Italics indicate Thinking

Bold is for Attacks

Steve's POV

"Good you're up, there's work to be done." I sighed.

I was happy Luffy was awake but he needed to hurry up so we could end this. Jango sent Buchi after me and Zoro and went to take Luffy on himself.

"Klahadore Stop This Right Now!" I looked up the slope and saw that Kaya was there.

The pirates realized that if they killed Kaya now they wouldn't have to waste time on the village but that wasn't what was bothering me. It was the look on Kuro's face, it was calm and unwavering. He wasn't at all shocked to see Kaya outside the mansion.

"What are you doing here Miss. This is no place for a lady like yourself."

He's acting like he's still just a butler.

"Merry told me what you did." Kaya said

"Oh he's still alive. I didn't show him mercy." Kuro spoke cold-bloodedly.

"What are you doing here?" Usopp finally spoke up "I told you to run away! These pirates want to kill you!"

"Aren't you fighting? Even though you're hurt," Kaya was crying while talking to Usopp "you're fighting for me. Why?"

"It's because I care about you!" Usopp yelled back "What's so wrong about not wanting to see the people you care about die! I doesn't matter what happens a real man stands up for the people he cares about even if it means he might die!"

Where did this bravery come from? Usopp, Wow.

"He's right there are just some fights a real warrior can't walk away from." I said looking at Usopp with a smile.

Kaya looked worried she turned to Kuro.

"Leave this place." Kaya said in a monotone voice.

Kuro had a questioning look on his face "What did you just say?"

"I SAID GET OUT!" Kaya had a look I didn't think it was possible for her soft featured face to make, pure rage "My friends are fighting to protect this village and I won't let you kill them. If you want my money you can have it, I don't need it. Just leave!"

Kuro gave some speech about wanting peace of mind saying he could only leave after the village had been eradicated.

This guy…he pretends to be so cunning in serious but all he really wants is to hurt people as much as possible.

"Kaya you have to run he's going to kill you. Please just get out of here." I could hear the fear in Usopp's voice he was terrified that they would kill her right there.

Kaya reached into her jacket and pulled out a pistol, pointed it at Kuro and said "Leave this village."

Kuro looked surprised that she was actually threating him. He then began to reminisce about the time he had spent with Kaya, causing her to waver and put the gun down.

"And all that was just so I could kill you today."

That was the final straw for Usopp. He charged at Kuro but only hit the air as the man appeared behind him.

"That reminds me I still owe you for that punch Usopp." Kuro went to cut Usopp open only to be punched in the face by Luffy.

"If you hate to get hit so much." Luffy said "I'll make sure to give you a real beat down."

Most of the pirates on the shore we confused as to how Luffy had struck Kuro from so far. They were also scared at how angry the man was now that he had been knocked down.

Then it happened, stupidity on of a high level by someone who wasn't Luffy. Those three kids came up and began to pummel Kuro with pans and shovels. Usopp and Kaya were shocked at the kids' arrival and I was terrified.

What the hell are they thinking?

"Stop it!" Usopp yelled at his younger friends

"Are you three trying to get yourselves killed? Get out of here!" I told them.

This was no place for children.

The kids ignored us a yelled about how Usopp was disloyal by not telling them the truth and trying to fight alone.

Kuro stood acting composed as always.

He's gonna kill them.

But he didn't he walked right past them and kicked Usopp instead. Even that he just brushed off as he looked at Luffy "That was an intriguing attack. It appears you possess the powers of a Devil Fruit."

This guy was so focused on Luffy he was ignoring everyone else around him.

"Jango! I'll take care of this kid you deal with Miss Kaya. Make her write the will, and then kill her." he looked over his shoulder "And those three brats, get rid of them too, they irritate me."

Jango began to make his way up the hill till he came to Zoro and myself. "Not another step." Zoro instructed.

"Buchi!"

Not again.

I looked up and saw Buchi falling from the sky yet again in an attempt to crush us. We jumped out of the way but the entire side I had jumped had been demolished causing me to move further down the slope towards Luffy in order to dodge.

Buchi went straight after Zoro and ignored me now that I was so far away. In the distance I heard Usopp order the kids to take Kaya and run. I saw the kids grab Kaya's had and drag her to the forest.

I wanted to go after them but that meant I would first have to get past Buchi, Jango and Kuro. None of whom I thought would allow me to just stroll past. Jango began to follow after the kids only to be shot by Usopp who was crawling on the ground. Still it only briefly slowed him down before he was back after the fleeing group.

"Usopp don't you worry" Luffy yelled "Leave this to us."

"We'll need to hurry if we wanna catch up to that hypnotist." Zoro pointed out.

"Well I say we have, I don't know five minutes." I smirked as the three of us got ready for the final push.

Off in the distance the sound of trees falling could be heard.

"You worked for Kaya for three years don't you feel any remorse?" Usopp asked

"No. Why would I, Kaya is just another part of my master plan." The coldblooded man answered.

"He's completely heartless." I said thinking out loud.

"This guy can't be saved." Zoro said.

"Never had any plans to save him" Luffy responded with a casual shrug.

Usopp struggled to get to his feet so he could help Kaya. As he stood Buchi made a move towards him only to be caught in a takedown by Zoro.

"We're in a hurry, stay out of the way." Zoro had his swords at the man's throat "if you just sit there quietly, I won't kill you"

I looked up and Usopp's legs had finally given up after only a few steps.

"You're a joke" Kuro taunted "Even if you caught up to your no match, Jango would kill you with them."

"Even if I'm no match I will protect my friends." Usopp said courageously trying to stand.

I guess we were all taken back by his statement because Zoro got distracted allowing Buchi to get up and strike him.

The pirates on the shore began harassing Usopp for his statement which only infuriated an already pissed off Luffy. He picked up one of the boulders and threw it at them.

"If any of you say another word about Usopp I'll kill all of you." All the men on the sand shut up.

That reminded me how intimidating Luffy could be if he wanted to.

I heard a groan and saw that Zoro had taken out Buchi after a short struggle.

"Hey I'm taking Usopp and going after the hypnotist that gonna be a problem?" Zoro asked throwing Usopp over his shoulder.

"No, just get going there's not much time" I said stressing about the time crunch "If he kills the girl this is all for nothing!"

As Zoro passed, Kuro spoke "Who said you could leave?"

"I did!" I responded throwing my whip towards him, trying to wrap it around his waist so I could pull him close.

He dodged my attack only to be forced further away by a punch from Luffy.

Kuro used his running maneuver to appear behind Luffy

"Duck!" Luffy did just as I instructed and avoided the attack with a handstand.

Luffy clapped his feet together "Gum-Gum Spear!" but once again Kuro disappeared and avoided the attack.

He's so damn fast he keeps dodging before we can hit him with an attack…

"Before we continue this fight I have a question. Why are you, strangers to this place, getting involved in the affairs of this village?" Kuro asked us.

"Because there's someone who lives here that we don't want to see die" Luffy told him.

"Are you okay with that being your reason for dying?"

"Sure it doesn't matter. We aren't dying here." I said

Kuro started his assault running at us I threw my whips at one of his hands to pull him to the side but he used the other to cut the cords and broke free.

"Oh dear it appears you weapon is useless if it's that short." Kuro said

He doesn't know. I've got him fooled.

"You don't know the real power behind these things at all" I swung my whips at Kuro "They can grow back! Whip Lash!"

My whips collided with Kuro sending him flying back into the cliff.

"HOW?!" Kuro looked stunned that he had just been hit.

"I love that trick, your mom's Devil Fruit is so cool." Luffy said jumping up and down laughing.

"My mother built these whips for me. Her Devil Fruit power allows her to control plants. The whips are made of an ivy that grows very quickly. This allows the whips to be as long as I need them to be. I can cut them myself or make them grow with the push of a button."

"That doesn't make any sense you mother isn't here. How could her power still affect the plants?" Kuro said getting angry.

"She only needs to plant the seeds. That's the power of the Dryad-Dryad Fruit. As long as the roots remain intact the plant will carry out its purpose until she tells it otherwise, and the purpose of this ivy is to grow."

While Kuro remained distracted by my explanation on the powers of my whips Luffy took the moment to attack throwing his fist at Kuro who woke up from our discussion in time to jump up and land on Luffy's arm. He broke out into a sprint and kicked Luffy in the face.

"HRAAA!" I grabbed him by the leg and threw him to the dirt "Hands off my friend!"

Kuro turned in the air and landed rather easily, negating most of my throwing attack.

The pirates on the shore began cheering for their captain. Kuro became angry that they called him their captain saying that the true purpose of this plan was to eliminate the name Kuro forever.

"I've spent three years planning I refuse to let you disrupt it!" Kuro charged at us.

All this just to stop being a pirate. How disgusting.

Luffy had a look in his eye that showed he was thinking along a similar line to me. Luffy picked up the bolder from before and blocked Kuro's claw and twisted it snapping five of his ten blades.

"How can you call yourself a pirate if you don't want to be known by your name?" Luffy berated the other man's philosophy.

"You're so lame." I laughed a bit.

Kuro stood up, saying he was going to kill everyone himself with no exceptions.

"I never had any plans to let you fools live anyway. I need to make sure everyone thinks Kuro is still dead." The man told the crew on the beach.

He said they were nothing but pawns to be used by him, part of his plan to get away from piracy.

"Then you should have just quit while you were ahead." I told him "You had a nice life here, if you didn't want to be a pirate it was all right here for you, it's almost sad" I said "you control hundreds of men, you planning for years but you still can't defeat Usopp."

"How ridiculous in what way am I inferior to him?" Kuro disappeared and began preparing to attack Luffy and me.

"You don't know what a true pirate really is" Luffy said.

"THERE!" I pointed to a spot on the ground and Luffy swung and backhanded Kuro.

"He saw through the silent step." The pirates were amazed that I had found Kuro during his maneuver.

"You may move fast but we've done so much wrecking at this hill you left a lot of dirt and pebbles to kick up as you move, it's easy to guess where you are." I said.

"You've insulted me for the last time. I'll show you the terror of a real pirate." Kuro said with a disturbed look in his eye.

Kuro began swaying back and forth till he suddenly disappeared. His crew was in a state of shock. They began running in fear saying it wasn't safe.

Suddenly everything around, us began getting clawed apart. People, rocks, the ship, everything was being assaulted. I felt scratches hit my legs. I saw Luffy get his face cut. Everything was being eviscerated or cut. He was running around blindly slashing even when he hit us the attacks weren't all that deep it was like he wasn't even aiming just flailing around like a child throwing a tantrum.

"Stop running and fight. Just what do you think your crew is?!" Luffy hollered.

Luffy and I were standing back to back waiting for our chance to attack when Luffy's side was slashed. For a split second I saw him.

Now's our chance!

I reached out and grabbed Kuro's coat and threw him to the ground "Gotcha."

"Why even stop me, you were barely being attacked.

"I will never become like you" Luffy told him wrapping his limbs around Kuro "Just try running now."

They enemy started yelling for me and Luffy to save them from Kuro. I grabbed Luffy's big head and ran towards our foes. "You were told to keep your mouths shut! I'll torture you next if you don't keep quite."

I slid to a stop and threw Luffy's head like a baseball "Gum-Gum Bell!"

Luffy's head-butted Kuro knocking him out cold. "Just who are these two?"

"I am Steve and that is Luffy, remember those names because one day we will be kings of the pirates" I grabbed Kuro and wrapped my whips around him, spinning in place and hurling him onto his tattered ship "Now take that piece of trash and get out of my sight, I never wanna see your disgusting faces here again."

AN

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Till Next Time!