PIRATE FLEET

This is a full-color version of the previous title page. The scene is vibrant, showing the crew enjoying a picnic in a lush, green mountainous area under a blue sky with fluffy clouds. Luffy, wearing his signature straw hat and red vest, sits on the back of a large white goat, yelling with his hands around his mouth. Usopp, in brown overalls and a green bandana, stands beside the goat, blowing loudly into a large, red-and-white striped conch shell. Nami, wearing a blue-and-white striped shirt and an orange skirt, sits on a pink blanket, holding a map and pencil, looking exasperatedly at Usopp. Zoro rests behind the goat near the basket, swords, and picnic items, facing away from the others with one hand near his head. The picnic blanket holds a basket of food, books, maps, and swords. The background features snow-capped mountains and pine trees.

Back at the rocky slope, a massive impact occurs with a loud "SFX: DOSUU...SO!!" as Luffy stands victorious over Kuro, who lies in the shattered ground after the hit. Luffy, looking down at him, says, "NOW YOU ONLY HAVE FIVE OF THOSE WEIRD CLAWS LEFT." In the next panel, Luffy turns his head, flashing a confident, wide smile. Below, Kuro is shown in profile, his head bowed slightly as he pushes his glasses up with the palm of his hand, muttering a quiet "TSU..." The remaining Black Cat Pirates watch the scene unfold in absolute shock. One of them stammers, "THAT KID..." while another exclaims in disbelief, "CAPTAIN KURO'S 'CAT'S CLAWS' WERE...!!" The pirates are visibly shaken by Luffy's strength and the fact that he managed to break Kuro's weapons.

The Black Cat Pirates suddenly erupt into cheers, rallying behind their former captain. "CAPTAIN KURO! YOU STILL HAVE ONE HAND OF 'CAT'S CLAWS' LEFT! KILL THE KID!!" one yells. Another quickly corrects him, "HEY, DON'T CALL HIM CAPTAIN KURO!" A third adds, "HIS NAME IN THE VILLAGE IS CLAHADUDU... SOMETHING." They settle on a new name, cheering, "OKAY THEN, WE SHOULD CALL HIM CLAHA-SAN. CLAHA-SAN! KILL HIM!!" Kuro stands silently, his remaining five bladed claws extended, a dark aura surrounding him with a menacing "SFX: GOOO..." He coldly commands, "SHUT UP...!!!" The pirates fall silent as Kuro continues, "AFTER THIS IS DONE, ALL OF YOU MUST DIE... AND JANGO IS NO EXCEPTION..." Jango and the rest of the crew are completely taken aback, their faces twisting in shock and confusion. "!!?" "WHAT?!" "WHY DO WE HAVE TO DIE TOO?" they cry out. Even Luffy looks surprised by this sudden betrayal, exclaiming, "WHAT?!"

In the forest, Jango swings his bladed pendulum back and forth with a "SFX: SWING...!!" He glares down menacingly, commanding, "OPEN YOUR EYES, LITTLE GIRL!!!" Kaya sits on the ground before him, her eyes squeezed tightly shut, sweating nervously. She defiantly refuses, "NO. I WON'T LET YOU HYPNOTIZE ME. I WON'T WRITE THE WILL." Jango crouches down to her level, holding the pendulum ready, trying to force her compliance. In the background, the three young boys from Usopp's crew--Ninjin, Piiman, and Tamanegi--are lying flat on the ground, seemingly unconscious or asleep, with "SFX: ZZZ... ZZZ..." floating above them. Jango appears to have the upper hand, believing the kids are out of the picture and focusing entirely on breaking Kaya's resistance.

Suddenly, Kaya grabs her face and screams, "AHHH...!!" Jango is startled by the sudden movement. He quickly decides, "IF THAT'S THE CASE, I'LL HAVE TO OPEN THEM BY FORCE!" But before he can act, he is hit by a sudden attack and begins sneezing violently, "HACHOO!! HACHOO!! ARGHH!!" The three kids, Ninjin, Piiman, and Tamanegi, spring up from the ground, revealing they were faking their sleep. They throw a cloud of pepper directly into Jango's face, shouting, "BLIND PEPPER!!!" and "HERE'S OUR CHANCE!" Jango reels backward, clutching his face in agony as his eyes burn, screaming, "OWWWWW!!! UGH! AHHHH!!" Seizing the opportunity, one of the boys leaps into the air with a shovel, yelling, "AND ANOTHER!!" He brings the handle of the shovel down hard, striking Jango directly in the crotch. Jango's eyes bug out behind his glasses as he shrieks, "OH MOTHER!!!"

The three boys stand triumphantly, holding their makeshift weapons--a racket, a slingshot or small handheld weapon, and a bat-like club. They boast about their clever ruse: "WE WERE ONLY PRETENDING TO BE HYPNOTIZED!!" "AS IF WE WOULD FALL FOR THE SAME TRICK TWICE!" "PREPARE FOR THE NEXT BATTLE PLAN!!" Kaya looks at them with relief and gratitude, softly saying, "...BOYS!" Meanwhile, Jango is on his hands and knees in the dirt, panting heavily and recovering from the pepper and the low blow. "HAHH... HAHH- HAHH... HAAAHH... HUUU..." he gasps. He looks around furiously, realizing his captives have escaped. "DAMN KIDS!! WHERE DID THEY HIDE?!" He notices Kaya is missing as well. "THE GIRL'S GONE TOO..." Jango's expression turns murderous as he declares, "I SHOULD KILL THOSE KIDS FIRST!!"

Jango stands up, looking around the forest and muttering, "DAMN IT..." Suddenly, Tamanegi leaps from the branches of a large tree above him, wielding his shovel and yelling, "JUMP!" Tamanegi plummets toward Jango, swinging the shovel down with all his might. However, Jango easily sidesteps the attack. With a swift motion, Jango grabs Tamanegi by the collar of his shirt in mid-air. "DON'T GET TOO COCKY," Jango warns coldly. Tamanegi flails and screams in terror, "UWAAAAAHH..." From the safety of the bushes nearby, Kaya, Ninjin, and Piiman watch in horror as their friend is captured. They cry out, "TAMANEGI!!" as Jango holds the struggling boy aloft.

Hearing the shout from the bushes, Jango turns his head sharply and asks the captive Tamanegi, "HEY! DID YOU HEAR THAT?!" Tamanegi confirms, "I HEARD IT! IT WAS THEIR VOICES," then points the way: "THAT WAY! QUICKLY!!" Jango immediately starts running toward the source of the sound, carrying Tamanegi with him, while the boy says, "OKAY!!" Jango holds Tamanegi up by the neck, his face twisted in anger. "YOU'VE PLAYED YOUR LITTLE PIRATE GAME TOO FAR..." he growls. "SINCE YOU'RE STUPID ENOUGH TO INTERFERE IN A REAL PIRATE'S BUSINESS, YOU CAN ALL GO TO HELL AND..." Jango raises his sharp pendulum blade high, preparing to strike the boy. "DIE!! REPENT!!" he shouts. Tamanegi, tears in his eyes, screams back defiantly, "YOU BASTARD!!!"

Back at the rocky slope, the Black Cat Pirates are desperately pleading with Kuro. "PLEASE STOP JOKING, CAPTAIN KURO!!" one begs. "IT'S STILL NOT TOO LATE TO ATTACK THE VILLAGE!!" "AS LONG AS JANGO CAN MAKE THAT GIRL WRITE THE WILL, THE PLAN CAN STILL SUCCEED!!" Kuro stands with his back to them, facing Luffy, and simply replies, "EH... YOU DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THE PLAN." He continues, "AS LONG AS YOUR CORPSES ARE HERE, I CAN PLACE ALL THE BLAME ON YOU." Kuro then turns his head to look back at his crew, a sinister smile on his face as he adjusts his glasses. "I NEVER INTENDED TO LET ANY OF YOU LEAVE THE VILLAGE ALIVE," he reveals coldly. "IT WOULD BE TO MY DISADVANTAGE TO LET ANYONE WHO KNOWS ABOUT MY PLANS LIVE." The pirates stare at him in absolute horror.

The Black Cat Pirates are completely stunned by Kuro's revelation. "YOU MEAN, YOU PLANNED.... FROM THE VERY BEGINNING... TO KILL ALL OF US?!" they ask in disbelief. Kuro stands calmly, his posture relaxed but menacing. "YES, EVER SINCE THREE YEARS AGO, WHEN I WAS STILL CAPTAIN KURO...!!" he confirms. "ALL THIS WAS PART OF MY 'PLAN'!!!" He looks down at them with utter contempt. "YOU GUYS ARE DUMB. WHAT A BUNCH OF LOSER PIRATES." Kuro continues his harsh monologue, "HMPH...! LOSERS? A PIRATE CREW IS JUST A RANDOM GATHERING OF OUTCASTED OUTLAWS. WHAT COULD THESE FOOLS DO WITHOUT MY 'PLAN'?!" He commands them, "YOU SHOULD CONTINUE TO QUIETLY FOLLOW MY PLANS!!!" Luffy stands silently in the background, listening to Kuro berate his own men.

Kuro continues to lecture his terrified crew about his twisted view of piracy. "IN A PIRATE FLEET, THE CREW MEMBERS ARE JUST 'PAWNS' FOR THE CAPTAIN TO USE AS HE WISHES," he declares. "THAT MEANS, YOUR LIFE AND DEATH ARE ALL IN MY HANDS. EVEN IF THERE'S A WALL RIGHT AHEAD, YOU'D STILL HAVE TO FOLLOW MY ORDERS AND CHARGE AT IT!! AND SACRIFICE THEMSELVES FOR MY PLAN!!" Kuro's face contorts into a maniacal, wide-mouthed scream as he yells, "THAT'S THE WAY OF A PIRATE!!!! A WANDERING LITTLE BRAT LIKE YOU WOULD NEVER UNDERSTAND!!!" Luffy glares back at him, his expression serious and angry. "EVENTHOUGH YOU'RE THE CAPTAIN OF A SHIP WHO CONTROLS HUNDREDS OF MEN..." Luffy says firmly, "YOU STILL CAN'T DEFEAT USOPP!!"

Kuro looks genuinely confused by Luffy's statement. "WHAT? YOU SAY THAT I AM INFERIOR TO THAT 'CAPTAIN' IN A KID'S PIRATE GAME?" he asks, raising an eyebrow. Luffy stands his ground, staring Kuro down, and replies simply, "THAT'S RIGHT." Kuro throws his head back and bursts into arrogant laughter. "HA HA HA HA... YOU'RE SO STUPID! DON'T GET COCKY JUST BECAUSE YOU'VE BROKEN MY 'CAT'S CLAWS'." Suddenly, Kuro drops into a low stance and dashes forward with blinding speed, leaving a trail of dust behind him. "IN WHAT WAY AM I INFERIOR TO HIM!?!!" he demands furiously as he charges directly at Luffy. Luffy braces himself, watching Kuro's rapid approach.

As Kuro charges, Luffy smiles confidently and answers Kuro's question: "THE WAY YOU THINK." Kuro suddenly stops in his tracks, his eyes widening in shock and sweat forming on his face. "WHAT?!!" he exclaims. "YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT A TRUE PIRATE IS SUPPOSED TO BE!!!" Before Kuro can react further, Luffy pulls back his fist and delivers a devastating punch directly to Kuro's face. The impact is massive, accompanied by a loud "SFX: DOKA!!", and Kuro's head snaps back from the force of Luffy's blow.

The force of Luffy's punch sends Kuro flying backward, crashing violently into the rocky ground with a loud "SFX: BOKOOON!!" Kuro cries out, "AH...!!" as he hits the dirt. The Black Cat Pirates watch in awe, one of them exclaiming, "THAT KID... HE SAW THROUGH THE CAPTAIN'S 'SILENT STEP'!!" Kuro slowly pushes himself up from the ground, his hair disheveled and his face shadowed. He wipes his mouth, glaring at Luffy. "YOU'VE INSULTED ME...!!!" he growls. Kuro's expression turns incredibly dark and menacing as he says, "YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT A TRUE PIRATE IS SUPPOSED TO BE? THEN LET ME SHOW YOU... TOGETHER WITH THE TERROR OF A REAL PIRATE!!!"

Kuro stands up straight, but his posture is bizarre. His arms hang loosely at his sides, and his body sways back and forth limply. "THE TERROR OF A PIRATE... WHO'S BEEN AT THE BRINK OF DEATH AND SURVIVED!" he says. The Black Cat Pirates immediately recognize the stance and panic. "WAH, THAT STANCE IS...!!" "DON'T TELL ME IT'S THAT SPECIAL TECHNIQUE!" "THAT'S THE 'SHAKUSHI'!!!" Luffy looks confused by their reaction. "AGAINST ONLY ONE PERSON?! I... I'M PRETTY SURE THAT'S IT...!!!" The pirates scream in terror, "HE'S GONNA USE THE 'SHAKUSHI'!!!" A translator's note explains that Shakushi means "Bamboo Ladle" or "Death Bamboo Ladle". The pirates start scrambling to get away. "WE'RE NOT SAFE HERE EITHER, RIGHT?" "WE CAN BE KILLED!!" "HIS TRUE INTENTION IS TO KILL US!!" "THAT'S WHAT HE SAID EARLIER!!!"

The Black Cat Pirates fall to their knees, desperately begging Kuro for their lives. "CA... CAPTAIN KURO!! IF I GO BACK TO SEA I WON'T TELL ANYONE YOU'RE STILL ALIVE, SO PLEASE LET ME LIVE!!!" one pleads. Another yells, "HEY YOU'RE SO SELFISH, TRYIN' TO SAVE ONLY YOURSELF!!" Others join in, "I WON'T TELL ANYONE EITHER, CAPTAIN KURO! JUST SPARE ME!!!" "ME TOO!!" "ME TOO, ME TOO!!!" Luffy watches Kuro, who is still just swaying back and forth. "WHAT ARE THEY TALKING ABOUT?" Luffy wonders. "JUST PLEASE DON'T USE THAT TECHNIQUE!!" the pirates cry. "HE'S JUST SWAYING THERE..." "WE'LL DO ANYTHING!!!" Kuro's face is heavily shadowed, his eyes glowing ominously as he whispers the name of his technique: "'SHAKUSHI'!!!"

A wide shot shows the rocky slope. Kuro has completely vanished from sight, leaving only a small cloud of dust where he stood. Luffy and the Black Cat Pirates are frozen in place, looking around in confusion. Nami appears near the edge of the path, observing the scene. "...WHY IS EVERYONE STANDING STILL..." she wonders. "IS IT OVER...?" She looks at the seemingly peaceful slope. "HMMM... IS THE BATTLE OVER ALREADY? I THOUGHT THERE WOULD BE A LOT OF TREASURE. AH... HOW DISAPPOINTING..." The sudden stillness creates an eerie tension before the storm.

The silence is violently broken as an invisible force slashes across the chest of one of the Black Cat Pirates. Blood spurts into the air as the pirate screams in agony, "UWAAAAAAAHH!!!" Luffy looks around in shock, yelling, "HUH?! WHAT'S HAPPENING?!!" Another pirate is struck down nearby, crying out, "ARGH!" "ANOTHER ONE!!" someone yells. The invisible attacks continue, leaving deep, jagged claw marks gouged into the solid rock face. "NOW THE ROCKS!!" a pirate screams. "GYAAAAAH!" The crew is thrown into absolute chaos as they are indiscriminately slaughtered by an unseen enemy.

The massacre continues as Kuro, moving too fast to be seen, slashes through his own men. "CAPTAIN KURO, PLEASE STOP IT!!!" they beg. "IT'S NO USE!!! WHEN HE'S USING HIS 'SILENT STEP' ATTACK, HE CAN'T DISCERN ONE PERSON FROM ANOTHER!!" "HE'S SO FAST THAT EVEN HE DOESN'T KNOW WHAT HE'S ATTACKING!!" "HE WON'T STOP THAT 'TIL HE'S TIRED!!!" Luffy watches the carnage, gritting his teeth. Up on the cliff, Nami is horrified. "WH... WHAT'S GOING ON...?! THOSE PEOPLE ARE GETTING MASSACRED OUT OF NOWHERE!!" Down below, the pirates are in full panic. "AT THIS RATE, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY OF US WILL DIE..." "ARGH!!" "HEY!!" "GYAAAAAH!" "HELP US!!" Suddenly, Luffy is slashed across the shoulder, blood spurting from the wound with a "SPLURT!" "TRY TO AVOID IT OR HIDE IF YOU CAN!!" a pirate yells.

Luffy stands amidst the chaos, his shoulder bleeding, his face contorted in absolute fury. "COME OUT, YOU EVIL BUTLER..." he growls, while the screams of the dying pirates echo around him: "GYAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!" Luffy throws his arms wide, screaming at the top of his lungs, his voice echoing across the slope. "WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOUR CREW MEMBERS ARE!??" Up on the cliff, Nami watches him, her eyes wide with shock and concern. "LUFFY...!!?" she whispers, taken aback by the sheer intensity of his anger.

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