Chapter 31 – Final Fight
Later that night, Usopp led everyone to the coast. "We should wait for the pirates here. I'll set up a few traps before they arrive."
I waved him off lazily. "Yeah, yeah… you guys handle that. I'm going to take a nap. Wake me up when the real action starts…"
With the waves gently crashing nearby, I lay down and drifted into a deep, peaceful sleep in seconds.
When I finally opened my eyes again, the sky was already bright. For a moment, I stared blankly at the clouds.
"Where am I? Who am I?"
A second later, my brain finally rebooted. I sat up and realized the horrifying truth—everyone was gone.
From somewhere far away, faint shouting reached my ears. I immediately activated my Observation Haki, spreading my senses across the whole island. As soon as I picked up their presence, I sprinted toward the location where the battle had already begun.
"Damn it, Usopp! That unreliable idiot must've picked the wrong coast!" I growled while running. "And they seriously didn't bother to wake me up?"
I clicked my tongue.
"Hope the fight's not over yet… I haven't even shown off my cool moves to impress Kaya."
…
…
[Scene Change]
At the fighting scene, the battle was still raging. Lily was already bleeding, her clothes torn, and Kuro's lightning-fast slash nearly cut her again.
The moment I sensed Lily was injured, I flashed beside Kuro in an instant and drove my fist straight into his face. My punch sent him flying like a ragdoll.
BOOM!
The ground trembled from the impact, and every pirate nearby froze in pure disbelief. When the dust cleared, Kuro was sprawled across the dirt. He was twitching and shouting in pain.
"This can't be real, right? That kid just punched Captain Kuro away?"
"No way… Nobody can even follow Captain Kuro's speed, let alone hit him!"
"Who the hell is that monster?!"
After landing the blow, I turned toward Lily and smirked. "Hey, Lily. You've been training nonstop, and you still can't keep up with that kind of speed?"
Before Lily could snap back, Kuro slowly pushed himself up, trembling with rage. "Who… who are you? My speed is so fast even I can barely control it. You just got lucky! Don't get cocky!"
He arrogantly slicked back his hair, trying to look composed.
I didn't bother replying. I simply coated my arm in armament haki, tracked him with observation haki, and threw my next punch.
Punch…!
BOOOOM!!
My fist landed squarely on his face again. This time, Kuro wasn't so lucky—he was blasted through several trees before finally crashing somewhere deep in the forest. Whether he was alive or not… even I wasn't sure.
The surrounding pirates stood frozen in shock. Their minds were completely blank as they watched their captain fall from a single hit.
"This isn't real… right?"
"I… I must be dreaming."
"Holy shit. Is that kid even human?"
Even Nami was stunned.
'He beat a pirate worth 16 million with a single punch… Then defeating Arlong shouldn't be impossible for him, right?'
That small spark of hope in her heart suddenly turned into a blazing fire of anticipation.
But Lily was definitely not happy.
"Alex! He was my opponent! You ruined my fight!!!"
"Sorry, sorry," I said quickly. "I got excited and didn't control my strength. How about I let you fight first next time?"
"Whatever… just don't do that again."
She pouted but didn't argue further.
The nervous whispers of the pirates filled the air, but I ignored all of them. With the biggest threat gone, the rest didn't matter.
I left the remaining small fry to Lily, Kuina, and Usopp. Of course, Nami and Usopp stayed back—those two were never the frontline fighters. The real work was handled by the monster duo.
Within a few minutes, the battle was completely over.
…
…
Although the fight ended quickly, it had been loud enough to wake the entire village. Lily, of course, had not bothered to keep anything silent.
When the villagers realized that real pirates had attacked and that Usopp had been telling the truth all along, no one knew what to say.
The most devastated among them was Kaya. In a single day, she discovered that the butler she trusted the most was actually a pirate in disguise who planned to kill her for her inheritance.
She felt heartbroken, betrayed, relieved, and grateful all at once.
Most of all, she was deeply moved by my actions. I hadn't only protected her—I had saved the entire village by defeating the Black Cat Pirates. In her eyes, I looked exactly like the brave hero from Usopp's stories. And honestly, in this world shaped by the goddess for me, it wasn't surprising.
Women in this world were naturally perverted and always searching for an excuse to fall in love. Kaya was no different.
She was already looking at me with sparkling eyes, seeing me as her savior… maybe even the man she wanted to marry. I didn't need Observation Haki to know her heart—I could see everything clearly in her gaze. She was already captivated. All I had to do was give her a gentle push, and she'd be mine completely.
Kaya walked toward me and the others with a mix of shyness and gratitude.
"Mr. Alex," she said softly. "Thank you for exposing and defeating the Black Cat Pirates. If not for you… our whole village would have suffered."
"Hehe… there's no need to thank me, Miss Kaya," I replied with a smile. "Anyone would've done the same for a beautiful lady like you. And please—just call me Alex. 'Mister Alex' sounds too distant."
"Alright… Alex," she said, cheeks slightly red. "You must be tired from the fight. How about this? Please come to the mansion. I'd like to show you proper hospitality—and thank the heroes with a celebration."
"OHHH!! Party!! Party!! Party!! Let's go! Party!! Party!!" Lily shouted before I could even answer.
And with that, our group headed toward the mansion, leaving the villagers to handle the cleanup of the pirates.
…
…
Everyone took their seats at the long dining table. Moments later, four servants entered the hall, each pushing a cart stacked with dishes. They began placing the plates in front of me and the girls with practiced grace.
But the moment a plate landed in front of Lily, she devoured everything in a single second. Not even a crumb survived. She looked straight at the servant with impatience.
"More food!! Keep it coming!!"
Kaya blinked in disbelief before turning to her servants. "Please prepare more dishes and serve them to our guests. Also prepare the party for the villagers too."
The servants hurried back and forth nonstop. Every minute, new plates arrived, and every minute, Lily cleared them like a hungry monster.
Kaya watched the scene with wide eyes. She was unable to comprehend how someone so cute and slim girl like Lily could eat like a bottomless pit.
This madness continued until Lily's stomach was swollen in a perfectly round dome. She sighed happily and rubbed her belly.
"I'm full. That was a very good meal."
Every chef and servant looked exhausted, as if they had just finished a week-long festival. Their collective expression was basically the same thought: 'How does she eat so much? And how does she stay that slim?!'
Meanwhile, the party was in full swing.
Lily kept eating like it was the end of the world after some time.
Kuina was sitting calmly while sipping sake with a faint blush on her cheeks.
Usopp was stuffing his face while bragging loudly to Kaya about how he "fought the entire Black Cat Pirates with one hand tied behind his back."
The atmosphere grew livelier as more villagers arrived to join the celebration. Laughter echoed through the hall, cups clinked, and the scent of food filled every corner.
People drank until their cheeks turned red, and the party grew even more chaotic and fun. But in the middle of all the noise, no one noticed one thing.
At some point, Nami and Alex had quietly slipped away from the hall.