One Piece: Trainer of Kings

At that moment, a fierce fighting spirit blazed in Zoro's eyes and a mysterious energy unconsciously radiated from his body, a faint but unmistakable aura that made both Akira and Luffy turn their heads in surprise.

"This is..." Akira's eyes narrowed as he studied the phenomenon with great interest.

"The power of Pokémon!" Luffy finished, his voice filled with wonder.

The energy surrounding Zoro felt wild and destructive, yet powerful, unyielding and razor sharp. In that brief moment, both Akira and Luffy sensed several different energy signatures within the swordsman's aura, attributes that seemed to perfectly match his Dragon and Steel typing.

What Akira found particularly intriguing was that he hadn't yet taught Zoro any specific Pokémon moves. Logically, the swordsman shouldn't be able to channel that kind of energy on his own. Even real Pokémon had to be trained to consciously access their elemental powers.

Unbelievable,' Akira thought, his excitement growing. Did Zoro just activate the Pokémon energy hidden in his body by sheer force of will?

His eyes gleamed with anticipation as his expectations of the swordsman deepened considerably. This kind of natural intuition was exactly what separated true prodigies from ordinary fighters.

"Well then," Akira said with a satisfied smile, "the next enemy is up to you."

"No problem," Zoro replied confidently. "Is that okay with you, Luffy?"

Although Luffy obviously wanted to fight as well, he nodded without complaining. "Yeah, all right! There'll be plenty of other battles in the Pokémon world anyway."

"Then let's not waste any more time," Akira decided. "We must reach the villa on the mountain immediately. Usopp, lead the way."

"Understood!" Usopp, who had restrained himself with great effort, started as soon as he got the permission. He really couldn't bear to wait another second, not with pirates threatening Kaya's safety.

After paying their bill, the group left the restaurant and followed Usopp as he quickly led them to the hilltop villa.

Meanwhile, back at Kaya's estate, the man known as Klahadore was pushing an elegant dining cart through the corridors to the room of his young mistress. Captain Kuro of the Black Cat Pirates had spent three long years perfecting his disguise, and now he moved with the refined grace of a devoted butler as he knocked politely at Kaya's door.

"Miss Kaya, your dinner is ready. May I enter?"

"Come in, Klahadore," came the soft reply from inside.

Kuro opened the door with practiced elegance and wheeled the cart to Kaya's bedside. The young woman lay weakly propped up against her pillows, a medical textbook resting in her lap as she studied in the fading light.

Though it was well past dinnertime, the summer sky retained most of its afternoon brightness. The blue sky stretched endlessly beyond her window, adorned with lazy white clouds drifting in perfect freedom, the kind of freedom the frail heiress could only dream of.

When Kaya put down her book, Kuro's attention was drawn to the newspaper he'd delivered that morning, along with a wanted poster that lay on her bedside table. When his eyes fell on Luffy's fifty million berry bounty, his pupils dilated for a moment before he quickly suppressed his reaction.

With the same polished professionalism he'd maintained for years, Kuro folded the newspaper and the bounty notice and engaged Kaya in casual conversation while he prepared her meal.

"How terrible," he commented with convincing concern. "I never expected such a dangerous pirate to appear in the East Blue. I wonder how many innocent people will suffer at the hands of such criminals."

Kaya studied his expression with mild curiosity. "Klahadore, do you really despise pirates that much?"

"Absolutely!" Kuro replied without the slightest hesitation. "Pirates are nothing but worthless scum who prey on the innocent, forgive my harsh language, Miss Kaya, but it's simply the truth."

"I understand," Kaya replied softly. While Usopp's stories had given her a somewhat romanticized view of pirates, she couldn't disagree with her butler's assessment. Most pirates really were terrible people.

While Kuro served her dinner, the two continued their quiet conversation. But suddenly, there was a commotion outside the windows of the villa.

"Wait! Who are you people?!"

"This is private property! You can't enter!"

"Get out of my way! I'm Usopp from the village! Miss Kaya is in danger!"

"Security! Intruders are trying to break into the mansion!"

"Usopp?" Kaya started to get up from her bed and went to the window to investigate, but Kuro quickly stepped in front of her.

"Please stay back, Miss Kaya!" he urged with obvious concern. "There is clearly some kind of disturbance outside. It's far too dangerous for you to approach the window. Allow me to investigate what's going on."

The moment Kuro left the room, his gentle demeanor dissipated like the morning mist. Cold, murderous intent flashed in his eyes as he stalked through the corridors, his carefully maintained facade crumbling with each step.

That damned long-nosed brat again,' he growled. If he dares to interfere with my plans, I'll cut him to pieces!

He'd already contacted Jango that evening. Everything was going perfectly according to plan. Three years of meticulous preparation, three years of swallowing his pride and playing the role of a servant, all had led up to this moment. He wasn't going to let some village fool destroy everything he'd worked for.

But when Kuro followed the sounds of conflict to the front entrance, he discovered something far worse than a simple disturbance. Several guards lay unconscious on the ground, and standing beside Usopp was a face that made his blood run cold.

"You... who are you people?" he demanded, though his tone had a different quality now, the barely restrained menace of a predator recognizing a threat.

His gaze fixed on the straw-hatted teenager, and the realization hit him like a physical blow. "You're Monkey D. Luffy! The Straw Hat Pirate!"

The fifty million berry bounty flashed through his mind, but his attention quickly shifted to Usopp with renewed fury.

"I know exactly who you are, the village's notorious liar! I always thought you were just an attention-seeking kid, but now I see you've fallen in with pirates! You really are irredeemable trash!"

He turned to Merry, who stood frozen in shock among the fallen guards. "Mr. Merry! Contact the Marines immediately!"

Although both men served as household staff, Kuro's closer relationship with Kaya had gradually given him authority over the estate's operations.

"Y-yes, sir!" Merry stammered and turned back to the villa to make the call.

But before he could take more than a few steps, Akira's calm voice cut through the evening air.

"I wouldn't recommend letting Mr. Merry make that decision," he said with a slight smile that didn't reach his eyes. "After all, you wouldn't want your carefully hidden identity revealed to the world after three years of perfect deception..."

His smile widened as he delivered the killing blow.

"Would you, Captain Kuro of the Black Cat Pirates? The man they call 'Kuro of a Hundred Plans'?"

The name struck Kuro like lightning. His pupils constricted to pinpoints as shock and rage fought over his features. Even Merry, who had been about to call for help, stopped dead in her tracks. From her window above, Kaya gasped audibly as the conversation carried clearly through the still air.

'Impossible! Kuro's mind raced. How could they know my true identity? Did one of my old crew betray me? But I made sure they all believed I was dead!

Despite the chaos in his mind, years of practice allowed him to maintain his butler's facade. He clenched his fists behind his back, then forced them to relax as he struggled to regain control.

"I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about," he said with forced calm. "But if you pirates don't leave this property immediately, you'll find yourselves in a Navy prison cell!"

His defiance drew nothing but a contemptuous laugh from Akira.

"How fascinating! Even now you insist on maintaining this charade? Tell me, do you really believe your own lies at this point? Do you really think you've become a good person after years of playing dress-up?"

Akira stepped back and positioned himself protectively in front of his companions.

"Unfortunately, we don't have time to waste on your delusions."

He called over his shoulder without taking his eyes off Kuro. "Zoro! He's all yours!"

"Just be careful, this man's signature technique involves high-speed movement that rivals the Marine Soru technique. His speed is not to be underestimated."

"Oh?" Zoro's eyebrows raised in genuine interest as he studied their opponent with new appreciation. "There's actually someone in the East Blue who has developed moves at that level?"

Having experienced Soru firsthand during their encounters with Navy officers, Zoro understood exactly how devastating such speed could be in battle. Any pirate captain who had independently developed comparable techniques was worthy of respect.

But still..." his eyes gleamed with predatory excitement, "today I'm going to cut down a true master!

Drawing all three of his swords, Zoro flashed a challenging grin at Kuro.

"Hey! You're not the type to fight barehanded, are you? I'll give you a chance, have someone get your weapons so I can see..."

His smile turned wild with anticipation.

"...if you are skilled enough to help me perfect this technique!"