Previously, when Alex first told Kuro he was going to beat him into the sky, Kuro didn't take him seriously at all. In his eyes, Alex wasn't worth the attention—certainly not a threat.

But now, Kuro could undeniably feel a dangerous, feral aura radiating from Alex. It forced him to shift his focus completely.

Especially those eerie crimson-red eyes, flickering with faint golden light around the pupils—it sent a chill through Kuro's heart.

From his higher vantage, Kuro had clearly seen the moment Alex's eyes transformed. That instant surge of strength had completely eclipsed Sham's, allowing Alex to knock out the Cat Brother with a single punch.

Kuro couldn't help suspecting Alex was a Devil Fruit user. He'd heard plenty of rumors about them, but none of them mentioned a fruit that could change the color of someone's eyes.

"You'd better attack now. I won't need more than three moves to finish you."

With that, Kuro kicked the barely breathing Usopp aside and called down to Alex from the slope above.

Alex gritted his teeth. To ensure Usopp and Kaya's safety, he had to push Kuro away from them as quickly as possible—then he could unleash his fists without holding back.

Just as he was about to charge in and force Kuro away, a gunshot cracked through the air.

It was Kaya.

Seeing Usopp humiliated and brutalized, her heart burned with grief and fury. Kuro had his back to her. Trembling, she pulled the pistol hidden in her blouse. She hesitated—but then glanced at Usopp, who lay bleeding and motionless. Biting her lip, she made her choice and pulled the trigger.

Alex's eyes widened the moment he heard the shot. Not good.

He dashed toward them with full force.

But Kuro vanished in a blink. The bullet whizzed through empty air as he reappeared behind Kaya. His long cat-claw blade was now pressed coldly against her neck.

"Milady… you've really grown over these past three years," Kuro said darkly. "You even found the courage to pull the trigger on someone."

"What… are you talking about?"

Alex halted. A thin red line appeared on Kaya's neck where Kuro's blade had grazed her. If Alex took another step, she might die instantly.

"Don't get the wrong idea," Kuro said with a cruel smirk. "I'm not using her as a hostage to threaten you. I just need to take care of a small matter before we fight."

Dammit. If that woman hadn't fired her gun, this wouldn't be so complicated.

Alex didn't particularly care about Kaya's life, but he knew how much she meant to Usopp. This battle was never about pride—it was about helping Usopp protect the people of Syrup Village. If Kaya died because of him, what would be the point?

He clenched his fists and held back the fury welling up inside him. He had to find a way to save her—without getting her killed.

"Let her go! I won't let you hurt her!"

Usopp, bloodied and struggling, tried to stand again. He even managed to raise his slingshot.

"You? A loudmouth good-for-nothing? You think you can protect someone? Isn't that hilarious?"

Kuro dragged Kaya forward a few steps and stomped down hard on Usopp's chest. He laughed coldly, never removing the claw from Kaya's throat.

Keeping her in front of him as a shield, Kuro denied Alex any chance of a sneak attack. He turned and asked Alex, "Well? Don't you agree with me?"

"Someone who's lived his whole life in a peaceful village, playing pirate games with children and dreaming of becoming a brave warrior of the sea… Isn't he just as foolish as his pirate father who chased unrealistic dreams and sailed away?"

Kuro sneered at the broken Usopp and spat out his words.

Hearing that, Alex felt a fury unlike anything he'd known before.

His head dipped slightly, fists clenched so hard they trembled. The crimson in his eyes deepened, and a strange red glow shimmered through them. Around the pupils, golden light danced, giving him a terrifying, unnatural gaze.

Kuro, seeing Alex silent, didn't seem concerned. He turned back to Kaya.

"Well, milady? Don't you think I'm right?"

"If… if it's my fortune you want, I'll give it to you. Please, just stop this. Let Usopp go…"

Tears streamed down Kaya's cheeks. She had seen the blood on Usopp's chest. She had studied medicine—she knew, without a doubt, that if this continued, Usopp would die.

"Oh no, you've misunderstood," Kuro said coolly. "Yes, I want your wealth—but more than that, I want a peaceful life."

For a moment, there was even a nostalgic look in his eyes.

"These past three years, I worked so hard to earn the villagers' trust. And you know what? I liked it. It was… comforting. To get both a stable life and your inheritance—that would be a perfect outcome."

His voice softened as he looked at her.

"For three years, I've stood by your side—this starry-eyed little lady. I shopped with you in town. I nursed you when you were sick. I laughed and cried with you. I gave you three years of my life!"

He smiled faintly, then his expression twisted into a hideous snarl.

"All of it was for this! So today, the pirates must attack this village. And today, you must write your will, transferring everything to me. That's how it has to be!"

Gone was the gentle butler. Now only the ruthless pirate remained.

Kuro leaned down to her ear, growling with venom:

"For three years, the infamous Captain Kuro of a Hundred Plans had to play the role of a groveling servant to a snot-nosed little girl—smiling, flattering, enduring! Do you have any idea how humiliating that was for me?"

"From the moment I met you, I decided I would kill you with my own hands! These three years were for this very day. Do you understand now?"

Kaya trembled violently.

Everything she thought she knew shattered. The memories she once cherished—those gentle moments over the past three years—were all part of a lie.

He had never been kind. He had only ever wanted her dead.

The shock was too much. Kaya collapsed into despair.

"You bastard!!"

Usopp, still pinned under Kuro's boot, saw Kaya fall apart. Her face turned ghostly pale, her mind clearly cracking under the weight of the truth.

Enduring the searing pain from his injuries, Usopp forced himself to lift his slingshot—and aimed it straight at Kuro.

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