Nami felt that among all the pirate crews she had infiltrated to steal treasures, none had ever exhausted her ntally as much as this one.
The captain was a foolish girl who acted on intuition, seemingly missing a screw in her head;
The vice-captain (whom she ntally acknowledged as Ralph) was a scher with profound cunning, capable of plotting the entire pirate crew's demise while chatting and laughing;
She had thought staying on the rear flagship with the combatant would be safer, but this combatant was even more outrageous—a complete battle maniac!
When Zoro challenged the terrifying forr captain Kuro, Nami instinctively hid in the shadows.
Watching Zoro get instantly knocked down by Kuro, blood splattering across the deck, her heart sank halfway.
It's over! This ship is no longer safe!
Her survival instinct kicked her brain into high gear.
She first slipped into the kitchen, grabbing a large bag of flour to create chaos, but upon hearing Kuro order Zoro and the cat brothers to be thrown overboard, she imdiately changed her plan.
Save that green-haired idiot! Though he was a fool, he was at least an ally—and strong!
Once decided, she quietly untied an ergency escape boat hanging at the stern.
This series of operations utterly exhausted her.
After dragging the unconscious Zoro onto the small boat with great effort and rowing only a short distance, her absence was discovered by the crew.
Seeing several small boats lowered from the flagship, shouting as they gave chase, Nami looked at Zoro lying in the boat, covered in blood and unconscious.
She swung her arm, delivering several crisp slaps to Zoro's face.
"Wake up! Green-hair! Wake up now! The pursuers are coming!"
Whether from the pain or his lingering fierce fighting spirit, Zoro groaned and actually began to stir awake.
He glanced around blankly, then felt the stinging pain on his face and the tearing agony in his chest—his eyes quickly refocused.
"It's you... Thanks," he rasped to Nami, then struggled to sit up and grabbed an oar.
Only then did Nami let out a long sigh of relief, half of her anxiety easing.
She knew it—this bunch were all tenacious monsters, not so easy to kill.
And so, Zoro, with his chest wound still oozing blood, gritted his teeth and rowed fiercely, while Nami, relying on her excellent sense of direction, guided their course. Surprisingly, they managed to overtake their pursuers and reached the shore of Syrup Village first.
No sooner had they landed than the Black Cat Pirates' pursuers arrived.
Without a word, Zoro drew his swords and charged forward, not even bothering to bandage his wounds.
His chest injury tore open from the violent movent, blood spraying, but he seed impervious to pain. Wielding three swords like a mad tiger, he relied on sheer ferocity to cut down several pursuers.
"You idiot! Are you trying to get yourself killed?!"
Nami scolded angrily while frantically performing ergency bandaging on Zoro. "Why did you have to challenge him at such a ti? Couldn't you gauge your opponent's strength before acting?!"
Zoro actually managed to laugh.
"If I don't challenge them myself, how would I know the gap? Only by experiencing their strength firsthand can I find the direction and motivation to improve! These injuries are nothing!"
Nami couldn't comprehend this foolish logic at all and rolled her eyes.
She didn't understand, but Zoro didn't bla her. Instead, he thanked her solemnly: "Also, thank you for thinking about my swords."
Nami was taken aback. "Hmph, I can tell they're more than just weapons to you."
Just then, rustling sounds ca from the woods as Lufia, Ralph, and Usopp appeared, led by Usopp's followers.
The two groups t and quickly exchanged information.
Nami's side mainly recounted how Kuro had swiftly regained control of the Black Cat Pirates with thunderous thods and his terrifying strength.
anwhile, Ralph walked over to the several pursuers whom Zoro had cut down but who weren't dead yet, and woke them up.
Under Ralph's cold gaze, undisguised killing intent, and a little hint of [Hypnosis], these already terrified pursuers spilled everything like pouring beans from a bamboo tube—completely revealing Kuro's decision to act early and imdiately attack the village.
"Captain Kuro... no, Kuro said... there are too many people on the island who know about this, and long nights bring many dreams. We must act imdiately, kill everyone... to ensure the plan..." one pursuer said tremblingly.
Upon hearing this, Usopp's three followers imdiately cried out anxiously: "Boss! Let's go back to the village now and warn everyone to run!"
But Usopp shook his head, his face pale.
"It's too late... And even if we run to tell everyone that pirates are coming, who would believe us? They'd just think we're pulling another prank."
He took a deep breath, his gaze gradually becoming firm as he looked toward the steep slope leading to the coast. "Now, there's only one way."
He straightened his back, as if casting off all his past cowardice and lies, and said word by word: "Let us block the pirates' only path to the island and defeat them!"
His voice wasn't loud, but it carried a resolute power: "Let the matter of 'pirates attacking' forever remain in my 'lies'! This ti, I'll turn it into the 'truth' that protects everyone!"
These words, like a huge rock thrown into a calm lake, instantly ignited the passion in Usopp's three followers and Luffy's hearts.
The three children were so moved that tears welled up in their eyes, while Luffy's eyes shone brightly as she vigorously patted Usopp's back.
"Shishishi! Well said! Usopp! You're indeed the partner I wanted!"
Ralph watched this tragic yet passionate scene. Though touched inside, reason compelled him to interrupt.
"Usopp..." Ralph reminded, drawing on his prophetic advantage, "Think carefully. Is there really only one landing point on this island leading to the village?"
Usopp was stunned for a mont, then his expression changed dramatically as he exclaid:
"Oh no! There are two! We're at the north shore! There's another almost identical landing point to the south! Also a slope carved into the cliff!"
The situation instantly beca critical.
"We must split up!" Ralph judged decisively. "Send soone imdiately to monitor the southern landing point! We need the fastest person!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the other three mbers of the Straw Hat crew—Luffy, Nami, and even the freshly bandaged Zoro—all turned their gazes simultaneously toward Ralph.
Would... he have to separate from Luffy and fight independently?
He sighed helplessly and nodded, "Alright, I'll take the south side."
But before leaving, he rembered sothing and turned to Nami, who wasn't skilled in direct combat, quietly assigning her a task.
Nami was initially skeptical of Ralph's idea, but as she listened, her eyes gradually lit up.
"Leave it to !"
Finally, Ralph asked Usopp for one of his homade signal fireworks.
Everyone agreed that whichever side—north or south—spotted the enemy's main force first would imdiately launch the firework.
The other side, upon seeing the signal, would rush to support at full speed!
The next mont, Ralph took a deep breath, the muscles in his legs instantly tensing.
"Soru!"
His figure left a faint afterimage in place, shooting toward the southern shore of the island like an arrow from a bow, so fast that only a whistling gust of wind remained in the air.
"So... so fast!" Usopp and his underlings stared dumbfounded, their jaws nearly hitting the ground.
Zoro, holding his sword, narrowed his single eye, silently comparing: This guy's speed... who's faster, him or that Kuro?
Syrup Island wasn't large. The distance from the north shore to the south shore took Usopp about three minutes at a full sprint, but for Ralph, who had mastered the advanced Soru technique, this ti was shortened to an astonishing degree.
In almost just a few breaths, Ralph's figure had already appeared at the top of the slope on the south shore. He stopped, his sharp gaze instantly locking onto the conspicuous Black Cat Pirates' ship anchored by the shore.
Are they all coming ashore from this side? Or...
He had originally intended to handle all the enemies alone and had no plans to launch the firework for backup.
However, just as this thought crossed his mind—
"Whoosh—Bang!"
A striking firework with a red trail exploded in the sky from the direction of the north shore! It was exactly the signal firework Usopp had made!
Ralph's expression instantly changed.
Enemies at the north shore too?! That cunning Kuro, he actually split his forces as well?!
His heart sank sharply.
The plan had deviated in a way he hadn't wanted to see!
Standing alone at the top of the steep slope, he exuded an imposing aura, as if one man could hold off ten thousand.
Soon, the crew of the Black Cat Pirates began to land.
When they saw the familiar figure at the top of the slope, all their expressions froze, their eyes filled with complex emotions.
They had known Ralph for less than a day, yet their relationship had gone through a bizarre cycle from enemies to "friends," and now to facing each other with drawn blades.
However, their deep-seated fear of Captain Kuro ultimately overwheld everything else.
"K-Kill him!" one pirate mustered his courage and shouted hoarsely. "If it weren't for his nonsense and sowing discord, how would we have betrayed Captain Kuro?!"
"That's right! It's all his fault!"
"Acting all mysterious on the ship earlier—maybe he's actually weak!"
"Cut off his head and offer it to Captain Kuro! Maybe we can still save our own lives!"
Driven by fear and selfishness, they raised their weapons one after another, turning their hostility toward Ralph, trying to mask their inner unease with anger.
Ralph's expression remained impassive, his gaze as cold as a sharp blade, swiftly scanning the pirates who were landing.
No owban Brothers, no Jango, and definitely no Kuro!
All small fry!
His heart sank completely.
Kuro's strategy of dividing their forces was rather troubleso!
He had concentrated all his elite strength on the northern shore!
Lufia and the others would have to face Kuro himself and Jango with his bizarre hypnosis abilities!
He had to finish things here quickly!
A cold glint flashed in Ralph's eyes. Otherwise, the consequences for Luffy's side... would be unimaginable!
Watching the pirate underlings surge up the slope like a tide, a cold curve instead lifted the corner of Ralph's mouth.
"Small fry... you've co at just the right ti!"
What he wanted was a quick battle, then to go support Luffy!
anwhile, at the northern shore of the island.
Aside from Ralph being mistaken about the owban Brothers' fate, everything else unfolded just as he had predicted. Kuro and Jango appeared before Luffy, Zoro, and Usopp.
Seeing soone blocking their path ahead of ti, Kuro pushed up his glasses with the base of his palm, a flicker of surprise in his eyes.
He had anticipated resistance, but shouldn't they have been drawn away by the large ship from the other direction?
Had they even predicted his strategy of dividing their forces?
For the first ti, a trace of wariness toward the wise one who had seen through his plan rose in his heart.
Having sched his way across the East Blue for years, he had never t his match in strategy. He never expected to encounter one at this critical mont of his planned retirent.
Clack...
Kuro's surprise was quickly replaced by ruthlessness.
You're still one move behind.
His gaze swept over those blocking the path:
That green-haired guy with three swords, a forr loser, not worth worrying about;
That straw-hatted girl with rubber powers, according to Jango, was soone his hypnosis could easily handle;
As for that long-nosed one... just a joke who only knows how to boast!
"Jango!" Kuro commanded, "Don't waste ti. Finish them off quickly. It wouldn't do to keep Miss Kaya waiting."
"As you wish!" Jango adjusted his top hat, stepped forward, and drew his hypnotic ring-blades.
The great battle was about to begin!
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