One Piece: My Uncle Is Kizaru

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"Hey, kid!"

On the platform, Kyle suddenly turned his gaze to Koby, his tone sharp and unfriendly:

"You seem to be part of the Alvida Pirates, right?"

"I saw you holding up the platform for Alvida earlier!"

With his flintlock in hand, Kyle jumped down from the platform and walked straight toward Koby.

"W-wait! Hold on!"

Koby, who had thought he could escape the Alvida Pirates, panicked and waved his hands frantically, his face filled with fear as he tried to explain:

"Sir, you've got it all wrong!"

"I... I'm not one of them! I was just kidnapped and forced onto their ship!"

"I'm really not a pirate!"

Though the distance was a bit far, he had seen it clearly...

The female swordsman who had just run into the town had slit the throats of two pirates behind the townsfolk without giving them a chance to react, sentencing them to death.

It was clear how ruthless this group was when dealing with pirates!

Thinking this, Koby, afraid that Kyle might shoot him, immediately dropped to his knees without hesitation.

He pressed his forehead against the ground, his hands trembling as he cried pitifully:

"I'm really not a pirate! Sir, I swear I'm not a pirate!"

"Please! Don't kill me! Please don't kill me!"

Tears mixed with snot streamed down Koby's face, staining the dirt on the ground...

He looked utterly pathetic.

Some of the townsfolk who hadn't yet dispersed heard the crying and turned to look.

But upon seeing it was Kyle and the kid who had been holding up the platform for Alvida, they quickly scurried away.

It had nothing to do with them, so they didn't care how much he cried.

At this moment, the weak-willed Koby had been scared out of his wits, reduced to nothing but a sobbing mess, begging for mercy.

His pitiful state was almost irritating to watch.

"..."

Kyle, who hadn't even raised his gun, was momentarily stunned.

Seeing Koby crying like this, the corner of his mouth twitched.

"Truly the future 'Deserter King.'"

"Kneeling and begging at the first sign of trouble—impressive."

Kyle swore...

He had only wanted to scare the kid a bit to set up the conversation.

Who would have thought Koby would be so sensitive and break down like this?

"Enough! Stop crying! If you keep crying, I'll shoot you!"

Bang!

A deafening gunshot rang out.

Kyle fired a blank shot behind Koby.

Of course, it was just a regular lead bullet.

He wasn't rich enough to waste Seastone bullets casually.

The gunshot had the desired effect, and Koby immediately stopped crying.

Trembling, he looked up and saw Kyle staring at him with a complicated expression.

In truth, Kyle was also feeling a bit emotional...

It had to be said.

Reincarnation was truly a skill.

Who would have thought that this sniveling coward had the rare talent for a specialized form of Observation Haki?

As of Kyle's transmigration...

In the entire world of *One Piece*, there were fewer than ten people with specialized Observation Haki!

Roger and Luffy, who could "hear the voice of all things," Usopp with his "super long-range vision," Enel and Aisa from Skypiea with their "massive range," and...

Koby, who could "sense emotions."

In the story, Koby, who had initially planned to desert, was overwhelmed by the "voices" of countless dying people during the Marineford War. This empathy drove him to do the unthinkable—standing up to Admiral Akainu to stop him from killing more pirates.

It could be said that the emotions of those deaths gave Koby the courage to act at that moment.

But clearly, his sense of justice was misplaced.

Just as every Marine had their own sense of justice...

Koby's justice was a weak, cowardly form of kindness disguised as righteousness.

He didn't want to die, nor did he want to see others die—whether they were allies or enemies.

But this was clearly unrealistic.

Kyle could understand Koby's fear of death.

Not many people could face death with a smile.

That's why Luffy's smile just before his execution in Loguetown had left such a deep impression on Smoker.

But Koby's actions during the Marineford War, stopping Akainu, were undoubtedly a betrayal of the Marines and the soldiers who had sacrificed their lives.

That said, even after all his mistakes and flaws...

After Akainu became Fleet Admiral, Koby still managed to thrive in the Marines, steadily rising in rank and strength...

Aside from having a powerful mentor in Garp, his talent was truly world-class.

Saying he had the potential to become an Emperor or an Admiral might be a stretch.

But even Smoker, a graduate of the Marine Academy with a Logia-type Devil Fruit, only made it to Vice Admiral...

Koby, who mastered Rokushiki and both types of Haki in just three years, was at least future Admiral material.

Most importantly, in Kyle's eyes, Koby's appearance and personality were typical of many anime characters.

The original owner of Kyle's "Super Intuition," Tsunayoshi Sawada, was a character very similar to Koby—weak-willed and kind-hearted.

Plus, Koby was a pure physical combatant...

There were definitely plenty of character cards that would suit him!

His weak personality made him easier to control and more obedient.

His immense talent meant he wouldn't be a wasted investment.

To Kyle, Koby was the perfect tool!

This kid was a must-have for the Twilight Pirates!

That's why Kyle had decided to scare Koby a bit and then recruit him.

He just hadn't expected Koby to break down so easily.

But then again...

A 15-year-old boy who had been kidnapped at 14 and spent a year as a cabin boy on a pirate ship...

He just wanted to survive, even if it meant looking pathetic. That wasn't a crime.

Considering that during the Marineford War, Koby was only 16...

Perhaps as he matured, his weak personality would improve.

Moreover, after loading a character card, Koby would be 100% loyal to Kyle...

At the very least, he wouldn't defy Kyle's decisions like he had in the original story.

Unfortunately, Kyle didn't have the charisma of the Sun God Nika, nor did he have the patience to waste words on Koby...

He couldn't inspire courage in Koby's heart right now.

For Kyle, the best way to recruit Koby was through a combination of force and temptation!

After all, he had something Koby couldn't refuse...

The Marine enlistment papers he had gotten from Sengoku a few days ago!

Join the pirate crew, and he could become a Marine...

Kyle was confident Koby wouldn't turn down such an offer!

...

Under the threat of the gun, Koby quickly stopped crying.

At Kyle's gesture, he shakily got to his feet.

Kyle put away his flintlock and looked over the still-growing Koby, asking knowingly:

"So, you're really not a pirate?"

"S-sir, I'm really not a pirate."

Koby tearfully recounted his tragic story.

As if the memory was too embarrassing, his eyes grew distant, as if he were reliving a social nightmare.

"About a year ago, I was out fishing and accidentally boarded one of the Alvida Pirates' supply ships..."

"And then..."

"I was forced to stay on their ship, doing odd jobs as a cabin boy."

"But I swear!"

"I've never done anything evil!"

Koby raised three fingers, swearing to the heavens.

Though it was laughable to make such a promise to a pirate, from Kyle's actions toward the townsfolk, Koby instinctively saw him as a good person.

"Hmm."

After hearing Koby's story, Kyle nodded thoughtfully, then said:

"So, you've been a cabin boy for a year, huh?"

"Seems like you've got plenty of experience in that line of work."

"Y-yeah, I guess..."

Not sure how to respond, Koby scratched the back of his head, answering vaguely.

But Kyle's next words left him stunned.

"Perfect. My ship could use a cabin boy."

"From today on, you're the Twilight Pirates' cabin boy!"

"..."

"W-what!?"

"Wait, sir..."

Koby's jaw dropped, his expression exaggerated as he tried to protest.

But then he saw Kyle's expression darken, his brow furrowing as he said:

"What? Not happy about it?"

"..."

"N-no! I'm happy! Really happy!"

Koby forced a smile that looked more like a grimace, quickly saying:

"It's an honor to serve you, sir!"

Just out of the tiger's den, only to fall into the wolf's lair—how could Koby be happy?

But for now, saving his life was the priority.

He didn't want to end up like the Alvida Pirates, a corpse spat upon by others.

Satisfied with Koby's answer, Kyle nodded.

"Wait here with me. Once the mayor gathers the money, we'll set sail!"

"Yes, sir."

With his experience serving Alvida, Koby quickly adjusted to his new role, resigning himself to his fate as he stood by Kyle's side.