Loguetown is the city where the life of the legendary Pirate King Roger began and ended. It also housed a naval garrison, commanded by a captain who had arrived from Marineford headquarters. This new captain was said to be incomparably better than his predecessor, who had been corrupt and tainted by his ties to pirates.
A ship appeared on the horizon, captivating the marines stationed in the harbor. They quickly raised their binoculars, peering warily at the approaching vessel. If it had been pirates, they would have immediately raised the alarm. Instead, a familiar sight met their eyes: the corpse of a pirate hung from the bow of the ship, and behind it, standing proudly, was a clean-shaven man, surrounded by a trembling group of frightened pirates.
"It's Rodney," one of the sentries exhaled, "he's after the reward again."
Rodney, a rising star among pirate hunters, was famous for capturing entire pirate crews.
"Call for reinforcements immediately and prepare to receive the pirates!" the captain commanded.
"Yes, sir!" the soldiers replied.
Soon, a ship belonging to the Hacksaw pirates docked, and marines dispersed the crowd, apprehending all the pirates. They were commanded by an elegant woman in glasses, with a long knife at her belt—Chief Petty Officer Tashigi.
"Mr. Rodney," she addressed the pirate hunter, greeting him with undisguised politeness.
"Hello, Tashigi. The Hacksaw Pirates are here. What's the reward?" Rodney asked.
Tashigi smiled.
— Please wait a bit. We need to count, but I assure you, it won't be less.
She looked at Rodney with respect, acknowledging his contribution to the safety of the sea lanes.
"Okay," Rodney nodded. He trusted Tashigi's honesty and wasn't afraid Smoker would try to deceive him. Such behavior could jeopardize the Marine's reputation.
Soon, Rodney received four bundles of bills, one of which was noticeably smaller than the others. The total reward for the Hacksaw Pirates crew was 5.63 million beli.
Rodney spent 3 million beli on explosive tags and 10,000 beli on shuriken and kunai, using up all his savings. He found an inn to rest and went to the system market, where he purchased explosive tags, shuriken, senbon, steel wire, and kunai. Not only these items were available there, but also ninjutsu, taijutsu, bloodline limits, and much more. However, purchasing them required mission points.
The Eight Gates, the White Light Chakra Saber, the Chakra Extraction Technique, and his own chakra were obtained from the system's gift package. Currently, Rodney could only open one of the Eight Gates, so he had to train hard and strengthen his body to open the others.
Points for completing quests and bellies in the market were like points and diamonds in the game. The contrast was stark, yet familiar. However, this time, spending money wasn't so easy.
Rodney placed a pack of explosive tags in his belt pouch, along with a small collection of ninja tools. The pouch was similar in size to a storage scroll, but those were too expensive and had limited space.
"I'm broke again," Rodney sighed.
[Ding! Mission accomplished].
Just as he was lamenting his poverty, a new task appeared. Rodney revealed the information.
[Mission: "Destroy a Hundred Crows"].
Mission Level: C
Mission: Kill Kuro [Reward: Permanent Chakra Fruit, 150 Mission Points].
Chakra fruit? It was a valuable item. A chakra fruit, not the one Kaguya Ōtsutsuki ate, but a weaker version. There were two types: permanent and explosive. The permanent chakra fruit could increase a person's chakra to a certain level, expanding their capabilities. The explosive chakra fruit, on the other hand, provided a greater boost, but its effects were temporary and wore off after a while.
Dealing with Kuro won't be easy. And isn't jumping from 4.5 million to 16 million a bit reckless? Kuro is a master strategist who never failed in his raids on villages. He was the captain of the Black Cat Pirates. Pretending to be mortal to escape, he infiltrated the homes of wealthy merchants in Syrup Village, attempting to steal their property. He was incredibly intelligent, but unfortunately, he ran afoul of the great Usopp and Straw Hat Luffy.
Now, according to the nautical calendar, it is the second half of 1517. Kuro has spent almost half a year in Kaiya's house.
"This sly fellow will create some difficulties," Rodney thought.
Against such a smart opponent it was not easy, but not impossible.
...Rodney set out on a new voyage, following a merchant vessel. Lacking sufficient navigational knowledge, he could easily get lost in calm areas or encounter natural disasters. Unaware of these dangers, Rodney followed the ship. The vessel was about to pass through the village of Syrup, and it, too, needed protection.
The merchant ship made several stops to buy and sell goods, and the journey went relatively smoothly. Having received 50,000 beli from the merchant ship's captain, Rodney steered the ship toward the village of Syrup.
Since the merchant ship could not dock directly, Rodney had to sail in a small boat north of the village.
Syrup Village was a peaceful place where Yasopp, the sniper of the red-haired pirates and the father of Usopp, the sniper of the Straw Hat Pirates, lived.
"Trouble! The pirates are coming! The pirates are coming!" the shouts echoed throughout the village, coming from a small boy.
Had they mistaken him for a pirate? A cloud of dust appeared in the distance. Focusing his gaze, Rodney saw a boy in a turban, with a long nose and braids, running forward. A group of adults, waving brooms and sticks, chased him, furious expressions on their faces.
Usopp? The future sniper dashed past Rodney, and his pursuers kept up. Rodney grabbed one of the adults.
"He's just a kid. Can't you leave him alone?" he asked.
"This happens every day, once or twice. It's really annoying. He really does look like his pirate father!" the man replied.
The villagers despised Usopp for his daily tall tales. It was one thing to scare them with tales, but doing it every day was simply irritating. Combined with Usopp's resentment of his father becoming a pirate, this behavior was understandable. In the eyes of many, pirates were villains.
In the quiet, verdant village of Syrup, the memory of Yasopp, Usopp's father, was steeped in bitterness and contempt. The former pirate, who abandoned his wife and son, became the embodiment of betrayal for the villagers. After his mother's death, Usopp resorted to childish lies to console her during her illness, telling her stories of non-existent pirates who brought hope. This habit remained with him, turning the boy into a "big liar," shunned by everyone but his true friends.
"Oh? Really?" drawled Rodney, the pirate hunter, with a predatory glint in his eyes. "By the way, where is the richest family in this village?"
The man pointed to the mansion perched on the hilltop. "There it is. Wait, why are you asking?"
"I'm a pirate hunter," Rodney replied, his words dripping with venom, "and there's a pirate hiding in this village."
"Isn't this the same boy from before? His father's a pirate too," the man remarked, nodding towards Usopp.
"No, this man is not a pirate. Thank you." Rodney nodded, his gaze focused on the mansion.
In the blink of an eye, like the wind, he took off, leaving the bewildered residents behind. Moving at a speed unmatched by the average person, Rodney found himself in the backyard of a wealthy home within seconds. It was the residence of Baiji Keluo, disguised as a respected citizen.
Kuro, a master pirate, faked his own death, leaving behind a trail of deception and confusing clues. Using the hypnotist Django Ternot, he subjugated the crew, forcing them to believe in his new identity – Klahador. Disguised as an exiled pirate, he infiltrated a wealthy family, where his cunning and treachery aroused no suspicion.
Rodney, hidden in the thick foliage of the old oak tree, watched the mansion. He knew Kuro was hiding somewhere within its walls, but finding him wouldn't be easy.
The mansion was enormous, its walls brimming with secrets and deception, and Kuro, a master of intrigue, knew how to hide like a ghost.