Nami stood at the bow with her arms crossed, her orange hair whipped into disarray by the wind.
Yet none of it could obscure the unusual seriousness on her face.
Her eyes, which usually held a hint of cunning, now seemed covered by a thin layer of ice.
She slowly swept her gaze across the three people on the deck and said in a deep voice, “This won’t do.”
Luffy was sitting on the edge of the ship, swinging his legs as they lightly kicked through the seawater with the rise and fall of the boat.
He turned around and touched the Straw Hat on his head, asking in confusion, “Huh?
What’s wrong, Nami?”
Zoro was leaning against the opposite side of the ship, carefully wiping his sword with a spotless white cloth—
Wado Ichimonji, the sword he regarded as precious as his own life.
Mox had his eyes closed, seemingly resting, but his fingers were unconsciously tapping against the deck.
Through his Devil Fruit ability, he was controlling the propeller at the stern, keeping the little boat steadily on course.
All three of them turned their eyes toward Nami almost simultaneously, each with a different expression.
Luffy was simply curious.
Zoro regarded her with a somewhat indifferent scrutiny, while Mox’s eyes carried a hint of understanding.
“You’re planning to challenge the Grand Line in this state?”
Nami’s tone became more emphatic.
“Luffy, you’re the captain, so let me make this clear: this won’t work!”
Luffy stroked his chin, then suddenly seemed to think of a brilliant idea.
He slapped his hands together.
“Ohhh!
I know!
We’re missing a musician, right?
With a musician, sailing would be way more fun!
“Come to think of it, we need to find a cook to join us too.
Mox’s cooking is great, but he’s already our combatant and has to control the ship.
That’s too much work!”
“A musician?
Hahaha!
What the hell?”
Zoro scoffed and slid his freshly polished sword back into its sheath with a sharp shing.
“The most important thing on a voyage is obviously booze.
How can pirates hold a banquet without alcohol?”
“Booze isn’t as important as meat!
Meat is the most important!”
Luffy immediately argued back, then turned toward Mox and shouted excitedly,
“Mox, Mox!
My logistics commander!
We need to stock up on lots of meat!
“Once we reach the Grand Line, I want to eat meat every day!”
Just thinking about meat made Luffy drool.
“Hey, Mox!
We need to stock up on a few barrels of booze too!”
Zoro shot Luffy a sidelong glance before adding that in a tone that brooked no argument.
Only then did Mox slowly turn his head.
He calmly swept his gaze over the two of them before speaking.
“Here’s the current supply report.
“We took some booze from Buggy’s ship.
Zoro has already drunk one barrel, and there are still twenty barrels left, all sealed in airtight casks.
“As for meat, we have more than three hundred jin of cooked food.”
He deliberately gave Luffy a wary look.
After all, most of it had already been “devoured” by him.
“As for raw meat, we still have more than five hundred kilograms.
That should be enough even for Luffy.
It’s not like he can eat it raw, right?”
Mox paused.
Then he reconsidered.
With Luffy’s personality, he really might.
He continued, “There’s something else.
Our pirate crew’s total assets currently amount to 25.3 million Berries.
“5.3 million is cash.
The remaining 20 million comes from the treasure we took from Buggy’s ship, mostly gold and silver jewelry and antiques.
“Our priority should be finding somewhere to convert it into cash.
The space inside my body is limited, and I still need to store daily necessities.
Otherwise, we’ll eventually have to squeeze the meat in wherever we can.”
That last sentence was obviously meant for Luffy.
Luffy snorted hot air through his nose, looking utterly ridiculous.
“If we turn it into money, can we buy more meat?”
His eyes went perfectly round.
He slammed one fist into his palm with a dull thump.
“I see!
That’s a huge deal!
We have to convert it into Berries first!”
“I give up.
I’m surrounded by idiots!”
Nami slapped a hand against her forehead.
The vein at her temple seemed to be throbbing.
She took a deep breath and practically gritted her teeth.
“I’m talking about the ship!
The ship!
“Can you three focus on what’s important?
“This ship is way too small!
Luffy’s going to recruit more crewmates in the future.
There won’t even be enough room to stand, so how are we supposed to sail?
“Even if Mox uses his materials to enlarge it, it’ll only be suitable for drifting around in calm waters like these!
“Do you have any idea how insane the weather on the Grand Line can be?
“One second it could be perfectly clear, and the next there could be storms and towering waves crashing down on us!
Can this ship withstand that?
“If we’re going to the Grand Line, we need a sturdier, more professional ship!”
“Ohhh—”
Luffy finally understood.
He immediately waved his fist excitedly.
“Then let’s go buy an awesome ship!
Mox, can 25.3 million Berries buy us an awesome ship?”
Mox thought about it and nodded.
“If I sell some more iron blocks and timber, we should have enough money for a decent ship.
We could even have a shipwright make some modifications according to our needs and add some furniture.”
“Great!”
Luffy suddenly raised his arm.
His rubber arm stretched extraordinarily long under the sunlight.
“Then for our future pirate ship, let’s head for the next island—hooo!”
The moment their boat came to a stop in the shallows of Syrup Village, the hull scraped across the sand with a rough grinding sound.
The group had barely stepped ashore when Zoro suddenly grabbed the hilt of his sword, his eyes sharpening like a leopard ready to pounce.
“Watch out!”
Before the words had even faded, a series of crisp pitter-patter sounds came from overhead.
Dozens of steel pellets rained down around Luffy’s feet.
They were Usopp’s “Galaxy Marbles.” Some bounced back up and even grazed Luffy’s pant legs, making him jump and yelp.
“Whoa!
What is this?!
Did someone shoot those from the forest?”
Suddenly, hundreds of crooked skull flags rose from the surrounding bushes.
They were obviously handmade—and terribly sewn.
A long-nosed man suddenly jumped out from behind a tree and stood atop a waist-high rock, planting his hands on his hips.
He deliberately lowered his voice, trying to make himself sound as fierce as possible.
“Hey!
Who are you people?
What are you doing here?”
“We’re pirates,” Luffy replied with a carefree grin, flashing two rows of white teeth without paying the crude skull flags any attention.
“We’re looking for a big ship.”
Usopp’s heart skipped a beat.
They’re really pirates?
He secretly clenched his fists and forced himself to straighten his back, deliberately putting on a fierce expression as he tried to overwhelm them with his presence.
“Listen up!
I’m the captain of the great Usopp Pirates, a pirate crew with eight thousand followers!
“Syrup Village is my territory!
If you’re thinking of causing trouble here, I advise you to forget about it while you still can!”
“Eight thousand followers?”
Luffy’s eyes instantly sparkled with admiration.
“That’s amazing!
That’s even more than Buggy’s crew!”
Nami, however, crossed her arms and tilted her head.
A blatant teasing smile appeared at the corner of her mouth as her eyes scanned Usopp from head to toe like a scanner.
“You’re lying, aren’t you?”
Usopp’s face instantly froze.
He subconsciously covered his mouth, his eyes darting around like a frightened rabbit.
“Y-You saw through me?”
“So it really was a lie.”
The admiration vanished from Luffy’s face in an instant, replaced by a hint of disappointment, like a child whose favorite balloon had just been popped.
“Ahem… I don’t have eight thousand followers…”
Usopp hurriedly defended himself, his voice rising with panicked urgency.
“But I have lots of powerful followers!
Really!”
Mox glanced behind the bushes.
His eyes precisely landed on three little heads secretly poking out from behind them.
Usopp’s “three core followers.”
“Those three kids?”
Three short cries immediately came from behind the bushes.
“Ah!
We’ve been spotted!
Run!”
The three heads vanished at once, followed by a chaotic series of footsteps.
The children disappeared in an instant after being exposed.
In the process, they knocked the crooked skull flags over.
Several toppled directly onto the ground.
Usopp stared at the now-empty bushes, his heart sinking.
Everyone ran away… Now I’m the only one left!
“A pirate who uses a slingshot?”
Nami picked up one of the steel pellets from the ground, her voice laced with amusement.
“I’ve never heard of one.”
Usopp’s face turned as red as a ripe tomato.
He was so embarrassed that he didn’t know what to do with his hands or feet.
His toes dug several little holes in the sand.
His heart was pounding, but he stubbornly raised his chin and pulled a slingshot from his waist.
His fingers trembled as he drew back the elastic band and aimed it at Luffy’s head.
“D-Don’t underestimate me!
You saw what I could do just now!
My slingshot skills are even better than a gun!”
The smile disappeared from Luffy’s face.
His eyes darkened, and an invisible pressure seemed to descend upon the area.
“If you’ve pulled that thing out, I guess you’re prepared for the consequences?”
Zoro pushed his sword halfway from its sheath with a click.
The cold blade reflected his icy gaze.
“The man standing in front of you is a real pirate.”
Mox narrowed his eyes, a faint, almost amused smile playing at the corners of his lips.
He appeared relaxed, yet carried the presence of a lurking beast.
Nami also dropped her playful expression.
She stood to the side with her arms crossed, scrutinizing Usopp as though assessing exactly how much of a threat he posed.
Invisible pressure surged toward Usopp like the rising tide.
His legs began trembling uncontrollably.
Even the elastic band of his slingshot shook in his hands, as though it might snap at any moment.
His voice trembled, almost breaking into tears.
“C-Consequence?
What consequence?”
“That thing in your hand is dangerous.”
Luffy took another step forward.
His gaze was as sharp as an ice-forged blade, piercing directly into Usopp.
“You’re pointing it at my head.
That means you have to be prepared to die!”
Usopp’s pupils contracted violently.
His heart felt as though an invisible hand had seized it, making even breathing difficult.
He stared at Luffy’s completely emotionless eyes and felt a chill rush from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head.
Ten seconds felt like an entire century.
He could no longer hold out.
With a thump, he collapsed onto the ground, his backside hitting the sand and kicking up a cloud of dust.
His face was pale as paper, his lips trembling as he muttered,
“R-Real pirates… They really are completely different when they talk…”
“Hahahaha!”
Luffy suddenly burst into hearty laughter and reached out to give Usopp a heavy slap on the shoulder.
The impact nearly knocked him flat.
“I learned that from Shanks!
How was it?
Pretty scary, right?”
Usopp suddenly looked up.
His eyes widened as though he had just heard something unbelievable.
“Shanks?
You know that great pirate, Red-Haired Shanks?”
“Yep.”
Luffy nodded.
Then he pointed at Usopp’s nose with a bright smile.
“Hey, Long-Nose Usopp.
Your dad is Yasopp, right?
You look so much like him that I recognized you immediately.”
“Ya-Yasopp?”
Usopp nearly jumped off the ground.
His voice cracked with disbelief.
“That’s my dad’s name!
How do you know?”
“He’s one of Shanks’ crewmates.”
Luffy scratched his head, saying it as casually as if it were the most ordinary thing in the world.
“He used to tell me about you all the time.
He said you were a really great kid and that one day you’d become a brave pirate.
“I know quite a lot about you.”
Usopp’s eyes slowly brightened.
The corners of his mouth rose uncontrollably.
His voice carried the edge of tears, yet it was filled with indescribable pride.
“So my dad is a crewmate of the great Red-Haired Shanks…
“My dad is amazing!”
The aroma of food filled the small restaurant in the village.
Luffy hugged a gigantic piece of grilled meat, chewing away with grease covering his mouth.
Three large jars of sake sat in front of Zoro as he tipped one back and drank to his heart’s content.
Mox and Nami had already eaten their fill.
They leaned against the table, munching on apples and enjoying the lively atmosphere.
“Good, right?”
Usopp sat nearby, smiling happily as he watched them enjoy the food.
“This is the best restaurant in our village.
The owner’s grilled meat is incredible!”
Nami took a bite of her apple and looked at Usopp expectantly.
“Hey, Usopp.
Can we find a bigger ship around here?
We need one urgently.”
The smile on Usopp’s face faded slightly.
He shook his head apologetically.
“Sorry.
You can see for yourselves that our village is pretty poor.
“Everyone only has a few decent fishing boats.
I doubt any of them would meet your needs.”
“There seems to be a huge mansion up on the mountain.”
Zoro set down his sake jar and wiped his mouth with his sleeve before pointing toward the hills behind the village.
A dense forest could vaguely be seen there, with the white roof of a luxurious mansion hidden deep among the trees.
“Looks like someone has money,” Mox said calmly.
“If they have a ship, we can buy it.
We can negotiate the price.”
“Mansion…”
Usopp suddenly stood up, panic flashing across his face.
He thought of Kaya’s mansion and the cold, stern butler who worked there.
“Oh, right!
There’s something important I haven’t done!
“You guys keep eating.
The owner knows me.
Put it on my tab!”
With that, he disappeared like a gust of wind, not even remembering to close the door behind him.
“Was he trying to skip the bill?”
Nami immediately frowned and instinctively touched her money pouch, her face filled with suspicion.
Mox shrugged, a knowing smile in his eyes.
“Looks like he had something urgent to take care of.
In that case, Nami can pay for us.”
“Why should I pay?”
Nami instantly blew her top, rolling up her sleeves as she prepared to argue with Mox.
“I worked so hard to save this money!
Why should I spend it paying for all of you?”
Just then, the three children slammed the restaurant door open with a loud bang.
They planted their hands on their hips and tried their best to imitate Usopp as they shouted,
“Usopp Pirates, reporting for duty!”
Luffy continued chewing his meat and asked indistinctly,
“Who are you guys?”
“Eh?!
Oh no… The captain isn’t here.”
One of the children scratched his head before turning toward Luffy and the others, his eyes widening.
“What did you do with our captain?!”
Luffy finished another piece of meat, rubbed his round belly, and sighed contentedly.
“I’m so full.
This meat is really good.”
The three children looked at one another.
The fierce expressions on their faces instantly collapsed, replaced by complete bewilderment.
Their mouths opened wide enough to swallow an egg.
“No way… Our captain…”
“Your captain?”
Zoro deliberately put on a fierce expression, looking as though he were about to devour them.
Combined with his signature intimidating face, his presence was terrifying.
“We ate him.”
The three children immediately burst into tears.
They stumbled backward before eventually huddling together in the corner, trembling as tears and snot covered their faces.
“Hahahaha!
We’re kidding!”
Mox waved his hand with a laugh, his tone becoming gentler.
“Don’t be scared.
He just ran off to take care of something.
“By the way, do you know where Usopp went?”
The child wearing the onion-shaped hat sniffled and spoke between sobs.
“H-He definitely went to the mansion!
“He went to tell Miss Kaya stories!
Miss Kaya… her parents died a long time ago, and she’s been bedridden ever since.
She’s always been in a terrible mood.
“Usopp said his adventure stories could make Miss Kaya happier.
Kaya’s health really has gotten much better over the past few years.
“Actually, Miss Kaya knew a long time ago that Big Brother Usopp was making everything up.
“But she always listened very seriously.
She even secretly gave us snacks every time.”
“So Usopp is actually a really kind guy!”
Luffy’s eyes lit up.
He jumped out of his seat.
“Let’s go meet this young lady!
We can ask her about the ship while we’re there!”
The iron gates of the mansion were tightly shut, and ivy covered the ornate railings, giving the estate a dignified yet mysterious atmosphere.
Everyone was admiring the mansion’s grandeur.
Luffy, however, couldn’t be bothered to knock.
He grabbed Zoro, Mox, and Nami by the hands and pushed off with his feet.
The elasticity of his rubber body sent him shooting into the air like a cannonball.
“Whoosh!”
He dragged all three of them over the wall and into midair.
Nami was so frightened that tears sprang into her eyes.
Zoro gritted his teeth and growled,
“I swear, one of these days I’m going to cut you down!”
Mox was a Logia user, so he wasn’t particularly afraid.
They landed with a slap on the branch of a massive oak tree.
It was precisely the tree where Usopp had been hiding while telling Kaya stories.
The branch shook violently.
Usopp nearly fell from the tree and hurriedly grabbed hold of another branch.
Through the window beneath the tree, Kaya could be seen wearing a white nightgown.
Her face was still pale, but she looked considerably more lively than the rumors suggested.
Hearing the commotion, she cried out,
“Ah!
Are you all right?”
“They’re not bad guys!”
Usopp hurriedly waved his hands, trying to smooth things over.
“They’re new members of the Usopp Pirates!”
“Nope.”
Luffy lay sprawled across the tree branch and grinned down at Kaya, showing two rows of white teeth.
“I came here because I need a favor.
“We want a slightly bigger ship!”
“Breaking into someone’s home like this is rather troublesome.”
A cold, hard voice came from across the lawn, slicing through the awkward atmosphere like an icicle.
Everyone turned.
A man wearing gold-rimmed glasses approached them.
He wore an immaculate butler’s uniform, his hair neatly combed and every strand perfectly in place.
His expression was stern, and his eyes were cold as ice.
He was Kaya’s butler, Klahadore.
He adjusted his glasses, a cold glint flashing across the lenses as his gaze swept over the four people in the tree.
Finally, it settled on Usopp.
His voice was filled with undisguised contempt.
“Please leave.
All of you.
“And you as well, Usopp—the liar who causes trouble throughout the entire village every single day.”
Usopp slid down from the tree.
He stubbornly lifted his chin, trying his best not to look timid.
“What?
Are you a fan of mine?
Then you should address me respectfully as Captain Usopp!”
Klahadore pushed up his glasses, a mocking smile curling at the corner of his mouth.
“Captain?
“I do know a thing or two about your father.”
Usopp’s face instantly went pale.
His lips pressed into a thin line, and a trace of pain flashed through his eyes.
His father was the person he cared about most, yet people always used him as a means of hurting Usopp.
“Mr.
Klahadore…”
Kaya spoke softly, trying to stop him.
Her voice was barely audible.
Over the years, she had already noticed Klahadore’s hostility toward Usopp, but she had never been able to argue against him.
Klahadore acted as though he hadn’t heard her.
He walked straight up to Usopp and spoke quietly, every word cutting deep.
“Usopp, your father was a great pirate.
“And you are the son of a pirate who carries that filthy, savage blood.”
Luffy’s expression immediately darkened.
The smile disappeared from his face, and his expression became solemn.
His fist quietly clenched at his side.
He hated hearing people talk about “filthy blood.”
Shanks and Yasopp were both people he respected.
He said nothing, wanting to see how Usopp would respond.
Usopp suddenly raised his head.
Two tiny flames seemed to burn in his eyes.
He straightened himself from the ground, his chest rising and falling heavily as though a fire had been ignited inside him.
“What did you say?”
“I said…”
Klahadore repeated himself slowly, the mockery at the corners of his mouth growing deeper.
Yet a vicious glint flashed through his eyes.
He was waiting.
Waiting for the opportunity to completely eliminate Usopp and seize Kaya’s fortune.
“You must hate your father, don’t you?
“He abandoned his wife and child, caring only about chasing those illusory treasures.
What kind of disgraceful man does that?
“Isn’t lying what you’re best at?
“Why not put that talent to good use and tell everyone that your father was actually a respected merchant?
“Or perhaps say that you aren’t even related to him by blood?”
BAM!
Usopp could take it no longer.
He slammed his fist into Klahadore’s face.
Klahadore staggered backward two steps.
His glasses were knocked crooked, and a crack appeared across one of the lenses.
Usopp’s chest heaved violently.
His eyes were red, yet he glared at Klahadore without backing down.
“I’m a liar!
I’m a coward!
“But my dad isn’t the man you say he is!
“He’s a brave warrior who faces danger without fear on the sea!
“I’m proud of him!
“The blood of pirates flows through my veins, and I’m proud of that!
“I’m the son of a pirate!”
“See?”
Klahadore wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his sneer becoming even colder.
“Just as I thought.
You’re nothing but an animal with savage blood.
“All you know is how to solve problems with violence.
“And you’re proud of it?
Proud?
“Pirates are nothing but a bunch of shameless, filthy idiots!”
Usopp raised his fist again.
Kaya hurriedly called out from the window, her voice pleading.
“Usopp, don’t use violence!”
At that moment—
BOOM!
A dull explosion rang out like thunder rolling across the ground.
Klahadore’s body was struck by an invisible sledgehammer.
He was sent flying through the air, his body tracing a long arc before—
THUD!
He crashed into the flowerbeds more than ten meters away, crushing a patch of beautiful roses beneath him.
His gold-rimmed glasses were completely shattered, fragments of glass scattered across the ground.
Mox shook his slightly numb fist.
He hadn’t used Armament Haki.
He was afraid that a full-powered punch would cripple the man outright.
“Sorry, Captain.
“I know this might make buying a ship more difficult for us, but I really couldn’t resist.
“I just had to smash that disgusting bastard’s glasses.”
Kaya covered her mouth, her eyes wide with shock.
She had never witnessed such a direct confrontation before.
Zoro raised an eyebrow, a hint of approval curling at the corner of his mouth.
His expression seemed to say:
Nice one.
Nami sighed softly and rubbed her forehead.
Yet there wasn’t the slightest hint of blame in her eyes.
Usopp stood motionless.
He looked at Mox’s back, then at Klahadore struggling among the flowerbeds in the distance.
Suddenly, his eyes grew hot.
His heart felt strangely full and warm.
So this is what it feels like… to have someone stand firmly by your side.