A faint, wet gurgle escaped the butler's lips as he crumpled.
"Tch... What the hell is that idiot Jango doing... Why isn't the ship here...!"
"Waiting to meet someone?" a voice called out.
"You... and Miss Kaya?!"
The irritated Klahadore spun around. There stood Luffy, and beside him, Kaya—dressed in Makino's clothes.
With the powers of the Tag-Tag Fruit, Luffy had adjusted the fit and erased any lingering traces of cum, leaving no outward sense of wrongness.
"Miss Kaya, why are you here? You should be resting in the mansion..."
"She was having a girls' night with my crew yesterday," Luffy interjected smoothly. "We were just about to escort her back when we spotted you."
It wasn't a complete lie. It had indeed been a "girls' night," albeit a completely naked one. Only the precise reason for Kaya slipping out of the mansion remained unspoken.
"So, what are you up to? Waiting for someone named Jango?"
"...Yes, something of the sort," Klahadore replied, his tone guarded.
"Huh. Funny thing. I heard that name from Commodore Purin-Purin of the Marines just yesterday."
The moment Luffy mentioned knowing Jango, the air around Klahadore shifted. Kaya felt the sharp, knife-edge tension prickle against her skin, and unconsciously, she clutched the hem of Luffy's shirt.
"Yesterday, the Marines captured the crew of the Black Cat Pirates in these very waters. They were transporting other pirates, had an escort ship, plenty of firepower—so rounding up the officers and underlings was easy. But they couldn't find the captain. The Commodore asked us to keep an eye out."
"..."
"The captain's name, apparently, is Jango."
"Klahadore...?" Kaya's voice was small, confused.
A furtive meeting with a pirate captain, it didn't align with the image of the loyal butler she thought she knew.
"Oh, and there was one other interesting tidbit," Luffy continued.
"That Jango is the second captain. The original was supposedly captured and executed three years ago."
"Eh...?"
That number of years hit her like a physical blow. Because the man standing before her had come into service at the mansion exactly three years ago. So much so that Kaya had specially prepared commemorative glasses to mark the anniversary.
"...What are you implying? That I am this 'original' captain?"
"Yeah. Did I not say it clearly enough? Captain Kuro."
The instant that name crossed Luffy's lips, Klahadore—no, Kuro—fixed them with a feral, predatory glare.
"Then you leave me no choice. Nothing personal... but for the sake of my plan, DIE!"
"—!!"
In a flash, Kuro closed the distance, his five-bladed glove slashing down in a deadly arc. A normal human wouldn't have been able to even track the movement with their eyes.
Clang.
"Ah, bunneh—"
"WHAT—!?"
The blades that should have sliced through flesh went flying. It was as if he'd struck solid rock; the recoil shuddered up his arm. Not a single scratch marred Luffy's body.
"You... what did you do...!"
"Who knows... Nah, I'll tell you. I ate the Tag-Tag Fruit. I'm an Information Human."
"Tag... Information...?"
As Luffy revealed his ability, Kuro's face twisted in suspicion. Luffy picked up a stone from the ground, muttered "Paste," and it transformed into a small, functional knife right in his palm.
"I can give information to objects and change their form. Like turning a rock into a knife. For reference, this 'fabric' I'm wearing was originally a steel plate. Maybe a masterwork blade could cut it, but cheap junk strapped to a glove? Not a chance."
"...A Devil Fruit, I see. I'm surprised, though. Didn't expect you to reveal your hand so easily."
Revealing one's trump card in combat was a mark of either overwhelming confidence or sheer stupidity. Luffy was neither. He'd shown his power but kept his guard up, eyes fixed intently on Kuro.
"Yeah, well. In exchange, I want you to tell me two things."
"...What things?"
Luffy hadn't divulged his ability to show off. It was a trade—a way to wring answers out of Kuro.
"You served as Kaya's butler for three years. Were you... planning this from the very start? Did you get close to her just for this?"
"...A foolish question. A naive, sheltered little girl is easily deceived with a few sweet words. The proof is that, until this very moment, she never once suspected me."
"...Kuraha... doll..."
Hearing the true heart of one of her most trusted servants, Kaya felt her own heart crumbling into pieces.
She had never truly hated anyone in her life, and now she didn't even know what to do with the anger. A sorrow no less painful than losing her parents overwhelmed her, and tears spilled freely down her cheeks.
"One more question," Luffy said, his voice hardening. "Those blades of yours... they've got blood on them."
Kuro seemed to notice it himself just then. He looked at the fresh blood slicking the blades of his right hand, and a laugh bubbled up from the depths of his twisted soul, his mouth warping into a hideous grin.
"Kukuku... Ah, yes. This."
"If killing Kaya was your goal... that blood belongs to someone who got in your way. Someone from the mansion."
"!!!"
Luffy's words made Kaya realize with dawning horror that someone in her household had already fallen victim to Kuro's claws. And then she remembered.
She had given the entire staff a day off at Klahadore's suggestion, to celebrate his three-year anniversary. All except one. Merry, who had served the household since before she was born, had remained to manage things in case of emergency.
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