"You two, barging into someone's home—"
Kuro was still mid-sentence when one of the two intruders simply vanished from his sight.
The next second—
Bang!!
Lucci's Shigan — Finger Pistol pierced straight toward Kuro. As a pirate from the East Blue — the weakest sea — Kuro had never faced an opponent of Lucci's caliber. Worse, the sudden attack gave him no time to dodge. He shifted by instinct, but it was pointless.
The blow landed.
A bloody puncture opened on Kuro's body.
Weak.
Adrian watched calmly. Against Lucci — CP9's strongest in 800 years — Kuro's strength was laughable. If Lucci couldn't dominate an East Blue schemer like him, then that title of "strongest in 800 years" would be a joke.
"You… damn…!"
Kuro's eyes sharpened behind his glasses. If he hadn't moved a moment ago, that strike might've pierced his heart.
But Lucci ignored his anger.
A hand filled Kuro's vision—
Clack!
Lucci seized Kuro's head with one hand and slammed it into the stone floor.
Boom!!
The impact shattered the tiles; blood splattered across the broken stone. The heavy blow left Kuro nearly unconscious.
"W-Who… who are you people…?" Kuro rasped, still trying to understand why such monsters came for him. He couldn't recall ever provoking such terrifying enemies.
Lucci did not answer.
His fist did.
Bam!!
The punch smashed into Kuro's face. His head lolled to the side as he fully passed out.
"Boss, target secured," Lucci said, dragging Kuro over like a dead dog.
"Well done," Adrian nodded.
Just then, someone rushed out of Kaya's mansion.
"Klahadore—!!"
It was Merry, the other butler of the household, with distinctive ram-like features. Seeing Kuro beaten half-dead on the ground, Merry gasped in horror.
"You… you're pirates?!"
He immediately moved into a defensive stance. Two guards beaten senseless, plus a butler lying in a pool of blood — what part of this scene suggested "good people"?
"Correction," Adrian said, snapping his fingers lightly.
"We're not pirates."
That did nothing to calm Merry. Nobody who did something like this could possibly be innocent.
Adrian continued:
"We're not pirates… but bandits.
Yes — kidnapping, robbing, that kind of bandit."
"Now then, dear butler, could you please call out whoever's in charge of this household? I have business with your young mistress."
Cold sweat rolled down Merry's face.
Bandits.
He didn't need more explanation — these men were dangerous. One look at the half-dead Kuro was enough.
He hesitated only a moment before bolting back inside. Kaya was still in danger — he had to warn her and get her away!
Too slow.
"Lucci. Bring him back."
"Yes, Boss."
Lucci vanished.
Soru!
In the blink of an eye, he cut Merry off at the stairs.
Bang!
One kick sent the ram-headed butler tumbling down the steps.
Thud, thud, thud…!
Every impact sounded painful enough that Adrian winced slightly just from listening.
Then—
Adrian's ears twitched.
Another sound. Another presence.
"So there's still a little mouse hiding," he murmured, walking toward the left side of the mansion.
…
Up in a tree—
"K-Kaya, it's bad! Really bad! Two bad guys broke in and they beat up Klahadore! They're here for you! Run!!" Usopp cried desperately.
"What?!!!" Kaya paled instantly.
She had heard the earlier commotion and sent Klahadore out to check. She hadn't expected things to be this bad.
But—
"You're talking about me?"
A calm voice cut into their panic.
Usopp and Kaya turned sharply — and saw a handsome man with medium-length black hair, a blade at his waist, stepping out from behind the tree.
"You… you… y-you're—!!"
Usopp's legs trembled. He had seen Adrian and Lucci storm the mansion, seen Lucci beating Klahadore bloody — he had nearly wet himself. He had rushed to warn Kaya, but now it was pointless.
No escape remained.
Shing—
Adrian drew his blade — the demonic blade Thousand Edge.
One smooth swing—
Crack.
The tree trunk beneath Usopp split cleanly in two.
The entire tree toppled.
With Adrian's City-Crusher level physique and a blade like Thousand Edge, cutting through a tree was easier than slicing tofu.
"Kaya," Adrian called, looking up at the trembling girl above, "come down, please.
Your master of the house and I need to talk."
Kaya's breath caught; all color drained from her already pale face.
She finally realized—
She was the one in danger now.
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