The heavy door to Kaya's room creaked open slowly, revealing a softly lit chamber filled with warm sunlight filtering through lace curtains.
In the middle of the room, reclined against delicate pillows, lay Kaya—her porcelain skin pale but radiant, her eyes bright despite her frailty.
Usopp hurried forward, his lanky frame radiating excitement and protectiveness.
"Kaya! We've got visitors!"
Kaya turned her gaze, a gentle smile gracing her lips as she saw Ash and the others.
"Welcome. It's kind of you to come."
Ash stepped forward with a soft smile, bowing slightly in respect.
"It's an honor, Kaya. We're here to help and to learn more about Syrup Village."
Kaya's eyes flickered with warmth and a hint of sadness.
"Thank you. This village... it's my home, but illness keeps me from truly living. Usopp is often my light in these dark days."
Nami stepped closer, her tone gentle.
"You're lucky to have friends like Usopp. He told us about the villagers and about the butlers."
Kaya nodded, her smile faltering just slightly.
"Yes. Merry has been like family. But Klahadore… he is different. Always watching, always silent."
Ash's voice lowered, filled with quiet resolve.
"We will keep an eye on him. You're safe here with us."
Usopp's expression grew fierce.
"No one will hurt Kaya while I'm around."
Zoro cracked his neck with a half-smile.
"Good. We like brave warriors."
Suddenly, the door to the corridor creaked again. From the shadows, Klahadore appeared, his calm smile barely masking cold intent.
"Visitors,"
Klahadore greeted smoothly.
"I hope you find Syrup Village as peaceful as it seems."
His eyes briefly locked with Ash's, sharp and calculating. The unspoken threat hung thick in the air.Ash met his gaze evenly.
"Peaceful enough. But peace is often the calm before the storm."
Klahadore's smile deepened, almost amused.
"Indeed. I look forward to seeing how you fare."
As Klahadore retreated into the shadows, the room's warmth seemed to chill.Usopp tightened his fists.
"We don't trust him."
Kaya's eyes welled with tears—not from fear, but gratitude.
"Thank you. Thank you all."
Ash's smile returned, calm and steady.
"We're just getting started."
The sun had begun its slow descent, casting long shadows over the peaceful Syrup Village.
The golden light touched the rooftops and trees, but beneath the calm surface, a storm brewed—the kind that whispered warnings only the keenest ears could hear.
Ash stood near the village well, the sturdy sword at his side glinting faintly in the twilight. Usopp sat on a nearby stone, fiddling with his slingshot but eyes sharp and restless.
"We can't ignore what's happening, Ash,"
Usopp said, voice low but strained.
"Klahadore… he doesn't just serve Kaya. He's working with pirates—dangerous ones."
Ash's expression was calm, but his eyes were ice-cold.
"Tell me what you've seen."
Usopp swallowed hard, remembering the nights patrolling the village edges.
"Masked men meeting by the trees, weapons hidden under cloaks. I followed once, but they caught my shadow. I'm lucky to be here talking."
Ash nodded slowly, absorbing every word.
"This isn't just a threat to Kaya—it's a threat to the whole village. We need a plan."
Nami approached, her eyes scanning the horizon for signs of danger.
"The villagers trust Kaya, but they don't know about the butlers' secret meetings. We must keep them safe without causing panic."
Zoro's grin was grim.
"I'll position myself where they try to break through. Whoever steps up will meet my blades."
Ash put a hand on Usopp's shoulder.
"You're key to this, Usopp. Your knowledge of the village and its people is invaluable. We fight smart, and we fight together."
Usopp's face brightened with a flicker of hope.
"Then I won't let you down. Not now, not ever."
That night, beneath the pale glow of a full moon, a grim assembly gathered in the shadows of the forest.
Klahadore stood tall, his usual calm replaced by a predatory hunger. Around him, the Black Cat Pirates listened silently.
"Our moment is near,"
Kuro's voice was a chilling whisper.
"Kaya's fortune will be ours. The village's defenses will crumble under our claws, and no one will stand in our way."
One masked pirate stepped forward, voice rough.
"And if we meet resistance?"
"Then we tear it apart,"
Kuro hissed.The night air seemed to hold its breath as Kuro's cruel plan seeped into the earth beneath their feet.
Dawn arrived too soon, a pale light over a village bracing for war.
Ash stood with Nami, Zoro, and Usopp beneath the giant oaks at dawn's light. Around them, villagers hurried to evacuate or prepare defenses as panic rippled through the streets.
"We defend Kaya, and we defend Syrup Village,"
Ash declared, voice steady amid the chaos.
"Hold nothing back."
Nami barked orders to the villagers, her voice sharp with authority.
"Barricade the entrances! Help the children and the elders to safe places! Keep moving!"
Zoro stretched his arms, eyes fierce.
"They want a fight? Then they'll get one."
Usopp's hands trembled briefly but steadied as he loaded his slingshot.
"For Kaya, for the village—we don't lose today."
The Black Cat Pirates struck like a tempest—swift, vicious, and unrelenting.Ash's blade moved like water—flowing, unpredictable—a deadly dance.
His water breathing techniques blurred each strike into a stroke of precision and poetry.
"Water Breathing: First Form—Water Surface Slash!"
Ash whispered as his blade cut through the first wave of attackers.Zoro's swords flashed, three blades moving in brutal harmony.
"Santoryu: Onion Slash!" he roared, cleaving through pirates who dared approach.
Usopp's stones flew with deadly accuracy, disarming foes before they could close.
"Bullseye!"
he shouted, heart pounding, each shot a chance to prove his worth.Nami directed villagers away from danger and kept lookout, weaving through the chaos with the determination of a captain navigating a storm.
Amid the shattered remains of Kaya's mansion, Kuro revealed his true form, claws gleaming with deadly intent.
"You think you can stop me?"
Captain kuro sneered as he moved towards Ash.
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______to be continued ______