CAPTAIN KURO'S PLAN

On a rocky cliff edge, two men are conversing. One is a tall man in a dark suit, known as Klahadore. The other is a flamboyant man with a wide hat, heart-shaped glasses, and a striped shirt, identified as Jango. Jango says, "'ASSASSINATE' IS SUCH AN UGLY WORD!" He then raises his arms and adds, "AH! YEAH! ACCIDENT! WE'LL CALL IT AN ACCIDENT! ISN'T THAT RIGHT CAPTAIN KURO?" A close-up shows Kuro pushing up his round glasses with the palm of his hand. He replies sternly, "CAPTAIN KURO..... I GAVE UP THAT NAME 3 YEARS AGO, DON'T CALL ME BY THAT NAME AGAIN!" A speech bubble from off-panel adds, "YOU ARE THE CAPTAIN NOW!" Meanwhile, hiding in the bushes below the cliff, Usopp and Luffy are eavesdropping. Usopp looks nervous and stays silent with a "........." bubble. Luffy asks, "HEY, WHAT ARE THOSE TWO TALKING ABOUT?" Usopp retorts, "YOU HEARD THEM YOURSELF, WHY ARE YOU ASKING ME?" Usopp then ponders, "I THINK I'VE HEARD THE NAME CAPTAIN KURO SOMEWHERE...."

Usopp, still hiding in the bushes, looks shocked as he recalls information, saying, "I THINK HE'S THE PIRATE FAMOUS FOR HIS CAREFUL PLANNING BEFORE ROBBING AND PLUNDERING... BUT I HEARD HE GOT CAUGHT BY THE MARINES THREE YEARS AGO, AND GOT EXECUTED..." Back on the cliff, Jango points at Kuro and says, "I STILL REMEMBER THAT DAY... IT SIMPLY SHOCKED ME..." Kuro responds with a simple "HMM?" Jango continues, "YOU SAID YOU WERE GOING TO GIVE UP BEING A PIRATE, AND MADE ME THE CAPTAIN!" Jango then strikes a dramatic pose, leaning back and pointing downwards, declaring, "EVERYONE THINKS THAT CAPTAIN KURO HAS BEEN EXECUTED BY THE MARINES! BUT ACTUALLY, YOU HID IN THIS LITTLE VILLAGE, AND TOLD US TO COME HERE IN THREE YEAR'S TIME"

Jango sits casually on a rock while Kuro stands nearby with his hands in his pockets, looking out over the cliff. Jango says, "BEFORE, WHEN I WORKED FOR YOU, THERE WERE ALWAYS A LOT OF 'BENEFITS'. THAT'S THE ONLY REASON I WORKED FOR YOU! I CAN GET A GOOD SHARE THIS TIME RIGHT?" A close-up shows Kuro looking back over his shoulder as he confirms, "YES! IF YOU SUCCEED, YOU'LL GET YOUR SHARE!" Jango grins broadly, adjusting his heart-shaped glasses with a "DO--N" sound effect, and says, "GOOD! LEAVE THAT GIRL TO ME!" Kuro, gesturing with one hand while Jango remains seated, instructs him, "KILLING HER IS NOT ENOUGH... YOU HAVE TO MAKE SURE IT LOOKS LIKE AN ACCIDENT!"

In the top right panel, Jango sits on a rock while Kuro stands nearby. Jango says, "IT LOOKS LIKE YOU'RE NOT READY YET!" Kuro replies sharply, "SHUTUP! I'M COMPLETELY READY!" In the top left panel, a close-up shows Jango smiling broadly as he suggests, "WHEN YOU SEND THE SIGNAL, WE'LL CHARGE INTO THE VILLAGE......AND KILL THE OJOUSAMA, SIMPLE AS THAT! THEN YOU CAN OPENLY CLAIM HER INHERITANCE". In the middle right panel, Kuro pushes up his glasses with the palm of his hand, looking annoyed. He retorts, "I WONDER IF YOUR MOM ACTUALLY GAVE YOU A BRAIN! I HAVE NO RELATION TO HER FAMILY, HOW CAN THERE BE INHERITANCE FOR ME?" In the middle left panel, Jango offers, "WE CAN WORK ON IT!" but Kuro dismisses him, "IT'S NO USE! THE MOST IMPORTANT PART IS..." In the bottom right panel, Kuro continues explaining his scheme to Jango: "BEFORE YOU KILL HER, YOU HAVE TO HYPNOTIZE HER... AND MAKE HER WRITE MY NAME INTO THE WILL!" The bottom left panel shows a close-up of Kuro's face, looking sinister as he dictates the terms: ""I WILL LEAVE ALL MY WEALTH TO MY BUTLER, CLAHADOR."!"

In the top right panel, a close-up shows Kuro adjusting his glasses with his palm, looking devious. He says, "THIS WAY, I CAN OPENLY... CLAIM HER WEALTH!" The top left panel continues his thought: "I'VE SPENT THREE YEARS GETTING EVERYONE TO TRUST ME, AND AS SOON AS SHE WRITES THE WILL, NO ONE WILL SUSPECT ME!" In the middle right panel, Jango sits on the rock while Kuro looks out over the cliff edge. Jango asks, "JUST FOR THIS YOU SPENT THREE YEARS BEING A BUTLER...? IF I WERE YOU, I WOULD HAVE JUST ROBBED THEM STRAIGHT ON!" In the middle left panel, Kuro looks back over his shoulder and replies, "IF I HAD DONE THAT, I'D STILL BE AN OUTLAW, AND THE MARINES WOULD STILL BE CHASING ME!" In the bottom right panel, a close-up shows Kuro tapping his temple with his finger, smiling confidently. He explains, "THIS PLAN CAN GET ME TONS OF MONEY, PLUS I WON'T HAVE THE MARINES CHASING ME". In the bottom left panel, Kuro finishes his thought with a smirk, "I LIKE USING MY HEAD TO FIND A PEACEFUL WAY TO SETTLE THINGS!"

In the top right panel, Jango leans back and laughs uproariously, holding his hat. "HAHAHAHA! PEACEFUL WAY TO SETTLE THINGS? YOU MEAN MURDERING HER ENTIRE FAMILY IS A PEACEFUL WAY?" In the top left panel, a close-up shows Kuro looking irritated. He retorts, "HEY! WHAT ENTIRE FAMILY? KAYA'S PARENTS DIED NATURALLY! THAT WAS OUTSIDE MY PLANS!" In the middle right panel, Jango sits back down, waving it off. "WHATEVER, LET'S NOT ARGUE OVER THIS. ANYWAYS, YOU JUST NEED TO SEND THE SIGNAL!" In the middle left panel, Kuro stands looking out at the sea. He says, "OUR SHIP HAS BEEN ANCHORED CLOSE BY... FOR ALMOST A WEEK!" In the bottom right panel, a close-up of Jango's face shows him looking serious. He says, "THEY CAN'T HOLD BACK ANY LONGER...." Behind him, menacing silhouettes of the Black Cat Pirates are shown with glowing eyes and weapons, accompanied by the sound effect "SFX: BWAHAHAHAHA...". In the bottom left panel, down in the bushes, Usopp and Luffy are hiding. Usopp is sweating and trembling, with a speech bubble containing "........." above him.

In the top right panel, a tight close-up shows Usopp's wide, terrified eyes as he sweats profusely. Sound effects of a heavy heartbeat, "DOKUN DOKUN", surround him. He thinks, "HORRIBLE... I'VE HEARD A HORRIBLE PLAN..." In the top left panel, Usopp is in a full panic, yelling quietly, "HEY! WHAT'S GOING ON? THIS DOESN'T LOOK GOOD!" Beside him, Luffy is casually picking his nose, looking completely unbothered. Luffy asks, "ISN'T HE LISTENING?" Usopp retorts, "OF COURSE IT DOESN'T LOOK GOOD! THEY'RE SERIOUS ABOUT THIS!" In context, Luffy is confused because Usopp is not listening to him and is lost in panic. In the middle right panel, Usopp peers through the bushes at the distant figures of Kuro and Jango on the cliff. He thinks, "SO, FOR THREE YEARS... THEY ALREADY LUSTED AFTER KAYA'S FAMILY WEALTH! AND THAT BUTLER... NO! CAPTAIN KURO IS STILL ALIVE..." In the middle left panel, a close-up of Usopp sweating and looking fearful shows him thinking, "AND I PUNCHED HIM BEFORE... HE'LL KILL ME FOR SURE!" In the bottom right panel, Usopp clutches his head in sheer panic, his eyes bulging. He thinks, "KAYA WILL BE KILLED TOO! THE VILLAGE WILL BE UNDER ATTACK.... NOT GOOD... NOT GOOD AT ALL!" More heartbeat sound effects, "DOKUN DOKUN DOKUN", emphasize his terror. In the bottom left panel, Usopp abruptly stands up from his hiding spot with a "ZAKU!!" sound effect. Luffy, still sitting, warns him, "DONT STAND UP! THEY'LL SEE YOU!" Usopp has a speech bubble with "........." as he stands frozen.

In the top panel, Luffy stands up tall on the cliff edge, looking furious. He yells down at the two men, "HEY! YOU TWO!! DONT YOU DARE TOUCH THE OJOU-SAMA!!!!" A large "DO--N!!" sound effect accompanies his outburst. In the middle panel, Usopp is shown in a state of absolute terror, his mouth wide open in a scream, sweating profusely as he reaches a hand out, shocked that Luffy just gave away their position. In the bottom right panel, Kuro and Jango look back over their shoulders towards the top of the cliff where Luffy is standing. In the bottom left panel, a close-up shows Jango adjusting his heart-shaped glasses and Kuro looking back. Jango asks, "WHO IS IT?"

In the top panel, Usopp frantically grabs Luffy's arm, trying to pull him down to hide. Usopp yells, "YOU IDIOT!! THEY'LL SEE YOU! HIDE! THEY'LL KILL YOU!" In the middle right panel, Kuro looks up towards them, adjusting his glasses, and says calmly, "OH.... IT'S USOPP-KUN....." In the middle left panel, Usopp freezes in shock, sweating heavily, and thinks, "HE SAW ME!" In the bottom right panel, Kuro asks, "DID YOU........HEAR ANYTHING?" In the bottom middle panel, Usopp waves his hands defensively, sweating and panicking, and lies, "NO! NOTHING AT ALL! WE JUST GOT HERE... REALLY...." However, in the bottom left panel, Luffy stands up straight, points down at them, and yells, "HEY!! WE HEARD EVERYTHING!" A "DO--N" sound effect emphasizes his blunt honesty. Beside him, Usopp slaps Luffy in a panic with a "SLAP!" sound effect.

In the top right panel, Kuro and Jango stand on the rocky cliff. Kuro repeats, "Heard everything...." while Jango casually says, "OH WELL.... YOU GUYS...." In the top left panel, Jango holds up a ring-shaped pendulum on a string, swinging it back and forth. He says, "TAKE A LOOK AT THIS PENDULUM..." In the middle right panel, Luffy stares blankly and asks, "LOOK AT WHAT?" Beside him, Usopp is in full panic mode, yelling, "AH! THAT! HE'S GOING TO USE THAT TO KILL US!!" In the middle left panel, a close-up shows the pendulum swinging in front of Jango's chest. Jango instructs, "WHEN I SAY ONE, TWO, JANGO, YOU WILL FALL ASLEEP... ONE.... TWO...." In the bottom right panel, Usopp cowers on the ground, covering his head, and yells at Luffy, "IDIOT, HURRY AND HIDE!" Luffy remains standing, staring intently at the pendulum. In the bottom left panel, a close-up of Jango's face shows him saying the final word, "JANGO".

In the top right panel, Luffy instantly falls backward, completely asleep with a "ZZZ....." bubble and a "GU..." sound effect. In the top left panel, Jango has also fallen asleep standing up, his head tilted back as he snores. Kuro stands next to him, looking unamused, and says, "YOU STILL HAVEN'T GET RID OF THAT HABIT HAVE YOU?" In the middle right panel, a wide shot shows Luffy's body tilting backward off the high cliff edge. In the middle left panel, Luffy plummets headfirst into the ground below with a massive "DOGON!!" sound effect, kicking up a large cloud of dust and debris. Kuro watches calmly from the cliff edge above. In the bottom right panel, Usopp peeks over the edge, yelling down, "HEY! WHAT ARE YOU DOING? YOU'RE FALLING OVER!" In the bottom left panel, a tight close-up shows Usopp's eyes widening in sheer shock and horror as he realizes what just happened, accompanied by a "!!!" reaction.

Usopp leans over the cliff edge, yelling down in a panic, "HEY!! HEY, YOU!! ARE YOU ALRIGHT?" Below, Luffy lies face-down and motionless on the ground, surrounded by a cloud of dust from his fall. At the top of the cliff, Jango adjusts his hat and looks down, saying, "DAMN, I DIDN'T WANNA KILL HIM... BROKEN NECK, I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY HOPE!" Kuro stands silently beside him. Usopp clenches his fists in fury, tears forming in his eyes, and screams at them, "B... BASTARD! YOU KILLED HIM!" Jango points down at Usopp and asks Kuro, "WHAT ABOUT THAT ONE? KILL HIM TOO?" Kuro calmly adjusts his glasses with the palm of his hand and replies, "DON'T NEED TO!" Usopp looks stunned, a question mark and exclamation point appearing above his head as Kuro explains, "NO MATTER WHAT HE SAYS, NO ONE WILL EVER BELIEVE HIM!"

Kuro gives his orders to Jango: "JANGO, TOMORROW MORNING... TAKE THE CREW TO ATTACK THE VILLAGE! AND DESTROY SOME HOUSES, MAKE IT LOOK LIKE A PIRATE RAID." Usopp listens in horror, sweating profusely as Kuro adds, "THEN KILL KAYA, THE OJOUSAMA..." Usopp thinks, "TOMORROW..." Kuro glances back over his shoulder with a sinister smile, saying, "DID YOU HEAR THAT, USOPP-KUN? IT DOESN'T REALLY MATTER, YOU CAN'T AFFECT MY PLAN." Usopp glares at him, gritting his teeth, and mutters, "DAMN... I HATE YOU!" Suddenly, Usopp turns and sprints away from the cliff edge, screaming at the top of his lungs, "WAAA-AAAAA-AAAAA-AAAAA-AAAAA-AAH!!!" with a massive "DO-GYUN!!" sound effect. Back on the cliff, Jango has fallen asleep standing up again, snoring with a "ZZZ..." bubble. He wakes up slightly and asks, "YOU SURE IT'S OKAY?" Kuro, standing with his back turned, replies confidently, "DONT WORRY, MY PLAN WONT BE AFFECTED."

Usopp sprints desperately away from the cliff, his feet kicking up dust with a "TAP TAP TAP..." sound effect. He panics, thinking, "THIS IS BAD! THIS IS BAD! THIS IS BAD!" Tears stream down his face as he runs, his expression twisted in fear. "THE VILLAGERS... WILL ALL BE KILLED... KAYA WILL BE KILLED TOO! PEOPLE THAT I LOVE...." He continues his frantic dash, declaring, "I LOVE THIS VILLAGE!" A flashback begins, showing a young Kaya looking out her mansion window. She asks, "WHO... WHO ARE YOU?" Outside, Usopp stands proudly on a tree branch, introducing himself: "I'M USOPP, BRAVE WARRIOR OF THE SEA... I'VE HEARD ABOUT YOUR MISFORTUNE. SO I'M HERE TO TALK TO YOU, TO CHEER YOU UP!" Kaya smiles playfully and replies, "IT'S NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS! GET OUT OF HERE! I'M GONNA YELL FOR HELP!" Usopp throws his head back in a loud laugh, saying, "DONT BE SCARED, I JUST LIKE TO MIND OTHER PEOPLE'S BUSINESS!" In the present, Usopp continues running as fast as he can, tears flying from his eyes.

A cloud of dust approaches along a village path with a "TAP TAP TAP..." sound effect. A voice says, "HUH? THAT'S..." Nami, Zoro, and the three kids from Usopp's crew (Ninjin, Piiman, and Tamanegi) are sitting on a wooden fence. One of the kids points excitedly, "AH! THAT'S THE CAPTAIN!" Zoro, sitting with his arms crossed, asks, "WASN'T LUFFY WITH HIM?" Nami looks thoughtful and asks, "IS HE STILL MAD AT THE BUTLER FOR LOOKING DOWN ON HIS DAD?" Zoro replies, "WHO KNOWS." The three kids notice Usopp's frantic state. "NO! HIS EXPRESSION IS DIFFERENT! SOMETHING MUST HAVE HAPPENED AT THE SHORE! HE'S PANICKING, WHAT HAPPENED?" Zoro's expression turns serious. "HEY KIDS, HOW DO I GET TO THE SHORE?" The kids point in the direction Usopp came from. "I THINK SOMETHING BIG HAS HAPPENED! RIGHT! THAT HYPNOTIST WENT THAT WAY TOO A WHILE AGO! USOPP'S PIRATE GROUP IS MOVING!" Zoro, looking slightly annoyed, interrupts them, "ARE YOU GUYS DONE? HOW DO I GET THERE?"

In the top left panel, a close-up shows Usopp screaming in panic, "PIRATES ARE COMING....!!!" In the top right panel, Usopp runs frantically down a path, kicking up dust, yelling, "BAD NEWS!! BAD NEWS.....!!!" In the middle panel, Usopp runs through the village square, shouting to the houses, "EVERYONE, EVACUATE......! PIRATES ARE GOING TO ATTACK THIS VILLAGE TOMORROW MORNING!" The bottom panels show the villagers' reactions from inside their homes. On the left, a woman says, "HE'S BEEN DOING IT A BIT TOO MUCH LATELY!" while a man next to her adds, "HE'S GOING AT IT AGAIN!" In the center, two men look out their window; one says, "JUST IGNORE HIM, PIRATES WON'T COME!" and the other notes, "IT'S THE SECOND TIME TODAY!" On the right, an angry villager with a broom yells, "DAMN! IT'S THAT BIG FAT LIAR AGAIN!"

In the top panel, Usopp is confronted by angry villagers armed with brooms, shovels, and pans. One yells, "HEY USOPP, SHUT YOUR MOUTH!" Another shouts, "WE'LL TEACH YOU A LESSON TODAY!" Usopp waves his hands defensively, pleading, "NO... IT'S THE TRUTH THIS TIME!" In the middle right panel, two angry men glare at him. One says, "YOU SAY THE SAME THING EVERYTIME!" The other adds, "YOU'RE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF OUR TRUST!" In the middle center panel, Usopp's voice continues off-panel as a man with glasses listens: "I KNOW I JOKED AROUND BEFORE! BUT THIS TIME IT'S THE TRUTH! BELIEVE ME!" In the middle left panel, a woman scolds him, "IF YOU WERE AN HONEST MAN LIKE CLAHADOR, THEN MAYBE I'D BELIEVE YOU!" In the bottom right panel, a close-up shows Kuro pushing up his glasses with his palm, smirking as he thinks, "NO MATTER WHAT HE SAYS, NO ONE WILL EVER BELIEVE HIM!" In the bottom center panel, a tight close-up of Usopp's eye shows him wide with realization and anger. He thinks, "THAT... BASTARD!!" In the bottom left panel, Usopp screams desperately, tears in his eyes, "PLEASE BELIEVE ME JUST THIS ONCE, RUN AWAY! PIRATES WILL REALLY BE HERE TOMORROW!!"

In the top panel, Jango stands before a large crowd of pirates on the shore, with their ship and its black cat Jolly Roger flag flapping in the background. Jango addresses them: "YOU GUYS... THANK YOU FOR ALL THE HELP. WE HAVEN'T MET IN THREE YEARS. WHEN THIS PLAN IS THROUGH, WE'LL BE RICH FOR THE REST OF OUR LIVES!" In the middle right panel, a close-up shows Kuro looking sinister, declaring, "TOMORROW MORNING, WE'LL DESTROY THIS VILLAGE!" In the middle left panel, the pirate crew cheers wildly, raising their swords. They shout, "WOO-HOO YEAH YEAH!!" and "HAIL TO CAPTAIN KURO!" In the bottom right panel, inside the mansion, Kaya stands in a doorway and asks Merry, "WHERE'S CLAHADOR?" Merry, holding a tray with a teapot, replies, "HE SAID HE WAS GOING TO THE NEXT TOWN. OH..." In the bottom left panel, Luffy lies face-down and motionless on the ground where he fell, with a "ZZZ..." bubble floating above him. Text at the bottom of the page reads "3 THINGS THAT YOU CAN'T LIE ABOUT (END)".

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