25: 25.
Usopp’s Long-Distance Bullying Service (Now Featuring Premium Pirate Humiliation Package) 25: 25.
Usopp’s Long-Distance Bullying Service (Now Featuring Premium Pirate Humiliation Package) = 3rd Person’s POV = Kuro was furious.
Truly furious.
It was not the calm, calculating anger of a strategist whose plans had been slightly inconvenienced.
But the sharp, burning fury of someone whose perfectly crafted scheme had been completely dismantled by something he could neither see nor properly understand.
His eyes, hidden behind his glasses, narrowed as he watched the trajectory of the last cannonball that had slammed into his ship’s hull.
He had already proven that he could intercept shots aimed at the deck, deflecting them with precise movements and overwhelming speed.
But the next incoming cannonballs left him with no good options.
To stop those attacks, he would have to leap out of the ship.
And that was a terrible idea.
Even if he managed to intercept one cannonball mid-air, gravity would not be kind enough to wait for him to return.
He would fall into the sea, and in that brief moment of helplessness, more cannonballs would arrive and finish what the first could not.
Kuro had many emotions and behaviors.
Reckless was not one of them.
So he remained where he was, gripping the edge of the deck as another impact shook the ship beneath his feet.
“Report!” he snapped.
“Water is entering rapidly!” one of his men shouted, panic creeping into his voice.
“We cannot keep up with it!” Kuro clicked his tongue in irritation.
Of course they could not.
His crew, while useful for executing plans, were not exactly impressive when things deviated from the script.
They weren’t even competent enough to follow his well-thought orders, and surely not nearly skilled enough to respond to an unexpected situation like this.
Worse, their front cannon had already been destroyed by one of the earlier shots, leaving them without any meaningful way to retaliate.
Even if the cannon wasn’t destroyed, hitting the enemy ship with the same level of accuracy would have been unlikely.
There was still a very wide distance between their ships.
It was indeed a possible distance for cannons to shoot, but it was not a distance common cannoneers could aim accurately.
The enemy, whoever he was— Was not normal.
Another impact echoed as the hull cracked further, and the ship tilted slightly as more water poured into its interior.
“Abandon ship!” someone yelled.
The words spread quickly.
Lifeboats were lowered in haste, ropes creaked, and men scrambled to save whatever they could.
Some grabbed valuables, others supplies, and a few simply stood frozen, unable to accept that their carefully planned operation had collapsed so completely.
There were not enough lifeboats.
There never were.
So most of them stayed, waiting on their sinking ship.
Clinging to the sinking vessel as if stubbornness alone could keep it afloat.
Kuro did not share that sentiment.
He stepped onto a lifeboat with two of his men.
His expression cold as he assessed the situation with ruthless clarity.
Chasing the enemy ship like this was impossible.
The lifeboat was not built for speed or combat.
At best, it was a temporary refuge.
At worst, it was a floating coffin.
Still, it allowed him to survive.
And survival meant he could still recover.
Surely, the enemy couldn’t hit a lifeboat this small from such a distance.
So he should be safe.
Or so he thought.
Just as he prepared to issue his next command, something unexpected happened.
The enemy ship did not flee.
Instead, it turned to the left.
Kuro frowned.
The ship began to circle them, and it deliberately moved slower now.
Like a predator playing with its prey.
The insult was unmistakable.
His fingers tightened around the edge of the boat.
“…Arrogant,” he muttered, not remembering that he himself was also a very arrogant man.
He was about to order his men to row toward the circling ship, even if it was a futile effort, when— Thud!
Something struck the side of the lifeboat.
A small hole appeared.
Kuro’s eyes narrowed.
“What was that?” One of the men beside him leaned forward, confused.
“I don’t—” THWACK!
The sound cut him off.
He froze, then slowly looked down.
A bullet was embedded in his stomach.
His mouth opened, but no words came out as he collapsed forward.
Kuro’s gaze snapped toward the circling ship.
He could not see it clearly.
The night concealed it well.
But even if he did not need to see it, he knew.
The attack came from there.
On the opposing ship, Usopp stood firmly on the left side.
His expression focused as he adjusted his stance.
He had tied two long, personally modified reinforced rubber bands between a pair of sturdy railing posts, creating a massive makeshift slingshot.
It was crude because it was an improvised slingshot, but it was incredibly effective, and much more powerful than normal slingshots.
The rubber could stretch nearly three meters, storing an immense amount of tension that translated into frightening projectile speed.
But power alone was not enough.
Accuracy mattered.
So he tested it first.
The first shot missed.
It splashed harmlessly into the sea, unnoticed.
The second shot hit the lifeboat even though he was aiming for Kuro, so it was still a little off-target.
But that was all the confirmation he needed.
By the third shot, he aimed at one of Kuro’s men on the lifeboat, and it struck him perfectly.
He shot the other guy next and took him down as well.
Now, only Kuro remained standing on that boat.
“Let’s see,” Usopp muttered, a faint smirk forming on his face, “how good a nineteen-million pirate really is.” Kuro’s bounty had been raised to 19 Million.
His scheme to fake his death by sending a hypnotized sacrificial lamb was discovered by the Marines.
Now Usopp assumed that Garp was behind that quick discovery of Kuro’s scheme.
Kuro who had tried to fool the Marines received a reward, a 3 Million raise for his bounty.
A perfect reward.
Back to Usopp, this time, he switched his ammunition to steel bullets.
It was heavier, more stable, and less affected by wind.
It was perfect for long-range precision.
But only a slingshot with this kind of power could shoot these bigger steel bullets.
He pulled the rubber back, aimed, and released the steel bullet.
The bullet shot forward, slicing through the night with deadly intent.
Kuro did not see it, but he felt it, yet he couldn’t react.
A sharp pain exploded in his leg as the bullet struck, tearing through muscle and forcing him to shift his stance.
He did not fall, but his movement slowed.
For a man who relied on speed, that was a critical damage.
“Blame yourself,” Usopp said quietly, adjusting his aim again, “for choosing nighttime.” His eyes, adapted to the darkness, tracked Kuro’s movements with remarkable clarity.
Even under faint moonlight, he could see enough to aim precisely.
He fired again, but this time Kuro moved slightly.
It was a slight shift, barely noticeable.
But enough to dodge that bullet.
Usopp frowned.
“That was not luck,” he muttered.
Kuro had sensed it.
Not seen.
Not heard.
Felt.
A survival instinct honed through countless battles.
It was not true Observation Haki, but it was close enough to be troublesome.
Still, instinct had limits.
Usopp exhaled slowly.
He turned to Belle-mere.
“Turn off all the lights,” he said.
She did not question him.
Within moments, their ship was swallowed by darkness.
Now, they completely blended with the dark night.
Kuro would have a harder time predicting where the bullets came from.
Usopp switched ammunition again to lighter bullets.
They were more affected by wind, but useful in different ways because of their special effects.
He adjusted his aim carefully because these bullets would move differently in this distance with this kind of wind.
Meanwhile, Kuro found a new strategy.
He grabbed the injured man beside him and lifted the man.
He used the man as a shield, positioning the man’s body between himself and the direction of the incoming shots.
That was cold and heartless, but efficient.
As expected of someone who didn’t care about his crew members’ lives.
Usopp watched, and smiled.
“Heh,” he murmured.
“You think that’s enough to stop my genius?” He did not aim at Kuro, he aimed at the boat.
The bullet struck.
BOOM!
A small explosion hit the boat.
The wood splintered, and water seeped in.
Kuro’s eyes widened slightly.
Then another shot.
And another explosion.
Then, five more shots.
Rapid.
Precise.
Relentless.
The lifeboat could not endure it.
Cracks spread and water flooded in quickly.
Within seconds, it began to sink.
Kuro clicked his tongue in annoyance as the boat sunk, forcing him to abandon it.
He leapt into the water, still dragging the half-conscious man with him as a shield.
Then swam back toward his sinking ship that was not completely sunken yet.
He climbed aboard, joining the remaining crew members who clung desperately to what was left of their vessel.
They were wet, exhausted, panicked, and completely outmatched.
But the attacks did not stop.
Cannon fire resumed.
More impacts.
More damage.
The almost completely sinking ship groaned under the strain.
Kuro stood at the center of it all, his frustration finally boiling over.
“DAMMIT!” he shouted, his voice cutting through the chaos.
“WHO ARE YOU!?
WHAT DO YOU WANT!?” Usopp didn’t answer with words.
He answered with a direct shot on Kuro’s face.
Kuro froze.
“…What?” A fine powder spread across his skin.
Then, it started.
The itch.
At first, it was mild.
Then it grew, and grew, and grew.
Until it became unbearable.
His composure shattered.
His hand shot up, scratching his face violently as he tried to suppress the sensation.
But it only worsened.
Around him, his remaining men stared in disbelief as their captain—the terrifying, calculating Kuro—was reduced to clawing at his own face like a man possessed.
On Kaya’s Family’s ship, Belle-mere watched the scene with a complicated expression.
“…You are cruel,” she said.
Usopp lowered his slingshot, observing the chaos with calm detachment.
“Not as cruel as him,” he replied while smirking as he looked at the enemy ship.
Usopp had defeated Kuro.
The God didn’t even need to face his enemy directly to win.
—————————————————————- Thank you for your support.
CHAPTER 87.
Jaya Island CHAPTER 88.
The Liar’s Descendant, HolyRicekun