The raging storm surged toward the warship like a colossal beast pouncing on its prey.
Standing on the rain-swept deck, Kuro stared intently at the approaching tempest, his brow deeply furrowed.
His gaze pierced through the haze, fixed on the monstrous, unnatural currents wreaking havoc ahead.
The storm wasn't just a storm; it was an attack, aimed directly at the steel behemoth beneath his feet.
Kuro knew this warship was sturdy, but an inescapable unease lingered in his heart.
Even a vessel this powerful could suffer severe damage—or even sink—in the face of such a cataclysm.
If that happened, how would he, the one left in charge, face Mike?
He took a deep breath, a glint of hard-won resolve flashing in his eyes.
He could sense that this storm was not natural, that someone was controlling it.
But now was not the time for hesitation.
"No matter what," Kuro steeled himself, "I must protect this ship."
He lightly adjusted his glasses with his wrist, a habitual gesture that sharpened his focus.
"Besides..." Kuro muttered under his breath, a faint, dangerous smirk curling his lips.
"I am no longer the Black Cat I once was."
In the next instant, his figure erupted.
"Shade Shave!"
His body entered a peak state, his speed becoming a vibrating blur that left afterimages in its wake.
In the blink of an eye, he crossed the deck and launched himself into the air, soaring high and darting straight into the heart of the storm like a nimble panther.
"Panther Tempest!" Kuro roared, his legs kicking out in a rapid, blurring succession.
The air filled with razor-sharp vacuum blades, countless slashes of compressed air that shot toward the storm with ruthless momentum, seeking to shred it from the inside out.
"BOOM—!"
The storm and the air blades collided violently, the air quaking from the impact as a deafening explosion resounded.
Smoker watched intently from the docks.
Though he couldn't clearly see who had intercepted the storm, the Marine uniform was unmistakable in his eyes.
'To confront a storm like that head-on... such courage' he thought, a flicker of admiration in his chest.
'Must be one of Kizaru's elites.'
As for the idea that it could be one of the lazy brat Mike's men?
'Impossible. That slacker couldn't inspire this kind of loyalty. What a joke.'
Now, it was up to Dragon.
The Marine intercepting the storm was strong, but Smoker could tell he had given everything just to hold back that first assault.
The question was whether Dragon would press his attack.
Dragon seemed to sense Smoker's thoughts, his expression calm and unwavering.
Having already made his move, there was no turning back.
He swung his arm once more, and the storm instantly doubled in scale, the turbulent currents surging as if to swallow the entire sea.
"BOOM—!"
An even more colossal tempest surged forth, threatening to devour everything in its path.
Kuro hung in the drenched midair, facing the intensifying storm.
A strange, confident smile curled at the corners of his lips.
"I have grown so much stronger," he murmured.
The man standing here now was no longer the little black cat hunted by the Marines; he was the hunter in the eye of the storm.
'What's grown isn't just my strength... but my conviction.' He knew all this change stemmed from the unfathomable man who was likely enjoying a threesome somewhere warm and dry.
Captain Mike.
The man who had given him a new life, a new purpose, and the courage to face this.
'These days aboard the warship... have been the most stable I've had since I first became a pirate.'
'What I must do now... is protect everything that belongs to Captain Mike.'
At that moment, Kuro's resolve solidified.
"COME ON!" he roared furiously, his eyes blazing with a fighting spirit he hadn't felt in years.
"As long as I stand, this ship stands!"
"Panther... Divine Gun!"
He growled, concentrating all his strength and focus into his fingertips.
This was a skill derived from the Rokushiki technique "Shigan," refined into a rapid-fire barrage.
His index fingers thrust forward like pistons, unleashing a storm of piercing projectiles.
Countless focused shots of hardened air burst from his fingertips, a torrent of invisible bullets piercing through the violent storm.
The two forces collided violently in midair.
For a moment, the storm met the unstoppable barrage, and the atmosphere seemed to split apart in a series of ear-splitting explosions.
After a series of fierce collisions, the monstrous tempest finally began to dissipate.
A figure fell from the sky, a broken leaf abandoned by the wind.
Kuro who's covered in wounds, plummeted toward the sea, landing with a heavy booming sound that sent water splashing into the air.
He had protected the ship, but it had cost him everything.
Dragon coldly observed the scene, his eyes devoid of emotion.
Now, nothing could stop him from destroying the vessel!
"Dragon!"
Suddenly, Smoker's voice rang out.
He pulled out an already connected Den Den Mushi from his coat.
"Purupurupuru... purupurupuru... Katcha."
The sound instantly caught Dragon's attention.
He frowned, as a trace of unease rising in his heart.
"Hellooo?" A lazy, sleazy greeting came from the other end of the line, a voice that was instantly easily recognizable.
"Moshi moshi?"
"..."
Dragon's eyes widened.
His expression grew colder than the storm he recently unleashed.
"Admiral of the Marines—'Kizaru', Borsalino."
"Yo~" Kizaru's signature drawl came through the Den Den Mushi.
"It's been a while, Monkey D. Dragon." His voice, though lazy, carried a sudden, sharp edge.
"I heard you're planning to lay your hands on my precious adjutant... and my ship?"