Chapter. 7 Luffy vs. Kuro

At that moment, the view changed, once again.

"What?"

"How is it that we have changed?" Hera asked.

"Because there is a lot to see," Junior began, "and for now, we just need to see the important details."

"So where is he going?" Hermes asked, and soon received the answer from him when he saw that Butchie had been defeated by Zoro while Luffy was on his feet, prepared to face Kuro. Besides, Kaya was nowhere to be found, and neither was Jango.

"Where did that mortal go?" Dionysus asked, a little concerned.

"Usopp's friends came looking for her," Junior replied. "He told them to take her to the forest to protect her, but Jango went after them."

"Well at least she's safe," Athena added.

Right at that moment, Annabeth gasped as she saw Usopp past, collapsed on the ground.

"Usopp!" she cried.

"Oh no!" Clarisse screamed. "What happened to you, Long Nose ?!"

"... He lost too much blood," Demeter replied worriedly. "I spend all that time, struggling with a bloody head wound and it seems to me that he didn't stop to think about the consequences."

Ares chuckled. "I ... I guess Luffy's recklessness got in the way, huh?"

"It's not funny!" Aphrodite rebuked him.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Kuro chuckled. "Look how pathetic you look, Usopp! But maybe it's better if you stay on the ground like this! If you manage to catch up with Jango, he will kill you in an instant!"

"... It does not matter ...!" Usopp whispered as tears welled up in his eyes. "I ... have to protect them! Kaya ... my friends ... the village! EVERYONE! I DON'T WANT TO LOSE ANYONE!"

Luffy's eyes widened, as did the gods and their sons and daughters ... perhaps seeing the adventures of these mortals was changing them, even if little by little.

"I am the Great Captain Usopp," Usopp continued, "and they are my crew! I am a brave warrior of the sea, just like my father before me! I will not let any of you bastards hurt my friends or my neighbors!"

'... Not bad, Usopp ...' thought the king of the gods, satisfied.

The Black Cat Pirates, however, laughed.

"Look at him, crying like a pathetic coward while his ass is in the air!" yelled one of them.

"What a loser!" added another ... but his laughter was quickly silenced when Luffy threw a stone at them, causing them to scatter in panic. Luffy growled as he glared at the pirates, who were whimpering like a group of pathetic dogs with their tails between their legs. If looks could kill, then these pirates would certainly be ten feet underground now.

"WHAT IS SO FUNNY?!" Luffy roared.

"Any!" Tyson screamed. "Absolutely nothing!"

"Way to go, Luffy! But make it stronger!" Clarisse cheered.

"Don't let them laugh at him!" cried Annabeth.

"Luffy!" Zoro called out as he took Usopp and put it on his shoulder. "Usopp and I will move on!"

"Yes, do that!" Luffy called.

"Sorry," Usopp apologized.

"Don't worry," Zoro replied. "I would go on my own, but you are the only one who knows this forest, so you better come with me."

"... Did Roronoa just admit that she would get lost?" Hades asked incredulously.

"Look at him, even the toughest can be humble" Hecate looked at the swordsman.

"If only some could admit his mistakes ..." whispered the goddess of wisdom.

"Wait," Kuro said as Zoro and Usopp were about to make their way past him. "Who gave you two permission to climb this slope?"

"I did!" Luffy yelled as he rushed over to Kuro, who gasped in surprise as he dodged Captain Straw Hat's blow. "Zoro! Usopp! Hurry!"

"Correct!" Zoro replied as he ran, leaving Luffy fighting Kuro on his own.

"Take this!" Luffy screamed as he tried to land another gum gun on Kuro, but the Pirate Captain Black Cat soon vanished into thin air. "Eh ?! Where did he go ?!"

However, he suddenly tensed, feeling something behind him before falling to the ground, narrowly avoiding a cut from Kuro's Cat Claws.

"Oh good dodge!" Thalia yelled.

"Catch him now honey!" Artemis screamed.

"He was lucky", Ares thought. "He timed that escape just because of his instincts."

"Heh!" Luffy smirked, standing on his hands and clasping his feet together. "Now Gomu Gomu no ... Yari!" He stretched both feet forward, trying to hit Kuro with his legs, but once again, the deceptive pirate managed to evade him. "Damn it, now where did he go!" He then he jumped to his feet. "Ah well. At least Zoro and Usopp made it up the slope." It was then that he turned around and saw Kuro, who glared at him.

"Oh!" Luffy exclaimed. "There you go!"

"I say," Hermes began, "he's just as fast as I am! Not that he's impressed, of course."

"I'll tell you all this," Apollo said. "Luffy sure he spent some time with this mortal."

"Before we fight seriously," Kuro began, "I have to ask ... why are you, an outsider, sneaking into this village? It doesn't concern you."

A pause ... before Luffy smiled.

"Because," he began, "there is a certain man in this town that I don't want to let die."

The demigods smiled hugely although they felt surprised. While it was true that Luffy was a pirate, he acted more like a hero, comparing even to Hercules ... although they liked Luffy much better.

"I see," Kuro smiled. "How simple ... but is that pathetic boy really someone you're willing to die for?"

"He sure is!" Luffy replied as he took a fighting stance. "But I'm not going to die either!"

"Tell him, Luffy!" Artemis clapped her hands.

"That's how it is!" Tyson added.

"Go get them, Luffy!" Thalia exclaimed.

"Teach him a lesson, Luffy!" cried the son of Poseidon.

"Oi, guys."

All the visitors from another world turned to Luffy, less surprised, because he could inexplicably see and hear them.

"I want you to see this; I know you can't intervene, but don't do anything anyway."

Everyone nodded, as the wind blew gently as Luffy and Kuro clashed ... but then ... the latter looked at the former with great killing intent.

"Die, boy ...!" he hissed before attacking Luffy, who stretched out his arms behind him.

"Sorry, but not today!" he declared as he reached out his arms and grabbed Kuro by the wrists, then leapt into the air as he prepared to stamp his face. However, Kuro simply waved his arms and pulled Luffy to the ground, forcing him to let go. Without losing ground in a fight, Luffy quickly stood up with one hand and stretched out his leg.

"Gomu Gomu no WHIP!" He screamed as he passed his leg to Kuro, but once again, his enemy proved to be one step ahead of him, as he jumped on his leg, dodging the attack. Then, Luffy stood up once his leg retracted, then threw his fist forward ... only for Kuro to jump on his arm.

"... You bored me ... stupid boy," Kuro said mockingly before running along Luffy's arm before he could roll it up and kick him in the jaw, sending the black haired teenager to the ground.

"By the Eliseos!" Apollo yelled.

"Easy now, my son!" Zeus assured. "The boy will be fine!"

Luffy grunted as he stood up, his fat had fallen off, before spitting out a bit of blood dripping from his lip. Meanwhile, the Black Cat Pirates, although surprised by the display, began to cheer once they saw their enemy starting to lose ground to their captain. They started chanting his name, over and over ... but then something really unexpected came along.

"NEVER CALL ME BY THAT NAME, HOWLING TONES!" Kuro yelled, causing the Black Cat Pirates to freeze.

"Hey...?" Luffy muttered as he wiped his lip of blood.

"Are you angry because they called you by his name?" Aphrodite asked.

"I don't get it," Annabeth added. "I thought pirates were the ones who were desperate to preserve their name in history ..."

"Don't you understand idiots?" Kuro asked suddenly. "The whole point of this plan was to get rid of the name 'Captain Kuro' forever! I got tired ... crafting a thousand brilliant plans for a bunch of chattering idiots with nothing but pillage and pillage on their minds! My hard work got me! The entirety of the Marines on my heels! Bounty hunters, spies, mercenaries! Wherever I went, it was nothing but endless stalking! So on that faithful day, three years ago ... life! "

"Wait ... did he kill himself?" Tyson asked.

"All this, because he didn't want to be a pirate anymore?" Hera asked.

"That's ..." Apollo began, but Hermes cut him off.

"Disgusting. A thief must live by his name, proud of it."

"Well, you sneaked off with my cattle the first time and pretended to be asleep."

"That was before we became friends!"

"But it doesn't make sense," Hephaestus said. "If you are a pirate, of course they will hunt you down, right?"

"Some people are just not cut out for the pirate life, my friends," Junior said.

"Ha. What do you mean by 'unprepared for a pirate's life'?" Poseidon said, a hint of disdain in his voice.

"Oh, you'll see."

"Don't you get it, silly?" Kuro asked Luffy, who glared at him. "There is simply no room for error in my three-year plan ... and my plans NEVER deviate!" At that, he pounced on Luffy with his Cat Claws extended, causing Luffy to gasp before grabbing a rock and lifting it up, using it as a shield, and Kuro's Cat Claws ended up getting caught in the rock.

"Well thought!" Clarisse and Thalia cheered.

"I see," Kuro said. "So stretching is not the only thing you are capable of, is it?"

"No!" Luffy replied with an arrogant smile. "I've been training for ten years ... to be a pirate!" At that, he tossed the rock aside, causing Kuro's claws to break off.

"That-?!" Kuro questioned.

"And another thing!" Luffy added. "If you don't want a reputation ..."

WHAM! He hit Kuro with the stone, knocking him to the ground.

"DON'T BE A PIRATE!"

"Absolutely right!" Groover agreed.

"Way to go, boy!" Hephaestus applauded. "I mean, not bad"

"That's Luffy for you!" Percy added.

"Heh!" Luffy smirked. "If you ever want to compare plans, then mine is much bigger than yours!"

A pause ... but then Kuro backed away, strands of hair now hanging loosely over his forehead. His eyes were dark and blood dripped from his temple. Even then, however, the Black Cat Pirates continued to cheer, though some advised their crewmates not to call their captain by his name.

"Shut up!" Kuro barked. "I'll take care of you idiots later ... Jango too."

EH ?!" the Black Cat Pirates questioned in shock.

"B-but why us ?!" asked one of them.

"Yeah, stop kidding me!" yelled another. "It is not too late to attack the village, is it?"

"Yes! As long as Jango gets that rich girl to write her will, the plan will be a success!" exclaimed one more.

"They just don't get it," Dionysus whispered.

"That mortal only sees you as pawns." endorsement Athena, sadly.

"None of you worry about my plan," Kuro replied. "If none of you fools live to tell the tale, I can blame you."

Hearing that made the Black Cat Pirates gasp in horror.

"I never intended for any of you to leave this place alive," Kuro continued. "I can't let anyone live as long as they know my true identity."

"So ... you planned to kill us the whole time ?!" asked one of the Black Cat Pirates in disbelief.

"Of course I did!" Kuro said with a malicious smile. "Even three years ago, when I was still Captain Kuro! It was all part of my plan!"

"... What a horrible human," Aphrodite whispered in disgust. "Speaking of killing them with such an evil smile on his face. And those clothes ... Of course that is an outrage on fashion."

"How can he be so depraved?" Groover asked. "It is clear that he is crazy, more than Midas!"

"I can't understand it." Zeus said, surprising everyone. "I mean, even among the Titans there is honor and loyalty. Atlas and Cronos are a good example, but this ..."

"I'd rip his head off ..." Junior said, incredibly furious. "Pirates who go and surrender at sea, just because they can't stand the pressure to be ... they shouldn't be pirates, at all. They are a real shame to people like me. At least, we have honor AND pride in be pirates. "

"You're stupid?" Luffy asked as he looked at the Black Cat Pirates. "Man, they really are a bunch of dumb pirates, huh?"

"Foolish?" Kuro repeated. "Ha! Of course they are! Pirates are just a bunch of wild dogs, dumped like trash by society. Without someone to guide them, they are nothing more than defenseless sheep. Their job was to just shut up and follow my plan. . Pirates should only be pawns faithful and loyal to their cloak. If you say they die, then they die, and if you say they live, then they live. They should have followed my plan to the letter, no matter what arose. To prevent ... like a petty brat who's trying to play pirate. "

Luffy scoffed at that comment, as did the gods and demigods.

"They should have died trying to carry out my plan," Kuro continued. "This is how a pirate lives! Homeless brats like you should stay out of it!"

"... Even if you are the captain of 100 hundred men who obeyed all your orders," Luffy said, "there is no way you can beat me or Usopp!"

"...Woof...!" Hades muttered as Ares chuckled.

"So speaks a general, boy. Or a captain."

"You're lying," Kuro said. "Yo, lose to a boy who plays pirate?"

"That's it," Luffy replied ... which made Kuro laugh, out loud.

"What fun!" he exclaimed. "However, if I were you, I wouldn't become arrogant, just because you broke my claws! Tell me ..." Then he disappeared. "Why do you think he would lose to people like him ?!"

"He disappeared, again!" Tyson yelled.

Artemis drew her bow from him, but she didn't ask to aim at Kuro.

"Wait," Themis smiled. "Don't move from here, just watch."

"... It's your style," Luffy said ... as he moved his arm behind him and hit Kuro square in the face. "You don't even look like a real pirate!"

"He did it!" Percy clapped when Kuro was sent crashing into the cliff behind him ... only to sit up again, his blood dripping from his head as he pulled up his glasses once more.

"... Now you've insulted me," Kuro said. "Well ... if you want to talk about a real pirate ... then let me show you how terrifying real pirates can be!" Then he stood up ... and began to sway from left to right. "I will show you the ferocity ... of a pirate facing a thousand deaths!"

For some reason, the Black Cat Pirates began to panic.

"Oh no! That posture!"

"He's going to use THAT move!"

"His special attack from him against a single opponent? He's crazy!"

"It's the cat out of the bag technique!"

"The cat-out-of-what-now?" Hades asked.

"Because I have the feeling that I am not going to like it." Demeter said.

"Wait a minute!" yelled one of the Black Cat Pirates. "We're into shit too! Didn't he say he would kill us all ?!"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH!" the entire crew screamed.

"Please don't kill me, Captain Kuro! I promise, I won't tell anyone that he is alive!"

"What about me, you idiot ?!"

"I won't tell either, Captain! Please don't kill me!"

"Yes me neither!"

"Why is everyone panicking?" Luffy asked as he looked at Kuro. "All he does is stoop and sway from side to side."

However, when Kuro raised his head ... Luffy and the visitors gasped as they saw that his eyes had settled on the back of his skull, making them appear ghostly white.

"What are you doing?!" Clarisse asked. "How does her eyes look like this ?!"

"Ah! That's creepy!" Thaila yelled.

"Then out of nowhere, Kuro disappeared again, and at first, nothing seemed to be happening ... until one of the Black Cat Pirates screamed in agony as four long cuts appeared on his chest before he collapsed, followed by another, and then another. Luffy just gaped at what he was seeing, as did the Straw Hats. Even when the pirates yelled for their captain to stop, the carnage continued.

"Damn, it's fast ...!" Hermes cursed.

"Yes! I can't even see where he is!" Hera added. "Straw Hat, get rid of him already!"

"But he's attacking blind," Ares said. "This out-of-the-bag cat is just reckless."

"He doesn't care," Hera began, "as long as he can kill Luffy and his own men."

"... He was cruel," Hestia said, "but ... not even his own crew deserves this!"

Luffy stood there, horrified, even when Kuro ended up cutting off his chest and shoulder ... but then, he started to boil with anger when he saw more of the Black Cat Pirates drop like flies.

"ENOUGH!" he roared. "YOU HAVE NO HONOR ?! THOSE MEN ARE YOUR FRIENDS!"

At that moment, Luffy growled when he ended up being cut, again ... but then, he reached out and grabbed Kuro by the arm and slammed him to the ground!

"...Understood...!" he smiled.

"Yes!" Artemis clapped her hands. "He can still win this!"

"... Screw you ...!" Kuro cursed. "Why don't you lie down and die, boy?" He gestured to his bloodied crew. "Look what you've done, now ... thanks to you, my crew is suffering rather than dying a painless death!"

"Motherfucker...!" Ares cursed. "I'm trying to hold back, but he's teasing me!

"Those poor men," Hades whispered sadly. "I am saddened by such atrocity. As the god of the Underworld, I have a duty to make life and death balanced, with the help of the Judges, the Sisters of Fate and Thanatos, mainly. But this ..."

Luffy looked at the Black Cat Pirates, who groaned in agony ... and yet he didn't say anything.

"Do you have something to say?" Kuro asked.

"... I do, actually," Luffy replied as he cracked his knuckles. "I will NEVER be a pirate like you."

"Hmph!" Kuro scoffed as he pulled up his glasses again. "I wouldn't worry about that. You could never be like me, boy ... since I'm going to kill you, anyway." He then prepared to do the cat out of the bag technique, again, but this time, Luffy was ready for him.

"No way!" Luffy screamed as he wrapped his arms and legs around him. "You can't try that little trick of yours, can you?"

"That's it!" Apollo exclaimed.

"Here it comes!" Clarisse added.

"Is the end." Themis said, with a smile

"Screw you!" Kuro cursed. "Let me go!"

"Face it!" Luffy said. "Your three-year plan failed, big time!"

"What?!" Kuro questioned.

"He has Captain Kuro ...!" whispered one of the Black Cat Pirates.

"Does this mean we are saved ?!" asked another, and soon, everyone started cheering.

"Yeah, go get it, rubber boy!"

"Kill him!"

Luffy growled before slamming his forehead against Kuro's, then stretched his neck back, scaring the Black Cat Pirates.

"SHUT!" he scream. "WHO GOD SAID YOU COULD CHEER ME UP ?! Next, I'll kick your ass!"

"Confirmed: Monkey D. Luffy is my champion." declared the god of war, confronting Artemis.

"He's going to be my husband, Ares! I'm not Aphrodite, so you won't convince me to change my mind!"

"Hey boring, don't you dare say that!"

"Come on, Luffy...!" Percy screamed. "Let's go!"

"Take him down!" says Annabeth

"NOW GUM-GUUUUUUUM ..." Luffy roared.

"No! This is impossible!" Kuro yelled. "My plan ... my three-year plan ... CAN'T FAIL ~!"

"... You lose, 'Captain' Kuro", Hera smiled.

"BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELL!"

KABONG! Luffy slammed his forehead against Kuro's once more ... and this time, the latter was knocked out.

Junior appears in a referee costume and begins to count.

"1 ... 2 ... 3! He has fallen, Kuro has fallen! And the undisputed winner is ... Luuuuuuuuuuuuffffffffyyyyyyyy!"

TO BE CONTINUED ...