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Kaya looked at him with hopeful eyes.
Her illness had always been her biggest burden.
Because of it, she couldn't even step outside her house—let alone see the world beyond the village.
So if Logan really had a way to cure her, even a slim chance, she was willing to try.
Logan smiled at her question. "Miss Kaya, curing your illness is actually the second reason I came here."
"I think we should deal with the bad guy next to you first."
Kaya blinked in confusion.
Bad guy? What bad guy? Everyone around her was kind and loyal.
"Mr. Logan, you must be mistaken. They—"
"I'm not mistaken," Logan interrupted calmly, his gaze sliding toward the butler beside her. "Isn't that right, Mr. Klahadore?"
The sudden call-out froze the air. Even though Kuro had mentally prepared for this, his pupils still contracted before he managed to regain composure. Logan didn't miss that tiny flicker.
Klahadore adjusted his round glasses with a perfectly calm expression. "I'm afraid I don't understand what you mean, sir."
"Mr. Logan, you must be wrong," Kaya said quickly, stepping forward to defend him. "Klahadore has been my butler for three years. If he really were some kind of criminal, wouldn't he have acted long ago?"
Logan shook his head. "Miss Kaya, you're too kindhearted. He's not just any criminal—he's Kuro, captain of the Black Cat Pirates, also known as 'Hundred Plans Kuro,' with a bounty of sixteen million berries."
He paused for a beat, his smile fading. "Three years ago, the Navy reported that he was executed by Captain Morgan. That so-called victory earned Morgan his promotion to Marine Captain."
Logan tilted his head, eyes narrowing in amusement as he studied Kuro's expressionless face.
"But the truth," he continued, "is that Kuro planned it all. He had his subordinate hypnotize Morgan, making him believe he'd killed Kuro. Meanwhile, the real Kuro changed his appearance and came here—to Syrup Village—where he's been living under a new identity."
He turned to Kaya again. "Isn't that right, Mr. Kuro?"
A slow clap broke the silence.
Kuro's lips curled into a mocking smile. "Mr. Logan, that's quite a story. But do you have any proof?"
"I don't know what your motive is for approaching Miss Kaya, but trying to smear my name like this—it's pathetic. And I'm sure Miss Kaya won't believe such lies from a stranger."
His tone was confident, righteous even.
Nami and Makino frowned at the same time.
Sure enough, Kaya's tone softened, a hint of irritation slipping through. "Mr. Logan, if you don't have—"
"Oh, I have proof," Logan cut in with a light grin.
"People can hide their face, their voice, even their habits... but there are instincts buried so deep in the bones that they never fade."
His gaze dropped to the black gloves on Kuro's hands. "According to Marine reports, Kuro's weapon—his signature 'Cat Claws'—is hidden inside a pair of gloves just like those."
"If you doubt me, Miss Kaya, you can send someone to check."
For the first time, Kuro's composure cracked. A tiny twitch ran through his face.
"If I'm not wrong," Logan added, "those gloves of yours hide your blades, don't they, Mr. Kuro? Miss Kaya, I bet you've never once seen your butler take those off in three years, have you?"
Silence.
Kuro didn't respond—and that silence was louder than any denial.
"So you really were hiding in her house all this time," Nami snapped. "What the hell were you planning?"
Makino's body tensed. She edged closer to Logan instinctively, eyes fixed on Kuro.
"Mr. Klahadore…" Kaya's voice trembled. Her big, bright eyes were full of confusion and hurt.
For three years, she'd trusted him completely. But now—with Logan's calm reasoning and Kuro's refusal to deny it—her heart began to waver.
"Mr. Klahadore… could you take off your gloves? Please. I just want to see."
If he did, the truth would be obvious.
Kuro suddenly started laughing.
"Hahaha… Three years. Three whole years…"
His voice twisted into something dark and bitter. "Do you have any idea what I went through these past three years?"
"I was this close—this close to finally succeeding! Once I got my hands on Kaya's fortune, I wouldn't need to be a pirate anymore! I could've lived under the sun like a normal man!"
"Why… why did you have to ruin everything?!"
The air around him changed instantly. His polite aura shattered—what replaced it was raw, predatory.
"You… you're really Kuro?!"
Kaya's face went pale as snow. She stumbled back, trembling.
Logan moved quickly, catching her before she fell.
Kaya stared at Kuro in horror, her heart freezing over. She'd lived under the same roof as a pirate for three years…
"Heh… Miss Kaya," Kuro said, his voice low and cold, "you see now? Just like your illness, life's full of nasty surprises."
His disguise was gone. The real Kuro had finally shown his fangs.
"....."