Gecko Island.
Deep within the thick forest, the sound of heavy footsteps rustled through the underbrush. A man and a girl were sprinting desperately between the trees, their breath ragged, eyes filled with fear. The forest was dense, but even its natural cover couldn't fully protect them from what was chasing them.
Suddenly, a sharp, metallic whistle cut through the air.
"Incoming! Duck!" the man shouted.
With no hesitation, he shoved the girl to the ground and he himself lay down besides her. A gleaming chakram zipped past, slicing through the air with deadly precision. It tore through a tree trunk behind them, leaving a fresh gash of splintered wood in its wake before ricocheting off and flying back in the direction it came from.
The man and the girl stared at the damaged tree, their eyes wide with dread.
"That thing almost killed us…" the girl whispered, shaken.
A cold, composed voice echoed through the trees, growing closer.
"Kaya... Kayaaa~ Come out now. Don't make this harder than it needs to be."
A man stepped into view, adjusting his glasses with one hand while effortlessly catching the returning chakram with the other. He smiled—not kindly, but in a way that chilled the air around him.
"Be a good girl and come with me. Boss Kuro is waiting. Let's not keep him impatient, hmm?"
Behind a thick patch of bushes, Kaya and her butler Merry held their breath. Neither dared to move. The man's footsteps slowly faded in the opposite direction, allowing them a brief moment to regroup.
"This way, Lady Kaya," Merry whispered urgently, guiding her toward a narrow path. "We can't let him find us. If you're captured, he'll force you to sign the inheritance documents. Once that happens, everything—your estate, your fortune—it'll all belong to that bastard Kuro."
Kaya's face was pale. "But... where can we go? He has people watching the town. We can't return to the mansion either."
Merry's voice was firm, yet low. "We escape by sea. There's no other way."
He glanced over his shoulder, making sure the man with the chakram was still unaware of their location.
"Our ship is docked at the eastern shore. If we can make it there, we can sail to another island and hide. Just for a while. Long enough to find help or a way to expose Kuro's plot."
Kaya nodded, determination flickering in her frightened eyes. "Alright. Let's go."
With no time to waste, the two resumed their escape, pushing through the dense greenery, hoping the trees could hide them long enough to make it to freedom.
Koff! Koff!
As the two fled deeper into the forest, Kaya's breath grew uneven. Her steps faltered, and then she began coughing violently into her hand. When she pulled it back, there were faint streaks of red—blood.
"Lady Kaya!" Merry halted immediately, concern flooding his face. He steadied her with one arm and checked her condition with the other.
Kaya weakly shook her head. "I'm fine. We have to keep going."
Merry clenched his jaw, guilt tightening in his chest. If it weren't for Kuro and his vile schemes, he would never allow Kaya to be in this situation—running for her life through the woods while sick and fragile. She was never supposed to endure something like this.
His mind flashed back to the moment it all began—when everything started to unravel.
It had been several days ago when Merry accidentally overheard a conversation between Krahadle, Kaya's trusted butler, and someone unfamiliar. The man he'd known as a loyal servant was speaking in hushed, sinister tones about seizing control of Kaya's inheritance. At first, Merry couldn't believe what he was hearing. But the more he listened, the more the horrifying truth settled in: Krahadle wasn't who he claimed to be. He was Kuro, the infamous pirate, hiding in plain sight.
Without wasting a moment, Merry had rushed to warn Kaya. But when he told her everything he heard, she dismissed it entirely. Kaya had always trusted Krahadle. He had cared for her ever since her parents passed. To her, he was family. She couldn't believe he would ever do something so malicious.
But then... something strange happened.
It began with a boy—Usopp. The village prankster and storyteller, who often snuck into Kaya's mansion to make her laugh with his wild tales of pirates and adventure. One day, Usopp came by like usual, but was stopped by Krahadle before he could even reach Kaya's window.
Merry remembered watching from a distance. Krahadle didn't just block Usopp. He provoked him, speaking to the boy in a cold, condescending tone. Usopp, who was usually carefree and joking, was pushed past his limit. Enraged, he punched Krahadle square in the face.
It was what happened next that changed everything.
Kaya had seen the whole thing from her window. But instead of retaliating, Krahadle simply stood there, letting the punch land. He didn't flinch. He didn't strike back. He just... smiled.
It was faint—barely noticeable—but Kaya caught it: a twisted, eerie smirk on his face. In that brief moment, his expression distorted into something she had never seen before. Cruel. Calculating. Monstrous.
If Merry hadn't already warned her, she might've brushed it off as anger. But now, a seed of suspicion had been planted.
After Usopp stormed off in anger, Krahadle turned back to her. His face had already changed—now wearing the same polite, warm expression he always did. As if nothing had happened.
But Kaya saw it. The mask he wore had cracked.
From that day forward, she began quietly observing him. She no longer met his gaze so easily. No longer shared her thoughts so openly. Deep down, a part of her had begun to believe Merry's warning.
Then, it was today that everything changed, forcing Merry and Kaya to escape.
Krahadle—no, Kuro—had told Kaya he was going out for a walk to clear his head. Nothing unusual. He often strolled the gardens or wandered the mansion's outskirts when he needed time alone. But something about the way he said it that day didn't sit right with her.
Already suspicious of him after recent events, Kaya quietly motioned to Merry. They shared a look. No words were needed. Together, they decided to follow him—keeping their distance, weaving through the trees and hedges like shadows.
What they saw next shattered any remaining doubt.
They found Kuro at the edge of a secluded cliffside near the eastern shore, standing face to face with a strange-looking man—hypnotic glasses, a swinging pendulum in hand. His name was Jango. A pirate.
The two spoke freely, unaware they were being watched. And what Kaya and Merry heard made their blood run cold.
Jango addressed Krahadle not as a servant, but with reverence.
"Captain Kuro," he said.
There it was—confirmation. The kind, soft-spoken caretaker Kaya had trusted for years was the infamous pirate captain she had only heard whispers about. Her heart sank as she listened to his real plan unfold.
Kuro spoke of his scheme in chilling detail. His goal was simple: take full control of Kaya's inheritance. Once she signed the documents, he intended to dispose of her without a second thought.
But that wasn't all—he planned to stage the entire thing as a pirate attack. His former crew, now under Jango's command, would storm Syrup Village under the cover of night, creating chaos. In the confusion, Kaya's death would look like collateral damage in a random raid, and Kuro would walk away clean, his reputation intact.
Kaya's hands trembled. Her breath caught. Her heart felt as if it had been stabbed. The man she'd trusted like family... was planning her murder.
Tears welled up in her eyes. A soft sob escaped before she could stop it.
That sound—small as it was—was enough to catch Kuro's attention.
From the shadows, he saw two silhouettes—faint outlines of figures peeking from behind a tree.
His eyes narrowed.
Before he could make a move, Merry yanked Kaya back, pulling her behind a thicket.
"They saw us," Kuro muttered.
"I'll take care of them," Jango offered with a grin, spinning his hypnotic ring. "Leave it to me."
Kuro said nothing, but his frown deepened. He nodded once.
And just like that, the chase began.
Kaya and Merry had fled nonstop through the woods—ducking under branches, weaving through bushes, circling around to throw off their pursuer. Jango was fast, unpredictable, and persistent, but Merry's determination and knowledge of the terrain gave them a fighting chance.
Now, after what felt like hours of desperate running, they finally reached the edge of the forest.
"Let's go. Our ship is this way. The *Going Merry* will carry—"
Merry froze mid-sentence. His heart sank, and his eyes widened in disbelief.
Standing at the dock, near the very ship they'd hoped would be their salvation, was Krahadle—no, Kuro.
And behind him, flames danced violently along the hull of the *Going Merry*.
Their escape route... was burning.
"You..." Merry could barely speak, his voice caught between fury and disbelief.
Kuro turned toward them with a calm, almost smug smile. The reflection of the fire flickered in his glasses.
"Ah, Lady Kaya. Merry. I was wondering when you'd show up," he said casually, as though they were meeting for afternoon tea. "I had a feeling you'd try to escape. Merry, I know you've been planning this little getaway for a while now. So I thought... why not ruin your efforts before they even begin?"
He gestured toward the blazing ship. "Smart of me, don't you think?"
"You... why?" Kaya's voice trembled. Her entire world felt like it was collapsing. She had trusted this man. Loved him like family. "You've been with me for years. I thought you... cared."
Kuro tilted his head, feigning sympathy. "Oh, Kaya. You truly are too kindhearted. But kindness doesn't get you far in this world." His smile vanished. "We both know who deserves your inheritance more."
"Lady Kaya, we have to run—now!" Merry snapped, grabbing her hand. There was no time for words, no time for grief.
Kaya hesitated for a moment, her eyes still locked onto the burning remains of their ship. But the sound of approaching footsteps jolted her back to reality.
From behind the trees, Jango emerged, his hypnotic pendulum swinging slowly.
"There they are!" he called, eyes lighting up with excitement. "Don't worry, Captain. I'll catch them."
"Be quick about it," Kuro said coldly. "I'll wait for them back at the mansion."
Without sparing them another glance, Kuro turned on his heel and calmly walked away, hands behind his back, as if he had already won.
Jango cracked his neck, then lunged forward with an eager grin.
Kaya and Merry didn't wait. They vanished into the forest once more.
...
After sprinting through the forest for quite some time, Kaya's strength finally gave out. Her breathing was ragged, and her legs trembled beneath her frail body. She staggered and collapsed to her knees, clutching her chest.
"Lady Kaya!" Merry turned around just in time to catch her before she fully collapsed. Seeing her pale face and trembling lips, he clenched his jaw in frustration.
Without hesitation, Merry lifted her onto his back and continued running through the dense trees. His breaths were heavy, but he pushed on with all the strength he had left. Just as he burst through a thicket, someone suddenly appeared in front of him.
"Eh? Kaya? And... sheep guy!?" said the surprised boy with a long nose.
Kaya weakly opened her eyes. "Ussop?"
Both parties froze for a second in disbelief at the sudden encounter.
"Kaya, what are you doing here? Are you alright?" Ussop rushed forward with worry written all over his face.
Before Merry could answer, a sharp *tching!* sound pierced through the air.
"Look out!" he shouted.
A spinning chakram flew at them from the trees. Merry swiftly leapt to the side, still carrying Kaya, while Ussop dove in the opposite direction. The deadly weapon sliced through the air and embedded itself into a tree trunk, narrowly missing them.
"Long nose boy, run!" Merry barked.
Ussop, still shaken, scrambled to his feet and took off after Merry, who was already bolting with Kaya on his back.
"Wait—hey, sheep guy!"
"It's Merry. My name is Merry."
"Right, Uncle Merry! I'm Ussop. Pleasure to meet you—wait, no! Now's not the time for introductions!" Ussop slapped his cheeks in frustration. "What's going on!? Why are you being chased?!"
"We're escaping," Merry replied urgently as they ducked under branches and weaved through trees. "It's Krahadle... or should I say, Kuro."
Ussop blinked. "Kuro?"
Merry explained in quick, gasping breaths. "He's not who you think he is. He's a pirate—a former captain of the Black Cat Pirates. He's been hiding in the village under a false identity all this time. He plans to steal Kaya's inheritance... and worse, eliminate her."
Ussop's eyes widened in horror. "What!? That four-eyed butler is a pirate!? And he wants to kill Kaya to take her money!?"
Merry nodded grimly. "We overheard him meeting with one of his old crewmates. He plans to stage an attack on the village and blame her death on the pirates. That's why we're running."
Ussop clenched his fists. "I knew there was something off about him! He never liked me visiting Kaya, and he always acted so fake! But to think he's a pirate...!"