The night air grew still, as Cassandra and Kuro stared each other down in the forest clearing. The moon shone pale silver through the canopy above, casting long, angular shadows across the two figures. Behind them, the transponder snail clicked softly, the call long ended. Usopp stood frozen, trembling between them, glancing from Cassandra to Kuro with growing dread and beats of sweat over his body.
Kuro adjusted his glasses with the palm of his hand, the movement precise and eerie. "Drop your sword, peasant. Or the boy dies."
Cassandra tilted her head slightly, her grip tightening on Wado Ichimonji. For a moment, it seemed like she would charge, but then Usopp, breath shaky and eyes wet with fear, looked at her.
"Go warn the others," he said. "I'll stall him... somehow."
Cassandra blinked. She didn't think Usopp would now play hero. He was a coward, but his home and Kaya were important to him. Maybe even more than his own life. Her lips parted into a soft smile, one not entirely warm. "Alright," she said quietly.
She brought her sword up slowly, blade glinting under the moonlight... then let it slip from her hand.
Kuro smirked triumphantly, eyes following the falling katana, until it stopped mid-air. Suspended by Cassandra's mind, the blade didn't clatter against the ground. Instead, it lurched forward in a flash of silver metal and telekinetic precision, plunging clean through Usopp's chest and piercing into Kuro's heart behind him.
Both men gasped.
Blood gurgled up from their mouths, as the beautiful blade that glowed faintly in the moonlight before, locked between two impaled bodies dirtied by their blood. Usopp looked down in disbelief, then slowly turned his head toward Cassandra. Kuro staggered, reaching for the sword, face contorted in shock and rage.
"You—" Kuro gasped, his voice weak and wet.
"I always thought," Cassandra whispered, stepping forward. "He wasn't worth our time."
With a cold efficiency, she withdrew the blade, letting both men collapse to the forest floor. Kuro twitched for a second before going still. Usopp wheezed once more, eyes wide with betrayal and then... nothing.
Cassandra looked down at their bodies without remorse. Her gaze was cold and calculated. She crouched and began slicing Kuro's corpse in several deliberate strokes, leaving deep gashes along his arms and torso to simulate a long, brutal struggle.
When satisfied, she heaved Usopp over one shoulder and grabbed Kuro by the leg, dragging him behind her as she returned to the mansion.
The sheepish looking butler Merry, opened the front door, after hearing a loud knock. He looked at Cassandra in a panic, as she emerged from the darkness with both corpses covered in blood.
"Kuro was a fraud," she said bluntly, dropping Kuro's limp body at his feet and showing him the old bounty poster. "Captain of the Black Cat Pirates. He planned to kill Kaya and steal her inheritance."
Merry looked like he might faint. "K-Kuro?! B-but Klahadore served this house for—!"
"He deceived you," Cassandra cut in sharply. "Usopp followed him. He tried to stop him... Kuro used a technique too fast to react to. The boy didn't stand a chance."
She let the lie rest heavy in the air. Merry fell to his knees, weeping into his hands.
The next morning, in the grand parlor of the mansion, the atmosphere was heavy with grief. Sunlight filtered through the tall windows, illuminating the elegant furniture and the portraits of Kaya's family that lined the walls.
Cassandra stood at the center of the room, hands behind her back. Luffy lounged on a couch, tearing into a piece of meat with a black sheen over his eyes. Nami stood nearby, her arms crossed, eyes flicking between everyone. Kaya sat stiffly in her chair, dressed in mourning black, with Merry by her side. His expression was tight, jaw clenched.
"He used a special technique called 'Pussyfoot Maneuver' to strike with great speed," Cassandra began calmly. "He was a pirate all along. His real name was Captain Kuro of the Hundred Plans. He infiltrated this house with the goal to steal your inheritance and murder you. Just like he did your parents."
The room fell silent. The words hung in the air like thunderclouds.
Kaya stared blankly, her lips trembling.
Merry gasped, stumbling back in shock. "T-the master and mistress… K-Kuro... he…?"
"Yes," Cassandra said with solemn weight. "They didn't die of illness. They were murdered. Poisoned slowly so it looked natural. He made you sick too. All to keep you weak and dependent."
A strangled sob escaped Kaya's throat.
"No... No… they… they loved him. They trusted him. He was with us for years!"
Her breathing turned ragged, panic rising in her chest. "He read to me when I couldn't sleep. He carried me through storms… I trusted him more than anyone…"
Tears spilled down her cheeks like broken glass. She curled forward in the chair, her sobs raw and uncontrollable. "Mama… Papa… he killed them… and I never knew… I even defended him…"
She pressed her hands to her face, weeping loudly, shoulders shaking with every breathless gasp of despair. The weight of betrayal, of loss, of ignorance was crashing down all at once. Her cries echoed through the halls of the mansion that had been her prison.
"Now even Ussop. My only friend is..."
Without hesitation, Cassandra stepped forward, kneeling in front of her.
"Hey," she said softly, wiping Kaya's tears with gentle fingers. "It's not your fault. You are still young. You were kept in the dark, fed lies by a master manipulator. That pain you're feeling? That anger? It's real and it's okay to feel it."
Kaya's eyes met Cassandra's, wide and full of grief.
"You're still here. You survived. Usopp died to protect you. He loved this village and he believed, that you can achieve your dream."
Kaya hiccupped, nodding slightly as Cassandra cupped her cheek.
"So live for them. For your parents. For Usopp. Don't let Kuro's darkness stain the rest of your life."
Merry stepped forward, kneeling beside her, placing a hand gently on her shoulder. "Miss Kaya... he was a monster, but you are stronger than he ever knew."
Cassandra stood, letting the moment settle.
Nami exhaled through her nose. "Guess even liars can die with some truth in them."
"Hey Luffy can we help this village against the pirate attack?" Cassandra had a solemn look on her face. She was really good at pretending to care … and she really liked cutting down pirates.
Luffy looked up. The black sheen on his eyes dissapeared, showing a determined, but slightly angry look on his face.
"Of course will we help them!" Luffy shouted raising his hands, bringing a smile to Kaya, Merry, Cassandra and Nami.
The morning sun had barely touched the horizon, when the Black Cat Pirates arrived on the beach.
Luffy cracked his knuckles, grinning ear to ear. "Let's beat them up."
Cassandra stood beside him, calm and poised, Wado Ichimonji gleaming in her hand. "Try not to massacre them brutally. Don't make them think, that you are a vicious monster," she muttered, mostly to herself.
Jango, the hypnotist with spiral glasses and a snappy dance, led the crew alongside Sham and Buchi, the cat-clawed brothers. Their feline-themed armor and ridiculous poses did little to intimidate the two standing in front of them.
The fight was one-sided even though Jango strengthened everyone with his hypnosis.
Luffy launched forward like a cannonball, his fists smashing through pirate after pirate. He grabbed Buchi by the face and slammed him into the sand, then whipped Sham into a tree with a Gum-Gum Whip.
Cassandra danced between opponents, cutting them down like wheat. Her swords moved like phantoms, slicing weapons from hands, disarming and slashing until the pirates collapsed from fear, pain or plain death.
Only Jango managed to slip away, vanishing into the woods when Cassandra turned her focus.
Luffy punched the last pirate into unconsciousness, panting. "That's it?"
Cassandra wiped her blade clean. "That's it."
The few remaining pirates, injured and terrified but still alive, surrendered. The townspeople, led by Merry, arrested the crew and dragged them to the village jail.
As the sun began its slow descent over Syrup Village, the air took on a golden hue and the townspeople gathered near the harbor. Kaya stood with Merry beside her, still pale but with a calm determination in her eyes. Cassandra, Luffy, and Nami waited on the dock, their supplies packed and ready.
"I have something for you," Kaya said, her voice steady despite the pain still lingering in her heart. She stepped aside, revealing a modest but beautifully crafted caravel docked at the pier.
It was snow-white with a curved swan-like figurehead shaped like a sheep's smiling face. The ship was sturdy yet graceful, with clean lines and a proud, welcoming presence. The single mast flew a white sail, still blank of any jolly roger.
"This ship was designed by Merry," Kaya continued. "It was meant to be a gift to Usopp when he finally set out to sea. Now... I want you to have it. All of you. Carry his dream with you."
Luffy's eyes lit up like a child given candy. "Whoa!! It's perfect!"
Cassandra walked to the ship, running a hand along the railing. "A fine vessel."
Nami smirked. "Looks like I won't have to steer that tiny bathtub anymore."
Merry gave a small bow. "She is called The Going Merry. I hope she serves you well on your journey."
Luffy jumped onto the deck and hugged the mast. "I love her!"
Even Cassandra smiled warmly. "We'll take care of her. Just like we'll take care of his memory." After saying this, Cassandra was impressed how good of an actor she was.
Luffy was bouncing on the deck. "This is awesome!! A real ship!!"
Nami, arms full of maps and tools, boarded with a reserved expression. "I'm not joining yet. Just... staying with you for a bit. Don't think this makes us comrades."
Cassandra smirked. "Yet." Than she again rubbed Namis boobs making her pop a vein from anger.
Kaya hugged Cassandra tightly, whispering through sobs, "Thank you for everything. Usopp… he wanted to be a brave warrior of the sea. You gave him a story."
Cassandra nodded, lying through her smile. "He died a hero."
Oh that was cringe she thought.
With their new ship fully loaded, the Straw Hats cast off, leaving Syrup Village behind.
Cassandra stood at the bow, letting the wind whip through her long blue ponytail. The Going Merry creaked pleasantly beneath her feet.
Nami stood beside her, crossing her arms. "You're hiding something, swordswoman."
Cassandra smiled, staring into the horizon. "Aren't we all love?"
With that the journey continued.