Changes.

"H-he…HE REALLY HIT CAPTAIN KURO!!!" Pirates.

"What? Is that all you've got?" Luffy.

"Usopp's pirate crew…REPORTING FOR DUTY!!!" The kids.

The trio slammed pans, shovels and staffs towards Kuro's body, dealing more damage to him.

Kuro gets up, scaring the kids, and kicks Usopp in the face.

"That punch you gave me was quite nice, you must've eaten a devil fruit, right?" Kuro.

"Yeah, the Gum-Gum fruit." Luffy.

'Just you wait till you know the real name of your fruit.' Kaizo.

"Jango! Follow the plan, Hypnotize Kaya and make…" Kuro's words were interrupted when Kaizo appeared behind Jango and knocked him out.

"Now, I hope you have a plan B for this type of scenario." Kaizo smirked sarcastically.

Kuro was enraged by Kaizo's actions and tries to attack him but Luffy interferes.

A fast kick pushes Kuro back and Luffy gets in front of Kaizo.

"I know you didn't need my help but, let me finish this guy by myself." Luffy.

"Aye, aye Captain." Kaizo disappeared and took the kids and Kaya.

"Luffy! Beat the shit out of that stray cat!" Kaizo yelled while carrying the kids and Kaya.

"Of course!" Luffy.

"What about me?" Zoro asked since he just finished his battle against Sham and Buchi.

"Same thing." Luffy.

"Fine, good luck." Zoro left passing right besides Kuro.

"Who gave you the right to leave?" Kuro prepares to pursue Zoro but he is stopped by Luffy.

"They've got mine!" Luffy sends another punch against Kuro but this time he dodges it.

"Another one!" Luffy retracts his body to his arm and tries to punch Kuro but he vanishes.

Luffy senses the killing intent in his back and dodges Kuro's attack by crouching. Luffy then gets on his hands and prepares a powerful kick.

[Gomu-Gomu No: Yari/Spear!]

Luffy puts his soles together and tries to kick Kuro but he evades again.

"Damn! He got away again! Well, whatever, Kaizo is more than enough to keep him at bay anyway." Luffy.

"Before continuing I want to ask something. How could a foreigner like yourself be involved in something like this?" Kuro.

"Hehe. Because I found a guy here that I don't want to see dead." Luffy.

"Sounds simple but, is it really a good idea? That'll be the cause of your death!" Kuro.

"That's fine. But I'm not going to die!" Luffy.

"I'll show you your death!" Kuro.

Kuro dashes towards Luffy but Luffy extends his arms and catches his shoulders. Kuro then moves his shoulders so that Luffy get stamped on the floor. Luffy quickly prepares his counter.

[Gomu-Gomu No: Muchi/Whip!]

Kuro evades jumping but Luffy has his next attack ready.

[Pistol!]

Luffy's attack misses again and is shocked after seeing Kuro standing on his arm.

"I'm getting bored. I'm glad you're the one I'm facing instead of that blue-haired brat friend of yours. He was more of a challenge than you." Kuro.

"Aren't you practically saying that you enjoyed having your ass kicked by Kaizo?" Luffy.

Kuro got mad and tried to cut Luffy's arm but he retracted it fast enough. Kuro gets behind Luffy and smashes his face against one of the cliffs.

"Hey, that guy in the straw hat is pretty strong, right?"

"Yes, but he's no match for captain Kuro."

"That's our captain."

"Captain Kuro!!!"

"Don't call me with that name!" Kuro.

"¿?"

"Don't you guys get it? My plan was to get rid of the name 'Captain Kuro' once and for all! I'm already tired of it, tired of having to plan everything for you gang of simpletons! Tired of having those dogs of the government chasing me for my reward! I can't stand it anymore!" Kuro remembers how he faked his death.

He left a money-grubbing marine alive and dressed a crewmate to look like him. Then, Jango hypnotized him into admitting his crimes as Captain Kuro. After his death, Kuro was finally able to escape the pursuit of the marines and live a calm live like he wanted.

"Once the plan comes to fruition, my objective will be completed. I'll have money and calmness to live peacefully for the rest of my life. Do you get what I'm saying, boy? No matter what you do, this three-year long plan will not fail! My plans never fail!" Kuro.

Kuro dashed towards Luffy to slash him, Luffy predicted the attack with his now awakened Observation Haki and used a big stone to block the attack.

"Seems that you only know how to stretch!" Kuro.

"Of course, I've trained a lot, to become a pirate!" Luffy breaks Kuro's claws.

"What did you say again? If you so scared of having your head wanted, then you were never qualified to become a pirate in the first place!" Luffy smashes the rock on Kuro's body.

"If you want to compare ambitions then…mine is bigger than yours!" Luffy.

(Meanwhile with Kaya)

Everyone was in the forest area near Usopp's secret base. Zoro got lost like Nemo and no one knows where he is.

"This should be far enough to prevent Kuro from pursuing us." Kaizo spoke as he lies down beside a rock.

"Kurahadol…" Kaya.

"Kaya…he's… "Usopp.

"I KNOW! I-I know it, he's been deceiving my family for years, gaining our trust and now is just throwing all the affection we had for him down the trash just because of being a pirate." Kaya began to cry.

"Yeah, he did." Kaizo.

"Oi, Kaizo. You should handle these subjects delicately." Nami whispered.

"And then what? Would her pain decrease? Or will she feel relieved that at least she didn't die? Being frank, situations like this can only be solved in one way, facing them head on!" Kaizo.

"But, but Miss Kaya's health." Piiman.

"That's right, you better treat her feelings carefully." Ninjin.

"Or else the captain won't forgive you for that!" Tamanegi.

Usopp and Kaya get flustered but Kaizo doesn't care.

"Health doesn't have anything to do about it, it's about the truth and its consequences. I'll put an example, let's say that an old man wants to talk to his son, however, said son died years ago in an accident, the family doesn't want to tell the old man the truth due to his health. Years passed and the old man was tricked by talking through the phone with a man that had a similar voice."

"The old man lies in his hospital bed, ready to die and it's saddened that his son never went to visit him once, the family never told him the truth and he died believing that his son didn't love him."

"Now, in the presented situation, was it bad that the family didn't tell the old man about his son or, would've been worst if the family had said the truth?" Kaizo.

Everyone was stunned, even Nami who doesn't pry into these types of matters.

"See what I mean, from my point of view, the old man deserved to know what happened to his beloved son, however, there are some that will claim that keeping him in the blue about what happened was the right decision."

"The same is with you, Kaya. You can live knowing the truth or, you can sink in your own reality where you deceive yourself about what's happening." Kaizo.

There was a moment of silence before Kaya spoke.

"You are…right Kaizo-san, all this time…I…just wanted to believe in him. All those moments, were very precious memories that I enjoyed remembering every time I felt alone. And now, the person that was in most of those memories *SNIFF* *SNIFF* was lying all along…it really hurts." Kaya spoke while crying.

"Life…can be shit sometimes but, when you stop thinking about the bad that happened to you, you can focus on the good. You have friends on this island, people whose emotions and thoughts towards you are genuine, I'm sure the big nose over there thinks the same, he's just a bit of a coward to say it only to his crush. HAHAHA!" Kaizo.

"OI! KAIZO!" Usopp yelled at Kaizo all embarrassed.

"Thanks, Kaizo-san:" Kaya.

"Just call me Kaizo, the Vice-Captain of the Straw Hat Pirates!" Kaizo.

"Now that I think about it. Why are you a pirate?" Kaya.

"Heh? Why I became a pirate? Who knows. This world is so vast and beautiful that…I guess I wanted to explore it my way, regardless of any type of law I may break while doing it." Kaizo.

"That sounds a little irresponsible." Nami.

"Well, as long as I don't kill or hurt anyone, everything will be A OK." Kaizo gives Nami a thumbs up.

"Yeah. You think Luffy can defeat Kuro?" Nami asked Kaizo with hope in her eyes.

'Would you look at that, the Cat Burglar is finally opening her heart to Luffy, huh?' Kaizo.

"Luffy…is a person that never goes back on his words. He treasures the people that he forms a bond with, and does as much as he can to help them, as long as they ask of course. One day you will understand it...…" Kaizo stands up and begins to stretch a bit.

"The reason why Luffy is my captain is not due to his strength nor leadership, but rather, the fact that he will always have your back."

'Even if he wasn't there…he helped others as well.' Kaizo looks at Nami with a sincere expression and begins to walk towards the north coast.

At the same time, Zoro miraculously arrives.

"Zoro, stay here and protect them if any pirate comes here." Kaizo.

"*HUFF* No *HUFF* Problem…" Zoro lies on the floor and falls asleep.

(With Luffy)

"Now there's only five of your claws, right?" Luffy.

Kuro stands up again and, in his anger, tells everyone that he wasn't planning on sparing the Black Cat Pirates.

"But why?"

"We followed the plan."

"Jango-san just has to hypnotize the girl and we'll win."

"You don't have to worry about the bodies anymore, as long as your bodies remain here, I'll be able to prove my innocence. As a matter of fact, I never had the intention of letting anyone here leave the island. That would be a bother, I don't want anyone know that I'm still alive." Kuro.

"I-it can't be."

"Were you planning to kill all of us from the get-go?"

"Precisely. That's exactly how I planned it three years ago when I was still Captain Kuro. Everything…was part of my plan!" Kuro.

"Are they idiots? What a lame crew." Luffy.

"Lame? A pirate crew is nothing but a bunch of rabid dogs that society doesn't want to deal with. Fit only to be used as tools by people like me." Kuro.

Luffy doesn't says anything but stares Kuro with a blank expression. As the seconds pass, Kuro's face begins to have a frown due to Luffy's judgmental expression.

"That's the fate of a pirate! Don't you dare to lecture me, brat!" Kuro.

"Even if a captain like you…had 100 thousand men…you would still be unable to beat Usopp." Luffy.

"What did you say? Are you comparing me with that lame excuse of a captain?" Kuro.

"That's right." Luffy.

"HAHAHAHAHA! That's so interesting, don't let the fact that you destroyed one of my claws get to your head. What does that guy win me?" Kuro.

Kuro does his Stealth Foot again.

"Tell me!" Kuro.

Luffy smirks.

"Conviction." Luffy.

"What?" Kuro.

"You don't know the real meaning in being a pirate!" Luffy.

Luffy predicted Kuro's attack and countered with a back fist to his forehead. Kuro crashes into a cliff and Kaizo arrived at the scene but remained hidden.

'Color me surprised (pun intended) he actually awakened Observation first. Never judge a book by its cover I guess.' Kaizo.

"If you wanna know what being a true pirate is then, I'll show you. I'll show you a pirate that has come and gone out of hell countless times!" Kuro.

Kuro begins to move from side to side and the pirates begin to freak out.

'I can feel an ominous feeling from his attack. The next one will be severalfold times faster!' Luffy took a protective position and waited for Kuro's attack.

[Shakushi!]

Kuro disappears and leaves a trace of dust that quickly dissipates. Luffy widens his eyes and looks back at the coast, only to see the Black Cat Pirates falling dead one after another.

'He…!' Luffy.

Luffy is not a pacifistic person, that's for sure, however, he does hate unnecessary violence when not needed. In his eyes, this was his battle against him, Luffy couldn't bare to see others getting involved on battles he started. In other words, He is PISSED at Kuro right now.

"Show yourself, you coward. How dare you do that to your Nakamas?!" Luffy.

Luffy loses focus and can't use his observation Haki so, he gets some cuts around his body. At some point, he was able to determine the location of Kuro once he attacked him. Luffy grabbed Kuro by the shirt and slammed him into the ground.

Luffy didn't stopped, he began to deliver a combo of techniques in hopes of defeating the despicable pirate once and for all.

[Pistol!]

[Stamp!]

[Bullet!]

[Whip!]

[Tsuchi!]

After the barrage of attacks, Kuro's body is pinned to the ground. Luffy is quite exhausted due to all the unnecessary action he did today, but he didn't mind at all.

'Seems that this is over.' Kaizo.

Before Kaizo could even react, Luffy got attacked by Kuro and left a deep wound in Luffy's waist.

'What the?!' Luffy/Kaizo.

"I told you; my plans never fail." Kuro spoke.

His body has a pale skin tone now, hie eyes glow yellow and his injuries are healing.

'What in the heck is going on?! This is not on the canon!' Kaizo began to panic.

He's now witness, that the world he lives aint as he remembers.