Chapter 7

Syrup Village Part 1


Kuro:

Current Job position: Butler

Former Job position: Pirate of the _

Current situation: Secret may be compromised.

. . .

Somewhere in the forest . . .

The suave, cat-like figure was crouching in the shadows of the forest. As feline as a person could be, he made sure to keep quiet and keep attention to his surroundings. For the past years, he's been able to keep his secret quiet and unfound. Like a treasure to be found again . . .

But damn it. He was supposed to find it instead! Not other people! They're going to reach his precious riches before he does! And he's been at this game far longer than – than –

Those barnacles.

Ahem.

It was unbecoming of him to vent this much in such a short amount of time.

He's been at this for several years. What do those children have on him?

Nothing.

Kuro smirked to himself, "Everything will go to plan."

Yes. Since his low-key identity had already gone swimmingly well, why would things spoil for him now? It was only due to his careful planning and acting that let him to survive this far without being jailed.

Of course, of course.

Kuro came to a stop in a clearing. To the left of him was a cottage. A homely looking place where no one would ever have any suspicions of any pirates living in. No siree. None would ever hear or see of that; pirates living in a house where it would befit a granny? Pshaww. What are you on?

Slightly out of character. Anyway,

Kuro tipped up his glasses. And when his glasses shined, three people jumped into the clearing like the nimble cats they were.

Kuro debriefed, "The situation is grave, my men. It seems our plan may not go so smoothly. Our years may be up faster than we thought. No worries, I've thought up a plan that should work well."

One of his minions asked, "How do they know?"

Kuro answered, "That, I have no idea, but I suppose our secrets may have been revealed by that long nosed brat."

One of the two brothers asked, "How?"

Kuro asked, "Has he ever been in the forest before?"

One of the other two asked, "Sometimes, but he hasn't ever set foot near our cottage. Or this place."

Kuro thought, ". . . Well, then, until the time comes . . . We'll simply bide our time. Until then, the plans will continue. If anything changes, immediately report back to me. If we can't make out of the plan in peace or whole, then we'll take the whole town with us."

"Sure, boss."

"Aye."

"Dismissed."

"STOP RIGHT THERE YOU EVIL CRETINS!"

The cat gang snapped their necks to the direction of the voice.

There, on the tree branch was a man with a mask.

And the most notable feature of this man's appearance; his long nose. The figure was not daunting at all, and yet . . .

"On the Sniper Island~"

Captain Kuro froze in his steps, calculating sets of movements and distances -

"I was born~"

The minions of the cat gang stood back; ready in attack mode.

"A hundred shots, A hundred hits~"

Every member of the former Black Cats noticed a chorus in the background. They couldn't tell who was who or where they were, but they belonged to voices of children.

"Even a Mouse's eye~"

"Lock on!"

"Even your heart~"

"Lock on!"

Kuro decided not to pay attention to the lyrics anymore. He ordered his minions.

"Capture the children."

As the cats jumped into midair to scale the trees of the forest, they were shot down before they even reached a foot off of the ground. They dropped like dead fleas out of the sky.

"The Man who came from the Sniper Island~"

"Lululu lulu lala~"

They crashed into the floor and got knocked out of consciousness. Kuro looked at his men and then looked on at the figure.

Kuro glared poison daggers at the masked figure and jumped for the kill.

"Run Away~!"

In the following moment, Sogeking, King of all snipers, shot down a black cat, also rendering him unconscious.

"Sogege Soge Soge-"

And once the cat dropped dead to the floor, the last of the lyrics were sung.

"SOGEKING!"

And long nosed, King of Snipers, grinned.

"How do you like them apples!"

Everyone applauded for Usopp and one of perhaps the coolest moments of forgotten history.

Usopp hopped down from the tree branches and the three boys crowded around him.

"That was so awesome!"

"The way you just sniped them down like that!"

"I am so going to do my best to be like you!"

More people found their way to the clearing where the cats were sleeping.

Nami slapped her forehead, "Was that song really necessary?"

Usopp responded right away, "Of course, it was! That was one of my most grandest of all entrances!"

"That was awesome, Sogeking!" Luffy's eyes sparkled, "I didn't even know you lived here!"

The three boys looked at Luffy like he was in need of something, "Huh? What do you mean – of course, he's here, he's –"

Before Usopp's identity was given away for free, he hushed the three boys to keep quiet. And of course, hey complied.

As Nami was tying up the men with proper knots while bagging their hands with nets and the like, Luffy nodded over to the figure hidden in the shadows.

And walking out of the shadows . . . Who is he?!

1 –

2 –

3 –

JANGO!

Nami ordered him, "Alright, you," she pointed to the strange looking hypnotist, "Once those weirdos over there wake up, I need you to hypnotize them to follow along every order I make."

Jango walked weirdly, "Sure, sure. Once I'm done with this, you'll let me go, right?"

Nami smiled deviously. It was a smile scarier than a dragon's and as sincere as a cat's.

Luffy, Usopp, Carrot, Pepper, and Onion watched with fear.

Usopp sat down with a relieved smile, "Well, with him out of the way, Kaya should be safe and sound."

Nami remembered something, "Hm? Ah, hey you," she was speaking to Jango, "Whatever you do, don't let him out."

"Yes, ma'am," he saluted.

Kuro woke up confused.

Amazingly, it wasn't truly expected, the Straw Hats including Jango thought that as per his epithet, he'd be awake and ready to–

What's this? Jango is here already?

"Wh-what's going on." His eyes were half lidded. His brain fogged up.

"When I say 'One, two, Jango', you will follow any and all commands of Nami."

"That's me, hello there~"

"One, two,"

Kuro's eyes widened.

His hat was tipped up by Nami, and he was unable to cover his eyes in that moment. "Jango."

. . .

Ah . . .

If fate allowed it, Nami would have been the captain of the black cats instead of Kuro.

Such deviousness could really make any actual black cat proud.

And um . . .

Luffy was watching the hypnotist at work, too. Typical of a simpleton.

So . . .

Nami tested, "Alright, I order you to fall asleep!"

Kuro fell asleep.

Jango fell asleep.

Luffy fell asleep and bonked his head on a tree trunk, then immediately waking up.

Usopp sweat dropped, "You're still as simple as when you were sixteen, huh?"

"Uw- what happened?"

Nami facepalmed, "Ugh, how are we still alive under this idiot?"

Usopp shrugged, "Beats me."

The kids poked Luffy and stretched his face.

"Woah, when I grow up, I'll make sure to eat a Devil Fruit."

The two boys nodded in awe at the stretchy skin.


Note: More of Syrup Village This week!

It's finally winter break so I can spend more time with this. I'll load another part of this sometime during tomorrow or the day after.