Boom, boom, boom!
There was a knock on the door.
Merry, the servant with a sheep-like hairstyle, walked over and opened it.
Click.
As the door swung open, he saw two figures—a man and a woman—standing outside. The man was strikingly handsome, and the woman was equally captivating. But as someone familiar with every face in Syrup Village, Merry instantly knew these two were outsiders.
"Can I help you?" Merry asked cautiously.
"Sorry to disturb you," the man said politely. "My name is Kairos Flint. We're bounty hunters. We received credible information that a dangerous pirate is hiding here, possibly under a false identity, which is why we had to knock."
The moment the word "pirate" was mentioned, Merry tensed.
Pirates.
In this era of rampant piracy, the word alone could spark panic. To the average person, pirates were synonymous with chaos, bloodshed, and ruin. It was understandable—just the rumor of pirates approaching had been enough to terrify the village before, back when Usopp constantly raised false alarms. Even if his tales became the stuff of local legend, it showed how pirates were seen: with fear.
Just then, the frail and pale Keya descended the staircase.
"There must be a mistake. There are no pirates in my house," she said softly, her voice reflecting both illness and innocence.
"I hope I'm wrong," Kairos said, his tone gentle but serious. "But I've received intel suggesting that the infamous pirate Baiji Crow may be hiding here, under an alias. That's why we came."
With that, Kairos reached into his satchel and pulled out a wanted poster.
He held it up to Keya and Merry, allowing them a clear view.
Both of their eyes widened as they saw the face.
"Isn't this… the butler?"
"Butler Klahadore?" Merry asked in shock.
Even though three years had passed, no amount of time—or lack of plastic surgery—could fully disguise a person. The man in the poster bore an uncanny resemblance to their beloved butler. The differences, perhaps 20% at most, were purely in demeanor. Klahadore had always appeared meek and refined, someone who gave off no sense of threat.
But the man in the poster… his eyes were filled with a deadly calm and menace.
"Seems like I'm right," Kairos said, feigning surprise. "The person you know as Klahadore is actually the man I'm hunting—Baiji Crow."
His delivery was flawless.
So flawless, in fact, that neither Nami, Keya, nor Merry noticed any inconsistencies. Kairos had sold the story perfectly.
"Baiji Crow had a bounty of 16 million Berries placed on him three years ago," Kairos continued. "It was reported that he was killed by the current Marine Captain Morgan. But based on intelligence I received, that death was faked. He used a body double and went into hiding. My sources say he's been living here in Syrup Village under a new identity."
"Sixteen million Berries?! We're going to be rich!" Nami muttered beside him, eyes sparkling. That amount was nearly one-third of their entire take from the past month.
Kairos nodded. "He's not just any pirate. Baiji Crow is cunning and calculated. If he went into hiding, he would've brought a small fortune with him—enough to live lavishly. From what you said, it sounds like he's now your butler?"
"Yes… he is," Keya admitted in a daze.
The revelation had struck her hard.
Was her trusted butler truly a pirate? And not just any pirate, but one with a massive bounty?
She felt her world spin.
"He came to your house about three years ago, right?" Kairos asked gently.
"Right."
"Did anything unusual happen after he arrived? Any deaths in the family?"
"Yes… my parents."
"I'm sorry to bring this up," Kairos said sympathetically. "But it's highly likely that Baiji Crow orchestrated their deaths so he could inherit your estate. Your frailty made it easier for him to maintain control and live comfortably."
Keya didn't respond.
She was reeling.
If what Kairos was saying was true, then the person she trusted most had murdered her parents.
Just then—
Clatter!
A sound came from behind Kairos. He turned instinctively.
Standing at the entryway, dressed in a pristine black suit and polished shoes, was a man with slicked-back hair and glasses. He stared at Kairos with a steely gaze. At his feet was a dropped grocery bag, its contents spilling across the floor.
"Ah, Baiji Crow. What timing," Kairos said with a calm smile. "We were just talking about you."
He slowly placed a hand on the hilt of his sword, Sandai Kitetsu. This wasn't a pirate to take lightly.
This was a seasoned killer.
And the real game was about to begin.