Nami’s POV
One idiot, one moronic swordsman, and one handsome-looking lunatic who made the word “handsome” slip out the moment you saw him...
They were a type of people I’d never encountered in all the hardships I’d been through in my life.
‘Normally, saying I’d join them would have made betraying them easier...’
But seeing their sincerity—so pure they hardly even seemed like pirates—I couldn’t bring myself to say I would become their crewmate.
I felt burdened because I knew I couldn’t stay with them.
Yet I couldn’t coldly leave either, because part of me wanted to be with them.
So I cowardly told them we should work together instead.
‘Mom Bell-mère... what should I do?’
My desire to be with these guys and my desire to hurry back and buy my village clashed together, leaving my heart in turmoil.
Syrup Village Restaurant
Usopp and the rest of us ate together as we talked.
"What? Crewmates?"
"And a big ship..."
"Yeah."
"Hmm... If it’s a ship, there’s only one place in this village that has one."
"What place?"
Nami asked Usopp.
"There’s a huge mansion that doesn’t fit this village at all. The owner has one."
"But she’s a frail young girl. She’s sickly and always confined to her bed."
"Her parents tragically died of illness a year ago, and all she has left is an enormous inheritance, a huge mansion, and around fifteen butlers..."
"No matter how much money she has, it’s still a pitiful situation."
"..."
"Forget it! Let’s get a ship in another town or village."
"Yeah, it’s not like we’re in a rush."
Nami said that after hearing Usopp’s story, and Luffy agreed with a smile.
"But you said you were looking for crewmates too, right?"
"Yeah. Going to recommend someone?"
"I’ll be your captain!"
"Sorry."
All four of us answered at once.
"Hey, you shot me down that fast?!"
Usopp said he had somewhere to be and left first.
Then the restaurant door opened, and Usopp’s little subordinates appeared.
"Usopp Pirates, move out!!"
"Hey, pirates! Where did you hide our Captain Usopp?!"
"Give our captain back!"
"???"
"Ah, that meat was seriously delicious!"
"Don’t tell me you ate Captain...?"
The kids were horrified by Luffy’s words, and Nami laughed at the sight.
"If you mean your captain... we ate him earlier."
Zoro said it to the children with a chilling expression.
‘Hmm... so Zoro can make that kind of face too.’
"Aah! It’s the witch!!"
The kids cried as they looked at Nami.
"Why are you looking at me?!"
"Hahahahaha!"
"It’s because of you!!!"
A little later, after clearing up the misunderstanding with the kids, we learned why Usopp went to see Kaya.
"So you’ve been going around telling lies for the past year to cheer her up."
"Yeah, I like that meddlesome side of the captain."
"I like how he’s like a junk dealer."
"I like that he’s a braggart!"
"Anyway, he sure is popular..."
"Is the young lady healthy now, by any chance?"
"Yeah, thanks to the captain, she’s gotten a lot better..."
"Good! Then let’s go get that ship!!"
"No! Didn’t we just say we’d forget about it?!"
"Hmm... Then I’ll look around the village for a while."
"All right, then let’s go!"
I decided to look around town rather than head to the mansion.
Luffy always acted like an idiot and made easy fights difficult, but the battle here had been especially frustrating enough to make my blood boil.
Luffy was already beyond the level where he could gain experience here.
I’d just power-level Zoro and Usopp, then clean this up.
Especially that hypnotist. I needed to smash him early on.
While checking the terrain along the shore, I spotted Usopp sitting alone and forlorn. Luffy was nearby too.
I headed over to Usopp with Luffy.
"There you are!"
Luffy startled Usopp as he spoke to him.
"You scared me! Can’t you just talk to someone normally?"
"Your dad’s name is Yasopp, right?"
"Huh??"
"How do you know that?"
"We met when we were little."
"Really??"
"Yeah."
"You really do look exactly like Yasopp, except for the nose."
I agreed with Luffy.
"Then do you know where he is now?"
"I don’t know where he is now, but he’s probably on Red-Haired Shanks’s ship."
"Yeah. Uncle Yasopp got pretty talkative when he drank, but he was a good guy."
"Shanks?!"
"Yeah."
"You mean my father was a crewmate of such an incredible pirate?"
"Yeah, his shooting skills were amazing."
"From what I know, he isn’t just a crewmate. He’s one of their officers—the sniper."
"I see!"
I watched Usopp’s gloomy face brighten considerably.
‘His feelings show right on his face, yet he’s supposed to be a liar...’
"I’m proud of my father, who lives a life where he puts his life on the line...
But that butler insulted my father and trampled on my pride!"
"Yeah! I hate that guy too!"
"Huh?? You mean that butler down there?"
I pointed at the butler below us and the fake Michael Jackson beside him.
"Yeah, that butler. Why is he here??"
"Hey, Jango, I told you not to do anything conspicuous in this village..."
"What are you talking about? I don’t stand out at all. I’m not weird."
‘You’re plenty weird.’
"The preparations are all complete, right?"
"Of course. The plan to assassinate the young lady is perfectly prepared."
"You two listen in some more. I’ll gather the kids."
I made up an excuse and hid.
This was such an infuriating arc, but it was necessary for Usopp’s awakening.
This was the last frustration I’d put up with... Once this was over, I wasn’t holding back anymore!!
I’d vent the stress from this by training Usopp.
‘I’ll at least make him capable of kiting.’
Luffy would probably get hypnotized and fall down below. Then, just like the boy who cried wolf, when Usopp told the truth, no one in the village would believe him...
Once Usopp ran off and the butler and Jango disappeared, I approached Luffy.
"Hey, Luffy. Wake up."
As I was waking Luffy, Nami, Zoro, and the kids arrived.
"Kaya’s going to die?"
"Is it true they’re going to attack the village too?"
"Yeah, that’s what they said."
"So that’s why Usopp ran off to the village in such a panic."
"That’s great! Since we know in advance, we can just run away."
After hearing Luffy, Nami presented the solution to the kids.
When we reached the entrance to the village with the children, we saw Usopp in the distance.
Tears streamed from Usopp’s eyes, and blood ran from one of his arms.
Fortunately, it seemed like I was the only one who could see it. Or not? Had Luffy seen it too?
"Captain!"
Usopp immediately wiped away his tears and hid his bleeding arm behind his back.
"Hi!... Eek! You’re alive?"
"What do you mean, I’m alive? I woke up a little while ago."
Usopp looked shocked at Luffy, apparently thinking he had died.
"Captain, we heard too! We have to tell everyone that pirates are attacking!!"
"Pwahahaha! You fell for my lie perfectly!"
"Even if you hate the butler, I’m disappointed you’d tell a lie like that."
"Me too..."
The children left like that. Usopp then revealed to the rest of us that no matter what he said, no one had believed him.
"Anyway, pirates really are coming, right?"
"Yeah... Just watch. I’ll stop the pirates here and turn this into a real lie."
"That’s my duty and my pride!"
"I’ll protect everyone!!"
"..."
"All right. We’ll join in too."
"But all the treasure is mine, so don’t get greedy!"
"Don’t worry about the treasure. I’ll make sure to take care of it!"
I said to Nami.
"Kyaah~ Perfect! They’re going to have a hard time on the oil I’ve slathered all over this place!"
Usopp said as he poured oil over the slope.
"The plan is to stop them from range while they’re slipping."
"It’s getting light."
"..."
"Why aren’t they coming? It’s morning already."
Luffy said, sounding bored.
"I hear something like cheering from the north..."
"The north??"
"There’s a landing point in the north too!!"
"Did we pick the wrong place??"
"They were having their secret meeting here, so I naturally thought they’d come here."
"Where is the north?"
"If we run north from here, we’ll get there in three minutes!! The terrain is similar to this place, so we can stop them on the slope!"
"Our ship is there! We have to protect the treasure!!!"
"I’ll be there in twenty seconds!!!"
Nami was anxious about the treasure aboard the ship, and Luffy ran off first.
Then Zoro slipped on the oil and rolled down the slope, while Nami took off ahead.
‘What a total mess.’
"Zoro, quit fooling around and get up here already! I’m going on ahead!"
"Aah!!"
When I reached the northern shore,
Usopp and Nami were facing off against the pirates.
Looking closer, I saw that they had scattered caltrops across the ground to stop the pirates from advancing.
But they had scattered them behind themselves too.
‘A last stand?’
A guy with a stone axe was aiming for the back of Usopp’s head, so I used Shave and sent him flying with a single punch.
"Usopp."
"Ah, thanks."
"Usopp, this is your fight, right?"
"... Yeah."
"You’re Uncle Yasopp’s son. Small fries like these are nothing, so don’t be scared over something this pathetic!"
"Yeah!! I’m Captain Usopp!!! I’ll protect my village!!"
Usopp’s frightened expression at nearly being hit changed into the face of a man.
"Have you forgotten this is Captain Kuro’s plan? If we fail, we’re all headed straight to the afterlife!!!"
At Jango’s words, the pirates charged again.
"To the village!!"
"Deadly Shot!! Lead Star!!"
But Usopp did not retreat and fought back.
Whenever Usopp was in danger, I helped him and gave him advice.
"Manage your distance!"
"Keep your field of vision wide!"
"Uncle Yasopp was way stronger than this!"
"You lunatic, why don’t you just finish them yourself?!"
Ignoring Nami, I was diligently power-leveling Usopp when—
"Nami, you! You kicked me and took off!!!"
"Usopp, you bastard! Can’t you tell us properly where north is?!"
Luffy and Zoro finally showed up.
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