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Chapter 6 - Chapter 6

I do not own the story. I just made some changes to it. Anyway, this is about Kuro''s life; past, present, and future (sorry of my spelling). Please R&R. No critisism (again sorry for my spelling).

Chapter 6 - Chapter 6

Chapter 6 - Chapter 6
Who we are...
What we will become...
Even we do not know. We are fickle in our choices and in ourselves. We do things often for ourselves only.
There is so much we do that affects everyone, whether we want it to or not. It alters everyone around us.
For better or worse...
“Sunrise!” called Django from the bow of the ship. It had been only a few hours ago that the great catastrophe had occurred and Kuro had forced everyone onto the ship. Against Kuro’s orders, he had kept the outfit; it was now stored in one of the crates on the ship’s deck.
The men on the ship were sitting around, waiting for something to happen; Butchie and Siam were closest to Kuro’s quarters.
“Wonder what happened to him?” Butchie said to Siam.
“I don’t know,” Siam replied. “But, that was a cool bit of hypnotism that Django used, wasn’t it?” He was referring to last night, when Django hypnotized the other members, those that refused to come, into believing that they were supposed to run away and that the clan never existed.
“I suppose,” Butchie said, but quickly fell silent as the door near them creaked open. They moved quickly to another part of the ship as Kuro emerged from the room.
Kuro looked slightly haunted; his hair was a wild mess and he was slightly pale. Upon his shoulders rested a ruby-red coat with tasseled shoulder plates. He was still wearing his blood-stained cat claws. He stared around at the men on the ship and pushed up his glasses.
“Thirty of you,” Kuro said. The men cowered slightly. “All of you, now pirates, under Captain Kuro.” They stared at him, afraid to do anything.
Kuro pushed up his glasses again. “Butchie, Siam!” he called. They slinked up to Kuro, positively shaking in fear. “You two are the ship’s guards. The rest of you, keep a sharp lookout for other pirate ships.”
“Aye-aye!” sounded the pirates. Kuro returned to his room and locked the door tight then collapsed onto the small bed.
“It’s over,” he said to thin air. “Everything I’d ever hoped for, shattered. Everyone I’ve cared about has been taken from me.” He slid farther down in the bed and dozed off for a while.
---
“Captain!”
Kuro awoke from his slumber to find that it was dusk; the sun was sliding slowly into the horizon. He pulled himself out of bed and put on the red coat.
“What is it?” Kuro said as he opened the door and stepped out of the room.
“A Navy ship, off port!” one of the men said. Even in the poor light, Kuro could see the ship; its cannons were drawn.
“Lower a boat,” Kuro said. A few of the men stared at this order. “You heard me!”
After a few minutes, Kuro was rowing over to the Navy ship while his crew gawked at him.
“What does he think he’s doing?” one of the men asked.
“I don’t know,” Django said. “Pull the ship in closer!” A few of the men moved away to do as Django ordered and the others felt themselves get closer to the Navy’s light-blue vessel. When they were close enough to see the deck of the Navy ship, most of them gasped loudly.
Every single person aboard the ship was dead; a few were lying in puddles of blood; others had swords and sabers sticking out of their chests. Near the bow they could see Kuro, standing there as if nothing had happened.
“What the...he...he killed them all!” Siam sputtered as he pushed his way to the front of the group. “They’re all dead!”
Kuro looked over at them. “Well, what are you waiting for?” he growled. “Search the ship for loot.” About six or seven men jumped over to the Navy ship and made their way through its passages, while Kuro leaped back onto his own ship amidst the stares of his crew. “When the others return, set sail. We’re finished here.” He started to make his way back to his quarters when Django moved in front of his path.
“You have something to say?” he asked Django, who was shaking.
“W-what happened to you?” Django stuttered, speaking almost in a whisper. “You’re not the Kuro Nagasaki and I knew nine years ago. You’re bloodthirsty and cruel now.”
“Give me an example.”
“You left red hand prints on Nagasaki’s throat. Like I explained before, you’re not the Kuro Nagasaki and I knew nine years ago. You’re bloodthirsty and cruel now.”
Kuro simply laughed mirthlessly, as if it was some sort of joke.
“Is that all, Django?” Kuro asked after he’d stopped laughing. Django was lost for words; this was the exact opposite of what he’d expected.
“N-no,” Django said. “The Navy’s going to be after you now. What are you going to do?”
Kuro looked at him through his glasses. Surely Django didn’t think he’d know that.
“Listen closely, you insolent wretch,” Kuro hissed, staring coldly at Django. “I’ll kill anyone that interferes with my plans...including you and Nagasaki.” He walked away, leaving Django there in a broken heap.
After what had been nine long years, Django had lost one of his friends to the very thing he’d despised.
---
For the next twenty years, Captain Kuro and the Black Cat Pirates became one of the most feared pirate crews ever to sail the seas. Under Kuro’s intricately designed plans, thousands of pirate and Navy ships, along with towns, were plundered and destroyed by his orders. In no time a bounty of fourteen million Berries was placed on Captain Kuro’s head as he swiftly became known as Captain Kuro of the Thousand Plans.
He was easily the most intelligent pirate on the seas, but he was also the fastest; they said that he could kill fifty assassins without detection with his Creeping Cat and Out-Of-The-Bag maneuvers. His death toll ranked almost near the millions. His crew both feared and respected him.
But he soon became frustrated with the life of a pirate. He was growing tired of directing these idiotic sea dogs around, wasting his beautiful plans on them, only to be pursued by the Navy and various bounty hunters. He wanted riches and revenge, that was true; but he also wanted to enjoy these without the constant annoyance of his single-minded crew and hiding like a fugitive.
And, a miniscule twinge of guilt stabbed him, reminding him of his promise.
So, one fateful night, when the crescent moon shone down upon Kuro’s ship, Captain Kuro made a final decision...
---
“Django!” one of the men called. “Captain Kuro wants to see you!”
“Me?” Django said stiffly. He pulled the stocking out of the cloth around his waist and slammed it over his yellow hair to make his way to the captain’s quarters.
“You...you wanted to see me?” Django asked as he opened the door. Kuro was lounging on the bed, reading a book. Django closed the door behind him. “Captain?” “Django, I’m leaving the ship,” Kuro said, not lifting his eyes from the book.
“What?” Django said in disbelief. “But, but, you can’t leave this ship! You’re the captain!”
“Captain?” Kuro echoed as he closed the book and sat up. “You take the title of captain. I’ve had it with being a pirate; there’s nothing worth being a pirate for.” Outside the room, Kuro and Django heard the men shouting.
“A ship of Marines, heading this way!”
“Not again, that’s the third time this week!”
Kuro looked over at Django. “You see? This is what being a pirate earns me.”
“We have to expect it,” Django said, pulling the stocking farther down his head, almost so that it touched his heart-shaped glasses. “We plunder and they pursue. We’ve earned ourselves a reputation.”
Kuro stood up and growled. “It’s this reputation that forces us to run at every given moment! ‘Captain Kuro’ has outlived his usefulness.”
“But, Captain,” Django said lightly, “even if you did leave, they’d hunt you down until you’re dead.” Kuro paused for a moment as he considered this; Django let out a sigh of relief.
Kuro looked up and grinned darkly at Django. “Then,” he said, “I’ll have to die...and the whole world must know.” He exited the room, Django following at a distance.
“Aye, Captain! Should we fire upon them Marines?” one of the crew members asked as Kuro passed him. “No,” Kuro said. “Lower a boat.”
In a few minutes, Kuro was rowing over to the Marines boat.
“What does he think he’s doing?” one of the pirates said. “He’s mad!” Silence followed this as the small boat stopped, but it was too dark to see anything.
“Maybe we should fire,” another pirate said after a few minutes, but they soon caught sight of the ship’s deck and their captain on the far side.
Every Marine aboard the ship had been massacred. They lay in heaps, bloody and broken, some hanging off the sides of the ship.
“Well, then,” Kuro said as he pushed up his glasses. “Time to try my plan.” He started to make his way through the carnage, not bothering to step around the dead men, when he heard a groan from beneath his shoe.
“So,” he said, stopping to stare down at the man under his shoe. “You’re still alive.” He grinned horribly at the man. “You can claim the reward for Captain Kuro of the Thousand Plans.”
Kuro rowed back to the ship, ignoring the stares from his crew. When he climbed aboard, he threw off his coat. “Django, get your chakram.” Django didn’t dare ask why; he dashed off to find one. Kuro began to search through his men until he found one that looked similar to him.
“Dress him up like me,” Kuro instructed to his men, “and row him and Django over to the Marines boat.” They scattered to follow his orders while Django returned with his chakram.
“Listen, Django,” Kuro ordered. “You are to hypnotize him,” here he paused to point at the member they were dressing like Kuro, “into believing that he is Captain Kuro. There is one man aboard the Marines ship; hypnotize him so that he believes he captured Captain Kuro and will have him executed.”
“Aye-aye,” was all that Django could say as he climbed aboard the boat along with the Kuro look-alike and one other crew member that would take the ship to the Marines headquarters.
After only a few minutes, Django was back; however, he’d hypnotized himself accidentally and was parading about, saying he’d captured Kuro.
“That takes care of that,” Kuro muttered to himself. “When the impostor dies, I’ll be free to gain my riches.” He ordered one man to strip down the black flag that he’d flown for so long, the flag that sported the symbol of the Black Cats, while the others set a course for the nearest island. Even now, as the ship sailed through the darkness and some of the crew tried to snap Django out of his hypnosis, Kuro knew what he was going to do.
‘All of these men know who I am,’ Kuro thought to himself. ‘I won’t allow them to live.’ He grinned darkly as the ship made its way across the sea to the dark horizon.
“Land!” called one of the men. Kuro looked up and saw a small strip of land far ahead; over his clothes he wore a torn brown coat.
“So, what are you going to do now?” Django asked. He stood near Kuro, who was slouching against the side of the cabin. Kuro remained silent for a moment.
“Leave me here,” Kuro said; Django jumped a bit.
“What? Leave you here?” Django couldn’t believe his ears.
“That’s right,” Kuro said. “I may not be your captain, but I’m hiring you for this job. There’s a wealthy family that lives here; I remember hearing about it a long time ago. I’ll keep in contact with you. When three years have passed, you’ll all get your fair share.”
Django shook his head in disbelief. “We can’t just abandon you.”
Kuro snatched the collar of Django’s shirt and held him a hair’s breadth away from his glasses. “You’ll do as you’re ordered,” he hissed, “or I’ll kill you.” He dropped Django as the crew anchored the ship. Kuro picked up the small black bag at his feet and stepped up to the bow of the ship.
“Django is your captain now!” Kuro called to the men. “You must learn to listen to him, to follow him. I’m no longer your captain.” He paused for a moment before making his last statement.
“Captain Kuro is no more!”
With that, he reached for one of the ropes and leaped out of the boat and landed softly on the wet sand. He waited for the ship to sail away before making his way up the path.
“So begins my plan,” he said to himself as he walked up the slope and toward the village.
---
“PIRATES ARE COMING!”
Kuro stopped as he heard a loud voice echo. He stiffened as he heard it; could someone have seen the ship? He moved faster up the road and soon saw a crowd of people coming his way. But, they weren’t coming after him; he saw one person in front of them, laughing wildly as the others chased him.
“You good-for-nothing liar!” the people shouted. “Get back here!” They chased the boy into the forest and disappeared from view. Kuro heaved a sigh; it was nothing to worry about. He slowed his walk as he approached the town.
“Sir!” someone called. Kuro looked up and saw a man and woman coming his way; from the state of their clothes, he guessed that they were the wealthy couple that lived on this island. Kuro collapsed to his knees as they drew closer.
“Oh, my goodness!” the woman shrieked. “Are you all right?”
“No,” Kuro said weakly. “I was abandoned here; I had been forced to work on a ship until they kicked me off.”
“You poor man,” the gentleman said. “Come with me; we’ll help you.” The woman moaned slightly and tugged on his shoulder.
“I don’t know,” she whispered. “He could be dangerous.”
“Nonsense,” the man whispered back to his wife, then turned back to Kuro and extended his hand. “Tell me, what is your name?”
Kuro took his hand and smiled. “Klahadore,” he said.
---
“You were forced onto a pirate ship?”
The wealthy man and woman had taken Kuro/Klahadore back to their mansion; it wasn’t hard to miss. They’d given him a new suit and asked him to join them and their daughter, Kaya, for lunch.
“That’s right, your lady,” Kuro said between bites. “They thought I was spying on their ship, so they forced me to clean the ship every night and day.”
“How horrible!” the young girl, Kaya, gasped. “How did you happen to end up here?”
“I made a mistake,” Kuro muttered darkly. “It wasn’t clean enough, so they threw me from the ship onto the shore.” The woman shrieked and dropped part of her biscuit.
“You’ve been through a horrible ordeal,” the man said after his wife retrieved the biscuit. “Say, how would you like to stay here?”
“Stay here?” Kuro echoed. He grinned inwardly; his plan was working.
“Yes, you could stay here and work as a butler,” the man continued. “Of course, you’ll have your own accommodations and Merry will instruct you on protocol.” He nodded in the direction of a man with very curly hair.
“Don’t worry, Mr. Klahadore, you’ll feel right at home in no time,” Merry said cheerfully. Kuro smiled and finished his meal.
“Thank you for lunch,” Kuro said, and bowed. He followed Merry out of the room.
“It’s so nice that you’ve come here to work for such a lovely family,” Merry commented as he led Kuro through the hallway. “I’m sure you’ll enjoy it here.”
“I’m sure that I will, too,” Kuro agreed.
“That’s the spirit!” Merry said jovially as he reached around for a key in his pocket. “Miss Kaya will be glad to get to know you as well.” He withdrew a long key and unlocked the door in front of him. “This will be your room.” Merry opened the door and handed Kuro the key.
“Thank you,” Kuro said and closed the door. He fell onto the bed and placed the black bag next to him. He grinned darkly at the ceiling; nothing could ruin his plan now.
---
From this point on, Kuro will be referred to as Klahadore.
---
Over the next two years, Klahadore the Butler became known throughout the town as one of the kindest and most honest men anyone had ever had their fortune to meet.
Or, at least that’s what Klahadore wanted them to think. The family he worked for adored him, the other servants looked up to him.
And, Kaya saw him as a second father, someone who was always there for her, cheering her up and making her laugh.
In between moments, Klahadore took time to write short letters to his crew and sent them off with messenger birds. Each letter drew him closer to that moment when his plan would be fulfilled and he could live peacefully, despite his grief.
But, things don’t always go as planned...
---
“This food gets better every time I eat here,” Kaya said softly. She, along with her parents, Merry, and Klahadore were eating dinner at one of the small restaurants in town. Many of the people also eating there were being almost over-gracious to them, while the waiters and waitresses stumbled over themselves to serve the lovely Miss Kaya and the wonderful Mr. Klahadore. “I agree,” Merry said as he snapped a bite of chicken into his mouth.
“Me too,” Klahadore agreed. They all laughed as two of the waiters started to fight over who would serve the lobster dish they were holding. Kaya’s father looked down at his watch.
“Kaya, you’d best be getting home,” he said. “Merry, would you escort Kaya home?”
“Of course, sir,” Merry said as he jumped to his feet to lead Kaya out of the restaurant. Klahadore was now alone with Kaya’s parents.
“Mr. Klahadore,” Kaya’s father said, “would you accompany my wife and me on a nighttime stroll?” Klahadore looked surprised; nonetheless, he agreed. The man left a check on the table and escorted his wife out of the restaurant with Klahadore behind them. It was a short trek to the slope; however, they continued up the hill to the rocky cliff overlooking the ocean.
“Klahadore,” the man said, “I have something I want to discuss with you.”
“Sir?” Klahadore asked. “What it is?”
The man and his wife turned to face Klahadore. “You see, my wife and I are getting on in years,” he began. “We want to be sure that our wealth and status can be maintained should we ever pass on.”
Klahadore nodded, hiding both the confusion and glee from his face; this was what he’d been hoping for.
“That’s why,” he continued, “I’m leaving my daughter in your care should we meet our end.” This wasn’t what Klahadore had expected; nonetheless, he gave a deep bow, while his mind raced to the plan. How was he going to carry out his plan now?
“I am honored that you would put so much trust in me,” Klahadore said.
“It’s already in our will,” Kaya’s mother added, “so it’s permanent.” She smiled at him. “You’ve given us so much joy these past two years, Klahadore.”
Klahadore bowed again; but, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a bird carrying a letter making its way toward him and the two wealthy people. It dropped the letter; Kaya’s father caught it, a look of astonishment on his face.
“Now, what could this be?” he inquired as he opened the letter; Klahadore was powerless to stop it from happening. He hadn’t planned this; he couldn’t let his hard work end in failure. In one swift movement, he pulled on his gloves and slashed Kaya’s parents, killing them instantly. The man dropped the letter in his bloody hand, a look of shock upon his face.
Klahadore bent over and picked up the letter; he scanned the contents then crumpled it up and tossed it into the sea.
“You had to die,” he told the lifeless bodies. “I can’t let anyone interfere with my plans.” He shoved the bodies into the ocean and rinsed off the claws of his gloves at the bottom of the slope before hiding them away and making the long trek back to the mansion.
“Mom? Dad? Klahadore?” Kaya called from the front door of the mansion. “You don’t think something bad has happened to them, do you?” she said as she turned to Merry.
“Don’t worry, I’m sure they’re all right,” Merry reassured her. “I suppose they just wanted to take a stroll.” He peered into the darkness as Kaya started calling for them again.
“I’m here, Miss Kaya,” Klahadore called. Kaya hurried out to him.
“But...,” she breathed, “where are my mother and father?” Klahadore looked at the ground and forced tears. “I’m...,” he looked up, “I’m sorry, Miss Kaya. Your parents...are gone.”
Kaya fell over in a heap, completely flabbergasted.
“They...they wanted to take a walk on the cliff by the ocean,” Klahadore stuttered. “Your mother...she tripped over a rock...and pulled your father down with her...they both slammed into the rocks at the bottom...” He didn’t finish the tale; Kaya knew what had happened.
“Oh, Klahadore,” she sighed, leaping up and hugging Klahadore tight. “It’s not fair.” As they stood there in an embrace, Kaya crying loudly, Klahadore felt a twinge of sadness as well. He’d killed this girl’s parents. She was alone.
Just like him.
The next morning, Kaya fell terribly ill and remained in bed while Klahadore and Merry stood outside her room.
“Do you think she’s grieving?” Merry asked Klahadore.
“I...don’t know,” Klahadore responded truthfully.
“You should go in there and cheer her up,” Merry suggested. “I’ll go and tell the cooks to make something healthier for her.” He dashed off, leaving Klahadore alone. He knocked lightly on the door.
“Miss Kaya?” he called through the door.
“Come in,” she said softly; he opened the door and saw her sitting up, clutching a pillow. Her face was horribly pale. He closed the door and moved toward her. “I’m sorry.”
“Sorry for what?” Klahadore said in surprise. “For...for getting sick and worrying all of you,” she replied.
“Now, now, Miss Kaya, it’s not your fault,” Klahadore said as he pushed up his glasses. “Merry and I and the rest of the people here will take good care of you. You’ll be feeling better in no time.” He placed a finger under her chin and lifted her head to smile at her.
“Don’t worry; you’ll be better soon,” he repeated.
But Kaya didn’t get better. Over the next few weeks, Merry and Klahadore rushed about, trying to help Kaya, but nothing seemed to work; but, Klahadore had another thing on his mind. The weight of killing Kaya’s parents was heavy on his heart; indeed, much heavier than any death he’d ever caused. He tried to shove it out of his mind as he helped Merry with all manner of things.
Also, a new presence was found at the estate as time went on; a boy named Usopp was breaking into the estate regularly and, according to Kaya, was telling great lies to cheer her up.
In the following months, things remained the same; the constant worrying about Miss Kaya’s state of being and the threat of Usopp, a liar and, Klahadore discovered, the son of a pirate.
But, Klahadore was still keeping contact with his crew; he changed his plan to incorporate Kaya’s parents’ deaths and now had a fixed date for their return to the island.
“One month,” he wrote in the last letter. “In one month, return to the island; don’t pull up to the shore; anchor yourselves out of sight. When I give you the signal, you’ll attack the village.”
---
The morning before Klahadore’s plan was to take effect, Kaya called Klahadore into her room.
“Klahadore?” she said.
“Yes, Miss Kaya?” Klahadore asked as he closed the door behind him.
“I want to see Usopp,” she said.
“Impossible!” Klahadore proclaimed, hiding the surprise from his face.
“Why?” Kaya asked. “I just want to talk with him.”
Klahadore sighed and pushed up his glasses. “Must I explain again? That boy is a bad influence.”
Kaya shook her head. “Phooey!”
Klahadore sighed again. “Think what you will, but I must protect you. Usopp’s stories cause your body too much stress.
“But I like Usopp’s stories,” Kaya protested. Klahadore pushed up his glasses again. “Please understand, Miss Kaya. Your late parents instructed me to watch over you when they passed on. It’s all for your best interest.”
Now it was Kaya’s turn to sigh. “You’re right”
Klahadore nodded. “I’m glad you understand.” He left the room and proceeded down the hallway, only to run into Merry. They toppled over in a heap and, standing up, laughed for a moment.
“What’s the rush, Merry?” Klahadore asked after the small bout of laughter.
“There’s an intruder and the guards are all on their lunch break!” Merry exclaimed. Klahadore nodded and started toward the garden that faced Kaya’s bedroom. When he stepped outside, he came face-to-face with a small group of people standing on the grounds.
“What is the meaning of this!” he shouted, causing everyone’s heads to turn. “Do you realize you’re trespassing!” He started making his way toward them.
Kaya leaned further out the window. “Klahadore, these people want a-“ Klahadore held up a hand to silence her and turned his gaze to the boy wearing a straw hat.
“Do you have some business here?” he asked the straw-hat boy.
“Yes,” the boy replied, “I want a big, sturdy ship!”
“I can’t help you,” Klahadore said shortly and turned his gaze upon the long-nosed boy. “You’re Usopp, aren’t you?” Kaya and Usopp both shivered slightly.

Klahadore pushed up his glasses. “The guards have reported seeing you around the estate. What is your business here?”

“Well, you see, sir,” Usopp began, “I’m trying to catch a legendary mole that’s entered the estate. “Humph,” Klahadore grunted. “You’ve a gift for deceit.” Usopp stared, flummoxed.
“But...I’ve heard tales about your father,” Klahadore continued. “You’re the son of a filthy pirate. So, stay away from Miss Kaya.”
A quick tension passed through everyone at these last few words.
“Unless,” Klahadore said shrewdly, “it’s money you’re after. How much do you want?”
This last statement infuriated Kaya. “Klahadore! That’s enough!” she shouted from the window. “Apologize to him!”
“Miss Kaya, why should I apologize to him?” Klahadore said, spreading his arms. “I’m merely speaking the truth. But, I do feel sorry for you; your treasure-crazy father abandoned you, right?”
“Klahadore!” Kaya shrilled again. Usopp was glaring at Klahadore, completely infuriated.
“Don’t badmouth my father!” he said in an undertone.
“Why are you so upset?” Klahadore said, pushing up his glasses. “Just fabricate some outrageous lie about him.”
This was too much for Usopp; he punched Klahadore in the side of his face, knocking him to the ground. Gasps followed this stunning moment; Klahadore merely pushed up his glasses again.
“You see?” he said wildly. “He’s an animal—just like his father!”
“SHUT UP!” Usopp shouted. “I’m proud my dad’s a pirate! I’m proud to be the son of a pirate! My dad’s a brave warrior of the sea!”
Klahadore smirked and pushed up his glasses again, ignoring the pain on his face. “That’s a deceitful way to twist the truth. You can lie all you wish; but when faced with adversity, your reaction is violence.” Klahadore paused as he stood up. “And, I’m aware that you’re after Miss Kaya.”
“What!?” Usopp sputtered.
“I’m onto your scheme!” Klahadore shouted. “You’re trash, just like your father!” Usopp grabbed the collar of Klahadore’s shirt, prepared to punch him again.
“No, Usopp!” Kaya called. “Please, no more violence.” She buried her face in her hand. “Klahadore’s not a bad person...he just went too far.”
Klahadore whacked Usopp’s hand away. “Leave the grounds. Never come to this estate again!”
“Fine!” Usopp retorted. “I’ll never come back!” The smaller children and the straw-hat boy started to run toward Klahadore, prepared to attack him as well.
“Get off this property!” he shouted at them and returned to the building.
As he shut the door behind him, Klahadore thought about what he’d said to Usopp. ‘A filthy son of a pirate,’ he’d said.
It was just like what the children had said to him so long ago. He was no different than Usopp...but he couldn’t let some long-nosed brat get in the way of his plans. He retrieved Kaya’s lunch from the kitchens and took it to her room.
“Come in,” she said through her pillow after Klahadore had knocked. He could see her bury her head in the pillow again and sighed.
“May I sit?” he requested; she merely nodded. “I came to this estate three years ago...I’ll never forget that day. Your father found me and took pity on me. I...I owe my life to your late parents.” He paused to push up his glasses. “They trusted me to take care of you. I realize I went too far...but Usopp has a dangerous reputation, no matter how he tries to hide it.”
He paused again. “If he ever hurt you...I’ll have failed you and your father.” He sighed and looked down. “No doubt you hate me.”
Kaya looked up. “I don’t hate you,” she said. “I’m grateful, but Usopp is a good person.”
Klahadore stood up and pushed up his glasses. “Humph! Indeed!”
“You just don’t understand!” Kaya shouted.
“You’re right, I don’t!” Klahadore shouted back.
---
After that morning’s incident, Klahadore left for the town, insisting there was someone he needed to meet. He greeted the people he met along the way and only stopped when he ran into a man sleeping on the dirt.
“Wake up, Django,” Klahadore said, kicking Django in the side. Django jolted upward.
“Who kicked me?” he said dumbly and looked at the pair of shoes. His eyes traveled upward to see Klahadore, who was glaring and pushing up his glasses.
“Ku-“ he started to say, but Klahadore kicked him in the side again.
“Enough,” Klahadore hissed. “Come with me; we’ll talk at the beach.
---
From this point on, Kuro will be referred to as Kuro again.
---
“What were you doing, sleeping in the middle of the village?” Kuro asked in disbelief.
“Nothing at all,” Django said.
Kuro pushed up his glasses. “Is everything prepared?”
“Yes,” Django replied. “Operation ‘Murder Miss Kaya’ is ready to go.”
Kuro shook his head. “Don’t say ‘murder’, Django.
“Oh, that’s right,” Django said as he took a seat on a rock. “It’s supposed to be an accident, right, Captain Kuro?”
Kuro pushed up his glasses and glared at Django. “I’ve told you, I’m not Captain Kuro anymore. You’re the captain.”
Django looked over at Kuro. “You know I wasn’t too sure about this plan in the beginning. You just completely quit pirating and told us to work without you. We’ve followed your orders, but it had better be worth it.”
Kuro nodded. “Don’t worry; you’ll get your fair share. Remember, you have to make it appear to be an accident.”
“Right,” Django said. “You give the signal, we attack the village, we accident the girl to death, and you inherit her fortune.”
Kuro shook his head and pushed up his glasses. “Idiot, how am I supposed to inherit her fortune? Listen closely. Before you kill her, hypnotize her to write a will that says she leaves everything to me, her butler Klahadore. I’ve worked hard to earn the trust of everyone around her; no one would question it if she left everything to me.”
“So, that’s why you worked as a butler for three years,” Django said in comprehension. “But wouldn’t it have been easier to take it all at gunpoint?”
“See, that’s the crude thinking of a pirate,” Kuro said. “I’ve gone legitimate; I’m a pacifist now.”
Django forced out a laugh. “Yeah, and after you slaughtered the girl’s parents!”
“I never slaughtered anyone!” Kuro said defensively. “That wasn’t part of my plan.” It was very true; he’d never intended to kill her parents.
“Well, you might want to hurry and give us the signal,” Django said, shaking a bit. “Those pirates are going mad over there.”
Suddenly, overhead, Kuro and Django heard a loud voice yell, “Hey! Don’t kill Miss Kaya!” Kuro and Django looked up to see the straw-hat boy standing there, with Usopp cowering behind him. He glared up at them through his glasses.
“Well, well...it’s Usopp,” Kuro growled. “Hear anything...interesting?” He watched Usopp shake horribly.
“I’ll take care of them,” Django said as he pulled out his chakram. “When I say ‘one-two-Django’, you’ll fall into a deep sleep.” He cast the hypnosis and both he and the straw-hat kid fell asleep.
“Curse you Django,” Kuro said, holding him upright. He looked up at the straw-hat kid, who swayed on the spot and tumbled off the edge, landing headfirst into the sand. The loud smack from the straw-hat kid hitting the ground awoke Django.
“He’s dead for sure,” Django said, “falling from that height.” He looked up at Usopp. “Should I kill him?”
“No,” Kuro said. “No one will believe that buffoon anyway. Tomorrow, attack the village and kill Miss Kaya.” He smiled evilly back up at Usopp. “Like I said,” he said darkly to Usopp, “no one will believe you.” He watched as Usopp ran off, still shaking.
“Are you sure this is going to work?” Django asked Kuro after Usopp had disappeared.
“Of course,” Kuro said. “My plan can’t fail.”

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