20 Chapter 20

"Not good, pirates are coming! Run!"

A frantic cry echoed through the village, spreading from the outskirts to the center.

Ron watched silently as Usopp sprinted away in the distance.

Upon arriving at Syrup Village, he encountered one of the Straw Hat Pirates' future core member, Usopp, who upon recognizing him immediately fled. Ron wondered if this Usopp was the notorious liar known as "God" Usopp. Did he recognize Ron as a pirate, or was he merely guessing?

Tashigi, seeing Usopp running away, felt a glimmer of hope. It would be perfect if the entire village were to raise the alarm. But short of actually witnessing Ron committing crimes, there would be no evidence to condemn him.

However, what happened next was quite disappointing.

"Hey, Usopp, you little liar, you're here to tell tall tales again!" A villager emerged from a building with a broom and chased after Usopp.

"I'm going to teach you a lesson today, you little rascal!" Another villager, armed with a stick, pursued Usopp as well.

"Really, pirates are coming!" Usopp yelled nervously.

"Who would believe you? Now, move aside, I've got work to do!" A villager carrying a hoe completely disregarded Usopp's cries and calmly went about his business.

Watching the villagers disperse one by one, even those who had initially chased after Usopp, left to attend to their tasks, Usopp gazed up at the sky in bewilderment. It seemed that he had indeed encountered a pirate on the wanted list, but no one in the village believed him.

"How... how could this be?"

The most disappointed and speechless person at that moment was undoubtedly Tashigi. She glared at the villagers in disbelief. Were they all foolish? Why hadn't they run when they heard a pirate was coming?

If Ron had known what was going through Tashigi's mind, he might have burst out laughing. Usopp was a known liar on the island, and the villagers had become immune to his fabrications. They would scold him when he shouted in the morning and then continue with their daily tasks, paying no heed to his tales.

Unfazed by the villagers, Ron walked alongside a bewildered Tashigi toward the prominent manor at the head of the village.

The villagers didn't raise any suspicions as they passed by. To them, Ron and Tashigi were merely two young people.

As they arrived at Kaya's residence, Ron glanced up at the luxurious manor. It was a significant property, not just for a small island village like Syrup Village but even for places like Logue Town or Windmill Village. Kaya's family seemed to be wealthy, and it was clear her father had been a successful businessman.

But these are not things that Ron has to think about now; he is here for vengeance!

"Bang, bang, bang...

Without saying a word, Ron stepped forward and slapped hard against the large iron gate of the manor.

Bang, bang, bang...

After several consecutive slaps, the banging of the big iron door finally attracted the attention of the servants in the manor.

"Who?" A servant ran over and looked at Ron and the two with a displeased expression.

"Open the door!" Ron shouted coldly, "Call Captain Kuro out for me!"

"What Captain Kuro? There is no such person here!" The servant, alarmed by Ron's stern countenance, replied, "You must be in the wrong place; no one here is named Kuro!"

"Oh, I'm in the wrong place?" Ron snorted and said, "Captain Kuro is the leader of a pirate crew, and while I was away, the pirate group he led killed my brother. Now, I have achieved great success and come to seek revenge on him! Hurry and open the door for me, or I'll break in!"

"You..." The servant, observing Ron's menacing appearance, grew even more flustered. He then noticed the long sword hanging from Ron's waist, realizing that the person before him was dangerous, He said, " I'll go find someone, please don't be impulsive."

As the servant turned around, he spotted a young man in a black suit approaching and immediately greeted him, "Sir, there's someone here causing trouble; please come and have a look. I'm going to inform the sir and madam now!"

"Hmm" Klahadore nodded calmly, then cast a wary glance at Ron and the two men outside the gate. His heart was filled with fear.

Ron's recent words, although spoken from a distance, were heard clearly. This guy had claimed to have come for revenge on Captain Kuro, who had supposedly been killed over a year ago. Klahadore wondered how someone had managed to locate him.

"Hey, Captain Kuro, I've finally found you!" Ron sneered at Klahadore and said, "Your pirate crew killed my brother, and I've come here for my revenge!"

"Who are you? I don't know you!" Klahadore frowned and said, "You must have mistaken me for someone else, so leave now, or I won't be polite!"

"What arrogance!" Ron smiled coldly. "However, there's no mistake in recognizing you. I've come today to kill you and avenge my brother!"

"Damn, who is this guy, and why does he know me? I've been away from the Pirate crew for over a year, and he still found me here" thought Klahadore, his eyes flashing with anger. He contemplated eliminating the boy in front of him to prevent Kaya's parents from becoming suspicious.

Ron, observing Klahadore's somber expression, smiled inwardly. He could have disposed of this man right now, but Kaya and her parents hadn't arrived yet. He needed to wait for them and then stage a performance. If he executed people prematurely, not only Kaya's parents but even Kaya herself would resent him forever. Kaya would be his woman in the future, and he couldn't afford to have her hate him.

...

Edited to the best of my ability