One Piece: My Uncle Is Kizaru

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"What did you just say?!"

Morgan's eyes widened in fury as he swung his prosthetic limb, which had been replaced by a massive, sharp axe. He stepped forward toward Kyle, his tone threatening.

"What nonsense are you spouting about a fake Kuro? You better watch your mouth, or I'll show you what it feels like to lose your head!"

"Oh?"

Kyle tilted his head with a smirk.

"Have you been dreaming for so long that you still haven't woken up, big guy?"

"Do you really believe you were the one who captured the pirate Kuro? Deep down, don't you have even the slightest doubt?"

"You—!"

Morgan's face tensed as he was about to retort.

But for some reason, when he met Kyle's disdainful gaze, a sudden memory flashed through his mind.

It was the same contemptuous look...

The only difference was that the eyes in that memory were looking down on him from above.

At that moment—

A strange sensation overtook him, as if he didn't belong in his own body!

"What's going on?!"

Morgan furrowed his brows abruptly, slapping his forehead with his only good hand to shake off the confusion clouding his thoughts.

But as he looked at Kyle again, an unintentional trace of fear flickered deep within his eyes.

"You... What did you do to me?!" Morgan shouted in panic.

"Did to you?"

"Heh!"

Kyle scoffed at the accusation and shook his head helplessly.

If anything, he actually pitied Morgan to some extent.

Two years ago, Morgan had been just another young marine—hot-blooded, passionate, and devoted to justice, like many of his fellow soldiers.

But...

On a fateful day two years ago, Morgan, then an ordinary marine, was sent out on a mission at sea, only to unexpectedly encounter one of the most notorious pirates of the East Blue—

The "Black Cat" Kuro, with a bounty of 16 million berries!

At the time, Kuro had grown weary of the relentless pursuit by the Navy and bounty hunters. So, he used the hypnotic abilities of his subordinate, Jango, to put Morgan under hypnosis—executing a flawless fake-death scheme to escape.

Whether by luck or misfortune, Morgan became an unwitting pawn in Kuro's plan.

Under hypnosis, he mistook a fellow marine's corpse for Kuro's and reported his "capture" to the Navy.

As a result, he was promoted to the rank of Captain.

Two years passed in the blink of an eye.

And under Jango's hypnosis, Morgan's personality underwent a drastic change.

From a man of justice, he became a tyrant obsessed with power.

But...

Could Jango's hypnosis really be so powerful that it could entirely alter someone's personality?

Kyle doubted it.

Still, whether Morgan was a victim of trickery or just another hero who had become a villain, it didn't concern him much.

What mattered was—

Morgan was the perfect candidate for Kyle's next move.

Just moments ago, Kyle had tested Morgan using the Gecko Persona Card.

The result—

**Compatibility: 90%!**

Even higher than Tashigi by 10%!

Perhaps this was the fate of those cast aside by the world...

Both Morgan and Gecko had been manipulated by sinister forces, their minds and spirits twisted into something unrecognizable.

---

"Captain Morgan, do you still believe you were the one who killed the pirate Kuro?"

"If you had even a shred of intelligence left, you would realize how different you are from your past self."

"You brat, stop spouting nonsense!"

Morgan's eyes trembled, but he still forced a fierce glare at Kyle.

But at that moment, Kyle suddenly took a step forward, closing the distance between them.

"Nonsense? Is that really what you think?"

"Well..."

"I suppose it makes sense—"

"After all, you can never wake someone who is pretending to sleep."

Kyle lifted his gaze, his eyes exuding an air of quiet authority, forming a stark contrast with the flustered and enraged Morgan.

For reasons he couldn't comprehend, Morgan felt his heart tremble.

Kyle's presence overlapped eerily with a man from his past—

A man who should no longer exist.

It was as if...

Kyle had once stood over him, just like this.

A sharp, metallic scent of blood filled his nose.

"You... Who the hell are you?!"

The once-dominant Morgan now found himself thrown into mental disarray by Kyle's words.

He swung his massive axe wildly in a desperate attempt to drive Kyle away.

But Kyle merely turned to Tashigi behind him and gave a simple command:

"Restrain him."

"Yes!"

Tashigi responded crisply.

Without hesitation, she lifted two fingers in front of her chest and, without even chanting, recited:

**"Bakudō #10: Bōringu!"**

*Whoosh!*

A yellow energy thread shot from Tashigi's fingertips, swiftly wrapping around Morgan.

In the next instant—

The soft energy suddenly hardened, expanding into a massive circular disc that firmly locked Morgan's limbs in place!

"What is this?!"

Morgan's voice betrayed a trace of panic.

He mustered all his strength, his muscles bulging as he struggled to break free.

But—

The pale yellow ring around him remained unshakable, as if it had been set in stone for centuries!

"Damn it!"

Morgan cursed.

His eyes burned red with rage once again.

But before he could react further, Kyle suddenly stepped forward, exploiting Morgan's unstable stance—

And without an ounce of mercy, delivered a sweeping kick straight to his legs, sending him crashing to the ground.

*Bang!*

Before Morgan could even process what happened, a sturdy combat boot pressed against his metal jaw.

Right at the very spot where Kuro had once stomped on him.

Kyle leaned down, his face filling Morgan's view, wearing a knowing smile.

"Captain Morgan, how much longer do you intend to remain trapped in your dream?"

"Look at yourself—"

"A Marine Captain from a branch, yet taken down so easily by two mere pirates!"

"Do you really believe you defeated Kuro, a pirate who sailed the seas for years?"

"Have you not realized the truth yet?!"

Kyle's words coiled around Morgan's ears like a devil's whisper.

But for a man who had lived in a fabricated reality for so long, the truth was not so easily accepted.

No matter—

Kyle had time.

If you couldn't wake someone who was pretending to sleep—

Then you just had to beat them until they couldn't pretend anymore!

*Crunch!*

Kyle suddenly applied pressure with his boot, digging into Morgan's metal jaw.

"ARGH!!!"

Morgan let out a pained scream as the implanted metal began to tear away from his flesh.

But Kyle ignored his cries and instead asked:

"Answer me—"

"1000 - 7 equals what?"

Morgan, wracked with pain, could barely think straight.

But before he could refuse to answer, another sharp pain shot through him.

Kyle delivered another brutal kick to his jaw, tearing more flesh away.

"1000 - 7 equals what?"

"...9...993..."

Morgan gasped for breath, his eyes filled with terror as he looked up at Kyle.

Yet Kyle showed no mercy.

He continued kicking, his voice eerily calm.

"993 - 7 equals what?"

"...986…"

"...979…"

"...972…"

With each brutal kick, Morgan recited another answer, his voice growing weaker and more mechanical.

Until finally—

With a loud *clang,* his metal jaw was completely torn off, crashing onto the ground.

Morgan lay in a pool of blood, his face unrecognizable, looking like something out of a horror film.

Yet—

Tashigi didn't feel fear.

Only pity.