Dazai Osamu quietly slipped away from Luffy’s group and put his legendary Yokohama lockpicking skills to work, silently sneaking into Kaya’s mansion.
His infiltration went completely unnoticed.
Reaching the drawing room, he slowed his heartbeat, steadied his breathing, and gradually melted into a shadowy corner of the room.
Click.
The butler wearing a goat-shaped headpiece pushed open the door.
Carrying a ladder, Merry walked beneath the chandelier before stepping back outside to fetch a bucket.
Climbing the ladder with a rag in hand, he began cleaning the chandelier.
Kuro entered the room.
The drawing room was dark, illuminated only by the faint moonlight.
He naturally walked over to the window and silently gazed into the night.
Then his eyes fell upon a carefully wrapped gift box sitting on a table.
Picking it up, he asked Merry, who was still cleaning behind him, “What is this?” Smiling, Merry explained, “Miss Kaya had me travel to another town to find these glasses for you.
She noticed yours are always slipping down, so she specially prepared this gift.
Tomorrow marks your third year in this household…
Time really has flown…” Kuro looked at the gift in silence.
“So…
it’s already been three years.” Thud.
The gift box dropped to the floor.
He crushed it beneath his foot.
The lenses scattered across the floor as Merry stared in disbelief, the hand holding his cleaning rag trembling.
“That was a gift Miss Kaya carefully chose for you!
How could you—” Kuro threw back his head and burst into laughter.
“HAHAHAHAHA!
Three years!
I’ve finally reached this day!” Looking at the stunned Merry, he smiled pleasantly.
“For these past three years, every waking moment I’ve been thinking about how to seize this family’s fortune.
Usopp was right—I am a pirate.
I’ve been preparing for this day for a very long time.” He equipped his custom cat-claw weapons and casually pushed up his slipping glasses.
Amused, he watched Merry shakily draw a pistol and point it at him.
With just a few light steps, Kuro vanished.
In an instant, he appeared before Merry.
A slash.
Five claw marks opened across Merry’s chest, blood immediately seeping through his clothes.
Unwillingly, Merry collapsed to the floor.
Without another glance, Kuro turned and walked out of the mansion.
…
Only after a long while, when Merry was beginning to lose body heat, did Dazai finally move.
He expertly treated the wounds before quietly sitting beside Merry, waiting for him to regain consciousness.
People in the world of One Piece possessed astonishing physical resilience.
Wounds that would be considered critical back in Yokohama could often be recovered from here without much trouble.
“You…
who are you…?” Merry slowly opened his eyes.
“Miss Kaya!” He abruptly tried to stand, desperate to check on her, but agonizing pain surged through his body, sending him crashing back onto the floor.
“Damn it…
Damn it…” He pounded the floor in frustration until his knuckles bled.
“No need to worry.” Squatting beside him, Dazai calmly explained, “Your young mistress is perfectly safe.
Since he wants to inherit the estate legitimately, he needs the rightful heir to transfer everything willingly.
She isn’t going to die tonight.” “Who exactly are you?
How do you know all this?” “Me?” Dazai pointed at himself.
“I’m Usopp’s friend.
He asked me to come.” Usopp’s…
friend.
Merry’s eyes stung as emotion welled up inside him.
…
Click.
Merry pushed open Kaya’s bedroom door.
Seeing her sleeping peacefully, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Dazai caught up a moment later.
“See?
I told you she’d be fine.
You’re reopening your wounds.” Merry sat beside the bed and gently shook Kaya awake.
She jolted awake and froze when she saw the bandages covering him.
“Merry!
What happened?
Who did this to you?” “Miss Kaya…
We were all wrong.
Kuro is a pirate.
He’s been plotting to steal your family’s inheritance for three years.
Tomorrow he’ll bring pirates to attack the village!” The truth came pouring out in one breath.
Kaya’s face turned pale.
“How could this be…?
How could the butler…” She shook her head helplessly, unable to believe it.
“That’s exactly what happened, my beautiful lady.” Dazai stepped in before she could continue denying reality.
“Merry’s injuries aren’t exactly something he could fake.
If I hadn’t arrived when I did, you’d never have seen him again.” Though Merry probably wouldn’t have died given this world’s durability, Dazai deliberately exaggerated the severity.
Thinking that someone as dear as family had nearly died without her ever knowing, Kaya finally accepted reality.
I’m sorry, Usopp…
I didn’t believe you.
“Don’t worry, Miss Kaya.” Dazai smiled reassuringly.
“My companions have already gone to deal with the pirates.” Knowing how frail Kaya was, he intentionally gave her good news to keep her from worrying herself sick.
She looked at him gratefully.
He’s such a kind gentleman…
Unable to bear that gaze, Dazai quietly turned his back.
“If we head over now, it should be just about finished.” Morning light had already begun creeping across the floor.
…
“Mr.
Dazai…
may I come with you?” Standing at the mansion gate, Kaya called after him.
“If you want to, then come along.” He casually waved without looking back.
“Miss…” Merry looked worried.
“It’s alright, Merry.
I believe in Usopp and the others.” After giving him a gentle smile and a slight bow, Kaya hurried after Dazai.
…
Kuro stood silently at the crossroads, waiting for his crew.
As long as Jango hypnotizes Kaya here, then we eliminate everyone else…
I’ll finally obtain the wealth and peaceful life I’ve dreamed of.
A pirate ship bearing the flag of the Black Cat Pirates slowly approached the shore.
The ship docked.
Yet no one came ashore.
Frowning, Kuro walked closer.
“Heave-ho!” Luffy suddenly tumbled off the ship and landed directly in front of him.
Zoro, Usopp, and Nami—carrying an enormous sack full of treasure—jumped down after him.
One glance at the four of them…
Another at the silent ship…
Kuro immediately understood.
“What a bunch of useless fools.” He adjusted his glasses with his palm and coldly glared at them.
Usopp trembled as he raised his slingshot.
“K-Kuro!
Your plan has failed!
We defeated all your men!
Surrender!” Zoro bent forward with a savage grin, one hand resting on his swords.
Nami quietly stepped back to a safe distance.
Luffy simply flashed his trademark grin without saying a word.
“I told you—it wasn’t over yet.” Dazai arrived with Kaya from behind.
Seeing the two sides confronting each other, he gently reassured her.
Kaya looked sadly at Kuro .
Even knowing the truth, a small part of her still hoped…
“Kuro …
why?” He looked at her calmly.
“Miss Kaya…
being with you reminded me of taking you shopping…
caring for you when you were sick…
telling you stories…” Hope flickered in her eyes.
Then his smile twisted.
“But I’m the captain of a pirate crew!
Spending every day babysitting some snot-nosed little girl?
If word got out, everyone would laugh themselves to death!
Every single day, all I wanted was to kill you!” He laughed as he watched Kaya’s expression crumble.
Silent tears streamed down her face as she shakily raised the pistol Merry had given her.
“What a nuisance.
Every last one of you is an unexpected variable.” He walked toward her.
“Couldn’t you have just obediently let yourself be hypnotized, signed over your inheritance…
and died?” In a flash he appeared before her, claws raised high.
“Kaya!” Usopp’s lead shot struck Kuro squarely in the face.
He slowly turned around.
His eyes locked onto the trembling Usopp.
Never before had he been so furious.
He disappeared again.
Slash!
Usopp was sent flying with a brutal kick, tumbling across the ground before finally stopping.
“And who do you think you are?
Some make-believe pirate captain?” Touching the bandage on his cheek, Kuro sneered.
“Usopp…
that punch actually hurt.” His icy gaze pierced the wounded boy.
“Usopp!” Kaya cried out anxiously.
“I-I’m…
fine…” Blood dripped from the corner of Usopp’s mouth as he painfully forced himself to raise a thumbs-up.
“It’s…
nothing…
For the great Captain Usopp…
this is child’s play…” “Oh?” Kuro instantly appeared before him again.
Another kick slammed into Usopp’s stomach.
He vomited violently before collapsing to the ground, gasping.
Luffy’s face darkened.
“Hey.” He caught Kuro’s leg.
“Your opponent is me.” Kaya couldn’t bear to watch any longer.
Tears pooled in her eyes.
“Don’t close your eyes.” Dazai gently wiped away her tears.
“This is a man’s resolve…
the resolve to protect the woman he loves.” “Mr.
Dazai…” After hurriedly wiping away her tears, Kaya rushed over to tend to Usopp’s wounds.
“Heh.
Not bad.” Zoro chuckled.
“A gentleman should always be gentle with a beautiful lady.” Dazai shrugged.
This was Usopp’s moment to shine.
“I’m not a lady?” Nami suddenly appeared behind him, staring at him without blinking.
“Tigresses don’t count.” Smack!
“Ow!” Dazai successfully earned another lump on his head.
Just another normal day.
Ignoring his antics, Nami dusted off her hands.
…
Thanks to his incredible speed, Kuro kept Luffy at bay.
Although Luffy’s rubber body could stretch freely, sharp blades remained a genuine threat.
He could only continue adapting to Kuro’s speed.
“Damn you!” Kuro roared.
“Ever since you people showed up, everything has gone wrong!” His clawed gloves slashed relentlessly.
“Once I hypnotize Kaya today, claim her inheritance, and kill all of you pirates, I’ll become this village’s great hero!
I’ll have the wealth and peaceful life I’ve spent years planning for!
And you ruined everything!” Growing more furious, his attacks became even faster.
“As long as I kill you all…
everything will go back to normal!” Luffy’s face turned grim.
“What do you think your own crewmates are?” “Crewmates?” Kuro sneered.
“What a joke.
Pirates are nothing but the scum of society.
Trash.
They’d all be better off dead.
I’m nothing like them.” Luffy’s anger finally exploded.
Grabbing a massive boulder, he hurled it straight at Kuro .
With a single slash— The boulder split in two.
“Gum-Gum…” Luffy’s fist shot forward.
Filled with all his fury at Kuro’s twisted beliefs…
It smashed into him.
Kuro crashed to the ground, unconscious.
It was over.
…
“Meat!
Meeeat!” Luffy happily devoured plate after plate of food.
The others weren’t much better.
Dazai finished eating first and mischievously slipped some ginger into Zoro’s meal.
He was immediately suppressed before he could escape.
Dish after dish continued arriving until the table looked like a battlefield.
“I’m stuffed!” Luffy rubbed his swollen belly contentedly.
Curious, Dazai poked it.
Luffy instantly collapsed face-first onto the table.
“Dazai, keep your hands to yourself.” Zoro sighed.
Dazai reluctantly abandoned his prank.
“I don’t know why…
but I feel like I’ve been starving forever…” Luffy muttered thoughtfully.
Nami immediately understood and shot Dazai a meaningful look.
Apologize.
Dazai looked left…
Then right…
Pretending not to notice.
Nami could only sigh.
“Are you all full?” Kaya approached shyly.
“I prepared a gift for everyone…
Thank you for helping me.” …
“Wooow!” Luffy’s eyes sparkled at the sight of the ship.
Finally…
He had a ship of his own.
Standing beside Kaya, Merry smiled.
“I designed this ship myself.
Her name is the Going Merry.” Grateful for everything they had done, he decided to give them his greatest creation.
“The ship’s operation mainly—” “I’ll handle that.” Nami immediately took over, eagerly asking Merry about sailing her.
Suddenly, a huge bundle rolled down from above.
Luffy and Zoro stopped it with their feet.
It was Usopp’s large green backpack.
Looking at Kaya, Usopp took a deep breath.
“Kaya…
I’ve decided.” “I’m going to sea…
and become a pirate.” Unable to meet her eyes, he fought back tears.
Kaya had always known this was his dream.
She wanted desperately to ask him to stay.
But she couldn’t.
The two young people understood the feelings neither could bring themselves to say.
Pink flower petals drifted through the air.
The atmosphere instantly turned romantic.
“…Flower petals?” Nami looked up.
Dazai was standing on the bow enthusiastically throwing handful after handful into the wind.
Her forehead throbbed.
“Dazai!
Stop ruining the mood!” Kaya and Usopp looked at each other…
Then burst into laughter.
What had been a bittersweet farewell suddenly became wonderfully ridiculous.
“Luffy!” Usopp shouted toward the ship.
“I’ve decided to become a pirate!
Who knows if we’ll ever meet again!” Luffy blinked.
“What are you talking about, Usopp?” “Hurry up and get on board.” “Aren’t we crewmates?” “You guys…” Usopp’s tears finally overflowed.
“Then I’m the captain!” “Huh?!” Luffy immediately protested.
“I’m the captain!” The ship slowly departed from the shore…
Sailing toward an unknown future.
Straw Hat Pirates: 5 Members (Temporary)