Chapter 44 — The Black Cat Pirates' Fall
Sunny's POV
The forest outside Kaya's mansion was alive with whispers, the kind that set your nerves on edge if you weren't used to them. Tall trees loomed like silent sentinels, their leaves rustling in the cool night breeze that carried the salty tang of the nearby sea. Moonlight filtered through the canopy in silvery patches, casting eerie shadows on the underbrush where blades of grass bent under the weight of dozens of sneaking feet. I could hear the faint crunch of leaves, the occasional snap of a twig—amateurs, really. These Black Cat Pirates thought they were ghosts in the night, but to my Observation Haki, they were as obvious as fireworks in a dark sky. Each one moved like a mouse in tall grass, quick and nervous, hearts pounding with a mix of excitement and fear. They had no idea a hawk was already circling above, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
Zoro stood at the treeline, leaning casually against a gnarled oak, his three swords glinting faintly in the moonlight. He let out a massive yawn, stretching his arms overhead like a lion lazily waking from a nap. "So these are the Black Cat Pirates? Doesn't look like much from here. Bunch of skulking cats more like scared kittens."
"Shhh!" Usopp hissed from his crouched position beside Zoro, his knees trembling like jelly in a storm. His long nose twitched nervously, and he clutched his slingshot like it was a lifeline. Sweat beaded on his forehead, dripping down his curly hair. "They're assassins! Silent! Deadly! Trained killers who sneak into villages and slit throats before you can even scream! I've heard stories—they can turn invisible, blend into shadows, and their claws are poisoned with stuff that makes your blood boil!"
Lucy popped up behind him out of nowhere, her straw hat askew as she munched noisily on a massive rice ball she'd "borrowed" from Kaya's pantry earlier. Rice grains stuck to her cheeks, and she chewed with exaggerated enthusiasm, completely ruining any attempt at stealth. "Sneaky killers? COOL! Let's sneak sneakier than them and win! I'll be the ultimate rubber sneak-master!" She dropped into a comically exaggerated crouch, her limbs stretching slightly as she tiptoed in place, but her munching was so loud it echoed like a drumbeat.
Nami, hiding behind a bush a few feet away, pinched the bridge of her nose in exasperation, her orange hair catching a glint of moonlight. "That's… not how sneaking works, Lucy. And stop eating! You're going to attract every animal in the forest, let alone the pirates." She shot me a sidelong glance, her eyes sparkling with a mix of annoyance and amusement. Even in the tension of battle, Nami had this way of grounding me—her practical wit cutting through the chaos like a well-drawn map.
I leaned against a nearby tree, arms folded across my chest, letting my Haki map the battlefield in intricate detail. I could sense every pirate's position: the one with the shaky breath hiding behind a boulder, the group of three whispering crude jokes to mask their fear, the leader—Kuro—lurking further back, his aura a coiled spring of calculated malice. They were closing in, but I didn't move. Not yet. Let the crew have their fun first; it built character. Or at least, that's what I told myself as I watched the comedy unfold.
The Clash
The first wave burst from the underbrush with a chorus of bloodthirsty howls, their faces painted with crude cat whiskers and their claws—curved blades strapped to their gloves—gleaming menacingly. They charged like a pack of feral animals, yelling war cries that probably sounded intimidating in their own heads but came off as over-the-top theatrical.
Zoro grinned, that feral spark lighting up his eyes as he drew his swords with a metallic whisper that sent chills down even my spine. "Finally. Been waiting for something to swing at." In three swift breaths, he was a blur of steel—Wado Ichimonji in his mouth, the other two blades whirling in his hands. Six pirates fell in pieces at his feet, groaning and clutching non-lethal wounds, alive enough to regret their life choices but out cold from the sheer force. "Pathetic," Zoro muttered, wiping a speck of blood from his blade. "Next."
"Zoro, don't kill them all before we get a turn!" Lucy whined, launching herself into the fray with rubbery limbs extending like springs. She bounced between trees like a human cannonball, her arms stretching impossibly to knock three pirates flat in a single sweeping strike. "Gomu Gomu no… Tree Bounce Punch!" she yelled, her fist connecting with a pirate's jaw before ricocheting off a trunk and slamming into another.
Nami ducked behind a fallen log, her staff at the ready, but she couldn't help muttering under her breath. "You're hitting more trees than enemies, Lucy! Watch where you're swinging!" Sure enough, Lucy's next punch clipped a low-hanging branch, sending leaves and twigs raining down like confetti. One pirate got tangled in the debris, tripping over his own feet in confusion.
"Strategic deforestation!" Lucy declared triumphantly, her straw hat flopping as she smashed head-first into yet another pirate, sending him flying into a bush with a yelp. The guy emerged covered in thorns, looking more like a porcupine than a cat.
Usopp, still sweating bullets from his hiding spot, fumbled with his slingshot, his hands shaking so badly the pellet nearly slipped out. "D-don't worry, Kaya! I'll defend you with my life! This is for you!" He let fly—POW! The pellet struck a pirate square in the forehead, right between the eyes. To everyone's shock (including his own), the man's eyes rolled back, and he dropped like a sack of potatoes, out cold.
Lucy froze mid-bounce, her mouth hanging open. "…Holy crap. Usopp's attack actually worked?!"
Usopp blinked, staring at his slingshot like it was a magical artifact. Then, his chest puffed out, and a smug grin spread across his face. "Of course it did! That was the legendary Usopp Sniper Shot, passed down by my great-great-grandfather, the infamous Captain Pinocchio! It's a one-in-a-million technique that—"
WHACK! A pirate club came out of nowhere, smacking Usopp from behind and flattening him like a rug against the ground. He let out a muffled "Oof!" as stars danced in his vision.
"Ughhh… I hate my life," he groaned, face-planting into the dirt.
Nami rolled her eyes, dodging a swinging claw with graceful ease before countering with a swift staff strike to the pirate's knee. "Told you not to get cocky, long-nose!"
The battlefield was a whirlwind of comedy and chaos—pirates slipping on Lucy's scattered rice ball crumbs, Zoro casually disarming a group while yawning again, Usopp crawling away muttering about "unfair sneak attacks," and Nami barking orders like a exasperated captain. "Lucy, left flank! Zoro, don't just stand there—oh, for the love of berries, Usopp, get up!"
Kuro Appears
From the treeline, a slow, deliberate clap echoed through the night, cutting through the din like a knife.
Captain Kuro emerged from the shadows, his glasses gleaming coldly in the moonlight, his steps immaculate and measured, like a noble strolling through a garden rather than a battlefield. His black suit was pristine, not a wrinkle out of place, and he adjusted his frames with one gloved finger, his lips curled in a disdainful sneer. His long, slick hair framed a face that screamed arrogance, and those cat-like claws at his sides twitched with restrained fury.
"Well," he said coolly, surveying the battlefield littered with his groaning subordinates, "it seems my crew is even more incompetent than I anticipated. But no matter. I'll correct this failure personally. After all, a true captain cleans up his own messes."
Lucy stomped forward, fists clenched and eyes blazing with righteous anger. "Hey! You're the mean kitty who wants to hurt Kaya! I'm gonna stretch you into a balloon animal and pop you! Gomu Gomu no… Kitty Twist!"
Kuro didn't even deign to look at her, his gaze fixed on the horizon as if she were an annoying fly. His hand twitched near his claws, the air around him humming with suppressed killing intent. "You're all distractions. Nothing more. Insects buzzing around a flame, unaware you're about to be burned."
Nami edged closer to me, her shoulder brushing mine in a way that sent a familiar spark through me. "Sunny… this guy feels different. Colder. More… calculated." Her voice was low, laced with concern, but there was that underlying trust in her eyes—the kind that made me want to protect her from every shadow in the world.
I could feel it too—the sharpened killing intent beneath his calm exterior, like jagged glass waiting to cut. He was a predator hiding behind the mask of a servant, his aura a toxic blend of ambition and cruelty. But compared to me? It was the bark of a mutt before a lion. Still, I let the crew handle it a bit longer. Builds teamwork, right?
Crew Chaos
Zoro stepped forward, cracking his neck with a satisfying pop. "Finally, a real fight. Been getting bored with these minions."
Lucy jumped up beside him, her rubber arms already stretching. "No way! I wanna fight the fancy kitty first! He's mine!"
"You'll just get in the way, rubber-brain," Zoro shot back, his swords half-drawn.
"I will not! You're the one who gets lost all the time! How are you gonna fight if you wander off mid-battle?"
"Oi—shut up! At least I don't eat my way through fights!"
Their bickering spiraled instantly, Zoro's swords flashing in mock threat while Lucy's fists stretched to poke him in the ribs. Neither one was paying the slightest attention to Kuro, who stood there, eyebrow twitching in visible irritation.
"You're… ignoring me?" Kuro's voice cracked with disbelief, his polished composure fraying at the edges. "I am Captain Kuro of a Thousand Plans! The most cunning pirate in the East Blue!"
Nami palmed her forehead, sighing deeply. "This crew… is impossible. We're facing a notorious pirate captain, and they're arguing like kids over candy." She leaned into me, her hand slipping into mine for a brief, reassuring squeeze. In the midst of the absurdity, that touch was electric—romance in the chaos, her warmth reminding me why I fought.
I chuckled quietly, squeezing back, my thumb tracing circles on her skin. "That's what makes us us. Unpredictable. Unbreakable." Our eyes met, and for a heartbeat, the battle faded—the world narrowing to just her smile, soft and fierce all at once.
Usopp, having recovered from his flattening, peeked out from behind a rock. "Y-yeah! We're the Straw Hats! Or… whatever we're called! You can't beat our… uh… chaotic energy!"
Kuro's face twisted in rage. "Enough of this farce!"
The Turning Point
Kuro finally snapped, his glasses gleaming white as he vanished in a blur—his signature Shakushi technique, moving faster than normal eyes could follow. The air whistled with his speed, a deadly phantom slicing through the night.
Pirates gasped in awe. Usopp screamed like a banshee, diving back behind his rock. "He's a ghost! A super-fast ghost kitty!"
But to me? It was slow motion, each step crystal clear in my Haki-sense, his trajectory a glowing thread I could pluck at will.
In three heartbeats, Kuro reappeared behind Lucy, claws raised high to slit her throat in a single, lethal swipe.
I didn't move. Not yet. Zoro did—his instincts kicking in like lightning. His swords clashed against the claws with a deafening metallic shriek, sparks flying like fireworks in the dark.
Lucy's eyes crossed in confusion as she whirled around. "WAAAH! Don't slice my neck, Mr. Kitty! I need it for eating!"
"Pay attention, idiot!" Zoro barked, shoving her back with his shoulder while parrying another flurry of strikes. "You almost became rubber shish kebab!"
The fight spiraled into pure chaos—Zoro trading blistering blows with Kuro, blades clanging like thunder; Lucy bouncing recklessly through the melee, her limbs tangling pirates and occasionally her own crew; Nami yelling directions from the sidelines, her staff zapping stragglers with clima-tact bursts; Usopp pelting rocks that, against all odds, occasionally landed with pinpoint accuracy, knocking out a pirate here and there.
"Left, Zoro! Lucy, stop stretching into the trees—you're gonna get stuck!" Nami shouted, dodging a stray claw.
"I'm helping!" Lucy protested, her arm wrapped around a branch as she dangled upside down, kicking at a pirate below.
And me? I leaned against the tree still, watching with a faint smile. But when Zoro's shoulder took a shallow cut—blood blooming on his shirt—and Lucy ended up fully tangled in a tree branch, cursing as she tried to untangle her rubber limbs, I sighed.
"Alright," I said, stepping forward, brushing nonexistent dirt off my coat. My voice wasn't loud, but it carried, dropping like thunder across the battlefield.
Everyone froze. Pirates mid-swing, crew in mid-bicker—even Kuro felt it, the shift in the air, the gravity pulling tighter, the storm lurking behind my calm expression.
"I'll take care of the pirates."
The words hung heavy, a promise wrapped in velvet threat. Every eye turned to me.
And for the first time, Kuro's mask cracked, fear flickering in his eyes.
The Devil's Smile
The battlefield fell silent, the only sounds the ragged breaths of the wounded and the distant hoot of an owl.
The broken remains of the Black Cat Pirates littered the grassy slope outside Kaya's mansion. Some groaned in pain, clutching gashes or broken limbs; others lay still, unconscious but breathing. Their captain, Kuro, staggered back, clutching his clawed hands, chest heaving with exertion. His once-pristine glasses were cracked, one lens shattered and missing, and his long, slick hair hung in sweaty, disheveled strands across his pale, aristocratic face. Blood trickled from a cut on his lip, courtesy of Zoro's earlier clash.
I stood before him, completely untouched. Not a scratch on my skin, not a drop of blood on my clothes, not even a hair out of place. Only that faint, haunting smile curling on my lips—a smile that promised depths no one wanted to plumb.
Kuro trembled, his claws twitching uselessly. That smile… it wasn't human. It was the grin of something ancient, something that judged and found wanting.
"You talk too much," I said, my voice low, smooth, and utterly calm, like a gentle breeze before a hurricane. "A captain who abandons his crew, who kills his people the moment they bore him… I hate trash like you. You hide behind plans and masks, but underneath? You're just a coward playing at power."
Kuro snarled, baring his fangs like a cornered animal. "You think you can judge me? You—a ragtag pirate with delusions of grandeur? I'll end you!"
But his words choked in his throat as the air around him shifted, thickening with my aura.
For a moment—just a moment—he saw something no one else could. Behind me, reality warped, shadows stretching unnaturally, twisting like claws reaching for his throat. And my eyes—those void blue depths, like staring into an abyss that stared back, the gaze of a god deciding the worth of an insect.
Kuro froze, his heart hammering in his chest. His instincts screamed to run, to flee this monster in human skin. But there was no escape. His legs wouldn't move.
The rest of the Black Cat Pirates, those still conscious, watched their captain falter with wide, terrified eyes. Some tried to crawl away, dragging broken bodies through the grass, but their limbs refused to obey, trembling against their will as my presence washed over them.
"Don't worry," I said softly, tilting my head, that void blue gaze flickering with dark amusement. "I'll take care of you all."
And then—hell began.
The Torture
No steel touched their flesh. No blade pierced skin, no bullet flew, no fist connected. Yet the Black Cat Pirates screamed as one, their voices rising in a cacophony of agony.
My void blue Haki engulfed them like a tidal wave, pressing against their minds with surgical precision, forcing them to relive their worst fears, their greatest regrets, their deepest shames. It was a mental onslaught, my killing intent so sharp it sliced their sanity open like a scalpel through tissue.
One pirate clawed at his own face, sobbing hysterically about a mother he'd betrayed for a handful of berries, her dying eyes haunting him anew. Another begged forgiveness on his knees for selling out his brother to the Marines, the phantom noose tightening around his neck. A third writhed on the ground, trying to bite off his own tongue to end the visions of villages he'd burned, children's screams echoing in his ears.
And Kuro… oh, Kuro's arrogance shattered like brittle glass. He saw his crew turning against him in vivid detail, blades at his throat as they laughed at his "thousand plans." His carefully crafted new life as a noble burned before his eyes—mansions crumbling, wealth scattering like ash, Kaya's estate reduced to rubble under his own failures. He screamed as my void blue gaze cut deeper, showing him a thousand deaths: drowned in the sea he despised, executed by the Marines he mocked, torn apart by the very cats he emulated. Each humiliation more horrifying than the last, stripping away his pride layer by layer.
"Stop… stop it! Please!" Kuro begged, tears streaming down his face, his claws uselessly scratching at the earth, drawing bloody furrows in the dirt. His voice, once so composed, cracked into pitiful whimpers. "I'll do anything! Mercy!"
I leaned closer, my voice barely above a whisper, cold as the grave. "Did they beg when you killed them? The innocents, your own men? Did you care, or did you just plan your next escape?"
Kuro's mind broke then, his eyes glazing over as he collapsed into a fetal position, babbling incoherently.
The pirates' screams rose into a twisted symphony, a chorus of despair that echoed through the forest—and then, one by one, they fell silent. Their bodies slumped, empty husks devoid of will, souls frayed beyond repair.
Those souls—ethereal wisps of light and shadow—drifted toward my waiting hand, drawn inexorably like moths to flame. I absorbed them effortlessly, the glow of each one vanishing into me like sparks devoured by night.
No blood touched me. No evidence remained—bodies intact, hearts stopped as if by natural causes. To any outside observer, it looked like the Black Cat Pirates had simply… stopped living, victims of their own terror.
I stood alone in the silence, exhaling once, the night air crisp against my skin.
{Ego} and [System] Jealousy
{Ego}: Tch. You're too damn good at this, Sunny. Didn't even touch them, and they're gone—poof, like smoke. Show-off. I could've done it faster, you know, if you'd let me out sooner. Her voice was sharp, laced with that tsundere edge, but there was a grudging admiration beneath it, like she couldn't help but be impressed.
[System]: Fufufu So cruel… so perfect. But those souls should be mine, Sunny. Don't think you can hog them all and leave me starving. Her tone was silkier, dripping with yandere possessiveness, a dangerous purr that promised both love and obsession in equal measure. I can still taste their fear… but it's not enough. I want more of you.
I chuckled, brushing imaginary dust from my sleeve, the adrenaline still humming in my blood like a quiet song. "And what are you two gonna do about it? Whine some more? I'm the one doing the heavy lifting here."
Suddenly, the air around me pulsed with my Haki, golden sparks flickering like fireflies in the dark. They condensed, reshaping, solidifying into forms as tangible as my own flesh, born from the raw power of my will.
Before me, two figures emerged from the ether, both female, both breathtaking in their own way.
{Ego}—a sharp-eyed, fierce version of myself, her hair wilder and more untamed, cascading in dark waves that caught the moonlight like a storm cloud. Her aura dripped with tsundere pride, her posture all defiance and barely concealed affection. She wore a fitted leather jacket, her curves accentuated, and her eyes burned with a mix of challenge and heat as she crossed her arms, glaring at me with flushed cheeks.
[System]—a softer, more elegant mirror, her form draped in a flowing, shadowy dress that hugged her like liquid night, accentuating every curve with deliberate allure. Her eyes gleamed with obsessive hunger, her smile just a little too sharp, too yandere, as she stepped closer, her body pressing against mine like she couldn't bear even an inch of separation. Her hair cascaded like midnight waves, framing a face that was both beautiful and unsettlingly intense.
Both were fully tangible, their presence electric, their beauty amplified by the Haki that gave them form. I blinked, taking them in, my breath catching slightly. "Well, damn. I knew you could materialize with my Haki, but… you're both looking even more gorgeous than last time."
{Ego} scoffed, her cheeks burning red as she crossed her arms tighter, her leather jacket creaking. "Don't misunderstand, idiot! I didn't want to show up like this, all… corporeal and stuff. But I can't let you think you're the only one having fun out here, collecting souls and playing god! It's… it's not fair, okay?" Her voice cracked with that tsundere mix of defiance and vulnerability, her eyes darting away before snapping back to me, filled with possessive heat.
[System] slid to my other side, looping her arms around my neck with a purr, her body molding against mine as her fingers traced slow, deliberate patterns on my chest. "I warned you, didn't I, Sunny? I'll never let you belong to anyone else. Those souls are just appetizers. You're the main course, my love. Always mine." Her lips brushed my ear, her breath warm and teasing, sending shivers down my spine. She shot a sidelong glare at {Ego}. "And you, tsun-tsun, can wait your turn."
{Ego} growled, stepping closer and yanking my arm toward her, her touch firm and demanding. "Like hell! He's as much mine as yours, you clingy yandere freak! Back off!" Her eyes flashed with competitive fire, but there was a flush on her cheeks that betrayed her own hunger.
I found myself caught between them, {Ego} tugging at my arm with rough insistence, [System] clinging with silky possessiveness, their bodies pressing closer until the air crackled with tension. The forest seemed to fade, the battlefield a distant memory as their jealousy and desire collided in a storm of heat and emotion.
I laughed, low and amused, pulling them both closer until we were a tangled trio under the moonlight. "You two sound jealous. Fighting over little old me? I'm flattered."
"Shut up!" {Ego} snapped, her flush deepening as she shoved me against a nearby tree, her body pressing into mine with aggressive heat. Her lips hovered near mine, her breath hitching as she glared. "It's not jealousy! It's… principle! You can't just hoard all the power and leave me on the sidelines!"
"Of course I'm jealous," [System] purred, her hands roaming possessively, her lips capturing mine in a hungry kiss that tasted of shadows and obsession, her tongue teasing with a dangerous edge. She broke away just enough to smirk at {Ego}. "But he's mine first. You're just the sidekick, darling."
{Ego} growled, yanking me toward her for a rough, demanding kiss of her own, her hands fisting in my shirt as she pressed herself closer, her leather-clad curves searing against me. "Sidekick? I'll show you who's the star here, you obsessive creep."
Their bickering turned into something else—a push, a pull, a sudden closeness that ignited like wildfire. {Ego}'s kisses were fierce, all teeth and defiance, while [System]'s were deep and consuming, her yandere intensity pulling me under. Hands explored, breaths mingled, the night growing heavy with their presence as they vied for dominance, for me. My Haki fueled the intensity, the forest pulsing with our rhythm—gasps turning to whispers, whispers to moans, a chaotic dance of passion, jealousy, and raw hunger under the stars.
It was messy, intense, a release of the darkness I'd unleashed on the battlefield. And in that moment, we were one—shadows entwined, hearts beating as one, the world forgotten in the heat of our connection.
**Return to the Mansion**
By the time I walked back toward Kaya's mansion, the moon had shifted high above, casting a pale glow over the quiet grounds, the forest now silent save for the rustle of leaves in the breeze.
My clothes were immaculate, my expression calm—almost too calm. Behind my blue eyes, something darker lingered, something only {Ego} and [System] understood, their presence still tingling in my veins like a fading echo.
The Black Cat Pirates were gone. Their souls were mine, collected into the inventory.
And no one would ever know what truly happened that night.
As I approached the gates, I exhaled softly, the weight of the battle settling into something quieter, something almost serene.
"Time to play hero again."
And with a smile that sent shivers through the night, I stepped inside.