22: 22.
Usopp vs.
Suspicious People, Questionable Plans, and One Extremely Punchable Hypnotist 22: 22.
Usopp vs.
Suspicious People, Questionable Plans, and One Extremely Punchable Hypnotist = Usopp’s POV = This was bad.
Not the “I forgot to bring lunch” kind of bad, nor the “I accidentally insulted someone who can bench-press a house” kind of bad, but the truly annoying kind of bad where your brain suddenly works too well and refuses to stop thinking about all the possible ways everything could go horribly wrong.
Because right there, in plain sight, blending in like a slightly suspicious mushroom in a vegetable market— I found Jango.
Not just any Jango.
The Jango.
….
….
Alright, that didn’t make sense.
Anyway, it was Jango, the Hypnotist..The first mate of the Black Cat Pirates.
The guy with a bounty, hypnotism skills, and a Michael Jackson rip-off who also liked dancing.
Yet somehow, I found this guy standing among Kaya’s family’s ship crew like he belonged there.
I resisted the urge to slam my head into the nearest wall.
Calm down, Usopp!
Panicking would not help.
Panicking would only make things worse.
Panicking was something I would do later, preferably in a safe location with snacks.
Right now, I needed to think.
Jango being here meant one thing.
No, it meant several things.
All of them terrible.
First, he might not be alone.
….
….
Actually, scratch that.
There was no way he was alone.
The Black Cat Pirates were not exactly known for their “solo infiltration missions” or “independent artistic expression.” If Jango was here, then Kuro was involved, and if Kuro was involved, then this entire situation was already ten times worse than it looked.
Second, even if Jango somehow was alone, which was about as likely as me becoming the world’s bravest warrior overnight, he was still a hypnotist.
Which meant— Mind control.
He could have already hypnotized the crew.
He could have hypnotized the important people.
He could have hypnotized the captain.
He could have hypnotized the guy who cooked the food, which would be a crime far worse than piracy.
And if he had control over the ship, then the ship itself was already compromised.
I clenched my teeth.
Third, their goal, which was the real problem.
What exactly were they planning?
If Jango had infiltrated the crew, then sabotage was the obvious answer.
They could cause an “accident” at sea, something unfortunate, something tragic, something that would wipe out Kaya’s family in one clean move.
But that felt… too simple.
Kuro was not the type to rely on something that straightforward.
Which meant there was more.
Maybe they planned to hypnotize Kaya’s father once he boarded the ship, forcing him to sign away everything, manipulating him into ruining himself while thinking it was his own decision, then they would kill everyone on board, leaving no witness.
That sounded more like Kuro.
Cold, precise, disgustingly clever.
But then, what if I was wrong?
What if they were not targeting the father?
What if they were targeting Kaya?
They could kidnap her, use her as leverage, force her parents to hand over everything, or worse— Uh…
What’s worse than that?
My brain decided that was enough thinking for one second.
“Dammit!
Which one is it?” I muttered under my breath.
“What are you doing here, Usopp?” I nearly jumped out of my skin.
Belle-mere stood behind me, arms crossed, her sharp eyes already analyzing everything around her as if she could smell trouble in the air.
Beside her were Kaya and her mother, both dressed neatly, clearly prepared for travel.
I blinked.
“Huh?
Are you guys also going?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.
“That’s right, Usopp-chan,” Kaya’s mother replied with a gentle smile that did absolutely nothing to reduce my anxiety.
“There is a seminar Kaya wish to attend in the Frauce Kingdom.
My husband thought it would be a good opportunity for a family outing, so I joined as well.” Ah, of course.
A family trip.
On a possibly hijacked ship.
With hidden enemies.
And a hypnotist.
Perfect.
Wonderful.
Amazing.
This was exactly the kind of peaceful vacation everyone dreamed of.
Now things were even worse.
I’ve read enough stories and watched enough movies to know that this was the perfect background for trouble to arise.
If the entire family was on board, then Kuro would not even need to work hard.
One well-timed “accident,” and everything would be over.
And with Jango already inside, there was a very high chance that the entire ship was already under enemy control.
They were just waiting for the right moment to strike.
“Do you want to follow, Usopp-kun?” “…Huh?” I turned toward Kaya’s mother, certain that I had misheard something.
“You don’t leave the archipelago often, do you?” she continued kindly.
“Why don’t you come along?
I also have something I would like to ask your help with.” For a moment, I just stared at her.
Then my brain caught up.
This was a perfect opportunity.
This was suspiciously convenient, but I was not about to complain.
“Sure,” I replied immediately.
I did not even ask what she wanted me to do.
At this point, she could have asked me to juggle flaming swords while singing sea shanties, and I would have agreed.
Because this gave me exactly what I needed.
Access.
I just needed to inform my mom first, which turned out to be the easiest part of this entire situation.
She gave me permission without much thought, probably assuming that nothing dangerous would happen.
If only she knew.
Then I gathered my friends.
Not the three little ones.
The actual fighters who could throw a punch and not accidentally knock themselves out in the process.
I told them everything.
Honestly.
No exaggeration.
No jokes.
No dramatic storytelling.
Which, for me, was already a sign that things were serious.
“What do you mean by something suspicious?” Buck asked, his usual grin fading.
“I think I saw a member of the Black Cat Pirates,” I said, keeping my voice steady.
“Their first mate.
Jango.
He disguised himself, but I recognized him.” Their expressions changed immediately.
No one laughed.
No one doubted me.
Because they knew the difference between my lies and my truth.
I wouldn’t joke about something like this either.
“Are you sure?” Sven asked.
“I’m sure.” That was all it took.
“Should we follow you?” Ghimli cracked his knuckles, already eager.
“No,” I said firmly.
“You stay here and protect the village.” They frowned.
“You’re going alone?” Sven asked.
“Not alone,” I replied.
“Belle-mere will be there.” That changed everything.
Their tension eased almost instantly.
Because they had fought her in sparring matches after she found out that we often trained our fighting skills.
She was strong.
Ridiculously strong.
“If she’s there… then maybe it’s fine,” Buck muttered.
“Of course it is,” I said with a smirk.
“Do you think I would go without a plan?” That was a lie.
I had several ideas, but none of them qualified as a “plan.” Still, confidence was important.
“Alright,” Buck said, grinning again.
“We’ll protect the village.
You just focus on being the hero.” “Yeah,” Sven added with a smirk.
“Save Kaya and maybe you’ll get a kiss.” I rolled my eyes.
“Not dying is my priority.” The ship departed a few hours later.
I used that time wisely.
To walk around the ship pretending to be busy while secretly memorizing everything.
The layout, cargo, exits, blind spots.
Every detail that might help me later.
Once we were at sea, my suspicions were confirmed.
I could feel it.
The prying gazes, watching our every movement.
Some of them even carried bloodlust.
It was faint, but I could sense it, and it was directed at Kaya’s family.
Which meant I was not imagining things.
Belle-mere noticed it too.
I could tell from the way she subtly positioned herself, always keeping Kaya and her parents within reach.
But neither of us moved, because suspicion was not proof.
Also, moving too early could ruin everything.
So I took my time identifying the sources, and they were the escorts.
The very people hired to protect the ship.
I see.
Black Cat Pirates could not infiltrate Kaya’s inner circle directly, so they infiltrated the next best thing.
The escort company.
It was indeed a big mistake to hire outsiders to protect us even though they were trustworthy.
But we couldn’t fix it now, so I stayed calm.
I acted normal.
I even repaired a gramophone for Kaya’s mother while keeping myself close to them so that I could protect them anytime.
= 3rd Person’s POV = Night fell quietly over the sea.
The ship sailed steadily under the dim glow of the moon, its crew seemingly at ease after a long day of work.
But beneath that calm surface, danger moved silently and carefully.
Jango slipped through the corridors like a shadow, his steps light and deliberate as he approached his target.
Kaya’s parents’ room.
He reached the door and paused, listening.
Silence.
Perfect.
He opened the door slowly and stepped inside.
The room was dark, the only sound the soft breathing of its occupants.
Jango grinned.
He took out his chakram pendulum, letting it dangle as he prepared to begin his hypnotism.
He stepped closer.
But then, something grabbed him from behind.
Fast.
Precise.
Unforgiving.
It was Belle-mere.
She twisted his arm, slamming him to the ground with a force that knocked the air out of his lungs.
Jango cried out in pain as his weapon slipped from his hand.
The noise woke Kaya’s parents instantly.
They sat up, startled, only to find Belle-mere standing over an unfamiliar man pinned to the floor.
“B-Belle-mere?” Kaya’s mother stammered.
“W-Who is this?” “An enemy,” Belle-mere replied calmly.
She kicked the chakram onto the bed, letting them see the weapon clearly.
Understanding dawned instantly.
“!?
KAYA!?” her mother gasped.
“What about Kaya!?” “She’s fine.” Usopp stepped into the room at that exact moment, holding a shaken but unharmed Kaya.
Relief flooded the room.
Usopp tossed a rope toward Belle-mere without hesitation.
She caught it effortlessly and began tying Jango with practiced efficiency.
“I asked Usopp to guard the young lady,” she explained.
Usopp blinked slightly at that, surprised.
He had expected her to act, but not this decisively.
Not this cleanly.
Now, there was no doubt.
Enemies were on the ship, and they had just caught one.
But there were more.
It would not be easy for just 2 people to deal with them.
They need a plan.
—————————————————————- Thank you for your support.
CHAPTER 81.
Usopp vs Time Bomb CHAPTER 82.
HolyRicekun