Yeah. It would be pretty surprising, but what about the other very early bad guys, eh? Where the heck are they? Didn't only a couple make it into the latter story, Buggy being one of them?

If it weren't for Luffy/Ruffy and co, Kuro wouldn't be leading a pirates life again. Besides, the goverment still thinks Kuro is dead anyways, and still, the mishap with the strawhat crew, *if you can cal it a crew at that time* was the only time that his plans ever failed.

Sure. Really doubting he'll be back, but heck, if he does, he better be far more horrendouz then he was before, not least because he was weak back then, even compared to a still rookie luffy.