One piece: Black Cat

Oh no, oh no, oh no!

Not yet, not yet—wait, wait, wait!

Why?! How does he know about Robin?!

"Whew, that barrel was heavier than I expected. When you're lifting something thinking it's empty, you can really strain your back if you're not careful."

"Is that right? I don't have much experience with that sort of thing, but I'll keep it in mind."

"Good idea. You've got to take care of your body."

"Ahaha, true enough."

You were watching the whole time! Come to think of it, the original story mentioned he checked on things frequently!

Damn you, you cunning bastard!

"Kuro-kun, may I ask you something else?"

"...What is it?"

"Oh my, getting cautious now?"

"What pirate wouldn't be wary around Marines?"

"Fair point, I suppose."

The Ohara incident just happened, so we're about twenty years before the main story begins.

You scheming devil, just wait twenty years! I'll blow your mind then!

...

Luffy!

"Well, I wanted to hear your reasoning from the beginning."

Then shut up and listen first.

I wonder if pouring hot tea on him would melt that icy demeanor a little.

•~•

"Why did you go to such lengths to help the Marines? Wouldn't it have been easier to part ways on some random island, even if it wasn't near their base?"

"Oh, that?" The pirate's voice carried a casual tone that didn't match the weight of his words. "Simple reason."

"Simple?"

"Yeah. It's because I'm weak."

◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆ ◇

There was no deception in the eyes of the pirate who called himself weak.

Yet Vice Admiral Kuzan found himself momentarily unsettled by the gaze of this supposedly weak man.

"I am weak. I know that better than anyone." The pirate's voice was steady, matter-of-fact. "That's exactly why I can't abandon the Marines here."

The Marine didn't notice the intensity burning in the pirate's eyes as he spoke, a fire that contradicted his words of weakness.

"I did consider splitting up. Could've dropped them off at the edge of some island with a decent town... Hell, even in my original plan to raid that smuggling ship, I intended to grab what I could and get out fast."

The pirate ran a hand through his dark hair, the gesture betraying a weariness that went beyond physical exhaustion.

"We were carrying plenty of food, sure. But the more supplies we took on, the less distance we could cover quickly."

"Even so, if I'd let the Marines off the ship back then, they probably would've been captured by the interested parties long ago. Once I realized that possibility..." He paused, his jaw tightening. "I knew there was no turning back."

"Why?" Kuzan's question came out softer than intended.

"Because I could see myself continuing to run away."

The Marine let out a quiet breath, something like understanding flickering in his eyes.

"Before I knew it, there was a bounty on my head. It's hard to escape alone, you need allies. But if I get into the habit of abandoning people..." The pirate's hands clenched into fists. "One day I'd end up throwing away my comrades to save my own skin."

"That kind of life..." Kuzan felt an unexpected pang of sympathy for the young man across from him.

If the Celestial Dragons had never noticed this person, he could have lived an ordinary life. If this sharp-dressed boy had become a merchant's apprentice instead, he surely would have succeeded, lived a completely normal, happy existence.

"That kind of life would be unbearable."

"I get that, but—"

"If I stick to my principles, I win." The pirate's voice cut through the air with quiet conviction.

Kuzan found himself speechless.

He had never encountered someone like this, not among the Marines, and certainly not among pirates.

Why is this boy a pirate? Why can't he live a normal life?

Why isn't this guy a Marine?

While these thoughts churned in his mind, the door burst open without so much as a knock.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Nukiashi." Sengoku's voice was grim as he entered with Sakazuki close behind. "We've only been able to confirm a few things so far, but the handwriting you brought us definitely belongs to one of our Marines."

Both men wore expressions dark as storm clouds, and Sakazuki's knuckles bore fresh traces of blood.

The pirate took in this detail with a single glance.

"Any developments?"

His question was simple, direct, as if he were discussing the weather rather than a conspiracy within the Navy.

While Sengoku hesitated, Sakazuki spoke up, his voice rough with barely contained anger.

"Some fool was trying to destroy documents related to the person whose handwriting you brought us."

"I'm currently interrogating him. Claims he was acting on orders from his superiors. We've dispatched Marines to apprehend them as well."

An odd scene had formed, a Naval officer and a pirate conversing as equals, but no one remarked on it.

When the pirate heard this news, beads of cold sweat appeared on his forehead for the first time.

"...This is bad."

His quiet murmur sent a chill through the room.

Sakazuki's eyebrows drew together in irritation at the ominous tone.

"What do you mean, 'Sneaky Paws'?"

"The enemy's going underground."

"...So what? That's only natural for criminals."

"Sure, they would if they thought they'd been exposed... but even then, they wouldn't be able to erase all traces completely. It should be fine, right, Kuro-kun?"

The pirate shook his head at the Marine's hopeful question, and General Sengoku pressed his palm against his forehead in growing dread.

"If I were being hunted by the Navy, I'd dump my cargo and travel light."

As the implications of the word 'cargo' sank in, their faces twisted with revulsion.

It was highly unlikely that a slave-trading operation would involve just the twenty-odd people they'd rescued.

As the pirate suggested that what they'd destroyed was probably just one piece of a much larger puzzle, steam began rising from Sakazuki's magma-heated anger once again.

These weren't just objects to be discarded, they were human beings. Beings who could serve as evidence, as witnesses that could trace back to the perpetrators.

There would be no reason to keep them alive.

"General Sengoku."

"What is it?"

"Excuse me, but could I borrow some of the Marines we're protecting here for a while?"

Sengoku's hands clenched into fists so tight that blood began to seep between his fingers.

"I forgot to mention this earlier, but the other party doesn't have Den Den Mushi. It's highly likely they're using analog communication methods to avoid eavesdropping. If that's the case, we might still make it in time."

The tension in the room was palpable, thick enough to cut with a knife.

"We have people skilled in intelligence gathering who can begin covert operations immediately. However, we need to move fast, and we need crew to man the ship—"

"Why?!"

The word exploded from Sakazuki before he could stop himself.

"Why would you go this far?! You're a pirate! Yet you want to save Marines! Protect them! And for the sake of people you've never even met, you're about to throw yourself into a secret battle!"

Vice Admiral Kuzan recalled their earlier conversation, the pirate's words about weakness and running away.

"Answer me! Kuro of the 'Sneaky Paws'!"

Sakazuki's fists were clenched as tightly as Sengoku's now, his whole body trembling with the force of his emotions.

"What on earth drives you to move?!"

The pirate was quiet for a long moment, his dark eyes reflecting something deep and unwavering.

"—Humanity."

The single word hung in the air like a bell that had been struck, its resonance filling every corner of the room and settling into the hearts of everyone present.

---

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[10 Advanced Chs][7 Chapters/week]