Three years ago, on a New Moon night, Kuro the Black Cat faked his death and came to Kaya's house, beginning his scheme to steal her family's fortune.
One year ago, Kuro killed Kaya's parents, which caused the already frail Kaya to become bedridden. Kuro's plan moved another step closer to fruition.
Today is the first day of a new lunar cycle, and tonight is another New Moon night. After three years of patient endurance, Kuro finally revealed his fangs.
Creak!
Xinan gently pushed open the window and slipped inside.
If anyone had been there, they would have only seen the window being opened and then closed by nothing, and they would have been terrified.
"Phew! That took some effort. Stealth missions really are more Nami's forte," Xinan muttered quietly.
While his invisibility ability meant no one could see Xinan, it took him a considerable amount of time to quietly pry open the window's inner latch.
The night was unusually clear. Even on a New Moon, the faint moonlight still illuminated the girl's face. Xinan could clearly see Kaya's slightly furrowed brows, as if she were having a bad dream.
Breaking into a young woman's room in the middle of the night was certainly improper, but it was unavoidable.
Xinan opened the bedroom door and walked out. The hall next door was still lit.
Because Kuro had moved his plans forward tonight, he had already dealt with all the bodyguards. Only the butler, Merry, who was oblivious to everything, remained in the hall, wiping down the chandelier.
Xinan's absorption ability combined with his invisibility was like having the stealth function of the Black Panther's vibranium suit, granting him both invisibility and silent footsteps.
Xinan walked into the hall. Merry, who wore a goat-head insignia, remained completely unaware that someone had breached the space.
When Xinan infiltrated the villa, he noticed that Kuro had already dismissed the cleaning and domestic staff, and had gone to deal with the bodyguards. The entire small villa was left with only Merry and Kaya.
Watching Merry meticulously clean the chandelier, Xinan waited patiently. It wasn't long.
Tap! Tap! Tap!
Walking in a cat-like manner, only on the balls of his feet, Kuro walked in, radiating bloodlust and carrying a bag containing his Cat Claws.
As soon as he entered, Kuro asked, like a responsible butler, "Where is the young mistress?"
If you ignored the murderous aura emanating from him.
Merry, still wiping the lamp, responded with an unaware smile, "She's already gone to rest. She seemed very tired..."
Hearing Kaya mentioned, Kuro remembered Usopp. Loosening his tie, Kuro complained, "Usopp is such a headache!"
Hearing Kuro bring up the topic, Merry smiled with a hint of flattery, "Exactly! And to have the gall to claim you're a pirate. He doesn't even use his brain when he lies."
Kuro just gave a sinister chuckle in response. He habitually pushed his slightly slipping glasses up with his palm, revealing a wicked grin.
"What is this?" Kuro soon noticed a wrapped gift on the table.
Seeing Kuro pick up the gift, Merry said movingly, "Tomorrow is the three-year anniversary of your arrival here. Miss Kaya noticed your glasses kept slipping, so she personally designed and customized this pair for you! She truly is a thoughtful and gentle person."
"Anniversary!" Kuro opened the glasses case and looked inside. A malicious smile appeared on his face.
He habitually pushed up the glasses he was wearing and said eerily, "Speaking of anniversaries, tomorrow is certainly an 'anniversary'! And tonight is the New Moon, right? Nights like this make my heart pound and my blood boil!"
With that, Kuro violently smashed the new glasses onto the floor and crushed both the glasses and the case underfoot.
"He finally can't hold back! My fists have been itching for a while now!" Xinan muttered, clenching his fists in the dark.
"Ah! Kl-Klahadore, why did you smash the young mistress's gift?!" Merry, who had been smiling moments before, widened his eyes. He couldn't understand why Kuro would destroy Kaya's present.
Kuro plunged his hands into his pockets, a cold sneer on his face. He spoke to Merry, "A gift? I will accept it... but not this thing... I'll be accepting the entire mansion!"
Seeing Kuro's true behavior, Merry immediately realized the truth.
Merry had been taking care of Kaya's family business after her parents were killed by Kuro and had personally designed the Going Merry. He was not a fool!
The death of Kaya's parents a year ago had already made Merry suspicious.
Now that Kuro had dropped the act, coupled with Usopp's warnings earlier today, Merry immediately put everything together.
"Usopp was telling the truth! You killed the master and madam too!" Merry said, horrified.
"Three years really is a long time!" Kuro exclaimed in pleasure, as if finally being completely set free.
"Young Mistress, run!" After hearing Kuro's admission, tears streamed down Merry's face.
But it was too late!
Kuro instantly drew his Cat Claws and slashed toward Merry.
The Cat Claws were a very unique weapon: sharp, long blades, capable of slicing through rock easily, were fixed to the tips of the gloves. Swinging his arms, Kuro was about to strike Merry.
Cats are very alert animals, and Kuro, whose every move was like a cat's, was also extremely perceptive. As he lunged toward Merry, Kuro sensed a deadly crisis.
BOOM!
A dazzling flash of lightning streaked across the hall, instantly shattering the huge glass window behind Kuro.
Crash!
The glass shattered and smashed onto the floor with a loud noise.
Like Merry, Kuro tumbled messily onto the floor, rolling a few times.
"Who's there?!"
With a lingering sense of dread, Kuro shouted toward a spacious corner of the hall, but received no response.
"He didn't get hit! That reaction speed is too fast! As expected of Captain Kuro, a man who can create a high-speed movement technique like Silent Step that is too fast for the eye to follow is truly formidable." Xinan, still invisible, couldn't help but admire him.
Other than his Devil Fruit ability, Xinan was just a strong average person, and he did not want to engage Kuro in hand-to-hand combat.
Receiving no answer, Kuro's expression became grim. He couldn't understand what was happening. His perfect plan had been ruined just as it was starting.
An invisible enemy was unsettling. Anger and fear spread in Kuro's heart, but he tried to steady his emotions, vigilantly scanning the environment.
BOOM!
Another lightning strike flashed. Although Kuro managed to dodge the main blast this time, his right arm was still struck.
With a cry of pain, the Cat Claw on Kuro's hand fell to the ground.
Half of his body was electro-paralyzed, and he was nearly incapacitated. This caused Kuro's anger and fear to skyrocket.
Having spent several years in the chaotic sea, Kuro knew about the existence of Devil Fruits. He realized that a hidden ability user was attacking him.
Merry, who had nearly been killed by Kuro, was completely bewildered. The sudden lightning and Kuro shouting at empty air left him utterly confused about what was going on.