"Mr. Klahadore."
Kaya softly called out to the approaching figure, her voice carrying a barely noticeable hint of restraint.
The excitement on Usopp's face instantly froze. When he saw the tall, thin man in butler uniform approaching, his long nose instinctively twitched and he subtly shifted his feet backward.
The man sported a slicked-back hairstyle, wore thin-framed glasses, and his dark suit bore several strange spiral patterns. He gently adjusted his glasses, the lenses reflecting a cold light.
Ryan's gaze lingered on him for a moment.
Wasn't this the former captain of the Black Cat Pirates, "Kuro the Trickster"? He was putting on quite the act.
Kuro's eyes first fell upon Ryan standing on the Flame Cloud. His eyes narrowed behind his glasses before turning to Kaya, his tone flat yet carrying undeniable pressure: "Miss, these people have trespassed into the castle. Shouldn't we ask them to leave?"
Kaya shrank back slightly, clearly intimidated by him, and explained in a small voice: "They are..."
"No need for explanations now," Kuro interrupted her, his tone still respectful yet brooking no argument. "Your health is what matters. You can tell me the reasons later."
He turned his attention back to Ryan, adjusting his glasses again. "Sir, what exactly is your purpose for trespassing on private property?"
"Just a traveler passing through," Ryan said casually, the Flame Cloud beneath his feet swaying gently.
Kuro didn't press further. His gaze swept over Usopp hiding behind the tree, a faint sneer curling at the corner of his mouth. "Isn't that Usopp? I heard your father is a pirate?"
He paused, his voice icy cold: "What a pity. So you're just the son of a filthy pirate."
"Mr. Klahadore!" Kaya suddenly looked up, her pale face flushing slightly. "Please apologize to Usopp!"
"Apologize?" Kuro sounded as if he'd heard a joke, his eyes glancing sideways at Usopp from behind his glasses. "Miss, I was merely stating facts. Why should I apologize to such a vulgar man?"
"That's not true!" Usopp could no longer contain himself, rushing out from behind the tree with clenched fists glaring at Kuro. "My father is a great pirate! He's a hundred times better than a pretentious guy like you!"
"Oh? A pirate?" Kuro sneered. "A bunch of thieving scum, and you call that great?"
"They are brave warriors of the sea!" Usopp's voice suddenly rose, his red nose flushing crimson with anger. "I'm proud that my father is a pirate! That's an honor!"
"Honor?" Kuro paused in adjusting his glasses, the mockery in his tone thickening. "Sophistry. I think you're constantly pestering the young lady just to boast and scam money, coveting the castle's wealth, aren't you?"
"You bastard!" Usopp reacted like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, lunging forward to grab Kuro's collar, his fists clenched so tight they creaked. "I won't allow you to insult my father!"
"Usopp, don't!" Kaya urgently cried out, her voice pleading. "Don't use violence..."
Usopp's fist froze mid-air. He looked back at Kaya, his eyes filled with conflict.
Just then, a low chuckle suddenly came from the side, breaking the tense standoff.
Kuro frowned, turning to look at the laughing Ryan, his gaze behind the glasses growing colder. "What are you laughing at?"
"Nothing, carry on." Ryan waved his hand dismissively, pulling a cigar from his pocket and lighting it. He blew a smoke ring, the tobacco glowing and fading amidst the sparks of the Flame Cloud. His gaze fixed on the tense standoff before him, eyes gleaming with amusement.
Watching from a distance hadn't meant much before, but seeing it up close was truly fascinating.
Kuro's expression darkened, clearly not understanding what was so "interesting," but the faint pressure emanating from Ryan made him instinctively rein in his sharpness.
Hovering mid-air on Flame Clouds was clearly no ordinary feat.
He shook off Usopp's grip, straightened his wrinkled collar, and adjusted his glasses again. "It seems today isn't suitable for such discussions. Usopp, you should go home."
"Sir," he turned to Ryan, "please leave. Do not disturb the young lady's rest."
"Hey now, don't be such a killjoy."
Ryan spat out the cigar stub, the Flame Cloud beneath his feet rising slightly until it was level with the second-floor windowsill. "I was just getting into the show. Go on, continue."
Kuro's face darkened as if dripping with water, his gaze behind the lenses piercingly cold. "We are not a circus here for your entertainment."
"Oh? Aren't you?" Ryan raised an eyebrow, the mockery in his tone unmistakable. "An old-timer once told me that a pirate's duty is to plunder. If you want to seize this lovely lady's wealth, just take it by force. All this sneaking around—you can't even fulfill a pirate's basic duty. You're utterly useless."
These words struck like a needle, precisely hitting Kuro's most sensitive spot.
His fingers tightening around his glasses turned white at the knuckles, yet his voice remained steady. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Don't know?" Ryan chuckled lightly, his eyes sweeping over Kaya's pale face. "I heard in the village that the master of this house died under suspicious circumstances a few years ago. That was your doing, wasn't it?"
"And this young lady," he glanced at Kaya, "always in poor health—you've been secretly dosing her, slowly wearing her down so you can rightfully take over the estate, correct? Former captain of the Black Cat Pirates—'Kuro the Trickster.'"
The final words exploded like thunder. Kaya's eyes widened sharply, her golden hair trembling slightly. "N-no, that's impossible... Mr. Klahadore isn't like that. He's taken care of me for years, how could he..."
Usopp was so shocked his mouth hung open, his long nose nearly touching his chest. "Y-you're a pirate?! Like my father was?"
He looked from Kuro to Ryan, suddenly realizing, "No, you're a bad pirate!"
Kuro fell silent for a moment, a few strands of his meticulously combed hair falling over his temples. He slowly lifted his head, the pretense gone from his eyes behind the lenses, leaving only cold calculation. "Are you a bounty hunter?"
"Mr. Klahadore..." Kaya's voice trembled with tears, unable to believe what was happening.
"No." Ryan shook his head, then suddenly smiled. "But your reaction just confirmed it."
"You've laid everything bare. What's left for me to deny?" Kuro's lips twisted into a cold smirk. "Anyone who can accurately state my identity and knows those old stories so clearly is no ordinary person. Denying it would only make me look more foolish."
Since this person dared to expose everything, he must have something to rely on. Continuing the pretense would be meaningless.
"H-How could this be..." Kaya staggered back a step, steadying herself against the windowsill as tears streamed down her pale cheeks. "That medicine... the medicine I drink every day..."
"He's a liar! A scoundrel!" Usopp rushed in front of Kaya, his long nose flushed red with anger. "I knew there was something off about you! Always putting on an act."
Kuro ignored their reactions, his gaze fixed intently on Ryan like a venomous snake locking onto its prey. "What exactly are you trying to accomplish?"
Ryan spun a circle on the Flame Cloud, his eyes sweeping over the castle's spires. "Nothing much."
He glanced at Kaya's deathly pale face, then at the furious Usopp, before finally returning his attention to Kuro. "I just thought that since the show has begun, it shouldn't lack a proper finale."