One Piece: The Marine of the Straw Hat Pirates

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"Huh? Didn't Usopp say you can eat all you want for free if you mention his name?"

Inside a restaurant in Syrup Village, Luffy stared at the towering stack of empty plates in disbelief.

"Huh? Usopp?" The shop owner sighed, looking utterly exasperated. "You were duped! There's no way anyone can eat for free using that rascal's name. Even a discount would be pushing it. It's more like trying to squeeze blood from a stone!"

"So... you're saying we can't eat for free just because we said Usopp's name?"

The shop owner's words left Luffy stunned. He turned to Ikki, Nami, and Zoro, silently pleading for help.

Zoro, as broke as ever, simply held onto his wine gourd and looked away. Ikki gave a sheepish smile and shrugged. "I don't have any money either."

Realizing his options were limited, Luffy's gaze shifted to Nami. "Nami... you're my only hope!"

Nami sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. She had expected as much. "I'll pay the bill," she said, waving a hand dismissively, "but my interest rates are steep."

Luffy broke into a wide grin, completely ignoring her warning about the interest. "Thanks, Nami!"

In the end, Nami reluctantly settled the bill, muttering about how she'd make Luffy pay her back someday.

After finishing their meal, the group made their way toward Kaya's manor.

Halfway there, Luffy, who had been glancing around curiously, suddenly froze. "Hey, that guy looks weird!"

Ikki followed his gaze and spotted the man in question—a figure wearing a blue top hat, a peculiar chin beard, and a pair of heart-shaped sunglasses. What made him stand out even more was the way he moved: moonwalking backward.

"Who even walks like that?" Luffy asked, tilting his head.

Ikki smirked when he saw the strange figure. "Looks like we won't have to go hunting for bounty targets after all."

Zoro raised an eyebrow. "You're saying he's a bounty criminal?"

"Exactly," Ikki confirmed with a nod. "That's Jango, the current captain of the Black Cat Pirates. He's known as a 'Master Hypnotist' and has a bounty of nine million berries."

Nami frowned. "Nine million? That's not enough. Even a small sailboat costs at least thirty million!"

Ikki chuckled. "It's not just about his bounty—it's about the man behind him."

Without elaborating further, Ikki strode toward Jango.

Hearing approaching footsteps, Jango stopped moonwalking and turned to face them. His sharp eyes glinted beneath his heart-shaped sunglasses as he took in the group.

"Jango, vice-captain of the Black Cat Pirates," Ikki declared, holding up his letter of appointment from the private Marine. "You're under arrest!"

Jango's frown deepened at the sight of the letter, and a flicker of murderous intent flashed behind his sunglasses.

Luffy, Zoro, and Nami watched the scene unfold, unfazed. They were already accustomed to Ikki's habit of waving around his private Marine credentials at every opportunity.

The Black Cat Pirates had a notorious reputation for killing Marines, but to Jango, this group of four barely looked competent—he didn't take them seriously at all.

Zoro sensed Jango's killing intent and instinctively placed his hand on the hilt of his sword.

"So, you're not planning to surrender," Ikki said, retracting the private Marine letter of appointment. He shifted into a flowing stance, his Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist style at the ready. Streams of wind from his Sky Dragon Slayer powers coiled around his fists.

Jango wasted no time, hurling his signature boomerang straight at Ikki's throat.

It could fly back to its owner after being thrown, catching many off guard. But Jango didn't realize who he was up against.

Ikki didn't flinch. With a quick swipe of his hand, a sharp wind blade shot out, cleaving the boomerang cleanly in two.

Jango's smug expression shifted to surprise, but before he could react, Ikki closed the distance with rapid punches from his Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist. After just a few strikes, Jango collapsed unconscious.

With Ikki's current strength, even pirates with bounties over 100 million wouldn't stand a chance.

After defeating Jango, Ikki gestured toward the unconscious body. "Zoro, grab him. Let's keep moving."

Zoro slung the limp Jango over his shoulder, and the group continued toward Kaya's manor.

As they arrived, the scene that greeted them was chaotic. Usopp stood in the middle of the garden, his fist raised after landing a punch squarely on the face of an elegant man. The man, wearing glasses and dressed like a butler, staggered backward from the blow.

Ikki immediately understood the situation.

Usopp had been sneaking into Kaya's manor for some time to entertain her with stories and make her laugh. However, Kaya's butler, Klahadore, had always tried to keep her away from Usopp.

Moments earlier, Klahadore had insulted Usopp in front of Kaya, calling his father, Yasopp, a filthy pirate, and accusing Usopp of inheriting the same "dirty pirate blood."

Enraged, Usopp had punched Klahadore in the face.

Klahadore straightened his glasses, his lips curling into a sneer. But before he could respond to Usopp, his gaze landed on the unconscious Jango being carried by Zoro.

His eyes narrowed.

"Hehehe... He is worthy of being the captain of the Black Cat Pirates. He has a very strong endurance!"

At that moment, Ikki's voice rang out, cutting through the tension.

Everyone froze.

The words hung in the air, and Klahadore's expression darkened with a flash of murderous intent.

Kuro of a Hundred Plans, the Captain of the Black Cat Pirates, had a bounty of 16 million berries.

Years ago, tired of the chaotic life of a pirate, Kuro devised an elaborate plan. He ordered Jango to hypnotize a Marine officer, Morgan, into believing he had captured Kuro. Morgan returned to the Marine branch with a fake Kuro, earning him fame and a promotion to Captain Morgan.

Meanwhile, Kuro disappeared, assuming the identity of Klahadore. He became a butler for Kaya's family, secretly killing her parents and manipulating his way into her trust. His ultimate goal? To kill Kaya and inherit her vast fortune.

Although Kaya lived in the quiet Syrup Village, her family's wealth extended across the East Blue, making her estate a target worth Kuro's patience.

Kuro's anger flared, but he quickly composed himself. Pushing up his glasses with his palm, he let out a sigh.

Luffy pointed at Kuro, tilting his head. "Huh? Ikki, are you saying this glasses guy is Kuro?"

Ikki smiled. "Sharp as ever, Luffy. That's right. This 'butler' is none other than Captain Kuro."

The group turned their attention to Kuro, including Kaya, who looked at her trusted butler with wide, disbelieving eyes.

"My plan was nearly complete," he said coldly, his voice calm yet dripping with malice. "I really didn't want to stain my hands with blood again… but it seems I have no choice."