The group soon found Nami, Zoro, and the three kids and told them everything.
"So Klahadore is really a bad guy?!" Piiman called out in shock.
"You know, I never did like him. Now I think I know why." Ninjin admitted.
"We have to warn everyone!" Tamanegi realized.
Usopp shook his head. "They'll never listen to us. I've been making fibs about pirate attacks for so long all the villagers will do is chase us out of town. Plus, Kuro is smart enough to keep to only a few lies that are really hard to expose."
"The people only have his word on where he came from, but he's given them no reason to doubt said word." Zoro realized.
Usopp grumbled. "If only there were a way to expose his true character..."
"Kuro's definitely going to make his move tomorrow. He said the north shore, so we just need to make sure none of his men ever reach the village." Merone said.
"That might be tough, but not impossible. Both shores have a narrow pass that can be defended, so unless the pirates have climbing equipment we might be able to thin them out." Nami said.
"You guys... Are going to help me?" Usopp asked in surprise.
"This village is your treasure and so is your friendship with Kaya. And right now it's being threatened." Luffy pointed out. "So of course we're going to help protect it."
"Though we also have to make sure Kuro is exposed as a pirate. The presence of a Black Spot alone won't be enough to convince anyone." Lithos noted.
Usopp thought for a moment before his eyes lit up, an idea coming to his head.
"There is one servant of Kaya's who might be willing to listen. His name is Merry, and he's the most honest guy I know. Plus he's truly devoted to keeping Kaya happy. So maybe if I tell him to keep an eye on Klahadore, it could at least allow Kaya to see what Kuro's truly like."
"Okay, so we have Nami for making traps, the four of us and Luffy have Devil Fruit power, Zoro has his swordsmanship, and Usopp has his marksmanship." Ariala listed off. "Yeah, I think that checks out. I have a feeling we can do this, you guys!"
"What about us?" Piiman asked.
"You guys get to Kaya's mansion and try to get Merry. It's better if you're not in danger when those pirates attack." Usopp suggested.
Meanwhile, Kuro was meeting with his crew on the Bezan Black.
"It's been a long three years, but it's nice to see you all still looking as bloodthirsty as ever. Thank you all for coming. I apologize for making you wait for so long, but all good plans need the perfect time to execute. However, rest assured once the plan is finished you'll be getting your fair cut of the take. Once dawn hits tomorrow, raid through the village to your heart's content!"
The Black Cat Pirates all cheered in excitement but Kuro just smirked, knowing the real fate that awaited them once his plan was completed. He then made his way back to the mansion and was greeted by Merry.
"So you returned from your trip, Merry. Is the young miss doing alright?"
"Yes, she went to sleep not too long ago, she seemed quite exhausted. Usopp's latest story really got her excited, but I've never seen her so happy." Merry said.
"If you say so. I'm still skeptical about his character."
Merry finished polishing the chandelier and came down from the ladder he was using. He then stepped out of the room but stayed out of sight while in the hallway. He watched as Kuro found the present Kaya had left for him; a pair of special glasses to commemorate the third anniversary of when he first arrived in Syrup Village.
"Kaya had noted how often Klahadore's glasses seemed to slip, so she commissioned a special pair for him. If Usopp and those new friends of his are wrong about him he'll certainly enjoy them. But if they're right..."
"A crescent moon tonight... Nights like this make my heart race, and my blood stir." Kuro said as he looked at the moon through the window. "So the young miss wanted this to be a commemoration, did she? Well, to be fair, she's not wrong that it will be a time to celebrate..."
He dropped the case to the ground and stomped on it, shocking Merry.
"They were telling the truth! I need to inform Miss Kaya at once!"
He made sure to walk, not run, and thus was able to avoid alerting Kuro. Since he thought Merry was already gone, Kuro allowed himself a dark grin.
"Thus far all my plans have gone unnoticed. I'm actually pleasantly surprised." He placed on a special glove that had five blades at the tips of his fingers and then used it to smash the chandelier. "I should have all night to come up with an excuse for that. Though it's not like I'll need to keep up this charade for much longer."
He walked off to his personal quarters, unaware that Merry and Kaya had overheard him.
As dawn neared, Jango walked out to the crew, all of whom addressed him as captain.
"Alright listen up! As you know for these last three years I've been your acting captain while we waited for Kuro's final plan. Well by this time tomorrow, he'll be retired, upon which I'll be your captain for real. Get ready for the dawn, because we're gonna rampage like never before!"
The entire crew cheered at that.
Meanwhile, the group was busy setting up a whole bunch of traps at the slope to the northern shore.
"Are you sure we shouldn't have used the oil trap?" Usopp asked.
"Not a good idea, it'd be a double-edged sword. One wrong move and we'd be sliding into an antlion pit." Nami said.
"Ugh, I hate when we can't use the cool flashy stuff!" Ferros grumbled.
"Don't be a baby, Bro..." Ariala quipped.
Zoro looked out as the dawn started to break, noticing the ship coming in.
"Here they come! Let's get into position!"
As the Bezan Black approached the shore, the lookout noticed something.
"Captain, we have a schooner in sight! Should we investigate!"
"Belay that. Doesn't look like a treasure ship, and we're on a tight schedule."
"That is one big ship...How much treasure do you think is on it?" Nami wondered. "Come to think of it, you don't think they'll try to grab our treasure, do you?"
"Doesn't look like it. They seem to be ignoring our boat." Lithos noted.
As the pirates started charging up the slope, they found themselves suddenly in pain due to a carpet of caltrops spread across the floor of the pass. With the pirates distracted, Usopp quickly fired off several shots from his slingshot, easily downing multiple foes.
"The pass has been rigged! They were expecting us!"
"That can't be...They would have had to be listening in on me and Kuro!" Jango said.
It was at that moment Usopp made his presence known to the pirates, standing bravely at the top of the slope.
"I am the mighty Captain Usopp! And I've been waiting for you this entire time!" He called out. "I am here to fight for this village, so turn back now if you don't want to die!"
"Wow, I'm impressed. His knees are slightly shaking, but he hasn't soiled himself." Nami said.
"There's an important bit of wisdom our father told us when we were little," Merone said. "Courage is not the absence of fear, it is acting in spite of it."
Jango scoffed. "You're just one guy. Just how do you expect to take us all on?"
"I'm not so reckless as to take on so many alone. I have with me a crew 100,000,000 strong, all ready to beat the crap out of you guys!"
Jango's jaw dropped. "He's got that many crew members!?"
"Captain, that's an obvious lie! Not even the Yonko have crews that big!"
Usopp chuckled. "Oh, you think that's a lie, do you? Men, open fire!"
The Children of Whitebeard fired off multiple rocks, metal pellets, water bullets, and wind blasts through a series of tubes, hidden in the bushes to make it look like an entire firing squad was hidden.
"Holy crap! How many even are there?!"
"I can't tell from all the shots!"
Nami had taken the time to retrieve the treasure from the schooner while everyone was distracted.
"I'm not having them steal what I went to all the effort of stealing!"
"It doesn't matter how many there are. Once they're under my hypnosis, we'll have them!" Jango said as he prepared to use his hypnosis trick. "On 'one, two, Jango', you'll let us pass!"
Just as Jango started to count off, Nami activated a dust trap, making it impossible for anyone to see. Usopp chuckled as he prepped his slingshot.
"Taste my special ammo!" He called out. "LEAD STAR!"
The heavy lead projectile knocked one pirate for a loop, causing him to knock back all the ones behind him.
Meanwhile, Kuro was getting impatient.
"They're late. Surely they know what happens to those who upset my plans. Either they're taking their sweet time like it was nothing... Or something has held them up. Looks like I'll need to take matters into my own hands."
He picked up his bag and started heading out to the shore.
By now the traps had managed to take out most of the pirates, much to Jango's annoyance.
"This is not going the way Kuro wanted. If his plans get upset... The man has a real short temper." He muttered before turning to the remaining members of the crew. "Everyone, listen up! We don't have time to waste! Look over here and I'll get you a power-up! On 'one, two, Jango' you'll all grow insanely strong, your wounds completely healed!"
"Oh great, he's going all mind over matter on them," Ferros said.
"Zoro, looks like we're up!" Ariala called out.
Nodding, Zoro drew his swords as Jango finished his hypnosis trick, pulling down his hat to avoid hypnotizing himself. However, his action worked as the crew was reinvigorated, one of them actually managing to smash part of the cliff.
"You guys better take point!" Zoro called out to the Children of Whitebeard. "You've got the defensive advantage!"
The pirates gave a renewed charge, only for Lithos to leap down into the pass.
"STONE EDGE!"
A wave of jagged stone spikes erupted and sent the pirates flying. Several got up but Ferros kept the pressure coming.
"BULLET PUNCH!"
Turning his fists into solid lead and striking at high speeds, the entire pirate gang was soon completely knocked out all over again.
"Guess mind over matter doesn't work when the matter is tougher than you..." Jango grumbled, "Damn it, looks like I won't be reviving them a second time. Guess it's time to pull out the trump card! Siam! Butchie! Time to give them a taste of the Nyaban Brothers!"
Two pirates, one large and fat, the other lean, both leaped off the Bezan Black. Both of them were decked out like they were cat people.
"You called, Captain Jango?"
"Siam and Butchie, ready to fight! We are the Nyaban Brothers!"
"We need to get past this hill at all costs, but right now we have some obstacles in the way. Be careful of the guys who just took out our entire crew. Looks like they have some sort of Devil Fruit powers that let them control rock and metal."
"All yours, Zoro!" Ferros called out.
Zoro hopped down with his swords drawn. The brothers seemed to cower, but Merone wasn't fooled.
"Don't let your guard down, Zoro. The talented hawk hides his claws."
Zoro nodded. "So they might be tougher than they look. Good to know."
Siam sighed. "That usually catches them off-guard. This guy's impressive, I'll give him that."
"Guess we'll just have to go all out then!" Butchie decided.
The brothers started to make their attack but were easily held off by Zoro. Butchie managed to scratch him, but the swordsman kept on pushing without so much as flinching.
"What the hell is taking so long?!"
The fighting stopped as the whole crew became terrified, seeing Kuro approaching.
"How is this misfit group of brats holding you back from carrying out your mission?!"
"How the heck should I know?! I don't even know how they found out about the plan in the first place!" Jango said.
"Don't get me wrong, I was expecting there to be a few obstacles. But apparently, I didn't count on the feebleness of my crew!" Kuro snapped.
"Or maybe you underestimate the scope of the obstacles placed in your path," Lithos retorted. "Do you really think anyone from this village could stand up to your crew under normal circumstances?"
"He's right, Captain! We haven't exactly been partying it up while you were living the easy life out here!" Siam said.
"We've been continuing our work as pirates for the last three years! Attacking towns and sinking plenty of pirates!" Butchie added. "But you've just been sitting on your ass all this time! How do we know you're not the one who's gone feeble?!"
Jango couldn't help but facepalm as the brothers actually rushed at Kuro.
"Those idiots. I could tell from the way Kuro adjusted his glasses... Doing so in a way that he wouldn't accidentally cut his face with his blades... He hasn't lost his touch at all these last three years!"
Kuro pulled his bag out to don his special claws, then seemed to start getting faster. He had disappeared before the Nyaban Brothers ever struck him, shocking Zoro as he bore witness to this.
"That level of speed. I saw Luffy do the same thing against Buggy. Does that he mean knows that technique too?"
"No, it's not the same. I could tell as Kuro moved." Ariala clarified. "He was fast, but he could barely tell where he was going."
"Kuro's Pussyfoot Maneuver..." Jango whispered nervously as Kuro snuck up on the Nyaban Brothers.
"I will admit this much...I do feel sluggish after three years without proper practice."
Nami was a little freaked, but then noticed that Luffy and the Children of Whitebeard had been tracing Kuro's movement with their eyes the entire time. Jango seemed to notice as well.
"How did they know where Kuro was going? Even a group of fifty assassins would be killed before sensing Kuro once he uses this move!" The hypnotist thought.
Luffy took the opportunity to use Soru to appear right before Kuro before slapping the paper against his chest. Kuro was stunned at first before noticing the paper and looking at it, the rest of the Black Cat Pirates also noticed and a collective chill ran up their spines when they recognized the black symbol.
"What's this supposed to be?"
"That's a Black Spot, Captain!" Jango explained in panic. "It's meant to be a pirate's death sentence!"
"We overheard it, how you were going to remove all loose ends. Every person who knows your secret identity, which includes your crew." Ferros said.
Kuro scoffed. "And what of it? A crew is nothing more than a tool for a pirate captain. I can name at least a hundred captains who think the same."
"Then start naming them. Let's see if you're right."
Luffy's dare actually made Kuro step back in shock at the accusation, but the Straw Hat Boy was not done.
"Here's the real truth; A pirate crew is a family. Sure the captain might kill one or two of his crew if they cross the line, but there are still rules to it. Killing your entire crew is the worst sort of crime any pirate can commit. And as a pirate captain myself, I'm hereby sentencing you to death!"
"And here's what I don't get; You were one of the most successful pirates on the East Blue. Your raids probably brought in way more money than Kaya's fortune. So why go to all this trouble?" Nami asked.
"Money alone is not my goal, I also seek peace of mind. To be able to be comfortable with the wealth I amass." Kuro clarified. "And I've endured the indignity of three years as that feeble girl's butler to get it."
Hearing this, Usopp clenched his fist tight enough to draw blood in a rage.
"You gotta be kidding me... So all those times I saw you diligently caring for Kaya. An actual look of concern and care on your face... You mean to say it was a lie?!" He called out in fury. "I may be a liar by nature, but at least my lies are meant to bring people a sense of excitement or happiness! This sort of lying... It's just beyond cruel!"
"You want to punch me right now? I'll have you know..." Kuro smirked as he held up his Cat Claws. "I hate getting punched!"
And then Luffy promptly punched him hard using his Gum-Gum Pistol technique, knocking him to the ground.
"Then how about I give you a hundred punches before you die!"
The Black Cat Pirates just stood there slack-jawed as Nami grinned at what she was seeing.
"Looks like they've got this. Let's see how much treasure these pirates have amassed."
Ariala smirked. "Go for it, girlfriend!"
Kuro groaned as he got up, noting with annoyance that his glasses were now broken as he addressed Luffy.
"So you possess a Devil Fruit power. It seems my earlier assessment was indeed inaccurate."
"Not just me either. Lithos, Ferros, Merone, and Ariala all have them too."
Ferros smirked. "I ate the Metal-Metal Fruit, Luffy ate the Gum-Gum Fruit, and my brother and sisters ate the Earth-Earth Fruit, Water-Water Fruit, and Gust-Gust Fruit."
Naturally, the crew of pirates was freaking out, since Devil Fruits users were supposed to be scary strong. Kuro, however, seemed unphased.
"Jango, I'll handle these two. Go find Miss Kaya. Have her write the will before killing her."
"Yeah, bad idea. If a will isn't notarized before the person writing it dies, the will is defunct. No one inherits." Merone said.
Kuro was actually stunned at that realization.
"But when Kaya's parents died-"
"You don't really think they drew up that will moments before they died, did you?" Lithos pointed out. "Obviously it had been in place for years, likely since Kaya started to come of age."
"You're telling me my plan this whole time..." Kuro began, his eyes widening in sheer disbelief. "...would have been a flop no matter what?!"
"You know, I bet if he'd waited a few more days, Kaya probably would have written up that will on her own," Luffy said.
Kuro growled. "Damn it... It seems no matter what I try, I can't escape the life of a pirate. Jango, change of plans! Just find the girl and kill her outright!"
Jango was a little concerned since he didn't like the idea of killing. However, he couldn't make a move as he found himself trapped in a dome of water courtesy of Merone. The Nyaban Brothers were also swiftly taken out by Zoro during that time.
Kuro snarled. "Honestly, to think there'd be so many obstacles to my plan...!"
"Well get used to it! Lithos and Merone always told me something growing up; No plan survives first contact with the enemy!" Luffy said, cracking his knuckles.
Kuro took a deep breath, adjusted his glasses, and seemed to disappear. But when he tried to slash at Luffy, the boy had already disappeared himself.
"You seem to be incredibly strong. Why bother with a silly little village like this?"
"This village is someone's treasure, and he wants to protect it with everything he has! I can respect a man like that, and it makes me want to help them." Luffy said. "Usopp may seem like a wimpy coward on the surface, but for all his fear there's no one I've seen who's braver! After all, he's still fighting despite his fear. A real coward would have run by now. What about you? Why quit being a pirate when it's clear you're still at the top of your game?"
"Do you have any idea how tiring it is? Devising plans every day for men who only care about chaos? Being relentlessly attacked by government dogs and bounty hunters? I was absolutely sick of it!" Kuro snapped before taking a deep breath. "Three years ago I finally hit my breaking point. It had been the third time that week we were getting attacked by Marines. If I was going to have peace of mind, I needed to shed my name. When I expressed my desire to quit, Jango made an excellent point; That the Marines would hound me until I was dead. Or at least... Until they thought I was. I remember well that final battle. It was just one Marine vessel, so it was easy to slaughter all but one of them. Morgan, I believe his name was."
"You mean Axe-Hand Morgan?" Luffy asked. "You fought against him?"
"So he replaced the arm, did he? I did leave him alive, but broke his jaw and mangled his right arm first. Then I told him I was about to make his career." Kuro said with a smirk. "Jango had already hypnotized a lesser member of the crew named Nugire Yainu to act as me. The man was a dead ringer for my visage when viewed from a distance. Morgan was then hypnotized to think he had bested me in a glorious battle."
"So much for working his way up through his own hard work..." Ferros noted with a smirk. "Whoo-boy will he be pissed when he learns everything he believed was a lie."
"But here's what I don't get; Why not finish off your crew then and there?" Luffy asked. "You were planning on killing them from the beginning, so why not do the job there? You could have faded into obscurity with your peace of mind intact, and likely gotten the inheritance you wanted without issue. Plus, you really should have thought through becoming a pirate if you didn't want people coming after you. Honestly, what good is a thousand plans if all of them are too complicated to work?"
Kuro was angry beyond belief at those words, a vein popping across his forehead as he saw red.
"Nobody insults my plans!"
He rushed at Luffy with his Cat Claws out, but Luffy just stood there and took a simple defensive stance.
"TEKKAI!"
To Kuro's shock, his claws not only didn't draw blood, they didn't even seem to hurt Luffy. In fact, because of the momentum, the claws on his right hand completely shattered. The crew stood in shock at their captain's weapon being destroyed.
"Since Luffy's rubber body only protects him from kinetic damage, his grandfather had him learn the Tekkai technique in order to protect against cutting damage," Lithos explained.
Ariala giggled. "Sure took the old coot a while to come around to letting Luffy pursue his dream of being a pirate, but he came around eventually."
Luffy smirked at Kuro. "Honestly, you're a bigger coward than Usopp. He relishes the idea of becoming a pirate and having a name on the high seas. You gave up because you were scared of the idea of being infamous!"
Luffy then stretched his neck back as he reeled forward before snapping his head forward, striking Kuro with a headbutt to the face that broke his nose.
"GUM-GUM BELL!"
"As for me, my ambition is too great to be scared off by having a name infamous enough to have the Marines chase after me!"
Kuro covered his face with his palm and looked at the sheer amount of blood on it afterward. Furious beyond words, he began to rage.
"I've put all my intelligence into this three-year plan, and you have the gall to insult it?! I'll show you how feeble your ambitions are!"
He launched into his Pussyfoot technique again, but Luffy easily dodged using Soru, the Children of Whitebeard nearby making sure the pirates weren't caught up in Kuro's attack. As Kuro continued to race about hoping to hit Luffy, the rubber man saw his best chance.
"GUM-GUM...FINGER PISTOL!"
Stretching his arm back while holding out his index finger straight as an arrow as it seemed to stiffen and harden like a bullet before snapping it back and striking Kuro clear through the heart, blood exploding out of his back in the process as the strike ruptured the organ.
Kuro coughed up blood as he fell to his knees, his eyes wide with shock and despair as the life rapidly drained from his body.
"It... It wasn't supposed to end like this..."
"That's why you never should have bothered being a pirate, you can't handle it. And now, you'll get the peace you always wanted." Luffy said calmly. "Look on the bright side... Captain Kuro's supposed to be dead anyway."
"No...my plans...all my plans..." Kuro choked out before his eyes rolled into the back of his head and he collapsed, the Black Spot falling on his back.
"I-Impossible..." Jango muttered as Merone freed him from his prison. "That kid just killed Captain Kuro...Just who are you?"
"My name is Monkey D. Luffy and I'll never lose to a pirate who ditches his name and runs from the sea! And I can never forgive a man who only sees his crew as tools to be disposed of!" Luffy declared. "Make sure to remember my name, because I'm the man who's gonna be the King of the Pirates!"
Intimidated and awe-inspired by Luffy's words, the Black Cat Pirates and Jango promptly fled back for the Bezan Black as Nami came in with a sack full of gold.
"Looks like in the end, Kuro was just too clever by half." She noted as she held up the bag. "They had pretty light pickings for treasure. Still, every little bit helps."
A loud growl then echoed throughout the beach, making everyone jump in surprise as Luffy awkwardly rubbed the back of his head with a sheepish grin.
"Shihihihi! Guess I could use some meat after all that."
"We'll make sure Kuro is given a proper burial at sea," Merone said as the Children of Whitebeard went to dispose of the corpse.
The Usopp Pirates had made sure Kaya was kept safe in a secret part of the forest, with Merry there to make sure her health was stable. Kaya was worried the whole time but cheered up when she saw Usopp and the group approaching.
"He made it!" Piiman cheered.
"No need to fear, citizens! Things have been cleaned up here." Ferros said proudly.
"But how do we break the news about Klahadore really being Kuro?" Merry wondered.
"Just say he got a fatal heart attack from stress," Usopp suggested. "There's no reason the village should be spooked by an attack that was prevented. They don't even need to see Kuro's body."
"Besides, we've made sure he's been claimed by the seas he abandoned," Merone said.
"It's still upsetting to think he was lying for three whole years. It would be one thing if he just wanted to disappear quietly, but this..." Kaya sadly said as Usopp placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
"Hey, it's all over now. There's no need to dwell on it or let anyone else know."
Lithos nodded. "He's right. After all, why would pirates attack a sleepy little village like this?"
Merry and the Usopp Pirates smiled and agreed to keep the secret as Kaya giggled.
"I think I'll be able to keep this secret as well. After all, I still have plenty of people who care for me. Losing one may hurt, but I can survive. Though I think a lot of people are probably curious why you haven't gone running through the town making another pirate attack just to get them riled up."
Merry chuckled. "Too bad. A lot of them actually consider it their main motivation."
"Well... They're going to have to get used it." Usopp sighed.
Kaya realized what he was talking about, a sad expression in her eyes.
"So you've finally decided then. I think the whole village is going to miss you."
The kids were confused as Usopp turned to them sadly.
"This is officially the disbanding of the Usopp Pirates. It's been a good four years, and I'm grateful to you for everything you've done. Especially with keeping Kaya safe while we dealt with the Black Cat Pirates. But now more than ever I can hear the sea calling me, so I've decided it's finally time to head out there like my father once did."
"So you're going to become a real pirate then? Like you always wanted?" Ninjin asked.
Usopp nodded. "And since Luffy made the offer, I've decided to join his growing crew."
The kids all smiled. They remembered the day they first got to know Usopp as more than just the guy who told tall tales.
"We were pretty shocked when you decided to make us the Usopp Pirates. But it's actually been fun for the last four years." Tamanegi smiled thoughtfully.
"Yeah, like all those animals we chased and pretended they were dangerous beasts." Piiman agreed.
Thinking about it got all four of them tearing up as they gave each other a big hug.
"You kids have your own ambitions in life!" Usopp said. "I want you to grow up and see those dreams realized!"
"I want to run a pub someday!" Piiman said.
"I want to be a master carpenter!" Ninjin added.
"I want to be a great novelist!" Tamanegi finished.
"Just make sure to write what you feel, not what you think other people want to read," Merone suggested with a smile as she petted Tamanegi's head. "If you pour your soul into your work, I'm sure they'll love it all the same."
Usopp took the kids to their old hangout, with the flag of the Usopp Pirates still waving.
"Let's make a vow here and now! To swear to continue on each of our paths without regret, and never let the fires of ambition burn out in our hearts!"
As the kids all swore they would never abandon their dreams, the wind tore away the flag, signifying the end of the Usopp Pirates. Luffy and his crew all couldn't help but give their own respectful salutes.
Later, Kaya met with the gang as they enjoyed a good meal after their victory.
"You're looking a lot better, Kaya," Usopp noted.
"Well, I can't stay coddled forever," Kaya replied. "I wanted to thank you all for everything you did, so I had a present prepared for you."
As they headed out, Usopp picked up the bag he packed with everything from his old house. He had to ask Lithos to help take it out of the house since it turned out to be too big for the door. Kaya brought them to the south shore, where Merry was waiting with a grand caravel with a sheep figurehead. The group marveled at it when they saw it.
"It's beautiful!" Ariala gasped in amazement.
"I'm sure Usopp's mentioned that I dabble as a shipwright," Merry said, "It's a slightly older model, but one I personally designed. It's carvel-make, with lateen sails and a central stern rudder. I call her The Going Merry!"
"We made sure to load it with everything you might need on a voyage. There's plenty of space in the cargo hold." Kaya said.
"You sure you're going to be okay with seeing him off?" Merone asked Kaya as Usopp began loading up. "We likely won't be coming back for years."
"I somehow knew he was going to leave for the sea sooner or later. As much as I want him to stay, I know there's no stopping him when he makes up his mind." Kaya admitted before smiling. "You know, the reason he started every day yelling out how pirates were attacking was because of his mother. She died of illness, but every day before that he would run through the town claiming his father's pirate crew had returned, just to make her feel better.
Merry also smiled. "Banchina never regretted marrying Yasopp, even when he left for the sea. I guess at some point the lies just became a habit for him."
Ferros grinned. "Well, now's as good a time as any to make sure you don't have any regrets."
"Well, it looks like this is goodbye, for now, Kaya. Hopefully, I can come back someday." Usopp said as he came over.
Kaya smiled, then shocked Usopp by kissing him right on the lips. The boy could only clumsily stumble up onto the ship in a daze while Merry successfully broke a bottle against the ship for the launch.
"What happened with him?" Luffy asked.
"He just realized the girl he likes also likes him," Ariala explained.
Usopp fainted in happiness as Nami started piloting the Merry away from the island, Kaya and Merry waving them off.
"Usopp's stories were all about living life to the fullest. They kept telling me to live, so I will! And one day, I know I'll see Usopp again." Kaya thought to herself. "I have an ambition of my own now. I'm going to become a doctor, to help others get through illness and find their way to live!"
Sorry if I couldn't give Kuro a satisfying death scene but then again, this is my remake/retelling of mtnetsurfer's Ash & Rubber. If you really wanna see a good death scene, check out The Four Great Captains by Mrotrax!
Anyway, the next chapter might be a bit on the short side but I'll see what I can do. See you all soon and have a wonderful day!
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