Woohoo! A huge shoutout to my new Patron, Excaliber, for ing in with that top-tier support! ? You’re a legend—thank you so much!

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  We have an Image Minister as well!

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  --xLOVEx--

  Luffy, uanding the gravity of the situation, nodded in agreement. Meanwhile, Coby gently passed Kaya into Usopp's care. It was then that everyoiced Coby's hands were missing. Kaya, overwhelmed by the bizarre and frightening sight, let out a scream. The idea of someone losing their hands was beyond her prehension, not knowing Coby had harnessed Buggy's peculiar ability.

  However, Kaya's scream alerted Kuro and Jango to their presence. As they turheir attention towards the cliff, Coby's disembodied hands, having crept close enough to Jango, swiftly snatched his rings, the essential tools for his hypnosis.

  Kuro, his expression darkening, barked orders at Jango, "They're onto us! Prepare for battle!" Jango, momentarily disoriented by the loss of his rings, had no on to use.

  Luffy, his eyes abze with excitement, leaped down from the cliff, his battle cry eg across the cliffside. "Let's go!" he shouted excitedly, his rubber body stretg and t as he desded upon Kuro.

  Coby, now in full and of his 'Bara Bara Detached Hands' ability, maniputed his floating hands with expert precision. He unched a series of puowards Jango from ued angles, distrag and disorienting the hypnotist.

  Meanwhile, Zoro and Nami, watg the frontation unfold, prepared to join the fray. Zoro uhed his swords, his eyes narrowing with a dangerous glint, while Nami, her staff in hand, readied herself for bat.

  Usopp, still holding Kaya, whispered reassuring words to her. "Don't worry. They're strong. They'll hahis." Kaya, her eyes wide with fear and , nodded, her trust in Usopp evident.

  While Coby's hands expertly engaged Jango, Coby himself focused ily on Luffy's frontation with Kuro. He was determio learn from Kuro's unique movement teique. Strategically, he had orchestrated this fight knowing Kuro was onless, as he had only inteo discuss pns with Jango. As Coby's eyes were bloodshot due to staring too hard, a familiar message chimed within his mind, the result of his Skill S: [Skill S initiated on 'Stealth Foot'. Analysis in progress… Skill essence captured. 1900 SP deducted.]

  Luffy, in his signature style, was a whirlwind of motion, his rubber limbs stretg and t with each strike. Kuro, caught off guard by Luffy's bizarre abilities, struggled to maintain his posure. His movements, though unarmed, were fluid and calcuted, showg his mastery in hand-to-hand bat.

  Coby, simultaneously analyzing Kuro's movements and direg his own floating hands, was happy beyond his mind. He got a new ability! His hands, ag indepely, tie Jango, who was now desperately trying to evade the relentless punches.

  In the midst of the chaos, Zoro charged towards the hypnotist, his swleaming in the sunlight. Jango, realizing he was outnumbered and outmaneuvered, attempted to flee but was swiftly intercepted by Nami. Her staff swung with precision, knog him to the ground.

  As the battle ensued, Kaya, in Usopp's protective embrace, watched with a mix of horror and fasation. She had never witnessed such a chaotic se, yet she couldn't help but be drawn to the bravery aermination of Luffy and his crew.

  Meanwhile, Coby's Skill S of Kuro's 'Stealth Foot' ability was plete, adding this awesome teique to his growioire. His strategiing had paid off; Kuro, without his ons, was signifitly less threatening, allowing Luffy to gain the upper hand, not that Luffy would have lose, but it lessened Luffy's injuries. He was bumped about Zoro and Nami Kill-Stealing him but it was just Jango, didn't ged much. His pn was bigger!

  Kuro, realizing the tide of the battle was turning against him, attempted a strategic retreat. However, Luffy, as eager for battle and justice as ever, pursued relentlessly. "You're not getting away!" Luffy yelled, ung himself towards Kuro with a powerful 'Gum Gum Rocket.'

  With Kuro defeated and Jango bound, the se on the cliffs of Syrup Town was victory and Scooby-Doo style mask removing mix. Usopp, carrying Kaya in a princess hold, approached the group, his eyes were wide with relief and . Coby, having bound the two vilins with a rope, turo Kaya with a "solemn" expression. "Sorry you had to see this, Ms. Kaya." He said, as if he hadn't phis ever since he decided to join Luffy. "He faked his owh, pnning to kill you in an 'act' to i your wealth. He grew tired of the pirate life and devised this scheme."

  Kaya, tears streaming down her faodded in uanding, her voice a whisper, "Thank you."

  Coby grinned, a lightness returning to his voice. "Don't sweat it. Iurn, how about you give us a ship?"

  Before Kaya could respond, Nami interjected with a vehement "NO!" Realizing the implication of her outburst, she stuttered, "I mean, it's not fair. We 't offer you anything in exge."

  Coby chuckled, stepping closer to Nami, his voice teasing, "There's no escape, Nami."

  Nami's cheeks turned a deep shade of pink as she lightly punched his chest, her aore pyful than forceful, causing Coby to ugh even more.

  Kaya, witnessing the iion, nodded in agreement, "I will give you a ship."

  Usopp, looking at the bound forms of Kuro and Jango, asked with , "Should we call over to the Marines?"

  Coby shook his head vigorously, his expression turning grave. "Ohing to remember is that the Marines hate admitting mistakes. But they hate it even more when such errors bee public. If they knew about such a signifit ht, they might go to extremes to cover it up."

  Kaya gasped, her hand c her mouth in shock, while Usopp shivered at the thought. "That extreme?" he asked.

  Coby nodded solemnly, "Believe me. It's that extreme."

  Coby's statement was an exaggeration, but he uood the uable nature of the Marines and their often draian measures. The group ultimately decided to hand over Kuro and Jango to a different Marine branch, leaving them bound to a stone for now. "A couple of days of starving is a fitting punishment for pirates like them," used.

  As they prepared to leave the cliff, Coby gnced back at the bound figures. "Their crew will arrive soon. Once we deal with them, we leave."

  As they desded the hill, the sun began to set, casting long shadows across the ndscape. The group walked in silence, each lost ihoughts. Nami stayed close to Coby, occasionally gng at him with a mix of irritation and curiosity. Luffy, his usual carefree self, hummed a tune, while Zoro remained vigint, his haing on the hilt of his sword.

  The m, as predicted by Coby, Kuro's crew arrived at Syrup Town. They were a motley crew, rough and unruly, their iions clear from their menag expressions. Luffy, eager for a, cracked his knuckles and grinned. "Looks like we've got pany," he said cheerfully.

  Coby stepped forward, his eyes locked on the approag pirates. "Guys, let me hahis," he said fidently. "I want to try something."

  Luffy's face fell into a pout as he booed in disappoi, while Zoro merely shrugged, indifferent. Nami, too, seemed unbothered by the decision. Coby's i was clear – he o farm some Synthesis Points (SP). After copying Kuro's 'Stealth Foot' ability, his SP reserves had taken a hit, and this skirmish presehe perfect opportunity to replenish them.

  As the pirates closed in, Coby's stance shifted into one of thrilled of new opportunities. He had a pn – it was time to mix the ons in his arsenal to create new abilities. Blindly depending on abilities as they were foolish. His primary on was his 'Bara Bara Detach Hand' ability, which allowed him to detad trol his hands, giving him a signifit advantage in read surprise attacks.

  The first pirate charged at Coby, a rusty cutss swinging wildly. Coby, using 'Stealth Foot', vanished from sight, reappearing behind his attacker. Before the pirate could react, Coby's detached hand, floating eerily, delivered a powerful punch to the back of the man's head. The pirate crumpled to the ground, unscious.

  [bat success! 25 SP awarded for strategic use of Bara Bara Detach Hand,] the system's voice echoed in Coby's mind, firming his successful strategy.

  Enced by his early success, Coby faced the wave of pirates. He decided to blend his 'Basic Sword Handling' with his 'Khrowing Basics', creating a whirlwind of sshing and thrusting movements, interspersed with precisely thrown knives. Each hit was calcuted, aimed at nohal yet incapacitating parts of the body.

  As one pirate after another fell to Coby's skillful bination of swordpy and khrowing, the system chimed in again. [Innovative Skill Usage Detected: Sword and Knife Hybrid Teique. Bonus 150 SP awarded for creative application.]

  --

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