really think the people of Syrup Village could contain them until the Marines show up? Unless we're planning to stick around indefinitely, the best thing we can do—for them and for ourselves—is to make sure these pirates never come back."
Luffy took a deep breath, nodding slowly as he processed her words. "Alright," he said, his voice steady and resolute. "Let's get this over with."
******
The Black Cat Pirates reveled carelessly beneath the night sky, laughter and crude songs filling the air as they clustered around their flickering campfire. The firelight cast twisted shadows across their faces, adding a sinister edge to their drunken mirth. Unbeknownst to them, high above on a nearby hilltop, Luffy observed the scene, his eyes sharp and unblinking. Through the power of Observation Haki, he could sense each pirate's presence, mapping out the camp's layout with precision.
He took a steadying breath before leaping silently from his vantage point, landing just beyond the edge of the encampment. His sudden appearance caught the attention of a few lookouts, but before they could shout a warning, Luffy raised his hand. With a subtle hum, spikes of glimmering green crystal erupted from the ground, slicing through the closest guards with ruthless precision. The pirates dropped in eerie silence, dead before they could even comprehend what hit them.
For a brief moment, a wave of nausea washed over Luffy as he stared at the lifeless bodies. The sight twisted his gut, the weight of taking lives heavy on his mind. But he steeled himself—there was no turning back now. He had a job to finish.
The initial skirmish roused the other pirates, who stumbled over to the scene, their drunken stupor giving way to shock and fury at the sight of their fallen comrades. Enraged, they charged Luffy, swords flashing under the firelight, desperate to retaliate. But Luffy's face remained expressionless as he summoned crystal daggers in each hand, dispatching each pirate with swift, lethal precision. Every reckless charge was met with brutal, efficient takedowns, leaving no chance for the pirates to mount a real defense.
A group of twenty men, realizing their disadvantage, tried to overwhelm him with sheer numbers. They charged as a mob, roaring in defiance, their crude weapons brandished with shaking hands. Luffy simply took a deep breath, concentrating, and slammed his palms to the ground. In an instant, two massive hands crafted from green crystal erupted from the earth, rising above the scrambling pirates. With a resounding crash, the hands clapped together, pulverizing the attackers in one decisive, brutal motion.
As the crystalline hands retracted back into the ground, the remaining pirates gaped at the carnage, frozen in shock at the sight of their comrades' unrecognizable remains. A wave of horror rippled through the crowd as the reality of the situation sank in. Luffy's expression remained cold and unreadable as he observed the panic setting in. Pirates stumbled back, some trying to escape, tripping over each other in terror, while others clung desperately to their weapons, forming loose defensive lines.
A few of the braver ones, their faces pale and their hands trembling, attempted to hurl weapons at him. Luffy responded with a swift wave of his hand, summoning a new surge of crystal. This time, he molded it into a massive sweeping blade made up of the crystals that gleamed in the firelight. With a powerful swing, he sliced through the defensive lines, cutting down scores of grunts in a single, decisive strike. Cries of pain and horror filled the night as the survivors stumbled back, their courage evaporated, and their morale shattered.
Now the ground was slick with red, the remnants of the once-merry camp now a wasteland of broken bodies. Luffy's gaze swept over them, his face as calm as stone as he watched the last few survivors, trembling and stumbling, try to flee, but there was nowhere to go.
Just then, a flash of silver caught Luffy's eye. Jango, the Black Cat Pirates' hypnotist, stood on a boulder, his pendulum swinging rhythmically back and forth. "What the hell is going on here!" The hypnotist's eyes glinted with rage as he called out, "Listen, boy, I don't know who you are or how you did all of this, but this is as far as you go! Sleep!" Jango's voice rose in a hypnotic cadence as he swayed his pendulum back and forth in front of Luffy's face.
However, instead of getting sleepy, Luffy just stared at Jango with an unimpressed expression. With Raphael protecting his mind, a low-level mind attack like hypnosis wouldn't work on him. "Hypnosis, huh? Nice trick, but it's not gonna work on me."
Jango's smirk faltered, but he quickly regained his composure, shifting his tactic. He turned to the remaining pirates, his voice rising with desperation. "Fine! We'll do it the hard way! You lot, stop cowering and attack!" He waved the pendulum in front of the nearby grunts, who immediately fell under his spell. Their eyes glazed over as their bodies tensed, muscles bulging unnaturally, and with a collective roar, they charged at Luffy with blind, reckless fury.
Luffy responded instantly, slamming his palms against the ground once more. This time, a massive crystal snake surged forth, twisting and coiling as it barreled toward the charging pirates. Its immense, glistening jaws struck down on those at the front of the charge, while its heavy, winding body flattened others beneath its crushing weight. The hypnotized pirates fell one by one, overwhelmed by the serpentine onslaught.
Jango's confidence drained as he watched his empowered minions fall with terrifying ease. He took a shaky step back, sweat beading on his forehead as Luffy's gaze turned toward him. Frantically, he swung his pendulum again, hoping to muster another command, but Luffy was already upon him.
"Don't bother," Luffy said, his voice low and edged with a dangerous finality. With a flick of his wrist, he summoned a crystalline hand that shot forward, seizing Jango by the collar and hoisting him into the air.
Jango's earlier bravado evaporated, replaced by raw fear as he dangled helplessly. "W-wait! Please! I was just—"
Luffy's eyes narrowed, his tone like ice. "You prey on weak minds, turning people into puppets. But without them, you're nothing." He tightened the crystal hand's grip, and Jango's struggles ceased with a strangled gasp. With a flick, Luffy tossed Jango's limp form aside, dismissing him as effortlessly as the other grunts.
As Luffy moved through the camp, two figures stepped into his path, blocking his way with exaggerated, almost cartoonish grins. Sham, a thin, wiry man with a fox-like face, crouched low, his tone dripping with mock admiration.
"Hey, boy! We just saw what you did, and honestly, we're kinda impressed," he said, his voice falsely deferential, much to Luffy's annoyance. "Hey! What's with that look? We're not your enemies, promise!"
Beside him, Buchi, the bulkier of the duo, chuckled nervously, scratching his head as if trying to appear harmless. "Yeah, yeah, we don't want no trouble... maybe we could, y'know, just talk?"
Luffy sighed, unimpressed. Their pathetic act was so transparent even a small child could see through it. "Right... Well, I don't have time for games, so I'm gonna make this quick."
Instantly, their fake smiles vanished, replaced by fear. They'd seen the devastation Luffy had wrought, but desperation drove them to lunge forward, revealing their true nature. Claws glinted from their gloves as they slashed in unison, hoping to catch Luffy off guard. But Luffy, tapping into Observation Haki, dodged each attack effortlessly, weaving through their swipes and parrying each one with haki-covered arms.
Frustrated, Sham dropped to all fours, circling Luffy like a cornered animal. Meanwhile, Buchi charged forward, hoping to overwhelm Luffy with sheer size and force. But Luffy sidestepped gracefully, then extended his hand to summon a solid crystal wall. Buchi crashed headfirst into it, the impact sending shockwaves through his body and leaving him momentarily disoriented.
Seizing the moment, Luffy created a crystal cage around Sham, isolating him in a tight, shimmering prison. Sham clawed at the bars in a wild panic, but his attacks were utterly ineffective. Meanwhile, Luffy turned his attention to Buchi, who was stumbling to his feet, disoriented and dazed. Luffy struck with precision, landing a powerful blow that sent Buchi flying across the clearing, where he crashed into a tree, coughing up blood before collapsing to the ground, unmoving.
One down, one to go.
With a flick of his wrist, Luffy released the crystal cage. Sham staggered out, his bloodshot eyes locking onto Buchi's fallen form, his face contorted in a mix of fear and rage. But before he could react, Luffy summoned a crystal dagger in his hand and, with one swift movement, drove it into Sham's chest. The pirate froze, his life snuffed out in an instant, as the skirmish ended with brutal finality.
Luffy stood over the fallen duo, the camp now eerily quiet.
However, just then, a slow clap echoed from the edge of the camp, drawing Luffy's attention. Standing atop a large rock, Kuro glared down at him, his face an unreadable mask. The Black Cat Pirates' captain, elegant yet sinister, stepped forward, a quiet fury evident in his stance.
"Impressive," Kuro said, adjusting his glasses with a slight sneer. "You've dispatched my men with decisive efficiency. I'm furious, of course... but part of me admires your ruthlessness." He straightened, eyeing Luffy with a gleam of calculation. "I'll make you an offer: join me. Together, we could rule the East Blue."
Luffy gave him a look of genuine disbelief. "Are you serious? Did you miss the part where I took out your entire crew?" He shook his head. "Besides, why would I join someone who couldn't even defeat a moron like Morgan?"
Kuro's calm façade cracked, his eyes narrowing. In a flash, he vanished, reappearing behind Luffy, his deadly Cat Claws poised for a lethal strike. But Luffy was ready. His Observation Haki allowed him to sense the movement, and he pivoted, blocking the attack with a Haki-infused arm.
Kuro snarled, his claws clashing against Luffy's arm, sending sparks flying as he tried to slice through Luffy's defenses. "You're fast, I'll give you that," Kuro sneered. "But not fast enough."
Without missing a beat, Kuro attacked again, striking from every angle, his Cat Claws blurring with speed. Luffy matched his movements, anticipating each strike with Observation Haki, evading, blocking, or parrying every blow.
Growing tired of the skirmish, Luffy lunged forward, his fist enveloped in Armament Haki. Kuro raised his claws to block, but Luffy's punch shattered them like glass, sending Kuro hurtling back. He crashed into a tree, and for the first time, true fear appeared in his eyes as he realized that Luffy, who advanced slowly towards him, was someone far above his league.
Luffy stopped a few feet from Kuro, knelt down, and met his horrified gaze. "Kuro of a Thousand Plans..." he said mockingly. "Didn't plan on facing someone stronger than you, did you?"
Kuro tried to crawl back, but Luffy reached out, grabbing him by the throat and lifting him effortlessly off the ground. Kuro's hands clawed helplessly at Luffy's Haki-coated arm, his breathing choked as he dangled helplessly.
"Kaya trusted you, you know," Luffy said, his voice a harsh whisper. "Like family. And you destroyed that trust and hurt innocent people... for what? A tiny village with nothing of real value?"
Kuro's lips twisted into a sneer, though his voice trembled. "You... you soft-hearted fool. Here I thought I could respect you. But it turns out you're just as weak as everyone else." He let out a dark, bitter laugh. "As for why I chose Syrup Village? Well... fuck you, that's why."
Luffy's expression didn't change as he created a sharp crystal dagger in his hand. "Fair enough," he replied coolly. Then, without another word, he drove the crystal spike into Kuro's heart, ending the pirate captain's life.
As Kuro's lifeless body fell to the ground, the forest grew silent. The carnage around him was complete. That marked the day the Black Cat Pirates rose again and were wiped out from the face of the world.
To be continued...
******
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