Kuro, the former captain of the Black Cat Pirates, had a plan.
Three years ago, after being saved by Kaya's parents, he repaid their kindness by murdering them.
Now, disguised as a harmless butler, he was patiently waiting for the right moment to kill Kaya and steal her family's fortune.
~
Led by the three village kids, Ray and the others arrived at Kaya's mansion just in time to see Usopp being thrown out by the butler, Klahadore—who was, of course, Captain Kuro in disguise.
After the butler insulted his father, Usopp lost his temper and punched him to the ground.
That's when things got tense.
~
"All of you, get out of this mansion immediately! We don't welcome pirates here!" Klahadore barked, dusting himself off.
Luffy and Zoro weren't surprised.
Most normal people hated pirates.
But then, Chouchou started barking ferociously at the butler.
Klahadore recoiled in disgust.
"What are the guards doing?! Why is there a filthy mutt in the garden? Someone get rid of it now!"
A few servants, knowing how much their "butler" hated dogs, rushed forward to shoo Chouchou away.
Just as they got close, Chouchou let out a furious roar.
His body instantly swelled, transforming into a massive white dog, five meters long and three meters tall.
A terrifying, demonic energy rolled off him, sending the servants screaming and running for their lives.
"Monster!"
Even Kaya was frightened, hiding behind Usopp, whose own legs were trembling uncontrollably.
Luffy, Zoro, and Nami, having seen Chouchou's true form before, weren't scared at all.
…
A moment later, only the Straw Hats, the butler, Usopp, and Kaya were left.
Captain Kuro adjusted his glasses with the palm of his hand, forcing himself to stay calm.
Suppressing the intense discomfort he felt around dogs, he turned to Kaya with a look of feigned concern.
"Young mistress, don't be afraid. Come over here."
Zoro's eyes narrowed.
A normal butler would be freaking out right now.
How could this guy be so calm after seeing Chouchou transform? Not only that, Zoro could feel a sharp killing intent coming from the butler—aimed right at the giant dog.
This guy isn't just unafraid, Zoro thought. He wants to kill Chouchou.
He turned to Luffy.
"Luffy, this butler is bad news."
"Yeah, he's way too calm," Luffy agreed.
Having been trained by Garp since he was a kid, he'd fought plenty of giant beasts.
Even he wouldn't have been as composed as this butler. Calmness like that came from confidence in your own strength.
A guy who could get knocked down by Usopp but wasn't fazed by Chouchou was definitely not normal.
Ray, on the other hand, knew exactly why Chouchou was so hostile. The second he'd laid eyes on the butler, who reeked of a cat's aura, he'd wanted to kill him too. As much as he hated to admit it, he now had the instincts of a Dog Demon, and that meant he instinctively hated anything cat-related.
Well, thanks to Chouchou, I don't have to force this guy to show his hand, Ray thought. I'll just give him one more little push.
"The way you adjust your glasses reminds me of someone," Ray said, his voice cutting through the tension. "Captain Kuro of the Black Cat Pirates. The one the Marines supposedly executed three years ago."
The moment Ray spoke, Captain Kuro's entire body tensed, and a drop of sweat trickled down his forehead.
…
The atmosphere grew even stranger.
Though Kuro's reaction was subtle, both Zoro and Usopp caught it. As a frequent follower of pirate news, Usopp knew the name Captain Kuro well.
And the timing… Kuro was "executed" right around the same time "Klahadore" showed up at the mansion.
It was all too suspicious.
Whether he is or isn't, Usopp thought, steeling his resolve, I have to protect Kaya.
He stood firmly in front of her, even though his legs were still shaking.
…
After a moment, the butler regained his composure.
He smiled and told Kaya not to believe a word these pirates were saying.
But Kaya was a smart and sensitive person; she had already seen his reaction, and a seed of doubt had been planted in her mind.
Ray knew dragging this out would get them nowhere. He looked at Chouchou and gave a simple command.
"Go."
Without hesitation, Chouchou lunged at the butler, his massive claws swiping through the air.
That thing is trying to kill me! Kuro thought, his survival instincts taking over. I have no choice!
In an instant, the frail old butler vanished.
He reappeared several meters away, having moved with superhuman speed.
His terrifying, almost invisible movement shocked everyone.
"Was the butler always that fast?" Luffy asked Usopp.
"No way," Usopp said, his suspicions now confirmed. "If he was that fast before, my punch never would have landed."
Seeing his speed, even Kaya could no longer deny the truth.
"Klahadore… what was that?" she questioned, her voice trembling.
Kuro knew the jig was up.
His mind raced as he dodged another one of Chouchou's attacks.
The dog is strong, he analyzed, but it's not as fast as I am. I can beat it. But those three behind it… they're not normal. I should retreat for now, gather my crew, and come back. Kaya's fortune will be mine!
A sinister smile spread across his face. He activated his signature technique, the Silent Step, and vanished from sight.
Zoro glanced at Ray. "You're not going after him?"
Ray just smiled faintly. "He'll be back," he said. "And when he does… you guys can handle him."
Luffy didn't question it. If Ray said Kuro was coming back, then he was coming back.
He just laughed. "Haha, no problem! I've been wanting to test out my new training anyway!"
"Good," Ray added. "And let Chouchou get some more practice in."
Luffy agreed instantly. He was curious to see what else the giant dog could do.