Meowban Siblings

I felt a presence just outside the gate of the house, one I had grown to loathe. I told Kaya to fix herself up, and I did the same, tidying her bed and spraying the air freshener I had invented. We pretended to chat, and Kaya's attachment to me ensured the four-eyed snake wouldn't dare ask me to leave the house.

The snake, Kuro—also known as Klahadore by the residents of Syrupp Village—knocked on Kaya's door. After Kaya calmly acknowledged him to enter, he walked toward us with his usual calm, humble demeanor. But behind that mask of politeness, I sensed it: the cold intent in his aura, his desire to kill, conquer, and own this mansion. I didn't need my Observation Haki to feel the danger he radiated.

"Good afternoon, Miss Kaya," Kuro greeted, bowing slightly. "I trust you're feeling well today?"

Kaya smiled warmly. "Thank you, Klahadore. Usopp was telling me more of his stories."

Kuro's eyes flicked toward me, and I saw the slightest glint of malice in them. He hid it well, but I knew what an annoyed glance looked like.

"Miss Kaya, I regret to inform you of tragic news," Kuro said, his voice steady though there was a sinister undertone. "Your loyal servant Merry… has been found dead."

The words hit Kaya like a punch. Her hand flew to her mouth, and her eyes widened in shock and disbelief. "M-Merry? What happened?!"

Kuro's gaze fell upon me, cold and calculating. "It appears… that a long-nosed masked man was seen fleeing the scene."

"What?!" Kaya's voice cracked, her gaze snapping at me, filled with confusion and hurt. "There is no way…!"

For a moment, I sat frozen, stunned by the news. Merry wasn't dead in the manga, and my Observation Haki covered fifty kilometers—enough to monitor the mansion daily and span the entirety of Syrupp Village. Where had this bastard killed him? I quickly regained my composure. Kaya's safety was of utmost importance right now. The snake was playing fast, and I needed to react even quicker. I looked to Kaya to gauge her reaction. She was in disbelief but still trusted me.

Kuro interrupted. "Miss Kaya, have you heard the news recently?" He produced a folded newspaper from his jacket pocket, unfolded it, and showed it to Kaya. There was a picture of me wearing my ghost mask, with a big fire in the background and the words "The Ghost of East Blue Strikes Again" in big, bold letters.

Kaya gingerly took the newspaper and read it silently. I placed my hands gently on her right shoulder.

I fixed my gaze on Kuro. He knew I was the Ghost of East Blue, but his pride made him underestimate me.

Kaya finished reading and searched my eyes, doubt flickering in them. I looked back at her, daring her to accuse me. She looked down and took a deep breath. "Let's not disrespect Merry's memory. And Klahadore, do not accuse someone without all the evidence."

Unlike in the original timeline, I felt relieved that Kaya still trusted me over him. But I couldn't believe how quickly things were unraveling. Kuro planned to frame me and knew the Ghost was related to me. It was a nightmare trying to hide my distinctive nose. Still, he underestimated what I could do, probably because I was just a teenager while Kuro was a seasoned pirate.

Fortunately, this Kuro lived up to his moniker. He didn't resort to confrontation; he wanted Kaya to doubt me, to push me out of her life with his myriad plans.

"Miss Kaya," Kuro said, his voice firm, "as your humble servant, I suggest you pay more attention to whom you trust in…"

Kaya glared at Kuro and said heatedly, "Enough, Klahadore! I need to speak with Usopp. Privately!"

Kuro bowed slightly, and I could see a flicker of silent rage grow on his face, which I found satisfying.

***

Kuro underestimated me. He thought I was still the same Usopp from the manga—the weak, scared, and overly deceitful Usopp. While I still had my share of lies and a bit of a tendency to be a scaredy-cat, I was also brimming with plans.

I followed him as he walked silently through the village and into the woods. My Haki sensed that Kuro was agitated and angry. He moved swiftly past the villagers' houses until he reached the path leading into the woods.

The woods surrounding Syrup Village were dense, filled with foliage and tall trees. A few meters down the worn pathway, I noticed smoke curling up deep within the forest. As I trailed Kuro, I found numerous animal carcasses scattered across the forest floor.

I heard loud arguments and hissed between males and females. I activated my Observation Haki, stretching my senses to map out every branch and leaf around me. I could feel their presence—Kuro's underlings, the Nyaban Siblings. One of them seemed annoyed, while the other showed no emotion at all. Judging by the remnants of their stay, they had been camped here for some time. They had positioned themselves just outside the range of my Observation Haki.

I quietly moved between the trees until I came across Kuro, who was yelling at someone for arguing. The man was large and round, with bald spots and chestnut-colored hair that pointed upwards at the ends. The girl was cute, with short blue hair and a mole above her left mouth.

This was one of the notable differences I discovered in this alternative One Piece world. Unlike in the manga, the Nyaban siblings were not men. Instead, they consisted of the round man and the charming girl, who had a girl-next-door appearance and wore cat-inspired attire. If I heard correctly, her name was Sham.

The woman appeared to take charge while the man followed her instructions without question. I waited in one of the trees as Kuro scolded them continuously.

I looked around and began to throw my compact sticky net in all directions.

I set a pressure-triggered compact sticky net on the ground. It was a small net, about the size of a marble, that would activate if someone stepped on it. My custom crossbow was loaded with various types of ammunition, including oil bomb bolts, smoke bolts, and special projectiles designed to disorient and incapacitate people through electric shock.

I set the traps. The stage was ready.

I climbed one of the tallest trees and crouched among the branches, steadying my breath. I checked my ghost mask—it was still firmly in place. As I looked out, the moonlight barely penetrated the thick canopy, casting shadows over the forest floor.

I shot an oil bolt at their tent, setting it ablaze. I fired numerous smoke bolts around them, creating a dense cloud of smoke.

They ran. 

Kuro attempted to use his flash step but halted when he nearly collided with a large tree.

I saw Sham step onto a compact sticky net from my vantage point.

A net shot up from the ground, trapping her mid-stride. Her green eyes widened in shock as she was yanked off her feet and fell onto the forest floor.

"What the —?!"

Before Buchi could react, I shot a slim black bolt from my crossbow, which whistled through the air and exploded into a cloud of thick, choking smoke right in front of him.

"Argh! Can't… see!" Buchi waved his arms, trying to dispel the smoke.

But I wasn't done. My sense of smell told me what Buchi felt now. I launched another projectile—a small oil bolt—at his feet. The slick oil spread across the ground, and  Buchi slipped, crashing down hard. I then shot my electric bolts at him. The electric shock left him disoriented and confused.

I heard Sham screaming at him to wake up, and I felt fear coming from her heart.

I climbed from the trees and walked silently into them, ensuring no one else was nearby. I wore my Ghost persona with a faceless mask and camouflage clothes. I shot Buchi with another electric bolt for assurance and watched Sham wriggling in the sticky net.

It was too late when she realized the net tightened as she moved. The battle was mine.

"Let go! You are a scoundrel! What did you do to my foolish brother?" Sham shouted furiously.

I looked at Sham a little closer. She was attractive, with a small button nose, wild green eyes, and short hair that was a greenish-blue color. If I plan to go to North Blue, I need some hands-on my ship. Me alone couldn't do much, but keeping a psychopath unrestrained on my boat would be unwise. So, I needed to make her obedient.

"What are you looking at, you long-nosed rapist! Wait, do you plan to rape me?  Ah! Buchi! Wake up! This scary long-nosed guy wanted to rape me!"

I Ignored Sham's plea and pulled my worn journal from my back pocket. As I flipped through the pages, I saw sketches of airships, wind trap bolts, and a knowledge pill. I continued turning the pages until I found something intriguing: a static neck leash—a neck leash that would charge a dense electric current if the wearer didn't obey my words. I analyzed the blueprint and reviewed the materials required to construct it. I could complete that in three days.

I closed the journal and put it back in my pocket, raising my crossbow at Sam.

"Wait! Do you want to shoot me at this range? Wait, you would have destroyed my pretty face! Please! Have mercy!"

I shot her right on her forehead. 

With a blunt projectile, of course. I needed her to stay pretty. 😏

Two down. Now for Kuro himself.