One piece : A Lotus

Syrup Village was located nearby. Ezekiel and Nami hadn't yet disembarked from the ship, but someone was already waiting for them on the shore.

It was a young girl sitting in a wheelchair. Beside her stood two butlers in tuxedos, but the head of the Syrup Family, a notable maritime trader, was not with them.

The ship was docked.

Ezekiel changed into a formal suit and disembarked from the boat with Nami, who was also dressed in an elegant women's suit.

The village was named after the Syrup Family. The people who founded the village are the ancestors of the Syrup Family. They have lived on this island for several generations. There's a mansion-villa here with a centuries-old history.

Butler Merry and a second butler, whom Ezekiel did not know, both bowed deeply, and Kaya, who was seated in the wheelchair, also gracefully inclined her head.

"Welcome to us, esteemed Mr. Ezekiel ," Kaya, as the family's representative, suppressed her sorrow and forced herself to smile. But she knew that the one standing before her could never harm her. It was His Majesty the King of Alabasta!

Speaking of the Syrup Family's fate, it was more than a year ago. At that time, Ezekiel wasn't even the King of Alabasta yet, and he had the good fortune to meet a prominent businessman from the East Blue, who was Kaya's father. After getting to know him, Ezekiel became his friend.

Before Ezekiel 's arrival, Kurohadol had already been talking on the phone. The Syrup Family still deliberately did not reveal Ezekiel's identity. Kurohadol respectfully curled his lips, and at the same time, he became even more curious to learn the true identity of Ezekiel .

"It seems like I'm here at an inconvenient time," Ezekiel said, looking at the three of them.

"I'm sorry, my father can't come to greet you. Last year, he went out to sea..." Kaya's eyes filled with tears.

It's a pity; Ezekiel initially wanted to entrust the management of Dahai Toutiao to this businessman.

The eyes behind Kurohadol's glasses sparkled. No matter how much he probed, he couldn't discover the identity of the distinguished guest from Merry. Even little Kaya kept the secret. What is his status? What could make these two people so formal?

More importantly... this guy was making such promises! It's clear that this person must hold a very high position.

Inside the mansion, it was a bit chilly. The Syrup Family didn't have many servants. Besides Kaya, who had a cook and a maid, no one else lived there. Despite this, the luxury was still striking to the little thief Nami.

"You really deserve to be a butler in such a wealthy family?!" Nami said, holding a vase.

"I have a good reputation," Merry said, bowing to prepare tea. "Besides, like Mr. Ezekiel , the Syrup family can be considered ordinary people."

Kurohadol held his glasses in an odd position, pondering why his team of fools hadn't arrived yet. Isn't it a good idea that when they land, he will become a pirate once more and kill everyone here?

But these pirates are unreliable guys; it seems he'll have to do everything himself anyway.

"I'm going to pay my respects to your father," Ezekiel said to Kaya after drinking tea.

Kaya stood up upon hearing these words and led Ezekiel and Nami out of the mansion. They walked along the road in front of the village and headed towards the Syrup family's cemetery. The new tomb and the old tomb were combined into one.

"My father's last wish was to be buried with his wife," Kaya said, bursting into tears.

Ezekiel merely handed her a handkerchief, unable to offer more help.

Although a mobile phone is very useful, it doesn't possess the ability to bring people back to life... at least not yet.

"Kaya!"

At that moment, Merry frowned, and a voice he didn't like came from afar. It was that poor boy who had recently appeared at the mansion, a guy who loves to talk a lot.

Soon, a teenager with a long nose burst into the cemetery, panting and covered in sweat.

"Usopp!" Kaya shouted his name.

"Kaya! Merry!" Usopp angrily pointed at Kurohadol. "That bastard, he's a pirate known as Kuro of a Hundred Plans!" He wants to kill Miss Kaya, take her property, and kill your guests!

Everyone fell silent, then Merry said with a smile:

"Usopp... are you joking?" He didn't believe it, nor did Kaya.

After all, Usopp likes to lie to people and has done so many times, and Kurohadol has been in Kaya's house for over a year. If he really is a pirate, how could he have hidden it all this time?

"What I said is true!" Usopp broke into tears, upset that no one believed him.

"Stop lying," Kaya said somewhat helplessly.

At this moment, Ezekiel quietly asked:

"Then how did he know there are guests at the Syrup family today?"

Merry was stunned, and Kaya quickly reacted as well. Yes, Usopp couldn't have known there were guests at the Syrup family. But he just clearly said that Kurohadol wants to kill "your guests," so that means...

Merry quickly shielded Kaya behind him and looked at Kuro suspiciously.

"Very unfortunate," Kuro finally stopped pretending and smiled. He took out two strange gloves and slowly put them on. The tips of the gloves were sharp blades. He said

"I am Kuro of a Hundred Plans with a bounty of 16 million. I am the captain of the pirates, though I don't know where my idiots are, why they haven't arrived yet, but I don't want to wait any longer. All of you, die here today!"

Ezekiel looked at this guy with the nickname Kuro of a Hundred Plans with interest. It's not an empty nickname. Although he's just a minor character in the original book, he is in fact the second most intelligent person in the world of One Piece.

In terms of IQ, he is only surpassed by Benn Beckman, a member of the crew of the Emperor, the Red-Haired Pirates.

But this time Kuro was mistaken.

Ezekiel stood in front of several people, protecting them, and at the same time said indifferently to Kuro:

"Do you know who you are standing in front of right now?"

Such an extraordinarily noble spirit briefly stunned Kuro. He admitted he had never seen a person with such a demeanor, but he still intended to kill him.

However, Kuro was cautious enough at heart and vaguely felt that something was off.

"Fu-fu-fu-fu!" At this moment, a strange laugh came from the cemetery.

Everyone looked up and saw a tall man with flamingo-colored glasses, accompanied by a large number of subordinates, emerging from behind the cemetery.

"That's the guy," Ezekiel murmured.

He certainly understood that the World Government doesn't deal with small fry like Kuro, but he wasn't relaxed at all...

Bam!

Meowban Siam and Butchie were thrown to the ground like rags by Diamante.

It could be said for certain that the entire Donquixote Family was sent here. Except for the child-like Sugar and Trebol, who was protecting her, they stayed in Dressrosa, while all the other officers were here.

"So... A new King instead of the former King. How could such a person die at the hands of mere fish?" Doffy smiled and stared at Vila.

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