Chapter 22: The Strange IslandThe weather was clear and sunny, and Luffy was shouting on the ship while holding his straw hat."It's fixed!"Nami put away the needle and thread on the side: "This is just an emergency fix, just sewing up the edge of the straw hat. Let's find a professional shop to repair it properly when we reach a town."Luffy looked at the repaired straw hat with great excitement."Thank you so much, Nami. I didn't expect you to be so skillful.""I just hope you can be more careful and not let this happen again.""Ha~ still at sea. Oh right, Alex, I'm hungry, get me something to eat."Zoro opened his eyes, saw that it was still just seawater all around, rubbed his hungry stomach, and looked to Alex for food.Alex took out the last two apples and gave one each to Luffy and Zoro."Here, these are the last apples, make them last."Luffy stretched out his arm and leaned in: "What about the meat, Alex? Did you eat all the meat!"Hearing Luffy's questioning, Alex finally moved his eyes away from the scroll."The meat was all eaten by you two, and I'm the hungriest one, okay? To ensure enough fresh water, all the water during this time was purified by me!"Alex bared his shark-like teeth and roared at Luffyand Zoro.After roaring, he lowered his head and continued to study. This time, he was learning the simplest yet also the hardest Ninjutsu — Rasengan.After all, the people in this world have very high physical strength. Unless a large amount of Chakrais added, ordinary Ninjutsu won't cause much damage.Therefore, a single-target, powerful Ninjutsu like Rasengan is what he wants to learn at the moment.Zoro and Luffy seemed not to hear him; they finished the apples in their hands in a few bites and looked at Nami on the side.Zoro asked her: "Hey, share some food over here."Nami was deeply speechless, so she started lecturing: "Are you and Luffy out of your minds? Wanting to go to sea without food or water! You underestimate the ocean too much!If it weren't for Alex, you two would have already become dried salted fish!It's a miracle you've survived until now."After saying this, Nami still threw a piece of bread to Zoro and instructed him to split it in half with Luffy. Alex, meanwhile, created a cup of water and handed it to Zoro.Zoro finished half the bread in a few bites: "Heh! It's passable!"Facing Nami's lecture, Luffy seemed not to be listening at all. He saw a shadow in the distance."Hmm? There seems to be something ahead!"As they got closer, he saw it clearly; it was an island.Nami took out her telescope to see the general situation of the island and declared the type of island it was."Ah~ forget it! It's a desert island, no point in going up there. Let's just continue along the route..."Before Nami could finish, she heard a different sound.She took down the telescope and saw Alex standing at the stern of the ship, with a rotating sphere-like object placed in the water.The ship was moving toward the island at an extremely strange speed. At the same time, the discussion on the ship reached her."Maybe we can find a crewmate on that island!""If we could find some more food, that would be even better. Nami is right, we were really too reckless."Watching the ship sailing away, Nami felt a bit weary and shouted angrily: "Wait a second!"After shouting, Nami adjusted the sails to drift toward the island, relying on the wind direction and ocean currents.Not long after, the ship reached the shore. Luffyjumped off the ship, followed closely by Alex. Namisecured the ship and ran over.Looking at the island in front of her, Nami said: "There's only a forest on this island, nothing else? As expected, I said this was a desert island. How could we possibly find a crewmate in a place like this.""Not necessarily. My intuition says this island has what I want. Maybe there really are good things here." Alex expressed his feeling.But Luffy was calling Zoro, who was sleeping on the side."Luffy, don't call him. It's better to let Zoro guard the ship. By the way, I'm going to look around elsewhere. Nami, I'll leave her protection to you. After all, she's the only one who knows navigation. If she dies here, we won't be able to go to the Grand Line."Alex finished speaking with Luffy and left, moving forward according to his intuition."Okay, I got it! I will definitely protect Nami well!" Luffy nodded vigorously and then stared intensely at Nami.Nami was helpless and punched Luffy, but with his Gum-Gum body, no amount of punching was useful.Alex, who had left with Luffy, walked toward the forest. Seeing Alex leave, Luffy also walked toward the depths of the forest."Alright, let's go. Nami, you need to follow me closely!""Where to?" Nami was confused about where Luffywas going. Luffy said bluntly: "Maybe there are people living deep in the forest."Nami immediately retorted: "Maybe we won't run into people, but instead run into wild beasts and monsters."Just as the two were discussing, a creature with a fox's body, but with the tail, head, and eyes of a chicken, appeared. Moreover, it left while crowing "Cock-a-doodle-doo."Nami was full of confusion seeing the creature before her; what on earth was this?Then she saw Luffy playing with a snake that had rabbit ears, a furry body, and a rabbit tail?"Hey, look! This rabbit is so strange!"Nami also thought it was weird: "But I think that looks like a snake."Luffy put down the rabbit-eared snake and pointed to a small pig with a lion's mane walking over, saying: "What about that lion?""That... is a pig, right? A strange pig."The pig left while making a "grunting..." sound. At this moment, a voice came: "Don't go any further!"Luffy froze in place, curious about where the voice came from. Nami was also puzzled by the voice: "Where is the voice coming from!"At this moment, the voice came: "Huh? Me? I am the guardian of this forest!"Just as Luffy and Nami were investigating the source of the voice, Alex had also arrived in the forest. Like Luffy and Nami, he saw many strange and curious animals. He even saw a bat that looked like a panda.If he didn't have things to do, he probably would have taken it as a pet. After saying goodbye to these interesting animals, Alex followed his senses to a patch of ground."Hmm, it's right here, that strong feeling of the unknown." Then Alex activated his Byakugan to look down.He saw two boxes underneath; one box was filled with gold and silver treasures, and the other box contained a fruit. Not knowing what this was, Alexcreated a Shadow Clone and started digging.It didn't take long for Alex to dig out the two boxes. The first box was a pile of treasures; no need to look, Alex had no interest in this stuff. But the other box contained a fruit, which made him quite curious.After all, what could be better than a box of gold and silver treasures? Opening the box, Alex saw the specific appearance of the fruit inside. It was a milky-white fruit with spiral patterns on its surface, and at the same time, the fruit looked like an apple."This... this should be the Devil Fruit that Luffy and Buggy have eaten, right? It seems those treasures might be to attract attention, while this is the real good stuff."At the same time, there was a note underneath, which confirmed Alex's thought.
Chapter 23: The Old Man's TreasureAfter listening to Nami's explanation, Luffy finally understood: "So it's just going around the world!"The old man on the side warned him: "Don't say silly things! It's not that simple! At the very least, that route is known as the 'Graveyard of Pirates'..."Speaking of this, a look of terror appeared on the old man's face: "I've met pirates who escaped from the Grand Line before. They were like the walking dead, completely dejected, it was truly a pitiful sight. They must have been fatally terrified; I don't know if they ran into fearsome pirates or some kind of monsters, but they wouldn't say a word about it. Just seeing how devastated they were, one could easily imagine the horrible experiences they had on the Grand Line."Hearing this, both Luffy and Nami wore serious expressions; after all, this was knowledge about the Grand Line.The old man continued his explanation: "No one knows where 'ONE PIECE' is, nor does anyone know what the truth is. For the more than 20 years since the Great Pirate Era began, that treasure has become a legend. Do you understand now? It's impossible to obtain 'ONE PIECE'!"After saying this, the old man spread his hands, though it was hard to tell beneath that thick, dark hair of his.But Luffy didn't care about this sign: "Is that so? There will be a way!"Nami had a different attitude: "Grab as much as we can, and run once we get it."Luffy said with a grin: "We'll definitely find it, my luck is great!"Nami was indifferent: "Say what you want, I don't know where you get your confidence from."Gaimon stood there, dumbfounded, watching Namiand Luffy's conversation."Do you know why I can't leave this island?""Oh, oh, why is that?" Luffy asked, for once not saying anything strange."Because I... I haven't given up."Then, Gaimon began to tell the story of what happened twenty years ago.One day, twenty years ago, he came to this island as a pirate, as there was a legend that it held treasure.In the end, their pirate crew didn't find a single gold coin, only a few empty, broken chests.Then, the Captain ordered everyone to set sail and leave.At that time, Gaimon felt that things weren't as the Captain said.So, he chose to leave and head toward the giant rock that the Captain had been guarding.That rock was the place the Captain first arrived at, and ever since then, the group's search area had always been near that rock.Gaimon felt there was something suspicious about it, so he chose to climb up to see what was going on.Just as Gaimon painstakingly climbed to the top of the rock, what he saw were chests that had not yet been opened.In his excitement, Gaimon lost his footing and slid down, and after that, he got stuck in the chest.When he woke up, he found that everyone had already left.At that moment, he thought about whether those treasure chests would belong to him alone.But he was stuck in the chest and couldn't climb, and so he spent twenty years like that.Luffy then asked him: "So, has no one else come to this place in 20 years?"The old man said with a gloomy face: "No, they have, several times. They were all pirates looking for treasure... I drove them all away using the forest's punishment.""I have never been able to forget the treasure I saw on top of that rock! But I have been trapped in this chest! For 20 years, I have been here guarding the treasure! That is my treasure!"By the end, the old man was so excited he wanted to stand up, but because of his physical condition, he couldn't stand straight.Luffy also nodded seriously, agreeing with the old man's words: "That's right! That all belongs to the old man!"Nami, on the side, uncharacteristically clenched her fists: "Alright, Gaimon, we'll retrieve that treasure for you!"Hearing Nami's words, the old man burst into tears in excitement: "What? That's wonderful! It wasn't in vain that I told you!"Luffy was surprised that Nami, a thief who steals from pirates, would give up on this treasure and not take it for herself.Nami retorted directly: "Shut up! I know when to draw the line!"Just like that, Luffy and Nami, led by Gaimon, arrived at the foot of that rock.Looking at the rock in front of them: "This is the place; I haven't been here in a long time either."Luffy wondered why Gaimon hadn't asked anyone to come over during all this time."I don't trust anyone. Besides... no one is willing to talk to me after seeing what I look like."After sighing, Gaimon looked up: "The wait is finally over! Today is truly a great day!"Nami walked over to Luffy, patted his shoulder, and said: "Alright, go on!""Why me..."Nami pointed at the rock: "I can't climb this big rock."The old man on the side was also cheering Luffy on: "I'm counting on you, Straw Hat.""Alright then..." Luffy extended his arm, grabbed the edge of the rock, and with the help of his elasticity, jumped up in one go.The two below shouted: "He made it!"A look of anticipation appeared on the old man's face.Luffy looked at the chests above and, just as he picked one up, felt that the weight was wrong. He opened it to see it was empty, then opened the others one by one, and they were all empty.To avoid hurting the old man's feelings, Luffypretended he hadn't seen anything.Then he shouted down: "I found the treasure chests, there are five of them in total.""Good job! Throw them down! Don't hit me! Wahahaha!"Gaimon laughed in excitement.But Luffy rejected his request: "No!"Gaimon stood there stunned, and Nami questioned him loudly: "What are you talking about! Stop the nonsense, throw all the chests down now!"Facing Nami's questioning, Luffy responded simply: "No, I don't want to throw them!"Hearing this, Nami got angry: "Don't go too far!"The old man on the side comforted Nami, telling her not to be so angry."Forget it, if you don't want to, then forget it!"Hearing this, Nami became even angrier: "How can you say that? Why would you say that about the treasure..."Before Nami could finish, Gaimon interrupted her."Straw Hat! You... you're really a good person!"Such an abrupt comment left Nami stunned; she couldn't understand how Luffy had become a good person.Gaimon just kept crying, unable to stop the tears."I had thought of it too, perhaps... those treasure chests... I just... tried to avoid facing this. They're empty, right! Inside..."Luffy sat beside the pile of empty chests with his head down; so Gaimon had indeed thought of this as well.Nami was quite shocked that the chests were actually empty.Seeing that the truth was out, Luffy no longer hid it: "Yeah... they're all empty!"Hearing Luffy confirm it, Gaimon covered his eyes, crying uncontrollably: "This often happens with treasure on treasure maps. By the time you get the map, the treasure has long since been taken away..."Nami, on the side, also felt disappointed: "How could this be... the treasure you guarded for twenty years turned out to be just some empty boxes.""Hahahahahaha! Old man, don't take it so hard. You waited twenty years and we came along, didn't we? If we had come thirty years later, you might have already been dead!"Hearing Luffy's words, Gaimon felt much happier: "Straw Hat...""Not quite, Captain, this old man hasn't just been waiting around for twenty years!""Alex!"Luffy heard Alex's voice, and then he walked out from the depths of the forest nearby.Seeing the silhouette of the person approaching, it was indeed Alex."Alex, why is your complexion so pale? Before it was just a normal white, but now it looks like there's no color at all."Luffy looked at Alex's skin, which was several times paler than before, and couldn't help but worry."Oh, this? I just lost too much blood, it's fine. It happened after I acquired something good."Alex quickly explained why he was like this, then jumped down with Luffy and came before Gaimon."Boy, you... are you telling the truth!""Alex, but there was clearly no treasure up there!"The old man and Luffy were both confused by Alex's words, but Nami seemed to realize something."It was re-buried. This is a common tactic used by some pirates, one they only use after finding a massive amount of treasure. Could it be that there was a treasure in those chests that was so important, so important that taking it out would cause the pirate crew to fall apart!""That's right, it's just as Nami said." Alex confirmed Nami's guess, then opened a scroll to release two treasure chests.One was a chest filled with treasure; obviously, this treasure wasn't enough to cause a pirate crew to fall apart, so it must be the other one.Lying in that chest was a white apple with spiral patterns on it."This... this is a Devil Fruit!"Luffy recognized it; although it was different from the Gum-Gum Fruit he ate, it certainly had the appearance of a Devil Fruit."That's right, that's it. Only a sea treasure like a Devil Fruit would cause a pirate crew to fight over it."Nami nodded repeatedly; after all, even if you bought a Devil Fruit separately, it could fetch over 100 million Berries, and with that pile of jewelry next to it, it would be at least another 10 million.This 110 million-plus Berries was enough to cause conflict within a pirate crew.Plus, the Devil Fruit grants the eater powerful physical attributes, so it's no wonder it was hidden away.At this moment, Gaimon knelt on the ground and wept bitterly; he was grateful that his twenty years of waiting hadn't been in vain.Furthermore, he now knew who had buried this treasure; it was likely his Captain, who had arrived on the island first, buried the treasure and the Devil Fruit, and then told everyone there was no treasure here.It's just that, in these twenty years, he likely met with an accident and died out at sea.This was also the reason why the other party hadn't come to retrieve the treasure for so many years."Since the treasure has been found, shouldn't you go and search for 'ONE PIECE' now? Come be a pirate with us again!"Gaimon looked at Luffy: "You... are you inviting me..."Afterwards, Luffy, Alex, and Nami arrived at the seashore."...Old man, have you really decided to stay on this island?"The old man still declined Luffy's invitation."Yes, I'm very happy you invited me... Even though the treasure has been found, I must continue to play the role of the forest's guardian.""Why?" Luffy didn't understand why he wanted to do that.
Chapter 24: UsoppThe older man explained to Luffy, "Many rare animals live in this forest."Hearing this, Nami interjected, "Ah! You mean those weird snakes and pigs and stuff?""That's right. There are more people coming to this island for the rare animals than there are treasure hunters. After living here for twenty years, I've grown fond of these animals, and I can't abandon them."Luffy looked at the older man and, upon hearing his words, subconsciously blurted out, "Old man, you're a rare animal too!""I'll kill you!"After the commotion, the older man took out the two treasures and placed them in front of Luffy. "These are for you. If I keep the treasure, word will spread again. It's better to have nothing.""Old man, this is the treasure you've guarded for twenty years... You don't want it?"Alex was a bit confused. A treasure guarded for twenty years, and now he's just giving it away like that?"Well, I never really thought there was any treasure there to begin with. Giving them away now is as good as saying there truly isn't any. Besides, losing the treasure actually makes me feel much more relaxed. I can live a carefree life now."Luffy was still reluctant to accept the old man's refusal and made one last invitation: "It's such a pity... It's rare to find an old man as humorous as you...""You will definitely find good companions! And Luffy, you must find the 'ONE PIECE' and buy the whole world!"Luffy smiled and replied to the older man, "I will! Goodbye!""Oh, right, old man, take this. This is a medicinal atlas I drew. It covers herbs for enhancing physical strength and potent anesthesia. You'll be facing more and more enemies in the future, so think of this as something for self-defense. After all, bullets eventually run out."After putting down the book, Alex jumped onto the ship and followed Luffy away from the place.The older man looked at the atlas in his hand and waved goodbye to them along with all the creatures.Luffy and his crew continued their journey toward the Grand Line.On the calm sea, Nami looked at the surrounding environment.Everyone had just finished eating the fruit the older man had given them, and that's when Nami thought of something."This is too reckless!"Luffy, who was sitting at the bow of the ship, was puzzled: "What's wrong?""I mean, entering the Grand Line like this is just too reckless.""Yeah! Even though that old man gave us a lot of fruit last time, it's really no good without meat!""It's really tough without any wine to drink!"Just as Luffy finished talking about food, Zoromentioned there was no wine. Nami felt like they were hopeless, but fortunately, Alex wasn't like them.However, Alex's next words left her devastated."Hmm, yeah, although we lack wine and meat, I think what we lack most is a cook!""It's over, this pirate crew is hopeless!" This was Nami's inner thought."Oh! Alex, as expected of you, you're so thoughtful!""A cook, huh? I hope he knows how to brew wine, so we can have good wine on the ship!""You idiots! Stop thinking only about eating and drinking! What I mean is that we are heading to the Grand Line, the most dangerous place in the world. Besides, there are plenty of people looking for the 'ONE PIECE', and their ships must be very sturdy. In comparison, our ship's equipment and crew are simply too weak."After listening for a long time, Luffy still didn't understand what she was saying: "What do you want to do?"Nami took out a map and started planning."Preparing for the future! There is a Village to the south of here; let's go to that Village first! As long as we can find a sturdy ship, that'll do!"Hearing about a Village, Luffy became happy: "We'll have meat to eat!"Zoro also sat up: "Finally, I can have a good drink!"Alex put away his scroll and looked at his head. He had long wanted to get a forehead protector to wear; after all, a Ninja and a forehead protector are the perfect match.At this moment, in the Village Nami had planned to visit, a tanned, curly-haired boy with a long nose was standing on high ground near the coast."Woo ah! A new day has begun!"This person's name was Usopp, and he was from this Village.After sighing at the seaside, he went onto the Village path, running and shouting."It's bad! Everyone, it's bad! Pirates have entered the Village! Pirates... Pirates are here! Run for your lives!"When the villagers heard that pirates were coming, they grabbed whatever was at hand to use as weapons, but their trembling hands showed that they were also very afraid.An older man stood in front of a window to check: "What! Pirates!"At this moment, Usopp's voice continued to come over: "Pirates are here—"An old couple was already used to it; the old grandfather was drinking coffee while the old grandmother reminded her husband."Hey, Usopp is screaming nonsense again; it's about time to get to work!""It's bad!"Usopp's voice spread to every corner of the small Village.Of course, there were also those who didn't care: "Doesn't that guy ever get bored?"After running to the entrance of the Village, Usoppshouted to the Village: "I tricked you—hahahaha!"Of course, just as there were indifferent villagers, there were also impatient ones; a metal pot was thrown at Usopp."You liar! I'm going to teach you a lesson today!"Seeing more and more villagers coming out, Usoppclenched his fists and said excitedly, "Alright, alright! Come on, come on!"Seeing everyone running over, Usopp took off running, laughing loudly as he ran: "Come and catch me!"After running for a while, Usopp dodged and hid in a big tree."Damn it! He got away again!""This kid is too insolent.""If we catch him, we definitely won't let him off!""Where on earth did he run off to?"Seeing the villagers say a few angry words and then leave, Usopp, hiding in the tree, chuckled to himself.He hid on the tree branch, giggling and mocking everyone: "Today, the whole Village was tricked by me again."Then he stretched on the tree: "I did a good deed again today! I brought some excitement to this boring Village!""Ah! There he is!"Hearing a voice below, Usopp poked his head out to look down."Huh? Hey! You guys!"Under the tree were two children. One had long hair that covered his eyes, and the other was wearing a hat that looked like an apple.The long-haired one was named Carrot, and the other one wearing the apple hat was named Piiman. Both of them were children from the Village."Good morning! Captain Usopp! The Usopp Pirateshave arrived!"Seeing that it was his acquaintances, Usopp leaped down from the tree branch."Piiman! Carrot! Just the two of you? Where's Onion?"The two boys looked at each other: "Maybe he's still sleeping! Right? Yeah, maybe."Obviously, the two of them didn't know what the other person was doing either.Usopp sighed helplessly: "I really can't do anything with him."At this moment, a scream came."Waaaaahhhhh!"A boy with an Onion-like hairstyle and glasses came running over.He ran while shouting: "It's bad!"The two companions were puzzled by his behavior: "Ah! It's Onion! What is that guy doing?""It's bad! Pi... Pi-pi-pi-pirates are here! It's true! I saw it with my own eyes! A ship with a skull flag is coming from the north..."But his words didn't convince the three of them, and they said in unison: "You're lying, right?"But Onion was extremely firm: "It's true! It looks like Buggy the Clown's mark."Hearing this, Usopp also became a bit nervous: "You're not lying?"Onion answered firmly: "It's true. This is bad."Then Usopp ran toward the Village, saying while running: "Oh no, it's time for snacks!"The three boys shouted: "Don't run away!"Seeing his lie exposed, Usopp had to hold his stomach and say: "Actually, I have a disease where I die if I don't eat snacks."The children saw through his thoughts again: "Liar!""Doesn't the Captain want to become a real pirate?""How can a pirate be afraid of pirates!""Exactly—there are only four people in this pirate group!"Hearing that there were only four people, Usopp's expression changed instantly.To make sure he hadn't heard wrong, he asked Onion: "What? Four people? Then, it's not a big ship?"Onion replied: "No, it's two very small ships."Hearing that it was two small ships, Usoppimmediately regained his energy."Alright! Usopp Pirates, move out! To protect the peace of the Village! Follow me!"The three of them saw Usopp's display and were immediately motivated: "Yes!"Outside the island, on a beach, Luffy and his crew had already arrived.That's right, the pirate group Onion saw was Luffyand his crew."We're here, it really is land!" In Luffy's understanding, he didn't expect to arrive here so quickly."Of course, we were following the map!"Luffy was still a bit incredulous: "Is that so?"But seeing that Nami had already gone ashore, the three of them quickly followed."Nami, is there really a Village here?" Alex voiced his question.Nami said confidently: "Yes! But it's a small Village!"At this time, Usopp and his group had already arrived at the coast, reaching high ground to occupy a favorable position.Of course, they also saw the situation below."Onion! Are these the pirates you were talking about?" Usopp asked Onion if it was them."Yes! That sailing ship has a pirate mark!"Onion answered Usopp's question.Beside them, Piiman and Carrot looked at the people below and started discussing: "They aren't scary at all! Exactly."Usopp didn't speak but stared intently at them.As soon as Zoro stepped on the land, he started to stretch: "Whew—it's been a long time since I've stepped on solid ground."Alex retorted: "That's because you've been staying on the ship the whole time."Suddenly, Zoro seemed to see something: "But, I've been feeling a bit strange just now... Who are those guys?"It turned out that everyone had long since seen Usopp and his group hiding on the edge of the cliff, and they all turned to look at them.After Luffy and his crew turned to look at Usopp, the three little guys disloyally left Usopp behind."Wah! We've been discovered~~~"Usopp yelled from behind: "Hey, you guys! Don't run!"Seeing that he had been discovered, Usopp had to stand up and introduce himself."I am the leader of the great pirate group of this Village—Usopp! People all call me our Captain—Captain Usopp!"Stopped
Chapter 25: A Hearty MealThe four of them, Luffy and his group, remained unmoved; after all, they weren't there to wage war or invade. They were simply there to ask if any sailboats were for sale.Seeing that they remained standing there without changing their expressions, Usopp couldn't help but sigh in admiration. As expected of people under a great pirate, this level of composure was truly rare.He then continued to brag, hoping to intimidate them."I advise you to give up on attacking this Village. My eighty million subordinates will not stand by and watch.""Liar." "Bragger."Alex and Nami delivered a synchronized, two-hit retort.Realizing he had slipped up, Usopp clutched his head in a panic. "Ah! My cover's blown!"Nami looked at him, somewhat surprised. "Wait, really? You're admitting it?"Hearing Nami's question, he finally realized that he had exposed his own secret.Usopp quickly squatted on the ground. "Oh no! I confessed without even being asked... You two are so mean."To be able to admit he was bragging in a situation like this—was he genuinely bold, or did he just simply love to brag?Luffy, on the other hand, burst into laughter, clutching his stomach. "Hahaha! You're really interesting!"Hearing Luffy's laughter, a confused Usoppimmediately retorted, "Hey! How dare you make fun of me! Don't look at me like that; I'm a man with self-respect! That's why everyone calls me 'The Man of Pride, Usopp'!"Seeing that Usopp had to brag even when angry, Alex shook his head helplessly and stepped forward to explain.He told him that Luffy wasn't intentionally mocking him, but that was just how he was, and asked Usopp not to take it to heart.Furthermore, they weren't part of the Buggy Pirates; rather, Luffy had defeated the Buggy Pirates, and now they were looking for a ship of their own.Upon hearing Alex's explanation, Usopp was half-skeptical, but after seeing Luffy's appearance, he didn't quite believe it anymore."Hey, Alex, how much longer until we can drink?" "Yeah, yeah, we want to eat!" Luffy and Zoro started making a fuss nearby.But at the very least, he knew these people weren't bad. Seeing that they were hungry, Usopp patted his chest and offered to act as a guide to take them to a restaurant to eat.Following Usopp, they entered the Village and arrived at a restaurant called MESHI to eat.During this time, Usopp wasn't idle; he asked Luffyabout their intentions.Luffy stated their purpose."What! Looking for crewmates! So you're looking for a ship and crewmates? It seems this pretty boy wasn't lying! Hahaha..."Before Usopp could finish laughing, he saw blue light radiating from Alex's hand, which was then held against his neck. With a menacing look, Alexsaid, "If you dare call me a pretty boy again, watch out, or I'll cut you down!"Luffy continued eating meat rapidly, and Zoro drank his liquor in big gulps.After the brief joke, Alex let him go.If Usopp had heard the other's thoughts, he probably would have screamed, "You call holding something that can singe my hair against my neck a joke?!"Unfortunately, even if he knew the other's inner thoughts, Usopp dared not do anything about it.To forget the awkwardness of the moment, Usopphurriedly brought the conversation back."That—that's a grand adventure! Although it's not a big sailboat, that's the only place in the Village that has ships."Nami asked him in confusion, "Where is that?"Usopp didn't hide anything. "There's a mansion belonging to a super wealthy person in this Village. The owner there..."Usopp paused for two seconds, but still said it."The owner is a very pitiful young lady. She is frail and has been bedridden for years."Nami was quite puzzled. "Eh? Why is a girl the owner of a mansion?"The voices of Luffy and the others suddenly interrupted their conversation; naturally, it was because they were calling for food too loudly."Ma'am, bring me another piece of meat!" "Give me some liquor!" "I want another serving of soup!"Usopp yelled at them, "Are you three even listening to me?"Seeing the three go quiet, Usopp hurriedly recounted the little girl's story."About a year ago, her parents passed away from illness, leaving her a huge inheritance, the mansion, and over a dozen servants! No matter how rich she is, her background is just too pitiful."After listening to the description, Nami felt uncomfortable, and she immediately said, "Stop! Let's not look for a ship here; let's go look somewhere else!"Luffy didn't care at all; after all, they could get a ship anywhere. "Right! We're not in a rush anyway, and besides, we've already had our meat. Oh right! Alex, buy some more meat to take back!"Zoro seemed to know what Nami was thinking, so he also shouted along with Luffy, "Alex, I want some good liquor too!""You two bastards, go buy it yourself!" Although Alex was angry, he still went to the shopkeeper to buy the remaining meat and liquor.Although the quantity wasn't much, it could barely sustain them for three days.As for food later on, they would figure out a way to stock up when the time came.Usopp seemed to have thought of something, and he began to ask Luffy."Just now, didn't you say you were looking for crewmates..."After speaking, he looked at Luffy, implying that he was a qualified crewmate.But Luffy seemed to see right through him, or perhaps he really didn't understand what the other meant."Do you have a suitable candidate?"Hearing Luffy say this, Usopp perked up.He pointed to himself. "I can be your Captain!"Alex, having finished buying the food, walked back and, upon hearing this, expressed his confusion."Luffy, are you going to acknowledge this guy as the boss?"Luffy waved his hands hurriedly. "How is that possible? Alex, how could you think that!"Zoro also looked at Luffy with an expression of "don't even think about it."Seeing everyone's expressions and the conversation just now, Usopp understood their thoughts."Don't jump to conclusions so quickly!"At this moment, the sickly wealthy young lady Usopp had described was lying on her bed, looking at the scenery outside the window, not knowing what she was thinking. She then called the name of her guard: "Merry..."Her voice was soft, crisp, and moving like a skylark, but it was also somewhat weak, which reflected that the young lady didn't have much strength.A tall, thin person stood not far away and responded to the young lady. "Miss Kaya, do you have any instructions?"The young lady named Kaya leaned on the bed, the wind blowing through her hair."I... want to see Usopp..."On the other side, on a small path in the Village, three small figures were quickly darting behind various houses. It looked like they were hiding from something.As the figures drew closer, one could see that these three were Onion, Carrot, and Piiman of the Usopp Pirates.At the same time, one could see that each of the three was holding a short sword carved from wood.The leader, Piiman, asked the one in the back, Onion. "Hey! Onion! Did the pirates really go into this shop?"Onion nodded. "Yeah, I saw it with my own eyes! And Captain Usopp was also taken inside by them! So we have to go save the Captain!"Hearing his partner Onion's description, Carrot, who was nearby, said, "But I heard that real pirates are very brutal; will we be eaten by them..."Before Carrot could finish, the leader, Piiman, said, "Dummy! The only ones who eat people are the Big Bad Wolves in fairy tales! And Carrot, show some resolve! This will be the most heroic battle since the founding of the Usopp Pirates!"After encouraging each other, the three opened the restaurant door and began to scan the entire environment of the shop.It was already noon, and many people were eating there.But the three of them had seen the shadows of the others, even if only briefly. However, among these people, the one wearing a sash with three swords, the one with a huge scroll standing beside him, and the one wearing a straw hat who looked silly—there was no mistake, they were the pirate crew that had kidnapped Captain Usopp.But the Captain was nowhere to be seen. "The Captain isn't here... Could it be... has he already been harmed?"This was the worst outcome the three could imagine.Then, the three approached the four of them, seething with anger.Nami and Luffy, who had finished eating and were savoring their coffee, heard the noise and looked up to see the three children. After all, with that kind of intense stare, it was impossible to ignore them.The three came up to the table, mustering their courage. "Hey... hey! What did you do to our CaptainUsopp? Give our Captain back!"Luffy, who had finished his coffee, set his cup on the table, but what he said next clearly frightened the children. "Ah—this piece of meat is really delicious!"Hearing Luffy's words, the children clearly overthought it. "Eh!... Meat! Could... could it be the Captain!"Zoro, also feeling uncharacteristically playful, leaned on the table and looked at them, speaking slowly in a rather indifferent tone. "Your Captain, well..."Hearing his words, the children hurriedly looked at him. "What... what happened to him?"Zoro saw that the atmosphere was just right. "Just now... we ate him!"Then, the children remembered what Piiman had said earlier about the Big Bad Wolf, and they all looked at Nami in unison. "Mommy! The Big Bad Wolf!"Nami, who was originally watching the joke from the side, was instantly caught in the crossfire and roared, "Why are you looking at me!"Seeing Nami's reaction, the children thought she was going to eat them, so they fainted from fear.Seeing that the joke had succeeded, Zoro laughed in his seat.Nami looked at the unconscious children and yelled relentlessly at Zoro, "It's all because of your nonsense!"Alex came over to the three, checked them briefly, and found they were just frightened and would be fine after resting for a while.It wasn't long before they got up from the floor, and upon rising, they saw the pale-faced big brother carrying the scroll.After Alex's explanation, the children understood that everything just now was just a misunderstanding.At the same time, he said that just a moment ago, Usopp had left the place while saying, "It's time.""It's time?""That's right, he left after saying that."Piiman indicated that he knew some inside information. "I know, the Captain meant it was time to go to the mansion."Hearing them say this, Nami asked, "Is that the mansion belonging to the sick young lady?"Carrot nodded, indicating yes.Luffy asked curiously, "Why did he go there?"
Chapter 26: Kaya and UsoppHearing Luffy's question, Carrot immediately shouted: "Go and lie!"Luffy felt that lying was wrong: "How can that be!"But Piiman said: "He's amazing, right!"Onion followed up immediately: "Yeah! Amazing!"But Luffy still wondered how lying could be amazing.At this moment, in the mansion on the hill, Butler Klahadore heard the young lady and said: "Why do you want to see Usopp again...""I just want to have a few words with him."Hearing the young lady's reply, the butler sternly refused."You're doing this again... No! I've told you so many times, he is the biggest braggart in the village, and he will have a bad influence on you."Hearing the butler's words, Kaya knew it was no use, so she said angrily: "I hate you!"But the butler replied: "It doesn't matter if you hate me; no means no. Usopp's bragging will irritate your condition."But Kaya insisted she could handle it.Then, Butler Klahadore used a rather strange gesture to push up his glasses.He held his five fingers upright and then pushed with his palm, as if there was something invisible on his fingers that he had to avoid."Please listen to me. Your late parents entrusted me to protect you well... That's why I specifically arranged guards to ensure everything is foolproof."Sure enough, it was different from usual; two guards, one fat and one thin, wearing sunglasses, were standing at the front gate.Hearing this, Kaya stopped speaking.Seeing the young lady calm down, the butler once again used that strange gesture to push his glasses."Everything I do is for your own good!"At this moment, Kaya lay on the bed and responded in a muffled voice: "Mm... I know..."Hearing the response, the butler took out warm water and medicine and placed them on the table nearby."It's good that you know. The medicine is here; don't forget to take it!"Then, Kaya seemed to hear a sound and looked out the window, repeating her earlier words to the butler: "I know..."After the butler left, a thumping sound came from outside the window.Kaya opened the window and saw a figure under the big tree."Usopp!"Yes, this was Usopp, who had left with Luffy and the others."Yo! Still listless today, huh!"Seeing it was Usopp, Kaya was happy, but thinking of the butler's words, she felt a bit disappointed: "I'm sorry... I can't entertain you properly... Butler Klahadore won't agree to anything, but he's not a bad person."Usopp didn't mind: "It's fine. I actually like sitting in the garden. I feel suffocated in your mansion anyway. After all... I am a brave warrior of the sea!"Hearing Usopp's words, Kaya's mood improved a lot: "What adventure story are you going to tell today?""Today, I'll tell you the story of when I fought a giant goldfish in the South Blue when I was five!""A goldfish?" Kaya was puzzled about how big a goldfish could be.Seeing Kaya's confusion, Usopp continued to explain."That's right, it wasn't an ordinary goldfish. First of all, what was incredibly shocking was its massive feces. I thought it was land, so I went up..."Hearing Usopp's description, Kaya laughed.In the restaurant, after Luffy learned of Usopp's actions, he unhesitatingly expressed his approval."I see! He really is amazing!"Nami was relatively calm: "Oh~ so he's been running over to tell stories every day for a year just to cheer the young lady up.""Yeah! I just love the Captain's meddlesome personality!""I like his enthusiasm!""I like his bragging personality!"The three little ones nodded in agreement.Hearing the three of them, Zoro sweated and said: "It seems you all really admire him!""So, your Captain is a guest of honor for that young lady."Alex asked the three of them in a teasing tone from the side.But the reply he got was..."No, not only is he not a guest of honor, but that butler called Butler Klahadore is actually very hostile towards the Captain."Hearing the children's words, Alex was a bit puzzled. Logically, if a person can make the young lady's health better just by talking, even if he doesn't beg him to come and tell jokes often, he should be treated with courtesy.Why did it sound like this butler detested Usopp, as if the young lady's illness was much lighter than Usopp?Could this butler be plotting something? Thinking of this, Alex kept an eye on it; he wanted to see what this butler was really like.Luffy was concerned about whether the young lady had cheered up.Carrot said the young lady had recovered quite a bit, and this was definitely Usopp's credit.Confirming that the young lady's health had recovered well, Luffy shouted: "Good! Since that's the case... Let's go to the mansion to borrow a ship!"Hearing Luffy's words, Nami wanted to refuse. After all, how could a sickly person get better just by listening to a few bragging stories?"No! Didn't you just say we couldn't go?"But in the end, she couldn't resist Luffy and followed the three little ones to the entrance of the mansion.At this moment, the two guards were no longer at the mansion entrance.Luffy stood in front of the gate and shouted inside: "Anyone there? We want to borrow a ship."After shouting, he jumped onto the gate, clearly wanting to enter."Come on, let's go in; we've already greeted them.""Hey! This counts as greeting them?!"Luffy's words left the three little ones stunned on the spot. Clearly, they didn't understand this novel method.Behind them, Nami covered her face and sighed: "Can't stop him now."Zoro also grumbled: "Can't stop him, follow him in.""Right, I'm also curious about what kind of person that butler is."At this moment, inside the mansion, the butler received notice that someone had broken in."What? Someone broke in? What happened to the guards?"At this time, a colleague with a sheep-like haircut replied: "They went to eat!"In the garden, Usopp was still continuing his story.Hearing that Usopp had dealt with the goldfish, Kaya smiled and asked: "Hahahaha... Then what about the goldfish?"Usopp continued: "I cut it into pieces and transported it to the Land of Dwarves. They still haven't finished eating it to this day! With this, I made another great contribution, and people call me..."Before he could finish, he heard someone shouting "Captain," so he followed suit."Right, that's Captain..."Just after saying that, Usopp felt something was wrong.He looked up and found those pirates and his subordinates were all here.Seeing them, he was puzzled: "Ah? What are you guys doing?"The three little ones pointed at Luffy and said: "It was this guy who asked us to bring him here..."Kaya also poked her head out to look outside, wanting to see who had come: "Who is it?"Luffy saw Kaya poking her head out and asked: "You must be the young lady!"To avoid his lies being exposed, Usopp quickly went to Luffy's side, put his arm on his shoulder, and said: "These people heard my reputation and came from afar to find me. They are also new members of my Usopp Pirates."Luffy looked confused. When did he become a member of the Usopp Pirates? So he quickly refused: "Ah? No, we aren't!"Having gotten rid of Usopp, Luffy went to Kaya and stated their request."A request? With me?"Kaya was puzzled about what the request was."Yes! We want a big ship."Afraid that Luffy wouldn't explain it clearly, Alexstepped forward and showed the Devil Fruit he got from the old man."Of course, it's not a free request. We have ten million Berries and an unknown Devil Fruit here."Kaya had heard of Devil Fruit and knew of its existence.Just as they were about to continue their conversation, a voice came."What are you doing there! Your intrusion really puts me in a difficult position!"Clearly, Butler Klahadore had walked over.Usopp turned his head and muttered the butler's name quietly; he clearly didn't like him either.Luffy asked Kaya: "Who is that guy?"Seeing the butler coming over, Kaya wanted to explain: "Butler Klahadore, these people are..."But the butler raised his hand to refuse: "Young lady! I will listen to your explanation later! Now, you people, get lost. Do you have anything else to say?"Luffy stepped forward, wanting to say they wanted to borrow a ship, but was stopped by Alex. So he said: "We want to buy a ship, but we only have..."Before Alex could finish, he flatly refused and said: "No!"Hearing the reply, Alex and Luffy hung their heads; their dream was clearly shattered.Zoro came behind the two and reached out to soothe their emotions.At this moment, the butler seemed to see something and looked at Usopp on the side."You are... Usopp, right!"Usopp was stunned; he didn't expect the other party to call his name."I've heard of your affairs; you're quite famous in the village!"Clearly, his tone carried bad emotions, and Kaya was worried on the bed.Hearing the other party's words, Alex suddenly felt that he was about to say something bad.Usopp, as if he didn't hear it, continued happily: "Thanks, you can also call me Captain Usopp. It's a complimentary title."Then, the butler said with a gloomy face: "The guards said they often see you here. Do you have any business?"Watching the other party's gesture of pushing his glasses, Alex was a bit puzzled, but didn't think too much, just assuming it was a personal habit.Usopp was clearly panicking; he began to weave his reasons with various lies."Ah... well... I saw a legendary mole run into the house, so I came to look for it..." Usopp's voice became less confident as he spoke.The butler sneered on the side: "To think you could spout such nonsense here!"Usopp was a bit puzzled; he sensed something bad.The butler's next words made him furious."I've also heard of your father... You are the son of a despicable pirate. I won't interfere with what you do, just please don't approach our young lady!"Luffy's train of thought shifted again: "So you're a pirate's son!"And Usopp stood in place, saying "despicable.
Chapter 27: DisputeThe butler did not stop and continued speaking."You and my young lady are simply not from the same world.You want money, right? Name your price."Alex looked at the butler in front of him, wondering if this man also had his eyes on the young lady's fortune, so he applied to be the butler and then drove away the childhood friend who was a pirate, allowing him to legitimately become her fiancé.Thereby leaping into the ranks of the wealthy, but this approach would only push himself further away; after all, the harsher his mockery, the deeper the wound to this young lady's heart.Just as Alex had expected, Kaya, who was sitting by the window, wore an expression of anger.She shouted, "Butler Klahadore! You have gone too far! Apologize to Usopp immediately!"A typical butler would apologize immediately upon seeing such a situation, but as Alex anticipated, this butler would not only refuse to apologize but would instead continue to provoke Usopp, trying to goad him into attacking.Once he strikes, the situation will change. Since you're a decent person, I'll help you out, Alexthought to himself.As expected, the subsequent events unfolded exactly as Alex had predicted.The butler turned his head, refused the young lady's suggestion, and intensified his mockery."Is there any need to apologize to such a savage?I am merely stating the facts."Then, the butler looked at Usopp and continued, "How pathetic...You must hate him, right?That money-grubbing father of yours who abandoned his family and ran away."Meanwhile, Miss Kaya shouted from over there, "Butler Klahadore! Shut up!"Alex shook his head inwardly as he listened. "Sigh, Butler Klahadore, your tactic is clever. If he really hits you, the young lady's resentment toward you will diminish significantly, or even disappear entirely. But with me here, I will certainly not let your plan succeed.Besides, why does this person look more and more familiar?"Usopp became enraged, just as Alex had anticipated."Shut up! Don't you dare insult my father!"However, the butler continued to adjust his glasses with that strange gesture, "What, angry? You are too foolish! Isn't this the perfect time for you to brag?For example, saying your father is a businessman away on trade, or that he isn't your biological father..."As expected, Usopp was furious. He glared viciously at the man and ran up, intending to punch him.However, Alex flashed in front of Usopp and reached out to block the attack."Calm down, Usopp. He is just provoking you. If you strike, you will fall into his trap."Zoro stood by without much reaction, but Luffyyelled angrily, "Hey! Alex, how could you stop Usopp!"Usopp also glared at Alex in anger. At this moment, he couldn't listen to anything. In his mind, Alex was stopping him from hitting the person who spoke ill of his father, so Alex was also a bad guy."I won't listen, let go of me!"Alex shouted to everyone, somewhat helplessly, "Hey! Calm down, you guys. That guy is deliberately provoking Usopp.And you, Butler Klahadore, why does your face look so much like someone else's?"Butler Klahadore first continued his plan to mock Usopp, "Look, resorting to violence at the drop of a hat. Like father, like son.And as for you, sir, I don't follow what you're saying, not to mention you are a friend of Usopp's; perhaps you are slandering me!"Seeing this, with his back to the sun, Alex realized who the man resembled."Let's put other things aside for a moment. Everyone, look at this wanted poster."Then, Alex took an old wanted poster from his pocket and held it in front of Usopp.It depicted a man wearing special gloves adjusting his glasses in a strange way.Below it was the name of the wanted person: Captain Kuro, with a bounty of 16 million Berries, dead or alive.The butler froze for a moment when he saw the wanted poster, then breathed a sigh of relief."What, you conclude I am a pirate based solely on a wanted poster? That is too childish. As far as I know, this man was executed five years ago. How could it be me?"After saying this, he adjusted his glasses again. Alexstated directly that he did not determine this based solely on the bounty poster."I am not like you, making claims based on just one point. I was curious before why you adjusted your glasses like that, thinking it was a personal quirk, but now it seems to be a habit related to your weapon.Also, we encountered a Colonel named Morgan. He is the commander of a Marine Base, and we just came from there.Oh, right, the hypnosis you placed on him has also been broken by me. I estimate he has now been sent to Marine Headquarters and will learn the whole truth.Now, I estimate the bounty for Captain Kuro will be reissued, and the bounty might even be higher.How about that, Butler Klahadore..."Before Alex could finish, Kaya's voice came again, "Enough. Sir, please do not say any more. Thank you for your help earlier, but now, please leave here with your friends."Kaya interrupted Alex. Right now, she did not want to hear anyone attacking the people around her.Seeing that the master of the house had said so, Alex released the fist he had been blocking.He looked at Luffy, "Sorry, Captain, I didn't manage to borrow the ship.""It's fine. Let's leave here and think of another way later."Luffy lowered his straw hat, and with Zoro, Nami, and Usopp, they prepared to leave.Before leaving, Usopp calmly reflected on what had just happened, but he still shouted toward the butler with a proud expression."I am proud to have a pirate father!I am proud that he is a brave warrior of the sea!You are right, I am a braggart.But I am proud that the blood of a pirate flows through my veins!I will never hide this fact!I am a pirate's son!"After listening to his words, the butler straightened his clothes and replied in a serious tone, "After saying so much slander against me, let me ask you, are you also pirates!"Hearing his words, Alex knew that his previous arguments would be in vain. If he refused to answer or even lied, he could avoid the issue, but..."That's right, I am a pirate. I will not choose to deceive regarding this identity. Likewise, these three are all pirates!"The corners of Luffy and Zoro's mouths curled upward; clearly, this answer resonated deeply within them.Only Nami turned into a shark-toothed caricature and yelled at Alex, "Damn you, Alex! I am not a pirate! I am just cooperating with you!""Heh, it seems you are all pirates. Since that's the case, there's nothing more to say."After straightening his clothes and adjusting his glasses, he looked at Usopp again."Pirates are brave warriors of the sea.That is simply turning right and wrong upside down.However, there is no denying that the blood in your veins is proof of barbaric pirates.Braggarts who are irresponsible all day, and resort to violence as soon as they get angry!In the end, you and those people are all deliberately approaching my young lady for her fortune."Hearing this, Usopp became enraged again. He was not approaching Kaya for fortune; this was not only an insult to him but also an insult to the bond between them.Immediately, he threw a punch at the man's face. This time, Alex did not stop him but watched silently.The butler, who had been knocked flying, lay on the ground saying, "Just as I said.Your father is a pirate, and you are a pirate too. This act of violence is proof!"Seeing that he still dared to slander him, Usopp ran over, wanting to continue attacking him.Kaya spoke up to stop him, "Stop it, Usopp! Don't use violence anymore!Butler Klahadore...He is not a bad person...He is like this... because of me."Kaya covered her face, crying while begging Usoppnot to continue.Butler Klahadore seized the opportunity and swatted Usopp's hand away, "Get out!This is not a place for a savage like you!Do not come near here again!"Usopp hung his head, "What's the big deal? I would have left even if you hadn't said anything."After saying that, he left.Kaya looked at the departing Usopp with a worried expression.The three little ones on the side shouted, "You hateful butler! Our Captain is not that kind of person!He isn't! You bastard!Bastard!"Luffy and Alex also shouted together, "Bastard butler!Bastard!"Zoro was speechless, "Why are you two joining in the commotion!""And you! Get out of here too!"The butler roared loudly at Luffy, Alex, and the others."What, do you want to fight!""Bastard, look at my power!"Luffy rolled up his sleeves, and Alex quickly formed hand seals.Seeing this scene, Nami and Zoro looked at each other and sighed.Afterwards, Nami grabbed the three little ones and left. Zoro had a harder time; he had to hold back two people alone, so he could only drag them away while talking.After everyone had left, Kaya closed the window and buried herself in the cushions to cry bitterly, coughing violently due to the anger she had just felt.The butler knocked on the door and then pushed a food cart inside."It's time to eat, young lady..."Kaya kept herself buried in the cushions, and then sounds of sobbing came from her."I'm not hungry...I don't want to eat; it's not good at all."The butler sighed and continued to persuade her, "...If you say that, the chefs will be sad.They racked their brains to make this specifically for you."Hearing this, Kaya did not refuse any further.Just as the butler was preparing the meal, Kayaasked him, "Why did you say such things?It was wrong of me to hide meeting Usopp from you, but you didn't have to drive him away like that!"Hearing the young lady's words, the butler said nothing but came to Kaya's side."May I sit down?"With permission, the butler sat by the bed and began to recount the past."...It has been almost three years...Since I arrived here.I will never forget that day...At that time, I was working on a small boat, and because I made a small mistake, I was kicked off.I ended up on the streets and eventually came to this Village.With no job and no money, I nearly starved to death on the street.At that time, your father saved me. To me, your late parents are my benefactors...You are... the daughter of my benefactor...I know, interfering with who you make friends with is indeed very excessive.It's just that the young man named Usopp has a very bad reputation."Speaking of this, the butler covered his head and continued with an expression of deep regret."What if! If anything were to happen to you, young lady!How could I face your deceased parents!Just now... I was indeed very excessive. Do you... hate me?"Seeing this expression, Kaya had long forgotten Alex's words; in fact, she hadn't really taken them in."No! I don't hate you!I am also very grateful to you, but do you know? He is actually a good person."
Chapter 28: Usopp's DadHearing the young lady's words, the butler immediately stated, "Whether he is a good person or a bad person is a different matter."Seeing the butler so stubborn, Kaya was a bit angry, "Butler Klahadore, how can you be so stubborn!"Butler Klahadore did not argue, "That's right, I am just that stubborn!"Eventually, the butler left the room, and Kaya sat alone on the bed, looking out the window.On the other side, Usopp, having left Kaya's residence, arrived at the place where he usually hung out.Luffy followed him quietly; clearly, he had some questions he wanted to ask him.Zoro, Alex, and Nami were resting by a fence.Zoro knew that what Alex had said at that time was true, but Nami wasn't sure and wanted to ask carefully whether those words were real or just angry talk.Alex took out the wanted poster and explained the matters regarding hypnosis and Morgan.Just as the three were discussing whether that butler was the person on the wanted poster.The people nearby noticed that among the three kids, the one named Onion was missing.Regarding Alex's words, Zoro expressed indifference, while Nami began to be half-believing and half-doubting.Afterward, Alex told Zoro and Nami that he was going to the sea to train, as he felt that his strength had been improving a bit slowly lately and needed some extra training.At the same time, he gave each of them a signal flare, telling them to fire it if anything happened."That's it, Zoro, Nami. Remember, if you encounter danger, fire the signal flare, and I will come over once I see it."Afterward, Alex used the Body Flicker Technique to leave the spot. Watching Alex suddenly disappear, the two kids' faces were filled with disbelief.They kept asking who Alex was and why he had suddenly disappeared.Zoro began to explain it to them.On the other side, on the sea further away from the island, Alex created Shadow Clones to begin combat drills."Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu!" "Water Style: Water Wall!"Two figures were quickly performing hand seals on the unstable sea surface; one side summoned a stream of water rushing towards the other.And that figure also quickly performed hand seals to summon a water wall to block the attack.Looking closely, the two were identical; clearly, this was Alex and his Shadow Clone.The one defending was Alex's main body, while the one attacking was the clone."Since you have finished attacking, it is time for my counterattack. Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"A huge fireball appeared on the sea surface; the flames touching the seawater created a large amount of steam, and this steam hid Alex's figure.The clone watched the fireball in front of it and immediately blocked it with a Water Style: Water Wall, but the next second, the clone felt a sound coming from beneath its feet."Rasengan!"A Rasengan was unleashed, and upon touching the clone, the clone turned into a puff of smoke and disappeared.At the same time, Alex's main body felt the shortcomings of the previous move and also kept the insights from the battle in mind."No wonder netizens jokingly call this thing the true forbidden technique; it's too heaven-defying."Having just destroyed one clone, Alex next felt multiple attacks locking onto him. He looked up and saw three clones each performing Ninjutsu.The one in the middle was using Ninpo: Toad Oil, with a large amount of yellowish-brown oil spraying down.The one on the left quickly performed Fire Style: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet, and the one on the right performed Wind Release: Breakthrough.Combined Ninjutsu: Toad Oil Bomb.The oil was ignited by the flames, and with the boost from the Wind Release, the sea surface beneath Alex instantly turned into a sea of fire.This was a combined Ninjutsu he created based on inspiration from Sage Art: Goemon.But now it seems a bit impractical; this move can only clear out small fry. If one encounters someone of the same level, they will dodge it directly; if one encounters a strong opponent, they might choose to tank it.However, it is also a good choice for blocking off terrain.The hot oil seared the sea surface, and as time passed, the temperature of the hot oil area created by this Ninjutsu dropped quite a bit.Alex saw the timing was right and immediately performed Wind Release: Vacuum Serial Waves, spitting them towards the three clones.Alex took a deep breath, and then several small wind bullets were spat out from his mouth, spraying towards the three clones.At this moment, a figure slowly appeared from the water surface, then quickly performed hand seals: Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique.Then, a large number of small fireballs made of flames hit the air bullets.The two collided and disappeared, and the three clones turned their heads, then each gathered a Rasengan in their hands and ran towards Alex.Seeing that his surprise attack couldn't break the three clones, a helpless Alex spun in place; this was the Byakugan Hyuga Clan's technique—Kaiten.Alex also successfully deflected the three attacking clones.He also successfully gained three portions of experience and insights, as well as three portions of fatigue.This was also something he had to train; future battles would require a large number of clones to carry out surprise attacks, so he also needed to accelerate his adaptation to the sudden fatigue transmitted back when the clones shattered.As for the last clone, Alex coated his hand with Chakra and struck it with a Monster Strength Punch, successfully ending the first training session.Next, Alex created clones again; previously it was five, but this time he prepared ten clones."Alright, let's do this in one go! Keep it up!"Afterward, Alex practiced on the sea surface, and as time passed, the speed at which he performed Ninjutsu later became faster and faster.At this moment, Zoro and the others encountered a strange event, or rather, a strange person.It turned out that not long after Alex left, Onion ran over from not far away, running and shouting: "Oh no, oh no, there is a weirdo walking backwards!"At this time, not far away, a person wearing a black suit walked over backwards. He was dressed all in black, wearing heart-shaped glasses, and had a strange beard with a spiral pattern on his chin.He first heard the kids' comments, stopped by the side, and told the kids that he was not a bad person."No matter how you look at it, he's a weirdo.""Nonsense! I am just a passing hypnotist..."Hearing "hypnotist," Nami and Zoro remembered Alex's words. At this time, this person, looking like this—no matter how you looked at it, he was suspicious.In order not to alert the enemy, both of them remained silent and stood to the side, observing quietly.The few kids became interested when they heard about hypnosis."Hyp... Hypnosis? That's amazing!" "Let us see it!" "Yeah, cast it!"Hearing the three's words, this hypnotist asked why he should perform it."Idiots, why should I perform hypnosis for you? I don't even know you!"Seeing the expectant eyes of the three kids, he gradually softened, "Fine, you guys stare at this ring..."Zoro was speechless; this guy was actually going to perform!But Nami said that this was actually pretty good, since this could let them know if the other party really had the ability to hypnotize.The mysterious man took out a pendant and placed it in front of his eyes: "When I say 'One, Two, Jango,' you will fall asleep.""Are you ready? Start... One... Two... Jango!"When the person started counting, he began to swing the pendant in his hand. As "Jango" was called out, all four fell to the ground and couldn't get up.Why four? That was naturally because, besides the three kids, that mysterious weirdo also fell asleep.Only then did Nami believe Alex's words; it seemed that the butler really was a pirate.Zoro looked at the few people sleeping on the ground, stepped forward to grab the three kids, brought them to the side, and then left the place with Nami.On the other side, on a high ground by the coast, Usopp sat under a big tree, looking at the sea in front of him.At this time, Luffy was hanging upside down from a tree branch: "Hi! So you are here."Usopp was startled by the suddenly appearing Luffy. After seeing clearly who it was, he calmed down: "So it's you! Can't you greet people normally? Idiot!"But Luffy didn't care; he jumped off the tree branch and then said a name that shocked Usopp."Your dad is Yasopp, right!"Upon hearing his dad's name, Usopp froze on the spot. "...!... Huh! How do you know?"Usopp was a bit excited; it was clear that someone now not only knew his father but could also accurately state his name.Luffy answered very straightforwardly: "I saw him when I was a kid."Hearing Luffy's words, Usopp was even more excited: "What! You really saw my dad?""Yeah! You look exactly like him. No wonder you made me feel so close to you. However, I just remembered it."Facing Luffy's words, Usopp was more concerned about where his dad was."Right now... I don't know! But he must still be on Red Hair Shanks' ship. Yasopp is one of my favorite pirate crew members."Usopp excitedly asked Luffy if this was true; after all, he hadn't seen his father in a long time, so how could he not be excited to hear about him now?Having confirmed his dad's location, Usopp also sighed with emotion. "So... he is on that Shanks' ship, that red-haired one..."But then he realized something, "Shanks!"Luffy was startled by the other's reaction and quickly asked: "What? You also know Shanks?"Usopp quickly denied it: "How could I not know! That is a great pirate! So my dad is on the ship of such an amazing person!"Luffy began to recall the scene of meeting Yasoppwhen he was a kid."Speaking of amazing... your dad's marksmanship is really amazing! I have never seen Yasopp miss a shot."At this moment, Luffy recalled Yasopp shooting an apple from a distance when he was a child. And Luffy was on the side, praising him with a surprised face. "Wow—that's amazing!"A man holding a pistol, with fluffy black hair, dark skin, and looking very much like Usopp, boasted. "Even if it's an ant, I can shoot it right between the eyes."At the banquet that followed, whenever he had free time, Yasopp would call Luffy over and start nagging. "Luffy! I also have a son about your age!"Luffy annoyedly expressed that he had heard it already, but the other party dismissed Luffy's annoyance and stubbornly talked about his own exploits.After finishing the recollection, Luffy said with a grin: "Yasopp is a great pirate!"Usopp also happily expressed that he thought so too. "Yes! My dad, living bravely on this boundless sea, makes me feel proud! But that hateful butler saying that about him... it's too insulting!"
Chapter 29: PlottingLuffy heard what the other person said and nodded in agreement."Yeah! I hate that guy too!"After shouting, the two of them felt a bit better.Afterwards, Luffy asked Usopp, "By the way... you won't be going to see that young lady again, right?"Listening to Luffy's question, Usopp replied, "Who knows? If that butler is willing to bow his head and apologize to me, I might still go!"While they were talking, Luffy saw two figures down below.He didn't recognize one of them, but the other one was Kaya's butler.Upon seeing him, Luffy pointed and asked, "Is that the butler?"Usopp responded, "Yeah! That's the butler, that's him."Suddenly, he seemed to realize something: "Why is that butler here?"Realizing something, both of them retreated to hide their figures, while simultaneously listening in on their conversation.The butler clearly knew the person opposite him."Hey! Jango! I told you, you're not allowed to do anything that draws attention in this Village. I didn't expect you to actually fall asleep in the middle of the road."But Jango immediately retorted, "Nonsense! I'm not weird at all, and I won't draw any attention."The butler didn't want to argue with him, so he pushed up his glasses and said, "Let's get serious. Is the plan going smoothly?"Jango straightened up and replied, "No problem. We can launch the young lady's assassination plan at any time."Hearing this, Luffy and Usopp up above were both shocked.Hearing what he said, the butler corrected him in a serious tone: "Don't use such an ugly word as 'assassination', Jango."The person opposite him responded repeatedly, "Ah, yes. It should be an accident... an accident! CaptainKuro!"Upon hearing 'Captain Kuro', the butler's body visibly paused, and he immediately made a gesture of adjusting his glasses."Captain Kuro? I stopped using that name three years ago. Don't call me that; you're the Captainnow."The two people lying above didn't hear the specific details clearly due to the distance, only hearing 'Captain Kuro'.But at that moment, Usopp thought of Alex's words, and also thought of the news Alex had mentioned about Captain Kuro faking his death.At the time, Usopp thought he was joking, but he didn't expect it to be true.Luffy didn't know the person's identity, but Usoppgave him a rough introduction."Captain Kuro is a pirate known for constantly using schemes to steal wealth! But I heard he was captured by the Marine and executed three years ago..."At this moment, Jango seemed to recall something: "Come to think of it... I was really shocked back then. It was when you suddenly said you wouldn't be a pirate anymore... You quickly promoted your subordinate to be the Captain, and then had me hypnotize a Marine soldier to execute a look-alike. That way, others mistakenly thought Captain Kurohad really been executed.""Later, you suddenly disembarked in this Village and ordered me to land here quietly three years later... Your plan will eventually succeed, and I can cooperate. By the way, the payment won't be short, right?"Most people would have wanted the other person to shut up by now, after all, this had laid out their entire past.But Kuro seemed not to have heard it, as if the other person wasn't talking about him, but someone else.He just stood there quietly, and only replied when the other person mentioned the payment."Of course, after the plan succeeds, you will get everything you deserve."Hearing Kuro's agreement, Jango didn't hesitate: "The killing part is on me."Hearing what he said, Kuro immediately stopped him and said, "However, this time it's not as simple as just killing; it's about making Miss Kaya die in an unfortunate accident. There won't be any mistakes, right?"Seeing the other person didn't speak, Kuro thought he hadn't understood: "It seems you still don't understand the plan this time."Jango denied it: "Nonsense! I understand perfectly. It's just that after receiving your signal, we attack the Village, take care of the young lady, and then you can inherit the young lady's estate."Hearing what he said, Kuro pushed his glasses and cursed angrily: "Idiot... brainless! How can I, someone with no relation, inherit the young lady's estate?"Jango said dismissively, "As long as you try hard, it'll be fine."Seeing that he still didn't understand, Kuro patiently explained to him again: "This isn't a question of effort; this is the most critical part! Before killing her, use your best hypnosis technique to make Kayawrite a will!"Usopp, hiding above, heard the conversation between the two clearly; they were going to kill Kaya.Kuro continued to explain the plan: "This way I can legally inherit the huge estate... It's very logical and reasonable. I spent two years gaining everyone's trust; if the young lady leaves such a will, no one will suspect it!"Jango heard the plan and thought it was very troublesome: "You spent three years as a butler just for this plan? If it were me, I'd just snatch her wealth and be done with it."Hearing his former colleague's suggestion, Kuroshook his head helplessly: "If I did that, I'd be hunted down by the World Government as a savage pirate again. I just want to obtain a huge fortune without being hunted by the World Government. After all, I am a Pacifista!""Hahahaha! What a scary Pacifista! For your own peace! You'd kill an entire wealthy family."Hearing Jango's retort, Kuro said it was wrong: "Hey! Don't talk nonsense! Kaya's parents really did die of illness. That was something I didn't expect either."Regarding these things, Jango said it didn't matter: "Forget it... these things aren't important... Anyway, hurry up and give me the signal. Our ship has been anchored in the nearby sea for a week. The brothers are getting restless!"The two had basically finished discussing the general process of the plan.Usopp heard all of this, but Luffy, who was beside him, hadn't heard much.After hearing their account, Usopp looked at Luffybeside him and whispered to discuss it with him."Hey! This is bad!"Luffy still didn't understand the severity of the situation, but he could also feel that this wasn't a good thing.Usopp was quite shocked; Luffy had been listening the whole time, how could he not understand the truth of the matter?At this moment, Usopp's inner thoughts were very intense; he first thought of Kaya being in danger, and then thought about how he had just punched the other person.Then he remembered that the entire Village would also be killed by the other party.Luffy seemed to have figured something out and stood up from the ground.Usopp hurriedly tried to stop him: "Hey! Don't stand up! You'll be seen!"Luffy still didn't care and shouted at the two below: "Hey! You two aren't allowed to kill the young lady!"Usopp looked at Luffy with an expression of 'I'm dead', but Kuro and Jango were staring upwards with serious expressions.After all, they couldn't let anyone know their plan, even if this person wasn't from this Village.Seeing this, Usopp also stood up and hurriedly tried to push Luffy down."You fool! You'll be seen! Hide quickly, or you'll be killed!"Seeing Luffy, Kuro didn't really recognize him, only knowing he was the person who came earlier.But the appearance of the other person made him laugh: "Hi! Isn't this Usopp!"Hearing someone call him, Usopp panicked: "I've been discovered too!"Then Kuro looked at the two with a gloomy face: "You... what did you hear!"Usopp hurriedly said: "No... nothing... we didn't hear anything. I just arrived here, I didn't hear anything..."Usopp hoped that his lie would help him avoid the other party's attention.Unfortunately, one sentence from Luffy invalidated everything he had just said."We heard everything!""Hey!" Usopp slapped Luffy, telling him not to be so honest.Kuro said nothing, but Jango, who was beside him, stood up: "You heard it all... there's no choice... Hey! You two, look closely at this ring..."Luffy looked down intently. Usopp warned him that it might be a hidden weapon or a dart and not to pay attention to it, or he would be killed.But Luffy didn't listen and kept looking at the ring.Jango also began his hypnosis."When I say 'One, two, Jango', you will fall asleep. One, two, Jango!""Hide quickly, you'll lose your life!" Usopp let go of Luffy and immediately covered his head and crouched down.Unfortunately, his warning was still too late.The hypnosis had already been activated. Jango fell straight backward; apparently, he had been hit by his own attack and fallen asleep.Kuro caught him with one hand: "Hey! Wake up! Haven't you cured this old habit of yours yet?"Suddenly, Luffy seemed to lose his energy; his body leaned forward first, then fell heavily to the ground, creating a loud booming sound!Usopp looked at Luffy, who had fallen from a great height, and worried: "Hey! Are you okay?"If it were anyone else, this question would be like asking a dead person if they were dead; falling from such a height, especially head-first, would be certain death.But Luffy was different; he was a Gum-Gum human, so naturally he wouldn't die, but none of the three knew that.The loud noise of Luffy falling woke up Jango, who was sleeping on the side.He looked at Luffy lying on the ground and sighed: "Ah... I didn't want to take his life... but falling head-first from such a high place, I'm afraid there's no hope."Usopp stood on the side, looking at the two below, and then looked at the fallen Luffy."Damn it! You killed him!"Jango only then remembered that there was one person he hadn't hypnotized, so he asked Kuro."What about the other one? Should I kill him?"Kuro just glanced at the person above and then rejected Jango's proposal."No need. No matter what he says, no one will believe him.Tomorrow morning, Jango... attack the Village at dawn. You should also appropriately destroy some villagers' houses so it looks like an accident."Usopp heard the two discussing so unscrupulously; it seemed they really believed the villagers wouldn't listen to him.Kuro's next words confirmed Usopp's guess."Did you hear that? Usopp. No matter what you hear, it won't pose any threat to my plan."Seeing the other party like this, Usopp was panicked, a bit scared, and at the same time, felt a little secretly happy that his life had been spared.So he shouted while running towards the Village.Jango watched this and asked Kuro: "Will it be okay?"Kuro was very calm: "Don't worry! My plan won't have any errors."