'The plan went down the drain! The demon in the form of a dog!'
"I never would have imagined," Kuro said, voice as smooth and sharp as a blade, "that I would witness the Black Cat Pirates—my crew—being humiliated by a bunch of children."
He took a slow, deliberate step forward. The wind carried his words like venom through the still air.
"They have declined so much… in just three years."
His eyes narrowed, like daggers under glass.
"Isn't that right… Jango?"
The hypnotist froze like a cornered animal. He swallowed hard, every part of his body screaming to flee—yet his legs wouldn't move. He nervously adjusted his hat.
"B-but Captain! You told us to avoid the kids! You said it yourself—they'd be a distraction! And now they're back here causing trouble and—"
"And what about it?"
Kuro's interruption was cold, quiet—but cut deeper than any shout. Jango stopped midsentence, heart pounding.
"We knew they would fight back. That liar Usopp was with them, after all. I expected resistance."
A pause.
A deadly one.
"…But what I didn't anticipate…"
Suddenly, Kuro's fist clenched.
"WAS THE INCOMPETENCE OF MY OWN MEN!!!"
His voice thundered with a fury that made the very earth beneath their feet feel less steady.
Jango flinched, stepping back as if Kuro's words had physically struck him. The remaining Black Cat Pirates who were semi-conscious visibly tensed. The air felt heavier now.
"W-What...? Incompetent?" Jango repeated in disbelief.
That's when another voice cut through the air like a buzzsaw.
"EXCUSE ME!?!?!?!"
Kery's screeching voice burst forth, furious and indignant. The mouse-man stormed forward, stomping despite his tiny legs as if he had something to prove.
"Did you just call me incompetent!?"
"Yeah! What's up with that!?" Sham stepped in, eyes burning with frustration.
"How could you, Captain!" Butchi agreed, fists clenched. "It's true that you were strong back in the day, but that was three years ago! While you sat back and played house in this village... we kept fighting!!"
"AND I KEPT SLICING THROATS!!!" Kery shrieked, his voice cracking like a whip in the air.
Kuro, still seated on the rock, didn't so much as blink. His eyes were half-lidded, unreadable. "…What do you mean?"
"WHAT WE MEAN," Kery snapped, "is that you're just a middle-aged man now! Just like me! You've forgotten what real fighting is like! You think you can still command us after retiring from battle!? Who are you to judge us!?!?*"
His voice rose to a fever pitch.
"WE SHOULD SHOW YOU WHAT WAKING UP AT DAWN DOES TO A MAN!!!"
Without another word, Kery, Sham, and Butchi surged forward in unison—rage burning in their eyes.
They charged straight past Zoro and Shana, ignoring the tension in the air and the wide-eyed stares from friend and foe alike.
Their target?
Kuro.
Still seated. Still silent.
Still completely unfazed.
"S-Stop it, you three!" Jango cried out, arm outstretched in panic. "You don't understand what you're doing!!"
But it was too late.
Kuro let out a quiet sigh—barely audible over the tension hanging in the air. Then, without warning, he casually tossed the cloth bag he was holding high into the sky.
And in that blink—
He vanished.
Before anyone could register what happened, Kuro's image seemed to flicker across the battlefield, appearing in several places at once like a phantom. His speed was so unnaturally precise, so eerily silent, that it disoriented even the most battle-hardened of fighters.
Sham, Kery, and Butchi struck with wild fury, their rage guiding their attacks as they lunged forward.
Their fists met nothing.
"Huh?!" Butchi gasped.
"W-Where'd he go!?" Sham barked, eyes scanning the empty space in front of him.
And then—
Kuro appeared behind them.
He now wore his twin sword-claws—gleaming, deadly, and familiar—on both hands. The bladed tips glinted under the sunlight as they extended with cruel elegance.
Zoro's brows narrowed. "What the hell...? How did he disappear like that? And what's with those claws?"
"...He's fast," Shana muttered. Her crimson eyes were locked onto Kuro with growing caution. "But it's more than that. That movement... I think he's behind—"
"Us!!" Butchi cried.
They all spun around in sync and launched another desperate strike.
Too late.
Kuro's form blurred once more.
Jango, still watching in anxious awe, whispered under his breath: "...He's using Nuki-Ashi."
Suddenly, Kuro materialized behind the trio again—this time, far closer than before. His claws were drawn back, both blades hovering just inches from their backs.
Aimed directly at their lungs.
"You're right," Kuro said coldly, his voice laced with menace. "I am a bit rusty after all these years."
The rage that once filled Sham, Kery, and Butchi's faces had drained completely.
"Huh? Those guys were all cocky a second ago—didn't they just take down Luffy and Seryu?" Usopp said, eyes wide in disbelief. "Now they look like a bunch of crying toddlers!"
Jango gulped and lowered his voice. "Nuki-Ashi... That's that man's stealth technique. With it, he could take out fifty trained assassins in the blink of an eye. Once he makes a move—" he shivered visibly, "—you won't even realize it's over until you've already lost."
He stared ahead, sweat trickling down his cheek.
"Even after three years, just seeing him like this makes my hair stand on end. And every time he adjusted his glasses, he'd use his palm—not his fingers. Otherwise, the claws would rip straight through his own face."
As Jango spoke, we cut to close-up reactions from around the battlefield.
The defeated Black Cat Pirates—semi-conscious and bloodied—trembled at the sight of their former captain's speed and ruthlessness, their confidence shattered beyond repair.
Zoro, now on high alert, narrowed his eyes. His hand rested on one sword hilt, ready.
Shana stayed quiet, analyzing every detail. "He's certainly more powerful than the Clown. More composed. More lethal. But... Luffy or Zoro should still be able to handle him."
Then—
Luffy.
Infected and weakened, the rubber boy sat back slightly, still gripping his side from the Leptospirosis Bite. His expression was unreadable, his eyes locked on Kuro.
Observing.
Silently.
Then—Kuro smiled.
A calm, almost peaceful smile.
"I could kill every single one of you right now," he said softly. "But..."
He lowered his claws. The motion was almost casual. Like he was merely brushing dust from his coat.
"Staying in this village for three long years... it taught me something. How to be more benevolent."
He turned away, facing the path toward the village.
"I'll give you five minutes," he said, tone now void of warmth. "Five minutes to clean up this mess…"
He adjusted his glasses with the flat of his palm.
"…Otherwise…"
He paused.
"…I'll kill you all."
"F-Five minutes!?" Jango stammered, then straightened up, a wild grin crossing his face. "That's more than enough! Let's get this over with in three if we have to!"
He turned and jabbed a finger forward, eyes gleaming with renewed confidence. "We already took down two of the brats! Now we just have to deal with those two!"
His finger pointed directly at Zoro and Shana, both standing firm, unmoving.
"They shouldn't be any problem at all!"
"Good..." Kuro said coolly.
Without another word, he walked over to a jagged rock nearby and gracefully sat down. From a pouch in his coat, he pulled out what looked like a neatly-folded magazine, flipped it open, and began reading—peacefully.
The scene was surreal. A man capable of mass murder in seconds, sitting like it was just another afternoon tea.
Meanwhile—
Seryu, downed and gasping, clenched her fists against the dry earth. Her body trembled under the infection's weight, skin pale, strength draining... but her eyes?
Locked on Kuro.
But her muscles refused to move. Her body, poisoned and weary, betrayed her resolve.
"Damn it..." she whispered through clenched teeth.
Above her, Koro stayed by her side protectively, letting out a low, concerned growl.
Suddenly—
"FIVE MINUTES AND IT'S EASY!" Kery's voice boomed underground. "LET'S GO AND FINISH THEM!!"
The Nyaban Brothers—Sham and Butchi—charged forward with renewed fury, claws out and fangs bared, their eyes wild.
Kery vanished below the surface with a muffled snarl, ready to strike from below.
"Go, Sham! Butchi! Kery!" Jango shouted, spinning his hypnotic ring dramatically. "I'm counting on you!"
...
...
...
"Hey, Shana. Let me fix these two's faces" Zoro prepared himself. Shana nodded as she was focused on something else. She was feeling Kery's presence through his existence.
"YOU MAY HAVE THREE SWORDS, BUT IT DOESN'T MATTER TO US! DIE ALREADY!!!" Sham and Butchi roared, charging straight for Zoro with claws drawn and teeth bared.
Underground, Kery tunneled like a furious bullet, his small body tearing through the dirt below Zoro's feet. He was seconds away from launching his Leptospirosis Bite, grinning with sick satisfaction.
But aboveground—Shana's crimson eyes narrowed.
"I can feel you," she whispered, her sword glowing hot with blazing energy. Kery hadn't realized it yet, but he'd been marked the second he resurfaced in this battle.
"Let's just get this over with..." Zoro muttered coolly as he shifted into stance, his three blades gleaming in the sunlight.
The moment came.
Kery erupted from the ground like a cannonball—aiming directly for Zoro's legs, fangs dripping with infectious venom.
But he never made it.
"HIEN!!" Shana's voice rang out like a bell of judgment. A wave of fire, sharp as steel and fast as lightning, burst from her sword and slammed into the airborne Kery. His shriek was high-pitched and shrill as flames engulfed his tiny frame, spinning him out of the air like a meteor.
At the same time—
"TORA GARI!!!" Zoro's voice thundered, and his blades carved through the charging Sham and Butchi like a living buzzsaw. The air whistled from the sheer force of the swing. The impact sent the two flying, blood splattering across the grass, their bodies crashing into the dirt in ragdoll rolls.
Kery hit the ground last—still aflame, twitching in pain, his whiskers scorched and smoke billowing from his charred fur.
The battlefield fell into stunned silence.
Even the remaining Black Cat Pirates, barely conscious, could only groan in fear.
Kuro, still sitting calmly on his rock, slowly turned a page of his magazine.
He didn't speak.
"Three minutes left," he said softly, without even looking up.
Shana exhaled, her sword still crackling with heat.
Zoro tilted his head, resting one of his swords on his shoulder.
"A single blow..." one of them muttered in horror. "Took down the Nyaban Brothers and Kery…"
Even Jango couldn't hide the cold sweat trickling down his face. "W-We're doomed..."
But then—
"H-Huh?" he blinked.
From the wreckage of the battlefield, Butchi's massive form began to twitch… and then crawl. Bloodied and bruised, the larger of the Nyaban Brothers slowly dragged himself forward—towards Jango.
"I...I'll kill him…" Butchi growled, voice trembling with sheer rage. "Mister Jango… Hypnotize me!!"
"What!?" Jango shouted in shock, flinching.
"One of them's still conscious," Shana said, eyes narrowing.
"The fat guy's blubber must've cushioned the hit," Zoro noted dryly.
Butchi's breaths were ragged, but filled with unrelenting fury.
Jango blinked, then hesitated—until Butchi gave him a glare sharp enough to pierce steel. That was all the signal he needed.
"Y-Yeah, okay! One, two, JANGO!!"
His spinning ring gleamed under the sun as his eyes swirled with hypnotic light.
Suddenly, Butchi roared.
Muscles exploded across his body like balloons being pumped full of rage. His frame swelled and thickened until he looked more beast than man—veins popping, jaw widening, fangs showing. His shirt ripped open under the pressure, and a dark aura of sheer power rolled off his back like smoke.
"RAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!" he screamed, stomping the ground with a quake that cracked the earth.
"AHHHH!! HE BECAME A MONSTER!!" Usopp shrieked, ducking behind a rock.
Zoro's eyes widened slightly, hand instinctively reaching for his swords.
"…Now," Shana suddenly said, snapping everyone's attention back.
"Huh?" Usopp asked.
"Let's take this opportunity to get Luffy and Seryu to a doctor," she said firmly, glancing back at the two who were barely staying conscious.
"G-Got it!!" Usopp scrambled over to them.
Luffy was wobbling on one knee, sweat pouring from his forehead, his skin still tinged a sickly green. Seryu clutched her own stomach, trying to stay upright with clenched teeth, vision blurry.
Both looked ready to collapse again—but both still had fire in their eyes.
"Don't worry," Zoro said as he stepped forward, drawing his swords with a calm, confident air. He looked toward Butchi, who was now snarling and drooling with rage.
"I'll handle the monster."
..
..
..
..
..
"What are they up to…?" Jango muttered, squinting at Usopp and the others regrouping. His gaze darkened. "I can't let you do as you please."
Without hesitation, he whipped out another gleaming chakram from behind his coat and flung it like a spinning disc toward Usopp—who was crouched near Luffy, trying to lift him.
"Usopp, look out!" Nami yelled.
But before the weapon could reach its target—
CLANG!
A blur of motion cut through the air. Koro lunged, intercepting the chakram mid-flight—his jaws snapping around the spinning metal.
"What the!?" Jango gasped.
CRACK!
The chakram shattered in Koro's mouth like cheap glass, splinters of metal raining around him. The loyal dog's eyes glinted with determination.
"G-Good… boy…" Seryu wheezed, her voice weak but grateful.
"Damn mutt…" Jango hissed, biting his lip. "I forgot about the annoying beast…"
"Don't overuse your strength," Nami warned as she steadied Seryu and lifted her up onto her shoulders, grunting slightly. "I got her. You just focus on staying conscious."
Koro landed beside them, fur bristling, eyes still locked on Jango like a soldier refusing to back down.
"Two minutes left," Koro said while calmly flipping through a small pocket watch he carried in a pouch around his collar—his voice oddly composed.
Jango twitched. "T-Two minutes!?"
The words hit him like a brick. The countdown was real. Kuro's mercy had a limit.
A bead of sweat rolled down Jango's face as he turned to the remaining Black Cat Pirates, desperation in his voice.
"Y-You there!! Finish that dog off! He's in the way!!"
The pirates flinched, clearly unsure.
"B-But…"
"It's just a stupid dog!! COME ON!!" Jango screamed, voice cracking with panic.
"I-I don't want to die…" one of the battered Black Cat Pirates muttered, trembling. Clenching his cracked sword with both hands, he forced himself to stand—his knees shaking as he stumbled forward.
With a desperate yell, he charged straight at the dog.
The moment he moved, seven others followed behind him, weapons raised, fueled by fear and the promise of survival.
"Tsk… Do they still have energy left?" Shana gritted her teeth, ready to intercept. Her legs tensed as she prepared to dash toward Koro.
But before she could move—
"Koro..." came a quiet, raspy command.
Shana halted. Her eyes flicked back.
From afar, Seryu had raised her hand weakly from Nami's back. Her voice was barely above a whisper, but her intent was crystal clear.
"…Enlarge."
Koro's ears twitched.
And then—it began.
His body started to pulse… then stretch… and grow.
His limbs thickened. Muscles bulged. His frame shot up like a tree, and within seconds, the fox-like dog towered over everyone—now as massive as the monstrous Butchi himself. His fur bristled like flames, his eyes glowing with primal fury.
"W-WHAT!?" the charging pirates skidded to a halt, terror washing over their faces.
"W-W-W-W—" one of them stammered.
Usopp turned his head to check behind him—and instantly regretted it.
"WHAAAAAAAAAAT!?!?!" he shrieked, practically throwing himself backward.
Even Nami, hardened by chaos, nearly dropped Seryu. "You've gotta be kidding me…!"
Zoro's eye twitched. "...Okay. That's new."
Shana just blinked rapidly.
Even the monster Butchi stared wide-eyed. A single sweatdrop rolled down his temple.
"He grew giant!?" Jango screamed, taking a full step back.
Koro loomed over them, shadow casting across the ground like a predator at dusk. He bared his massive fangs—eyes blazing with fury and loyalty.
"B-But what is that thing…?" one pirate whimpered, stumbling backward, his weapon clattering to the ground.
"It's a monster!!" another screamed.
"RUN!!"
The fear rippled through them like wildfire. The once-bold pirates turned tail and sprinted in all directions, panic overtaking reason. But it was already too late.
BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.
Each step from the enlarged Koro shook the ground beneath them. Despite his massive size, he moved with terrifying speed—his form a blur of muscle and fur.
"HE'S CATCHING UP—AGHH!!"
With a low snarl, Koro leapt forward and slammed his paw down, pinning two pirates in one move. A third tried to dodge, but Koro's sweeping tail struck like a battering ram, launching him into a tree with a dull thud.
Screams echoed through the clearing.
"He's... he's hunting them," Zoro said
Koro's jaws snapped, and a pirate's sword was bitten in half like a breadstick. The others scattered frantically, but one after another, they were caught—tripped, smacked, or pinned into the dirt like ragdolls.
"K-Koro…" Seryu whispered, her smile weak but proud from Nami's back. "Good boy…"
Even Butchi, still muscle-pumped and massive from Jango's hypnosis, took a single step back
But first… Koro growled.
Then he opened his mouth.
Rows and rows of jagged, razor-sharp teeth glinted beneath the moonlight—far more than any normal beast should have. It was a maw made for one thing: pure, merciless destruction.
One of the pirates froze, paralyzed in place as Koro lumbered closer. "N-No—PLEASE! I'm sorry! I—!"
Too late.
Koro's stubby, but now massive, muscular hands clamped around the man like steel vices. The pirate thrashed, begged, cried—his legs kicking wildly in the air.
"K-Koro… DON'T—!!" Usopp shouted in horror.
But the Biological Teigu didn't even flinch.
He hurled the pirate into his gaping jaws—and bit down.
CRRACK!!
The chilling sound of bones being pulverized echoed through the battlefield. A silence fell.
Then—ptoo!
Koro spit something out.
It hit the ground with a wet thunk.
A skull.
"AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!" the remaining pirates screamed in horror, running like demons were chasing them—because in that moment, one was.
Zoro's eyes widened. "…He actually ate the guy."
"Wh-What IS that thing?!" Nami gasped.
Even Butchi, still towering with his hulking muscles, suddenly felt very, very small.
Koro let out a low growl, saliva dripping from his blood-stained teeth.
Then, he charged.
"D-Damn!!" Zoro yelled, leaping back just in time.
BOOM!!!
Koro's colossal arm came swinging like a cannonball, slamming directly into Butchi's face with enough force to make the entire ground tremble. The impact created a shockwave that blew dust and debris across the battlefield.
CRAAASSHHH!!!
Butchi's massive body was launched backward like a ragdoll, crashing through a stone wall with a deafening explosion of rubble. The sheer force left a gaping hole in the side of the abandoned mansion ruins behind them.
Everyone froze.
Even Jango's jaw dropped.
Butchi didn't get up.
Koro stood where he was, breathing steadily, his huge frame casting a long, monstrous shadow in the moonlight. His eyes glowed faintly—fueled by raw command, raw instinct... and the desire to protect.
"…That's not a dog," Usopp said in a small voice, trembling. "That's a demon."
"Tsk!"
..
...
"Hey! Attention! This is no time to stand around watching. Go take Luffy and the girl away," Shana shouted, snapping everyone back to reality.
"H-Huh?" Usopp stammered, shaking off the terror that had frozen him in place. "O-Okay. R-Right!"
Usopp and Nami, still rattled by the monstrous transformation they'd just witnessed, grabbed Luffy and Seryu and took off into the forest, disappearing into the trees without looking back.
"Now..." Shana muttered, turning her gaze to the battlefield once more. Her expression was sharp, focused.
"T-That thing knocked the fat guy down with one punch..." Zoro said, still trying to comprehend the sheer power that had just been unleashed. "How the hell did that woman manage to train that thing!?"
'He's not much different from the Denizens I fought in my world… That dog is certainly special…' Shana thought to herself.
"A demon and a guardian in the shape of a mutt," Alastor's voice echoed from the pendant at her neck, his tone calm yet reverent.
"One minute left," Kuro said without looking up, his voice almost lazy as he flipped a page of his magazine.
Upon hearing Kuro's chilling reminder—"One minute left"—the remaining Black Cat Pirates erupted into panic once more. Their eyes darted between Zoro, standing firm with blades at the ready, and the towering beast that was now Koro. The hill behind them suddenly felt like a sheer cliff—there was no way past these two.
"W-We're trapped…!"
"No way we're getting through those monsters!"
Their panic mounted, the sound of scrambling boots and terrified muttering echoing across the battlefield.
But amidst the chaos, Jango's wide eyes narrowed slightly. He wasn't ready to give up.
Because something… was moving.
"Butchi…?" he muttered.
The mountain of a man who had been floored by Koro's punch—his fingers twitched. His leg stirred. A low growl built up in his throat. His massive, hypnotically-enhanced muscles flexed as his body began to slowly rise again.
"Y-Yeah… You can still do it!" Jango cried, his voice cracking with a blend of desperation and excitement.
Butchi's eyes snapped open. He wasn't done yet.
Meanwhile, deep within the nearby forest, the rustling of leaves and hurried footsteps filled the air.
"Huff... Huff... We gotta move faster!" Usopp wheezed, doing his best to keep pace while carrying Luffy over his back. His knees buckled with every other step, but he forced himself forward.
Nami, with Seryu slung over her shoulder, glanced back nervously. "How are you the one getting tired? You're not the one carrying a half-ton rubber idiot!"
"This rubber idiot is heavier than he looks!" Usopp barked. "Besides, I'm a sniper, not a pack mule!"
Despite their banter, both of them knew time was running out. They pushed through branches, leaves scraping against their faces, the fading roar of the battlefield still echoing behind them.
But the real problem hit them both at once—Usopp slowed down and glanced at Nami, panic setting in.
"Nami… we don't have a doctor."
She froze in place. "What?"
"I-I mean, I know the villagers, but none of them are trained healers. They have like, herbal tea grandmas and guys who fix roofs with duct tape, but an actual doctor?" Usopp shook his head, eyes wide. "We're on our own."
Nami bit her lip, looking down at Seryu's pale face. Her body was still burning up. "Damn it…"
"There has to be someone! We can't give up now! If we take too long, the infection will get worse!" Usopp's voice trembled with urgency, his eyes wide with panic as he glanced down at Luffy, still unconscious on his back.
"I'll… think of something… anything…" Nami muttered, frustration growing. Her own mind was running on fumes, trying to find any solution.
Just then, a voice pierced the air, clear and unexpected.
"WAIT!"
Usopp froze, his heart skipping a beat. Both he and Nami turned in shock, finding themselves face-to-face with a familiar face—a ghost from the past.
"K-Kaya!?" Usopp choked out, barely believing his own eyes.
Kaya stood there, a soft, surprised smile tugging at the corner of her lips. She wore a brown coat over her white dress, her once-sickly face now looking healthier than it had been when Usopp last saw her.
"I-I can help," Kaya said, her voice steady despite the chaos around them.
"What? What are you d—" Usopp began to stammer, but Kaya cut him off.
"I'm not a doctor," she said quickly, but there was a hint of confidence in her tone. "But in my mansion, there are many different types of medicine. One of them might help you!"
Usopp blinked in disbelief, then looked to Nami, who was just as stunned.
"...Are you sure you can help?" Nami asked, voice tense with the weight of their situation.
Kaya nodded earnestly. "I don't know if it'll work, but it's worth a try. Please, let me help."
Zoro narrowed his eyes, gripping his swords tighter. "This guy doesn't know when to quit."
"Y-Yeah! That's it!!" Jango cheered from the sidelines, his grin maniacal. "You're still in this, Butchi! Smash 'em!!"
The remaining pirates regained a flicker of hope. "He's really alive..."
"Butchi, now's your chance! Show them the full power of Jango's hypnotism!"
Butchi roared—a deep, feral sound that echoed across the hill like a beast's cry—and lunged at Zoro with surprising speed, swinging his meaty arms like wrecking balls.
Zoro clicked his tongue and dashed forward. "You want round two? Fine by me!"
Butchi's massive fist came crashing down like a hammer, but Zoro twisted his body and narrowly rolled to the side.
KRAK-BOOM! A crater formed where Zoro had been standing.
"He's stronger than before," Zoro muttered, beads of sweat forming.
Meanwhile, Koro, still in his monstrous form, stood looming nearby, silently observing. His growl rumbled low as Butchi's rampage continued.
Then Butchi made a critical mistake—he turned his back to the hound.
"Bad move," Shana said under her breath.
Koro lunged.
A blur of muscle and fury, Koro's claws raked across Butchi's back before grabbing him by the shoulders. With inhuman strength, he slammed Butchi into the ground—then lifted him again—and slammed him a second time.
Dust and stone flew into the air.
"UURRAAAAAHHH!!" Butchi howled.
But Koro was relentless.
"Damn…" Zoro took a step back. "That mutt doesn't hold back, huh?"
Butchi thrashed violently—but it was clear he was faltering. His breathing turned ragged again, limbs twitching under Koro's monstrous grip.
"Thirty seconds," Kuro said quietly, flipping another page of his magazine.
Jango seeing this decides to distract the dog. He throws one of his chakram at Koro's back which cuts him a little bit.
...
...
...
Jango's hand was still frozen in the air after throwing the chakram, a cold sweat running down the back of his neck.
The spinning blade had found its mark—Koro let out a sharp grunt as it sliced across his back. A clean, shallow cut. Blood seeped out for a second. But then… something impossible happened.
Right before Jango's wide, trembling eyes, the wound began to seal itself shut.
Flesh knit back together. Fur grew back in place. And within seconds… there was nothing left. Not even a scar.
"Wha... What the hell!?" Jango stuttered, taking a step back. His one confident eye darted between his hand and the towering beast now staring directly at him.
Koro had turned. And his gaze locked with Jango's.
The air felt heavier.
"That thing… it heals?" Zoro said, also watching from a distance. "On top of that strength?"
"…Just what kind of creature are you?" Shana whispered, her eyes narrowing in curiosity and awe.
Koro didn't growl this time. He didn't roar. He just stared.
A cold, deliberate stare.
A stare that promised violence.
Jango's knees buckled slightly. "N-Not good… not good not good not good!!"
Koro took a step forward. A slow, thudding BOOM with each paw.
Butchi, lying on the ground, looked up with hazy eyes. "…Run…"
But it was too late.
Koro lunged.
"NOOOO—!!" Jango screamed.
SMASH!!!
The wall exploded into rubble and dust as Koro's massive paw struck Jango dead-on, sending him hurtling like a ragdoll. He crashed through solid stone, a thunderous CRACK echoing through the battlefield.
Jango's body finally came to a stop buried halfway into a crumbled wall, slumped and broken.
Blood dripped from his mouth, his hat torn and hanging by a thread. One of his chakrams lay snapped in half beside him, the steel bent and useless.
His one visible eye was shut. Bones jutted at unnatural angles from his limbs. He wasn't moving.
Not even twitching.
"…M-Mister Jango?!" one of the Black Cat pirates called out.
Another dropped his weapon. "H-He… He's not getting up…"
"S-Sir Jango… got taken out… just like that!?"
Their voices trembled. Fear began seeping into their ranks like a poison.
All eyes turned back to Koro, who loomed at the center of the battlefield, his breathing calm, yet powerful. He hadn't even broken a sweat.
"…Monster…" someone muttered.
The morale shattered like glass.
But Koro wasn't done yet.
He turned his head slowly to the rest of the pirates, eyes glowing faintly with eerie intelligence and fury.
"…R-run… RUN!!!" one of the pirates screamed.
The rest didn't need convincing. In an instant, the remaining Black Cat pirates bolted in every direction, abandoning their weapons, their wounded, and any last shred of bravery.
Koro let out a quiet growl and didn't chase them. He stood tall. Unmoving. A guardian... and a demon.
"…Wow," Zoro muttered. "That thing's on our side?"
"...I think so." Shana said.
Butchi's massive body trembled—despite his size, despite the power coursing through him from Jango's hypnosis, he was scared. His wide, cat-like eyes darted between Koro and Kuro, each representing a different kind of terror. But it was the man behind him—the one who hadn't lifted a finger yet—who made his soul freeze.
Kuro closed his magazine with a soft snap.
"Time's… up," he said, barely above a whisper.
But the words crashed into Butchi like cannon fire.
Kuro rose from the rock with unsettling grace, dusting off his coat with slow precision. He finally looked toward the battlefield.
His eyes were sharp.
Calculating.
Unforgiving.
He took it all in with a single glance.
Sham—down.
Kery—down.
A hole in the wall where Jango used to be.
The battlefield was in ruins.
And then… he saw Butchi.
Still there.
Still standing at the edge of the hill.
Still not descending.
"…Why," Kuro began, adjusting his glasses with his palm, claws glinting in the moonlight, "are you still at the beginning of the descent?"
There was no anger in his voice.
No shouting.
Just the haunting stillness of a man who expected perfection—and saw only failure.
Butchi's throat tightened. His claws dug into the earth as he instinctively took a step back, only to remember: behind him stood the monster dog… Koro.
"What a shame..." He prepared himself... "I'll have to kill all of you now."The mood quickly fell as Butchi looked like he shit himself.
Kuro then slowly...Lowered his posture and started swaying his body...
Zoro narrowed his eyes, sweat beginning to bead at his brow despite the cool night air.
"...The hell is he doing?" he muttered.
Shana didn't answer. Her eyes were locked on Kuro's movements, her hand subtly tightening around the hilt of her sword. Alastor pulsed faintly from her pendant, the spirit inside whispering only one word: "Danger."
Kuro's swaying grew more rhythmic. Left... right... left again. His knees were slightly bent, arms limply hanging at his sides, claws twitching ever so slightly with every sway. He moved like a pendulum—calm, eerie... deliberate.
Butchi could barely breathe.
That stance... He knew it.
Even in his mindless, half-hypnotized state, Butchi's primal instincts screamed louder than ever.
This was Kuro's kill posture.
He'd seen it once. Only once. Back when Kuro had used it to massacre a room full of pirates in the blink of an eye. There had been no chance to react. No warning. No sound, save for the wet thuds of bodies hitting the floor.
"Shana..." Zoro said quietly.
"...Yeah," she responded, her tone dead serious.
They could feel it now. His aura wasn't wild like Koro's—it was surgical. Measured. Lethal.
Kuro wasn't preparing for a fight.
He was preparing for annihilation.
"I'm not particularly fond of violence," Kuro spoke softly, his swaying never stopping. "But every one of you is inconvenient. You've wasted too much of my time."
His glasses caught the glint of the moonlight.
And then—
His feet vanished.
A sudden gust blasted past Zoro, forcing him to squint.
"WHERE DID HE—?!" Zoro barely got the words out.
A flash of motion.
A clash of metal—
And suddenly—
Butchi's body flew across the battlefield like a ragdoll, tumbling over broken earth and debris. A line of blood trailed behind him.
Kuro reappeared in the same spot he started.
"SHAKUSHI!"
The grand interior of Kaya's mansion—normally serene and pristine—was a mess. Furniture overturned, drapes slashed, and shattered glass crunched under Usopp's boots as he stepped hesitantly across the marbled floor. His eyes scanned the damage, mouth dry.
"…This can't be real," he muttered.
He'd always imagined his first time inside Kaya's mansion would be… different. A warm welcome. Maybe a tea party. Not a warzone.
Near the center of the room, slumped against a broken table, was a man with fluffy white hair—almost sheep-like. His uniform was bloodied, one arm hanging limp at his side as he dabbed disinfectant onto his own wounds.
The old butler looked up, clearly in pain, but managed a strained smile. "Usopp… Miss Kaya brought you here safely, I see…"
"You're one of Kaya's butler!"
"Who did this to you!?" Nami asked, helping Seryu lie on one of the remaining intact sofas.
"…It was… him," Merry said grimly.
"I found him like this. Merry told me everything, Mister Usopp." Kaya told.
"We...are sorry, young Usopp. We should have believed you."
Usopp's hands were shaking. He turned to look back out the window. The faint flashes and gusts of wind coming from the battlefield were visible even from here.
"…They're still fighting him…" he said.
"We can't let it be for nothing!" Kaya insisted. "I'll find the medicine. There has to be something that can help your friends. I won't let him win!"
They sprinted through the wrecked corridors of the mansion, past portraits hanging crooked and broken vases on the floor. As they turned into the east wing, the signs of Kuro's earlier violence still lingered—bloody streaks against the wallpaper, a severed banister on the staircase. Every step felt heavier, every second longer.
Kaya reached her door and threw it open. Inside was a room that stood in stark contrast to the rest of the house—clean, untouched, warm. The walls were lined with bookshelves and framed photos, and beside the bed sat a tall cabinet filled with vials, jars, and herbal containers.
"There!" Kaya rushed over and opened it. "My father stocked all of these before he passed. Antibiotics, fever reducers, herbal tinctures, immune boosters—everything!"
Nami helped lay Luffy and Seryu onto the bed and turned to Kaya. "What's best for an infection?!"
Kaya already had several jars out. "This one—myrrh root extract. And this—goldenseal. They're not magic, but with some antibiotics and rest, it might slow the damage down enough!"
Usopp helped mix the powders while Kaya prepped a makeshift dose in a cup of water. "Seryu first!" he said, holding her upright. Her skin was pale, but she was breathing.
Nami gently fed her the mixture, slowly tipping it to her lips. Seryu coughed a little but managed to swallow.
Then they turned to Luffy.
"…You better not die, you idiot rubber man," Nami muttered, giving him the same treatment.
Kaya turned toward the window, where the sounds of destruction continued to echo from the village outskirts.
"…Please hurry, everyone," she whispered. "Please make it back."
Rocks split in half, chunks of the ground exploded, trees fell like dominos. A gust of purple wind danced chaotically through the battlefield—too fast, too sharp, and completely unpredictable.
"Kuh—!" Zoro grunted as a slash grazed his side, blood flicking into the air. "Damn it! Where is he?!"
Another glint of steel cut past Shana's cheek, leaving a thin red line.
"Tch... This isn't random." Shana's eyes narrowed, sword at the ready. "He's targeting us with precision—but hiding his movements in chaos."
Zoro gritted his teeth and pulled out another sword. "So this is Shakushi, huh? I can't even sense him."
"But I can..." Shana muttered under her breath. Her pendant glowed faintly—Alastor's voice echoed in her mind.
"He's suppressing his presence, but he's still human. He can't erase his existence completely."
Shana planted her foot firmly. "Zoro! He's circling counterclockwise around the crater!"
Zoro didn't hesitate. "Then I'll cut everything in that direction!" he roared, spinning into a wide arc with all three swords. "Sanzen Sekai!"
CLANG!
A spark exploded mid-air. Zoro's blade collided with something—an invisible force—and Kuro's form briefly shimmered into view. But only for a second.
"GH—!" Kuro stumbled back, his cloak fluttering wildly before he disappeared again.
Shana followed it up immediately.
"Hien!"
A fiery slash carved across the battlefield in a crescent wave. For a brief moment, a trail of heat lit up Kuro's shadow, flickering over the scorched ground.
SLASH! A burning cut appeared across Kuro's arm.
"GRAAAHHH!!" he finally shouted.
Zoro smirked, panting. "Gotcha."
Shana wiped her cheek. "Now we're not just swinging at air."
From behind them, Koro loomed silently, watching.
"How do you feel his presence anyway?" Zoro asked.
"Maybe I'll explain later."
"Annoying pests." Kuro suddenly stopped. "Before I continue. One question. You guys aren't from this village, right? So why do you risk your lives for something that has nothing to do with you?" Kuro asked.
"Tch. Never really cared about where someone's from," Zoro said.
Shana lowered her sword slightly, eyes burning with conviction.
"You wouldn't understand. Where I come from, the line between life and death is thinner than you think...
If you have the power to help someone, you do it. No matter where they're from."
Kuro exhaled a cold, humorless breath.
"I see. So idealists then."
He closed his eyes, adjusting his glasses with a single finger.
"That's fine. It just means I won't feel any guilt when I kill you."
"Wasn't expecting any," Zoro said.
"You could try," Shana added, her hair fluttering as her pendant glowed faintly again.
Then—snap.
Kuro's eyes opened. His voice dropped low, cold, and razor sharp.
"Then die with this village."
In a split second, he vanished again into purple wind. The air grew thick with tension.
Zoro clenched his teeth. "Here we go again."
Shana raised her blade, already sensing him. "Stay sharp. He's coming from the—"
FWOOOSH!
"Ugh!" Shana winced as Kuro's invisible slash left a deep cut across her arm. She gritted her teeth, blood trickling down her sleeve.
"Shana!" Zoro yelled, his gaze sharp and ready for action.
"I'm fine," she replied, her voice strained, but her focus unwavering. Just as she spoke, another slash came from nowhere, aimed at her chest. With a swift movement, she blocked it just in time, the force of the blow shaking her to the core.
"So that's his strategy now, huh?" Shana muttered to herself, her eyes narrowing. She could feel the pulse of the air around her, Kuro's presence invisible yet tangible.
His movements are faster, and he's focusing on me. He knows that Zoro can handle him, so he's keeping me busy to stop me from communicating with him. Her thoughts raced as she repositioned herself, preparing for the next strike.
'He's trying to disable me, keep me out of the fight... 'Shana adjusted her stance, pushing past the pain, her mind racing through possibilities.' If I can just anticipate his next move...'
Meanwhile, further down the road, the Usopp Pirates made their way toward the mansion.
"That's the mansion," Carrot said.
"But what happened to The strawhat and that orange haired girl?" Onion asked.
. "I don't know... but we need to hurry. The others are fighting."
"Yeah! Let's go!"
TO BE CONTINUED.