Feeling despair

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Usopp couldn't believe it. The story he had just made up was happening right before his eyes.

He had to warn Kaya!

With that thought, Usopp turned and ran, screaming at the top of his lungs, "Kaya—!"

But before he could finish, he felt a sharp pain as Captain Kuro's Cat Claw blades pierced his chest.

The bloodied claws glistened, and the searing pain shot through Usopp's body, threatening to overwhelm him. Darkness started to cloud his vision, beckoning him to give in.

But now? Now of all times, he couldn't back down. Not again.

He had always dreamed of becoming a brave warrior of the sea. He had spent so long being timid—if this was his final stand, so be it. He would face it with courage.

"Kaya… run!!!"

His desperate, anguished cry echoed through the area, sending chills down the spines of anyone who heard it.

Determined to buy even a moment for Kaya, Usopp gritted his teeth and threw himself backward, forcing Kuro's claws deeper into his body but causing the assassin to stumble and fall.

Kuro, momentarily caught off guard, was pushed to the ground.

But Usopp's cry reached Kaya and her parents, who had just stepped outside their home.

Wiping the blood from his claws, Kuro adjusted his glasses with a calm but menacing demeanor. "Well, it seems my cover has been blown. I have no choice now—I'll kill you all."

His cold gaze landed on Kaya's parents.

Usopp, gravely injured but unrelenting, used every ounce of his remaining strength to grab Kuro's ankle with his bloodied hand. "I… won't… let you touch Kaya!"

Kaya, pale and trembling, descended the stairs just in time to see Kuro's true nature exposed. The kind demeanor he had shown was gone, replaced by an icy, murderous aura.

She froze in place. Her legs felt as though they were made of lead, refusing to move no matter how much she willed them.

Kuro sneered, stepping on Usopp's hand with cruel force, crushing it mercilessly. He then began walking toward Kaya and her parents, dragging his Cat Claws across the ground. The metallic screech was like the sound of death itself.

With an evil grin, Kuro raised his blades high, the sunlight gleaming off their sharp edges. In a flash, blood splattered as he slashed Kaya's parents, their bodies collapsing to the ground.

Kaya was paralyzed with terror, unable to even scream.

Kuro smirked. "Blame that long-nosed brat. If he hadn't interfered, you'd have had a little more time."

Kaya watched helplessly as Kuro raised his claws once more, aiming directly for her.

Meanwhile, Roja and Zoro were racing toward Kaya's location.

A hoarse cry caught Roja's attention, and he instantly pinpointed the direction. His legs turned into a blur of motion as he launched himself forward with Soru.

Zoro, trailing behind, felt a gust of wind and saw cracks forming in the ground where Roja had just been.

"Is this the power of a Marine Admiral?" Zoro muttered, stunned by the sheer force.

At Kaya's house, Kuro's claws descended toward Kaya.

But before the blades could strike, a metallic clang rang out. Roja had appeared, his arm clad in Armament Haki, effortlessly blocking Kuro's attack.

The force shattered Kuro's right Cat Claw, fragments scattering across the ground.

Roja's white Marine coat fluttered as he stepped in front of Kaya, shielding her from harm. His sharp gaze surveyed the scene—blood everywhere, Usopp on the ground, and Kaya's parents lying motionless.

A dark aura exploded from Roja as his fury erupted.

"Kuro of a Hundred Plans," Roja growled, his voice ice-cold. "You've made me angry."

Thunder rumbled above as dark clouds gathered, the sky mirroring Roja's rage.

"You'll pay for this."

In a flash, Roja delivered a devastating kick, sending Kuro flying hundreds of meters.

But Roja wasn't done. Using Soru, he reappeared behind Kuro before the assassin could recover.

Roja's finger, reinforced with Armament Haki, pierced Kuro's body at blinding speed, striking repeatedly in rapid succession. Blood sprayed with each hit, and Kuro's agonized screams filled the air.

When Roja finally stopped, Kuro collapsed to his knees, coughing blood. He tried to steady himself with his remaining claw, wiping his mouth.

"You… forced me to do this," Kuro rasped. "Once I unleash my ultimate move, no one here will survive!"

"Shakushi!"

Kuro began moving at incredible speed, leaving claw marks on the ground, trees, and walls around him. His erratic movement was an indiscriminate flurry of death.

Kaya screamed, "Be careful!"

But Roja stood unfazed, his eyes narrowing. "I'm not in the mood for games."

In an instant, Roja appeared behind Kuro, his Observation Haki easily tracking the assassin's movements.

"Enough."

With a single motion, Roja grabbed Kuro by the head and slammed him into the ground. The force created a massive shockwave, leaving the ground cracked and trees shattered in a hundred-meter radius.

Zoro arrived just in time to see the aftermath. Time seemed to freeze as he stared at the destruction Roja had wrought.

Kuro, who once seemed invincible, now lay motionless, defeated as easily as swatting a fly.

Zoro muttered in disbelief, "So this is the power of a Marine Admiral… It's on a whole other level."

Even Jango, watching from the shadows, felt his worldview shatter.

"This… this is terrifying," Jango stammered. "The captain didn't even stand a chance. Is this what it means to face a Marine Admiral?"

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