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The atmosphere in the room was tense, as if everyone had been holding their breath while waiting for a long-overdue resolution. The scene on display—a confrontation between Buggy and Kuro—had finally unveiled the answer that everyone had been speculating about.
Shiki: "Hahahaha!!! Poor Kuro! First, he spent three years hiding under White-Haired Luffy's nose, only to have his plan ruined at the last moment by Luffy himself. Now, here with Red-Haired Luffy, his new scheme has barely begun before running into trouble again. It seems fate has decided he's destined to be thwarted by the Straw Hat boy!"
Gol D. Roger: "Man, this guy really can't catch a break..."
Oden Kozuki: "In comparison, the Kuro from the other scenario got off easy. At least he was exposed right away instead of wasting three years for nothing. That must've been less painful."
Edward Newgate: "Not necessarily! At least the one over there just got beaten up by Luffy and ran off. This version of Luffy? He's discovered a lucrative bounty-hunting path!"
Shanks: "Yeah, in Red-Haired Luffy's eyes, Kuro isn't just some random pirate—he's a stack of Beli notes waiting to happen! There's no way he's escaping now!"
Sengoku: "Ah!"
Monkey D. Garp: "What's wrong? Did your hemorrhoids explode again?"
Gol D. Roger: "Even as an Admiral, why are you so jumpy all of a sudden?"
Sengoku: "Damn it! No wonder we haven't seen the answer yet! I get it now—it's because of this!"
Charlotte Linlin: "Ah!"
Shiki: "Linlin, do you have hemorr—"
Charlotte Linlin: "Shut up!!"
Edward Newgate: "Now I see where this is going! If things keep progressing like this, Red-Haired Luffy will probably capture Kuro too and cash him in for the bounty!"
Wang Zhi: "Oh no, not that! If that happens, even though Kuro is just a captain, he should still fetch at least 10 million Beli. And those earlier guys? They were worth at least 60 million! That immediately rules out options D and E! Damn it, I picked D!"
Kuzan: "So... does that mean my choice of C might actually be correct?"
Sakazuki: "Yes! I chose C too!"
Trafalgar Law: "Am I about to win another reward?"
Borsalino: "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Don't jump to conclusions so fast. What if Kuro's bounty is close to 20 million Beli? Then wouldn't my option B be the right one?"
Usopp: "B! It has to be B!"
Monkey D. Dragon: "If it's B, then great!"
Meanwhile, back in the unfolding drama:
Kuro: thinking furiously, "No... How could this happen?! Why did that blasted clown figure me out?!"
Buggy: "Don't play dumb with me, Kuro! Captain of the Black Cat Pirates, wanted for 16 million Beli! You use 'Ten Blade' claws, and your habit of adjusting your glasses gave you away!"
Kaya's Father: "Wh-what?! But Mr. Kurahadol is just a humble sailor! He couldn't possibly be a pirate!"
Buggy: "Who are you calling a clown?! Are you mocking my nose?! Show some respect or I'll cut you down where you stand!"
Kaya's father recoils in terror.
Kuro: seizing the opportunity, "Master, please believe me! I don't know what nonsense this man is spouting. My name is Kurahadol—I'm innocent!"
Kaya's Father: "Y-yes, I believe you! Clearly, this man is the real threat!"
Buggy: "Heh, amateur actors like you make me laugh. As someone operating in East Blue, collecting bounty posters is part of the job."
With a flourish, Buggy pulls out a scrapbook filled with clippings of wanted posters. Flipping through it casually, he stops at Kuro's poster and hands it over.
Kaya's Father & Servants: "Ahhhh!!!"
Realizing the truth, they scramble away from Kuro in sheer panic.
Kuro: eyes narrowing dangerously, "Damn it... So much for subtlety."
Kuro: "Captain Buggy... We pirates usually avoid stepping on each other's toes. What's gotten into you today? Why interfere with my plans?!"
Kuro lets his arms hang loosely, preparing to strike.
Kuro: "Do you know how long I've waited for this? Years of patience, only to have everything ruined because of YOU!"
Kuro: "Fine then! Since fate won't let me succeed, I'll slaughter everyone here and move on to my next target!"
Kuro begins swaying his arms rhythmically, readying his infamous "Shigan" technique.
Buggy: "Oh, the 'Shigan'? Heard of it. High-speed attacks with deadly precision, huh? Too bad slashing won't work on me!"
Kuro: "We'll see about that!"
"Shigan Strike!!"
Kuro vanishes in a blur of motion, aiming for Buggy—but before he can land a blow, a fist rockets toward him faster than lightning.
BOOM!!!
Kuro slams into the wall, unconscious, sliding down like a broken marionette.
Luffy: "Oops, sorry about the wall."
Luffy turns to Kaya's father with an apologetic grin.
Kaya's Father: "Wha... What just happened?!"
Still dazed, Kaya's father stares at Luffy in disbelief. One moment, Kuro was threatening them; the next, he was defeated without explanation.
Kaya's Father: "Thank... Thank you! You saved us!"
Luffy: "No problem! Just doing my thing."
Luffy smiles warmly before turning to Zoro.
Luffy: "Hey, Zoro! This guy's worth 16 million Beli!"
Zoro: "Got it!"
Zoro smirks, already envisioning the riches ahead.
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