"Moonlight, be careful!"
"This is bad!"
Nami and Usopp shouted anxiously. First, it was Zoro, and then Luffy—the enemy's strength had far exceeded their expectations!
Even Luffy, a Devil Fruit user, had fallen. Could Moonlight really handle this?
"Kid, you're strong, but do you really think you can take on all of us? Especially since they're all under my hypnosis, with their combat strength increased tenfold!"
Jango sneered. Moonlight was indeed powerful, but he was still just one person.
"I'll give you ten more seconds."
Kuro began counting down, his patience already worn thin.
"If you don't want to make the Captain angry, then finish him off quickly!"
Hearing this, Jango's heart tightened, and he hastily barked orders to the others. The hypnotized pirates shuddered; it was as if Kuro's words reached their very souls, stirring them into an even greater frenzy.
"Kill him! Complete the Captain's orders quickly, or the Captain will be unhappy!"
"We can't let the Captain be unhappy, or we're dead!"
"Right, we must complete the Captain's task! We have only ten minutes!"
All of them were desperate to act.
"Moonlight!"
"Run away!"
Nami and Usopp shouted frantically.
"Don't worry. They're nothing to me," Moonlight said calmly. "But you two should step back; you wouldn't want to get caught in the crossfire."
Moonlight smiled and walked towards the crowd, unfazed.
"Step back?"
"Get caught in the crossfire?"
Nami and Usopp were puzzled.
"He's really charging at us by himself!"
Jango scoffed, irritated by Moonlight's audacity.
"Damn it, I'm a Black Cat Pirate! When have I ever been looked down on like this?"
"You're dead!"
"Kill him!"
The pirates' anger reached a boiling point. They were ruthless killers, living off blood and plunder. Moonlight's disregard for them was infuriating.
"Underestimate us? That's just your perception."
Moonlight smirked.
"Conqueror's Haki!"
His eyes flashed, and a blue aura exploded from his body, spreading out in all directions within a hundred-meter radius!
"Thud… thud!"
One by one, the charging pirates froze, then collapsed to the ground, unconscious, foaming at the mouth!
In an instant, all the pirates within the radius had lost consciousness and were incapacitated!
Some were even drenched in sweat, as if experiencing a nightmare.
Even Jango, though less affected than the others, found himself on his knees, drenched in cold sweat and stripped of his strength.
Beyond the hundred-meter mark, the remaining pirates, ready to charge, were frozen in place as if under a spell, unable to move forward!
Jango's hypnosis had been undone.
"What's going on?"
"What just happened?"
"Is this real?"
They were all in shock, having no idea what had just occurred. They stood rooted to the spot, too scared to move.
"What happened!"
Usopp's face was full of disbelief.
"Did Moonlight do this?"
Nami was equally stunned, staring at Moonlight.
"Hmm?"
Kuro's eyes narrowed as he adjusted his glasses. He dashed forward.
"Silent Step!"
In an instant, he appeared behind Moonlight, his claws outstretched to strike.
"Heh."
Moonlight chuckled and swung his Grass Longsword.
"Three-Segment Slash!"
"Boom!"
A crescent-shaped sword energy erupted, slicing three consecutive times in a split second!
"Crack!"
Kuro's left claw was severed, along with part of his torso, and he was sent flying by the sword energy!
"Captain Kuro!"
"He blocked Captain Kuro's Silent Step!"
"How could this be?"
The pirates were all stunned. This was the infamous Captain Kuro, the master of a hundred strategies!
"Wow, Moonlight is amazing!"
Usopp's mouth hung open, utterly shocked by Moonlight's prowess.
"Incredible doesn't even begin to describe it. This is pure domination!"
Nami was equally shaken. She had seen many strong fighters, but none like Moonlight.
"So weak. With such pitiful skills, you call yourself a captain?"
Moonlight scoffed, having sent Kuro flying with a single blow.
"Heh."
Kuro seemed unfazed, smirking cruelly.
He let his arm hang loosely, his body swaying as if he were drunk.
Seeing his posture, the pirates became terrified, their expressions filled with dread.
It was as if they were witnessing something truly horrifying.
"No, Captain Kuro, don't use the Scoop!"
"That's the Scoop! Captain Kuro, please, don't use that move!"
"We'll do whatever you say; just don't use that technique!"
"Captain Kuro!"
All the pirates looked as if the world was ending. They were terrified beyond belief.
The Scoop was clearly no ordinary move!
"What's the Scoop?"
"Huh?"
Usopp and Nami were confused.
"It's Captain Kuro's ultimate move, a deadly technique based on his Silent Step. It's so fast, even Kuro himself can't control it, making it an indiscriminate killing technique!"
Jango explained, his voice trembling. Just seeing Kuro in this stance was enough to make him shake with fear.
"What? An indiscriminate killing technique? So he doesn't even know who he's attacking?"
Usopp and Nami shivered, horrified.
"Exactly!"
Jango nodded, looking utterly defeated. At this point, no one could stop Kuro.
"Silent killing technique? Just high-speed movement that wears down the body. A mere trick."
Moonlight smirked dismissively.
"Heh, you may be strong, but you're underestimating Captain Kuro. The Silent Step is far more dangerous than you think!"
Jango sneered, unimpressed by Moonlight's confidence.
"Is that so?"
Moonlight smiled faintly.
"Swish!"
At that moment, Kuro's body vanished!
The Silent Killing Technique had begun!
"Captain Kuro, please don't!"
"I don't want to die! I don't want to die!"
"Stop! Please, stop!"
All the pirates were on the verge of breaking down, begging frantically.
"Hmph!"
Moonlight sneered. He drew his Grass Longsword.
"Buzz!"
A crescent-shaped sword energy swept out in a fan shape.
With a single slash, an explosive sound rang out!
Kuro, who had vanished, was instantly struck and sent flying. His right claw was also severed, and he crashed into a rock formation behind him!
"Bang!"
Blood spurted wildly as Kuro, gravely wounded, collapsed and lost consciousness.
The entire area fell into dead silence.
Everyone stared, stunned beyond words, at what had just happened.