"Tch…"
Just as Kuro was about to flee, he abruptly halted, his glare sharp and dangerous, filled with killing intent as he turned his eyes toward Nami, the one who had called him out.
To his surprise, the delicate orange-haired girl didn't even acknowledge him. Just like before, she turned away as if he were invisible, continuing her cheerful conversation with a more mature-looking woman beside her.
The two women laughed and chatted, as though they were just sharing some amusing story at a casual gathering.
Step.
Koby reached out and caught the floating heroic mop in midair.
With a flick of his Nen ability, the mop lost its power to levitate. The mop head fell to the ground with a soft thud.
Koby didn't care about how it looked. Holding the mop in one hand, he strode step by step toward Kuro, his expression solemn, eyes locked on the infamous pirate.
If one looked closely, they'd notice a thin line of cold sweat sliding down Koby's firm face.
This was his first real battle against a true enemy, and not just anyone, but the notorious Captain Kuro of the East Blue.
A pirate whose bounty was three times higher than Alvida's.
Even with all his training, Koby couldn't help but feel a mix of nervousness... and irrepressible excitement.
After all his hard work, was this the moment he would finally stand on his own?
His very first battle!
He never expected it would come so soon.
But here it was.
"You're the one with a bounty of 16 million Berries, Captain Kuro of the Hundred Plans!?"
Koby grinned as he called out to his opponent.
Clang… clang…
Kuro tossed aside the broken claws of his Blades, then reequipped two new claws on his empty hand, making sure his attack range remained just as deadly as ever.
He eyed the strange mop in Koby's hands with a touch of curiosity.
"Just who are you people?"
"Hm?"
Koby blinked, a bit surprised Kuro would ask that before a fight. He hesitated, then sheepishly glanced back at Luffy and the others, like a kid seeking his parents' approval before going on stage.
Luffy sighed lightly and gave him an encouraging nod.
You've gotten so much stronger, he thought. But your personality hasn't changed at all, huh?
Looks like that part still needs training too.
With Luffy's nod, Koby's entire being lit up with confidence. He turned back to Kuro and shouted proudly:
"We are, the Starry Sky Pirates!"
"And I'm the Starry Sky Pirates' mop boy, Koby!!"
Whoa!
I said it! I really said it!
I actually said it!!!
That was so cool!!
I wish I could see how awesome I looked just now!!
Inside Koby's mind, a horde of mini-Kobys were cheering and dancing, throwing a full-blown festival, celebrating this moment like it was New Year's Day.
Kuro stared blankly at Koby, who was grinning like an idiot while leaning on a mop.
What the hell...? For a second, he couldn't believe this was the guy he had felt afraid of just moments earlier.
"Hey!"
Koby suddenly shouted again, snapping Kuro out of his thoughts and startling him slightly.
Koby struck a pose, one hand on the mop, the other giving a thumbs-up. A glint of white light flashed off his teeth as he declared:
"Ready to face justice, delivered by a hero!?"
It was a move he'd practiced for ages.
And finally, he got to use it!
"Tch!"
"Are you making fun of me!?"
Seeing Koby acting like a clown, Kuro's fury exploded, extinguishing his earlier unease.
"Silent Step!!"
Kuro's feet stomped rapidly across the ground, then he vanished.
Only a ghostly flash of cold steel lingered in the air, swift as lightning, almost like an illusion.
Clang!
But the deadly claw was blocked, stopped cold by what looked like a plain wooden mop handle.
Koby's eyes widened as he exclaimed:
"Whoa, I didn't expect you to be this fast!"
No wonder he was surprised.
Kuro's Silent Step was only slightly slower than the Marine's legendary "Soru" technique.
"There's a lot more you won't expect!"
Kuro was just as shocked that his Silent Step had been intercepted so easily by this kid.
His caution deepened.
If even this little mop-wielding brat had such strength… how strong were the others, those clearly higher in rank?
Starry Sky Pirates... Starry Sky Pirates…
Why did that name sound so familiar?
He combed through his memories for the connection…
Then suddenly,
He remembered.
It was from when he had just arrived at Kaya's estate.
After a business banquet, while serving Kaya's father, drunk at the time, he had overheard the old man muttering:
"Business is going surprisingly well this year…"
"They say one of the Warlords of the Sea showed up in East Blue and wiped out a bunch of pirates!"
"Ahh, what a relief that was!"
"We merchants really owe our thanks to the Starry Sky Pirates for that!"
"Hahaha!"
That memory ended in laughter, but now, Kuro's face turned pale as frost.
"A… A Warlord of the Sea!?"
CLANG!
A burst of sparks flew as his blade clashed again with the mop, this time empowered with Nen.
Kuro suddenly leapt back, hands raised high above his head.
A Warlord... you've got to be kidding!
He was terrified of Smoker from Loguetown, there was no way he'd dare cross a Warlord.
It was Smoker's relentless crackdown on piracy that made him fake his death and disappear in the first place.
And now?
If this kid really belonged to a crew led by a Warlord…
Better to surrender now, before the brat got serious.
A storm of thoughts raced through Kuro's mind in mere seconds.
Three years of lying low had fundamentally changed him. He wasn't as bold as he once was.
Now… he feared death.
"Hm?"
Even Luffy hadn't expected that twist. He let out a puzzled hum.
Koby, too, stopped mid-swing, staring at Kuro in confusion.
"I surrender!"
Kuro suddenly shouted.
Everyone fell silent.
Even Kaya and Usopp stared in disbelief.
"Why!?"
Koby shouted, visibly crushed.
This was his first battle!
The speed, fine!
But he hadn't even had fun yet!
How could it end just like this!?
Kuro ignored him.
Instead, he turned toward Luffy, the man surrounded by everyone's respect, and returned to the kind, harmless smile of a butler.
"There's no way I can beat a Warlord…"
"So, I surrender."
"Eh…"
Even Luffy was caught off guard by how quickly things had shifted.
In the past, he wouldn't have cared about talk of surrender, he'd simply take them out and turn them into EXP.
But this time, aside from helping Usopp, the real reason they came was to let Koby gain real combat experience, and test how effective his Nen-weapon really was.
Killing Kuro outright now… would be a waste.
In East Blue, it was hard to find a pirate evenly matched with Koby.
Luffy narrowed his eyes, deep in thought.
A few seconds passed for him.
But for Kuro, it felt like a lifetime, his fate hanging in someone else's hands.
That feeling of helplessness was unbearable.
His calm, friendly mask hid the knot of terror twisted tight in his chest.
Finally, Luffy spoke:
"Alright then. You'll fight Koby. Win or lose, I'll let you go afterward."
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