Aboard the Dreadnought Battleship Saber, the deck had fallen into a stunned silence.
The fifty marines, who had just been celebrating their promotions, now stared at the empty patch of sky where their new commander had been.
"Marine Six Styles?" Zoro repeated, his eye wide.
He stepped toward the railing, his gaze fixed on the rapidly dwindling dot that was Lancelot.
Unlike the others, Zoro recognized this as pure, unadulterated technique, not a Devil Fruit power.
It was a level of physical mastery he hadn't known was possible.
Lina, her hybrid tiger-features still partially active, looked on with a complex mixture of awe and calculation.
As a Zoan user, she understood the limits of the physical body, and what she had just seen seemed to shatter them.
Gin, ever the pragmatist, simply gripped his tonfas, his expression more serious than ever.
This display of god-like power served as a stark, visceral reminder of the gap in strength that still separated him from his new commander.
Seeing the looks of pure shock on the faces of these new, powerful officers, Ensign Daniel felt a swell of pride.
He was the most experienced Marine here, and he alone had heard of these legendary arts.
"All I know for sure," Daniel explained, his voice filled with reverence, "is that the Marine Six Styles are the strongest martial arts of the Marines, the absolute pinnacle of human physical technique. They say only the true elites at Headquarters, like the Vice Admirals, are qualified to learn them. They consist of Soru, a high-speed movement technique... Rankyaku, a tempest kick that sends out an air blade... Tekkai, an iron body defense... Shigan, a finger pistol... and what you just saw... Geppo, the Moon Walk."
His explanation only served to deepen the awe of the crew.
They now understood: their commander was not just a nepo baby with a fancy title.
He was a true monster.
Upon arriving at Syrup Village, Lancelot found that locating Kaya's house was no challenge at all.
From his vantage point high in the air, it was simply the largest and most luxurious residence on the entire island, a sprawling estate perched on a hill overlooking the small, sleepy town.
It stood out immediately.
Lancelot, controlling his descent with practiced Geppo steps, landed softly in the center of the vast, manicured courtyard, his landing making almost no sound.
There, he spotted his first target.
Standing by an open, second-floor window, was a young girl.
She had pale golden hair, fair, delicate skin, and the refined, fragile demeanor of a noble lady who had been sheltered her entire life.
She exuded an aura of comfort, kindness, and grace.
This was Kaya.
Lancelot recognized her instantly.
It was precisely this gentle and kind-hearted nature that endeared her to everyone.
In the original story, she was a uniquely delicate and beautiful character, her presence unforgettable.
Lancelot mused to himself that a woman with such an aura, one of pure, unadulterated goodness, could easily captivate any man.
"Giggle..."
At that moment, Kaya covered her mouth and laughed softly, a light, musical sound.
Her eyes crinkled with genuine, innocent mirth as she looked down at the courtyard.
Lancelot shifted his gaze, following hers, and landed on his second target.
There, perched precariously on a high tree branch, was a skinny, long-nosed young man who was waving his arms, spinning a wild, unbelievable tale.
"Usopp," Lancelot murmured to himself.
He recognized him instantly.
That nose was far too distinctive to be anyone else.
Truth be told, Lancelot had a certain respect for the boy.
Usopp might have been a bit of a scatterbrain, a pathological liar, and a coward, but he was, at his core, a kind soul.
Lancelot recalled the history: half a year ago, when Kaya's parents had tragically passed away from illness, she had fallen into a deep, inconsolable sorrow and become bedridden, wasting away.
Usopp, pitying her profound loneliness, had often visited, scaling the walls to tell her his most exaggerated, fantastical stories, all in an effort to lift her spirits.
It was thanks to those ridiculous, heartfelt efforts that Kaya had eventually found the strength to emerge from the grief of losing her parents.
"Who's there?"
Just then, a cold, smooth voice rang out from the mansion's entrance, startling both Kaya and Usopp from their shared fantasy.
"Ahh!"
Usopp, in his characteristic panic, flailed wildly, lost his balance, and tumbled straight off the high branch.
He crashed to the ground with a howl of pain, landing in a heap of tangled limbs.
"Huh?"
But at that moment, groaning, he noticed Lancelot standing in the courtyard.
From her window, Kaya saw him too.
"A Marine?" Usopp and Kaya said in unison, their expressions deeply puzzled as they took in Lancelot's pristine white uniform and the Justice cloak on his back.
This island was tiny, so small that they'd never even seen real pirates, let alone a high-ranking Marine.
At the same time, the source of the voice, a man with slicked-back black hair, wearing round glasses and a pristine black suit, stepped out onto the porch.
This was Klahadore, the family's trusted butler.
Upon seeing Lancelot standing in the courtyard—a towering, three-meter-tall Captain of the Marines—he couldn't help but freeze for a moment.
His heart immediately tightened, a cold knot of dread forming in his stomach.
'A Marine? Why is there a Marine here? And a HQ Captain, no less! Not some local branch captain. Could we have been exposed? No... impossible. My plan is perfect. It must be a coincidence. Perhaps he's here about Axe-Hand Morgan at Shells Town...'
Kuro, a man of deep, practiced cunning, let none of this internal panic show on his face.
He was the perfect image of a polite, concerned servant.
He bowed politely to Lancelot and asked, "May I ask what business this Marine officer has at our humble estate?"
Hearing this, Lancelot allowed a cold, humorless smirk to touch his lips.
He ignored the polite fiction.
"Of course," he said, his voice booming across the courtyard, clear and sharp.
"I'm here for you... Captain Kuro of the Black Cat Pirates. Kuro of a Hundred Plans."
The effect was instantaneous.
"What? The butler is a pirate captain?!" Usopp exclaimed, his jaw dropping in shock.
"Impossible!" Kaya cried out, her face full of disbelief as she hurried down from her room and ran out onto the porch.
"He's our family's butler, Klahadore! He's taken care of me for three years! He's not some... Kuro of a Hundred Plans!"
Lancelot turned his cold, impassive gaze to Kaya.
"The man you know as Klahadore," he stated, his voice devoid of pity, "was originally Captain Kuro of the Black Cat Pirates. Three years ago, he faked his own capture and execution, then disguised himself to infiltrate your household. His entire purpose... has been to gain your trust, so that he could one day kill you and steal your family's entire fortune."
As he spoke, Lancelot reached into his Major's coat and pulled out a worn, folded wanted poster, letting it snap open.
"Kuro of a Hundred Plans. Bounty: 16,000,000 Berries."
"S-S-Sixteen... MILLION?!" Usopp was utterly stunned, his face turning a deathly pale.
He understood numbers, and that number meant this wasn't some local troublemaker.
This was one of the most notorious, high-level pirates in the entire East Blue, far, far beyond anything he could ever handle.
When Kaya saw the wanted poster, saw the face on it—younger, more vicious, but undeniably the same man—her face also drained of all color.
Her eyes filled with a horrified disbelief.
At that moment, the real butler, a kind, sheep-headed man named Merry, stepped forward, his expression grim.
Unlike the naive Kaya, he was older, and he immediately grasped the terrible, chilling truth.
His gaze at Kuro burned with a sudden, dawning hatred.
"So... he... he was the one who harmed the master and mistress?" he whispered, his voice trembling.
Lancelot nodded, his expression unchanging.
"Their 'illness' was no accident. It was his work."
"What?!!!"
Kaya gasped, her hand flying to her mouth.
Her expression twisted with a storm of complex, warring emotions—denial, horror, grief, and a rising, sickening anger.
She finally turned to Kuro, her eyes pleading, as if seeking one final confirmation.
"Klahadore... is... is what this Marine said... is it true?"
"Heh... heh heh..."
Kuro, seeing his entire three-year plan evaporate, slowly, deliberately, pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose with the palm of his hand, a peculiar, unnerving gesture.
He let out a cold, dry laugh. "Since that's the case... there's no more need for the act."
He straightened up, his polite, subservient posture melting away, replaced by a cold, arrogant, and murderous aura.
"I'll just kill you all. Right now."
There was no point hiding anymore. So why bother?
"Klahadore has... changed..." Usopp staggered back, his legs shaking in fear, his eyes wide with horror.
"He's... terrifying!"
"He's not Klahadore," Kaya whispered, the last vestiges of her denial crumbling.
Her face, once a picture of gentle kindness, was now a mask of pure, unadulterated hatred.
If she had possessed even a fraction of Lancelot's strength, she would have lunged at him right then.
This was the man who had served her, read to her, and cared for her... all while being the monster who had murdered her parents.
Kuro's frown deepened, his cold, reptilian eyes narrowing at Lancelot.
He glanced dismissively at the Major's insignia on Lancelot's uniform.
'A HQ Captain... so what? He's alone. He's arrogant. He must have sent his ship ahead and come alone to play the hero. If I kill him now, before his subordinates arrive, I can still salvage this.'
As he spoke, his eyes darted behind Lancelot, confirming his suspicion.
The courtyard was empty.
"A mere Marine Captain... who gave you the nerve to spout such nonsense in front of me?"
Instead of attacking immediately, he did the unexpected.
He turned and dashed back into the house.
When he reappeared a moment later, his hands were no longer empty.
They were now equipped with his signature weapons: two long, black gloves, each tipped with five, foot-long, razor-sharp blades.
The Cat Claws.
And he was standing behind Lancelot.
Silently.
He had moved from the porch to the house and back again, all without a single sound, his speed baffling.
The ten-bladed Cat Claws were now pressed lightly against the back of Lancelot's neck.
"Tsk tsk... are you ready to die, captain?" Kuro sneered, his voice a low, confident whisper.
'Nuki Ashi,' Lancelot thought, his mind perfectly calm.
'Silent Step.'
If there's one thing that stands out about Kuro, it's that he was acknowledged by Eiichiro Oda as having an exceptionally high IQ, second only to Ben Beckman.
What truly catches the eye, however, are his peculiar weapons and his two signature moves: Nuki Ashi (Silent Step) and Shakushi (Death Scoop).
When fans first witnessed these techniques, they were utterly blown away.
Lancelot, now a master of the Six Powers, immediately recognized what Kuro was using.
He had to admit, this technique was somewhat similar to Soru (Shave).
But in a way, it had an edge over it. Soru was an explosive, high-speed movement, but it was loud, like a small sonic boom.
Nuki Ashi was completely, utterly silent.
It was, Lancelot conceded, a practically unrivaled assassination skill.
Countless people in the East Blue had undoubtedly met their end under this very technique.
But who was Lancelot?
He sneered, his voice full of contempt.
"Seems like someone here doesn't know who's really about to die."
"The only one dying here is you… Shhh—"
As soon as the words left Kuro's mouth, he exerted his full force.
His ten-bladed Cat Claws slashed viciously, raking across Lancelot's neck in a blur of motion.
The sound was like a zipper being undone, shhhriiiing!
Even the high, stiff collar of Lancelot's Captain's uniform was torn to ribbons.
"AHHHH!"
Kaya couldn't help but let out a piercing scream at the sight.
She covered her eyes in terror, unable to bear watching the gruesome, bloody scene that was sure to follow.
"Hiss…"
Usopp and Merry both gasped sharply, a sound of pure horror, their jaws practically hitting the floor in shock.
Because…