"Ah… huh?"
Usopp froze in place.
Faced with Luffy's sudden invitation, he blinked in disbelief, struggling to process what he'd just heard.
"Y–You're not joking, right?"
"Of course not!" Luffy replied at once. "Red said you're an excellent sniper! And my ship just happens to be missing one!"
"Red… you mean this vice-captain guy?"
Usopp turned his head toward Red.
After a bit of casual conversation, he'd already gained a rough understanding of the Straw Hat crew's lineup. But no matter how he thought about it, he never imagined that a notorious pirate with a 50 million Beli bounty would invite him to sail together.
This was… just like his dad back then!
However—
After a brief inner struggle, Usopp forced an awkward yet polite smile.
"Even though I'm really grateful for your invitation, Luffy, I am the great Captain Usopp, commanding eighty million subordinates!"
"Sorry, but my personality simply won't allow me to serve under someone else."
"..."
The moment Usopp finished speaking, it was as if a cold wind swept through the restaurant.
The atmosphere fell dead silent.
Smack!
Nami slapped her forehead, her face filled with speechless resignation.
Without even thinking, it was obvious—this new partner Red had found was yet another 'extraordinary talent'.
"Huh?"
Luffy, rejected outright, didn't look disappointed at all. But just as he was about to invite Usopp again, Red suddenly raised a hand to stop him.
"Wait a moment, Luffy."
Red stood up with a gentle smile and took a seat directly across from Usopp.
"Uh… w–what is it?"
For some reason, just meeting Red's gaze made Usopp feel an overwhelming pressure.
It was as if—
Every secret he had was laid bare before this man.
Sure enough.
The moment Red spoke, Usopp's nerves instantly tightened.
"Miss Kaya…" Red chuckled softly. "How has her health been lately?"
"!!!"
Usopp's heart lurched violently. "Y–You… You know Miss Kaya?!"
If there was anyone in all of Syrup Village Usopp cared most deeply about—
It was undoubtedly Kaya.
Not only because her frail yet gentle appearance captivated him…
More importantly, she was the first person in the entire village who truly believed him—who sincerely listened to his lies.
Yet Red shook his head calmly. "No, I don't know Miss Kaya personally."
"I've just heard that a pirate crew has set its sights on her."
"They seem intent on seizing her family's estate."
"What did you say!?"
Usopp shot to his feet, his pupils shrinking as worry surged across his face.
"What's going on!?" he demanded urgently, barely able to contain himself.
Usopp's concern for Kaya far exceeded Red's expectations.
But in response to Usopp's emotional turbulence, Red merely smiled faintly and waved his hand, signaling him to calm down.
A subtle, unfamiliar glint flashed through Red's deep, tranquil eyes.
Smiling, he said to Usopp:
"Do you remember the Black Cat Pirates, who disappeared three years ago?"
Usopp nodded and immediately blurted out what he knew.
"A huge pirate crew with a total bounty exceeding 30 million Beli!"
"I remember their captain, Kuro, was reportedly killed by the Marines three years ago, and the entire crew vanished from the East Blue."
"Could it be… that remnants of the Black Cat Pirates are targeting Kaya!?"
"No. This goes far beyond mere remnants."
With a light chuckle, Red took out a weathered bounty poster he'd obtained from Marine Branch 153 and slowly laid it out before Usopp.
"The real Kuro never died. He's been hiding in Kaya's mansion all this time—serving as her butler."
"Take a good look at this bounty poster, long discarded by the Marines. Does it look familiar?"
"T–This is…!?"
Usopp slammed both hands onto the table, staring at the poster as terror washed over him.
There was no mistake!
The man on the bounty poster—
Wasn't he the very butler who stayed by Kaya's side?!
H–How could this be?!
Usopp's mind went completely blank.
The moment he imagined that a vicious pirate had been right beside Kaya all this time, he felt an overwhelming urge to rush to her side and warn her immediately.
His eyes flashed. "Sorry, everyone! I just remembered something important—I'll have to excuse myself!"
The moment the words left his mouth, he turned to leave the restaurant.
But Red called out to him.
"Wait, Usopp."
"Your reputation in this village… isn't exactly stellar, is it?"
"Do you really think that with just words, you could convince Kaya—or the others in that mansion—to believe you?"
"And even if you exposed Kuro's identity, can you guarantee that, in his desperation, he wouldn't kill both you and Kaya?"
"..."
Usopp came to a dead stop.
His legs felt as heavy as lead.
Large beads of sweat rolled down his forehead, dripping onto the table.
Seeing this, Red offered a calm smile, resting one hand on the table as his fingers gently tapped the surface.
"How about this, Usopp…"
"Let's make a deal."
"Gulp—"
Usopp swallowed hard and turned back toward Red.
But when he met those pitch-black, unfathomably deep eyes—and the faint smile lingering at Red's lips—there came a moment when he felt like a marionette, unknowingly dancing to this man's strings from the very beginning.
"W–What kind of deal?" Usopp asked warily.
Red merely smiled and patted Luffy on the shoulder.
"We fulfill our captain's wish, of course…"
"You join our pirate crew, and in the name of partners, we'll take care of every problem you have."
"T–That…"
Usopp hesitated once more.
But his hesitation wasn't because he wanted to refuse.
He simply couldn't understand how he—of all people—was worthy of being invited, one after another, by both the captain and vice-captain of the Straw Hat Pirates.
These were pirates with 50 million Beli bounties, after all!!!
Was it just because his father served under one of the Four Emperors!?
Though Usopp often spoke arrogantly and spun outrageous lies, deep down he knew exactly how much he was worth.
Extreme bravado on the outside, crippling inferiority within—the distortion was painfully evident in him.
After several seconds, he clenched his jaw and nodded heavily.
"I don't know what you see in me… but if you can take care of the pirates targeting Kaya's home, I'll join your crew!"
"No, no."
Red shook his head. "You've got the order wrong, Usopp."
"It's not that we deal with the pirates and then you join us…"
"It's that once you've joined us, then we'll deal with the pirates."
"After all, helping our companions is only natural—wouldn't you agree?"
"That's right! Shishishi!"
Luffy grinned and stretched out his hand toward Usopp. "You're a sniper Red praised—I'm absolutely making you my crewmate!"
"You guys…"
Usopp was momentarily speechless. "You're really a strange bunch."
Yet soon enough, a wild, unrestrained laugh burst from his lips.
"Well, since you need someone as great as me that badly, I suppose I'll join you!"
He reached out and clasped Luffy's hand firmly.
Strangely enough, Red had merely rearranged the order of events—without changing the outcome at all—yet Usopp felt an inexplicable sense of being valued.
Maybe… he wasn't as useless as he believed.
And besides, setting sail as a pirate—becoming a brave warrior of the seas—had always been his dream, hadn't it?
A dream he'd never chased due to fear and cowardice…
Yet now, it had come true in the most unexpected way.
"So," Zoro finally spoke from the side, his voice calm but sharp, "next, are we heading to that mansion on the hill?"
He then turned to Luffy and Red.
"By the way… can you leave that guy to me later?"
"I want to test the results of my training over the past few days."
(End of Chapter)