Episode 15

'''Defeat Kuro! Usopp's Tear-filled Determination!' is the fifteenth episode of the One Piece'' anime.

Statics

 * Air Date: February 23, 2000 (4Kids: 2004-12-18, Funimation DVD: 2008-09-16)
 * TV Ranking, Rating: 14.4 Rank: 6
 * Opening: We Are! (1st Opening), Pirate Rap (4Kids)
 * Ending: Memories (1st Ending), Pirate Rap Instrumental (4Kids)
 * Manga Chapters: Chapter 35 (1-19/19), Chapter 36 (4-19/21), Chapter 37 (1-19/19)
 * 4Kids Title: The Purr-fect plan
 * Funimation Title: Beat Kuro! Usopp The Man's Tearful Resolve!

Short Summary
Zoro and Buchi (of the Nyaban Brothers) face off once again as Luffy and Kuro begin their fight. Usopp orders the Usopp Pirates to run away with Kaya, but Jango goes after them. A flashback reveals how Captain Kuro faked his death with Captain Morgan by using Nugire Yainu as a doppelganger and how he became Kaya's butler.

Long Summary
The episode starts with a recap of the previous episode and it opens with Kuro lying on the ground by Luffy’s Gomu Gomo no Pistol. The Black Cat Pirates are terrified by this. Nami decided to search for the pirates’ treasure despite her wounded elbow. The Usopp Pirates arrives and hit him as hard as they can with a shovel, a casserole and a bat. Usopp, Kaya and the others try to warn them to stay away, but they refused to listen, too busy at beating Kuro up, hoping to kill him. They stopped. Jango is afraid the kids will make Kuro really mad.

The Usopp Pirates goes to Usopp and they argue with him for not telling them about the fight. Usopp begs them to run away, but the kids refuse to run away, saying it will only ashamed the Usopp Pirates. Suddenly, Kuro got up, making the Usopp Pirates terrified and scream for terror. But Kuro ignores them and goes to Usopp to beat him. His sight them goes to Luffy in which he asks him if he had eaten a Devil Fruit. Luffy confirms it. This news frightens the Black Cat Pirates even more. Kuro orders Jango to take care of Kaya and the Usopp Pirates while he takes care of Luffy. Jango agreed.

Zoro try to block him, but Buchi attacks Zoro, using his Kyatto Za Funjyatta technique on him, in which Zoro managed to dodge it. The attack create a dust cloud in which Zoro can’t barely see a thing. Buchi attack from behind, putting Zoro to a cliff wall. The swordsman try to get loose of Buchi by using a foot on the Nyaban Brother’s face. Usopp is shocked that Buchi becames stronger than before. He saw Jango going straight to Kaya and, with all his straight, he asks the Usopp Pirates to protect Kaya, saying this is the reason they became pirates in the first place : to protect what’s dear to them. Kaya is overwhelmed by Usopp’s kindness. The Usopp Pirates proudly agreed and take Kaya to the forest. Even Zoro is impressed by Usopp’s determination. Jango tried to kill them by using his pendulum, but he’s stopped in his tracks by Usopp’s slingshot ball. Jango tried to get even, but Kuro orders him to track down Kaya and the Usopp Pirates. After that, Jango goes after his prey.

Kuro says to Usopp that escape is useless, since he knows that Kaya’s weak. Meanwhile, Luffy advance straight to the Black Cat Pirates’ captain. Zoro managed to defeat Buchi by using his other foot and by using his technique Oni Giri.

Usopp managed to get up a little and heard a noise coming from the forest. Kuro tells Usopp this is Jango tearing up the forest. Usopp asks him where is his shred of pity. Kuro tells him he has none, that Kaya is nothing more than a pawn to his plan and he’ll express gratitude once she’s dead. Usopp is angry by Kuro’s word. Luffy tells Usopp to go to Kaya and the Usopp Pirates and he’ll take care of Kuro. Usopp managed to get up more despite his multiple wounds. Kuro is impressed by this. Usopp says to him that he won’t let him win. He tried to walk, but he falls down due to his wounds. Kuro’s laugh at Usopp’s effort and says even if he did managed to get to Jango, he’ll ended up dead. Usopp says that despite his weakness, he will protect the village. The Black Cat Pirates laugh at Usopp’s vow, but Luffy throws a rock at them, saying to them to not laugh at Usopp.

Zoro takes Usopp on his right soulder and tells him that he’ll go after Jango. Luffy agreed to it. Kuro tried to stop them, but Luffy stop him with a Gomu Gomu no Kama, in which Kuro dodge it. Kuro tried to slash him, but Luffy evaded the attack. He then counter attacks with a Gomu Gomu no Yari, but Kuro disappear using his Nuki Ashi technique. Zoro and Usopp managed to get to the forest during the battle. Kuro reappear and asks Luffy why an outsider like hi mis butting into the village’s business. He tells Kuro that because there’s a man in the village he don’t want to let him die and that he won’t die today.

The battle continues. Luffy stretched his arm to hold Kuro and then tried to give him a foot kick. Kuro managed to evade it by sending the Straw Hat kid into the ground. Luffy tried to use a Gomu Gomu no Muchi and a Gomu Gomu no Pistol at him, but Kuro dodge both moves. He finds Kuro on one of his arms. He says to Luffy that this fight is boring. He then delivers a kick at Luffy, sending him to the ground again. The crew tried to cheer their captain up, but Kuro angrily tells them to not call him by that name, saying that his plan was to get rid of the name "Captain Kuro". He says that he tired of devising plans for a band of men who cares only about mayhem and to be relentlessly pursued by bounty hunters and government dogs.

While saying that, flashbacks of his 3 years past are shown. Back then, Kuro wore his captain costume. He tells Jango that he want to give up being Captain Kuro after being pursued by the Marines the third time in a week since he’s now an infamous pirate. Jango tells Kuro that the Marines won’t stop until the pirate captain is dead. Kuro tells Jango that he’s going to die and that Jango will be captain. A Marine Ship is attacking the Bezan Black with its cannons. He orders his crew to give him a small boat, in which they do so. He arrives at the Marine ship and kill everyone on board, except a jaw-broken Marine soldier who is none other than Morgan. Jango orders the crew to board the ship. He notices Nugire Yainu and says to him goodbye. Morgan begs Kuro to kill him, but Kuro says to him that today, he will be the one who captures Captain Kuro. Jango hypnotize Nugire to be Captain Kuro and Morgan to be the one captures the dreaded pirate. The Marine ship sail away with the fake Captain Kuro to be executed. Kuro is happy that the first part of his plan work.

Back at the present, Kuro tells Luffy when his plan succeed today, his goal will be fully achieved and that money and piece of mind will be his. He refuses to let Luffy ruins his plan. He tried to kill Luffy, but the Straw Hat kid stretches his arms to pick a rock and blocks his attack. The rock broke his first Cat Glove. While throwing the rock at him, Luffy tells Kuro that if the pirate captain didn’t want a reputation, he shouldn’t be a pirate and that his ambition is greater than Kuro

Characters in Order of Appearance

 * Kuro
 * Jango
 * Roronoa Zoro
 * Buchi
 * Sham
 * Nami
 * Monkey D. Luffy
 * Kaya
 * Usopp
 * Tamanegi
 * Piman
 * Ninjin
 * Nugire Yainu (Flashback)
 * Morgan (Flashback)