Captain Usopp
We docked the ship, and Luffy immediately jumped off first, yelling that he was going to get something to eat.
At that moment, Usopp burst out from where he’d been hiding on the hill.
“Cut the crap, Usopp.”
“Ahahaha! Look at that long-nosed clown!”
The truth was, the first time I saw Usopp, I was just as fascinated by that ridiculously long nose as I had been when I first entered the One Piece world through the game app.
“Who are these people? New crewmates of yours?”
“Nah, this one’s my little brother Luffy. The guy with the swords is one of my brother’s crewmates. They’re both pirates.”
“What?! You brought pirates here?! Is this betrayal?!”
Usopp stumbled backward in shock. I explained the situation to the wary boy.
“Ah! So you came to get a ship and gather a crew? It’s not a huge galleon or anything, but there is one decent ship in this village.”
“Usopp… why don’t we head to the tavern and talk there? Standing around like this feels weird.”
“Oh! Yeah, let’s go! I know a place with great food! Follow me!”
We followed Usopp to what looked like a tavern. Luffy was already tearing into some meat, Alvida and I were drinking with Zoro, and Nami was the only one actually listening to Usopp’s stories.
“Usopp, is the owner of that huge mansion on the hill the person who owns the ship you mentioned? I heard they’re incredibly wealthy…”
“Ah, you guys left the village before that whole thing happened, right?
The couple who owned that house passed away from illness last year. Their daughter is the sole heir, so she’s the owner now. But the poor girl is so frail she can barely leave her room…”
I listened to Usopp while sipping my drink and thought, (This kid’s got some big plans, huh?)
I wasn’t particularly into sickly pretty girls, but I had to admit I was a little curious now.
“We need money if we’re going to go on adventures and get a new ship… but the bounties we have now aren’t nearly enough. The big-name rookies only show up once you reach the New World. So for now, I’ll go meet Kaya and if she seems cool, I’ll try to recruit her as a crewmate!”
“But you guys said you’re still looking for crewmates, right? This great captain will become your leader!”
“Sorry, we’re good.”
“Luffy… this guy knows navigation and he’s got real talent as a sniper. I’d recommend him.”
“That’s right! I’m a versatile genius who can serve as both navigator and sniper!”
“Oh~?”
“Hmm…”
Zoro looked surprised while Luffy crossed his arms, deep in thought.
To strongly recommend Usopp, I delivered the finishing blow.
“And he’s Yasopp’s son.”
!!!
“Now that you mention it, he does look like Yasopp!”
The moment Luffy learned he was Yasopp’s son, he instantly warmed up to Usopp. The two of them chatted and played around for a while until Usopp said he had somewhere to be and left.
“Luffy, what are you going to do about the ship? Her parents are dead, she’s sickly and can barely leave the house… asking a girl like that for her ship feels pretty bad. Plus, do you even have any money?”
“I’ll give up on the ship! We’ll find one later.”
Luffy immediately dropped the idea without hesitation.
A little later, a group of kids came running over and caused a huge commotion.
“Usopp said he had somewhere to go and left?”
“Oh! It must be time for him to head to the mansion!”
“The mansion? You mean where that sickly girl lives?”
Nami asked after hearing the children.
“Yeah! He’s going to tell lies again!”
“That’s not bad at all!”
The kids explained the situation after Luffy got worked up.
Once they finished talking, Luffy jumped to his feet and declared to us,
“I like that guy!! Let’s go get him! I want him as a crewmate!”
Thanks to my recommendation and Usopp’s good heart, Luffy headed toward the mansion where Kaya lived to recruit him.
When we arrived at the mansion, Luffy bowed politely to the empty air in front of the gate, then immediately vaulted over the wall. I could only shake my head.
With no choice but to follow him inside, we listened as Luffy, Usopp, and Kaya talked.
“Usopp… you’re leaving?”
I’d been watching her for a while now. She looked a bit pale because of her weak constitution, but she was still a delicate, pure-hearted beauty. Since I liked what I saw, I naturally walked over and greeted her.
“Hey there. I’m Jin, a friend of Usopp’s.”
“Hello… nice to meet you…”
Whether it was because Usopp was leaving or because she felt hurt watching him happily chatter away with Luffy without noticing her feelings, Kaya’s voice carried no energy at all.
At that moment, Klahadore appeared and shouted at us.
When he tried to drive us out, Kaya hurriedly stopped him.
“Um, Klahadore, these people are—”
“That’s enough for now. I’ll listen to the full story later. Hey! All of you, get out of this mansion immediately!”
We decided to back off for the time being and left the mansion. Klahadore spotted Usopp and started provoking him.
Usopp got angry and punched Klahadore in the face. Then he grabbed the fallen man by the collar and raised his fist again.
Hearing those words, Usopp trudged away dejectedly. I gave Kaya a quick nod and glanced once at Klahadore.
That guy… if I just gave him some proper mental training, he’d make a perfect guard and butler for my ship… but since I can’t have any men on my crew, I turned away and headed back to the village.
“Where are Luffy and Usopp?”
“Usopp ran off that way earlier and Luffy followed him.”
A short while later, Usopp came sprinting back into the village, screaming at the top of his lungs.
Even after hearing Usopp’s cries, the villagers remained indifferent. I grabbed his arm and dragged him back to where the rest of the group was waiting.
“Usopp… where’s Luffy?”
“He’s dead… he fell off a cliff.”
“No way. There’s no way that guy would die from falling off a cliff. What exactly happened up there?”
Usopp explained what he and Luffy had overheard on the cliff and said we needed to evacuate the villagers and Kaya. He tried to run back to her.
“Wait, Usopp… you’re famous in this village as a liar, right? The villagers won’t believe you. Plus, you just fought Klahadore in front of Kaya after he provoked you.
Kaya will trust the man who’s been her butler for years. Do you really think she’ll believe you when you say he’s a pirate? Or will she think you’re just trying to get petty revenge because he insulted your father? If you were in her shoes, what would you think?”
“Damn it! Then I’ll just have to take Kaya by force and get her out of the village!”
“Idiot! How many bodyguards are there? You think you can do it alone? And if you only evacuate Kaya, what about the rest of the villagers?”
“Then what the hell am I supposed to do?! I can’t just let everyone die!!”
“Sigh~ Usopp, you have crewmates now. Strong ones, too… You guys should stop those pirates.”
At my words, Usopp turned and looked at Zoro. In the distance, Luffy was walking toward us completely fine.
“Since we’re crewmates, I’ll help.”
“We’re all on the same team, right?”
“You guys… yeah! We’ll stop them! With the three of us plus Jin’s group, that’s six people… We’re outnumbered, but if we plan our strategy well, we have a chance!”
“Ah! Leave me out… I’ve got something else to do.”
Usopp looked at me and said,
“Yeah, you don’t have any obligation to protect this village… It’s going to be a tough fight, so it’ll be dangerous… You guys should leave quickly.”
“What are you talking about, Usopp? You guys are the ones stopping the pirates. My crew will only step in if it looks like you’re in real danger.
And I’m going to protect Kaya.”
“Kaya…?”
“Idiot! The pirates are attacking from outside, but Klahadore is already inside the mansion. What if he assassinates her in the meantime?”
“Oh! You’re right! Please take good care of Kaya, Jin!”
“Yeah! Good luck to you too.”
And so, at dawn the next day, we gathered in the village square. I pulled my own crew aside and told them not to get involved unless absolutely necessary. They nodded, then followed Luffy’s group to stop the pirates. I sat down near the mansion and waited for Klahadore to come out.
“It’s Merry, right? Kaya won’t realize Klahadore is a pirate unless the butler gets taken out first.”
“Ah! I’ll change the stream settings.”
I adjusted the broadcast settings so that ghost mode was available for party members as well.
“How is it?”
“Oh, really? Then later if I need scouts or information gathering, I’ll borrow you guys!”
“Come on~ We’re [crewmates], aren’t we? Help me out a little~”
While the viewers relayed Luffy’s group’s fight through chat, the sun slowly rose.
“Looks like it’s about to start.”
I stood up, stretched my stiff back, and waited for Klahadore to appear.
A little later, the mansion door opened and Klahadore walked out.
I approached him and blocked his path.
“Hm? You’re the guy who was with Usopp yesterday. Did he tell you?”
“Hello, Captain Kuro! Originally you were just a weak mob for Luffy to farm experience from, but the situation’s changed a bit. Want to surrender? I don’t feel like fighting.”
“Hmph! I have no idea what you’re babbling about. But I can tell you’re being insolent. Just die.”
Cat Walk
Kuro moved silently and at high speed using his special footwork. As he passed me, he drew the cat-claw blades he’d already put on and slashed at my neck.
BANG!!
I grabbed his face and slammed him straight into the ground.
“Yaaawn~ Hey, I’ve been up since dawn and I’m sleepy. You gonna get up and attack again, or are you surrendering?”
Whether it was because I provoked him or not, he suddenly went berserk. He let his arms hang loosely and began shaking his body.
Prowling
Swish!
Watching the Prowling move I’d only seen in the anime, I was impressed. It was a bit slower than the Six Powers’ Soru, but still quite fast.
But since he couldn’t control it properly, he couldn’t hit me at all. He only ended up slicing up the ground and nearby trees. I matched the rhythm of his wild movements, and the moment his cat claws struck the rock near me—
"Ryujin Jakka + Fierce Dragon Destruction Wave"
⟨ Original: Fire Dragon Destruction Wave ⟩
Whoosh!
BOOOOM!!!
Combining the flames of Ryujin Jakka with the Heavenly Demon Divine Art’s Fierce Dragon Destruction Wave created an overwhelming wave of fiery sword energy that swallowed him whole.
The explosion sent the sliced-up Kuro flying backward, tumbling across the ground.
“He’s alive. I controlled my strength so he wouldn’t die.”
I walked over to him, checked that he was still breathing by putting a finger under his nose, then slashed his ankles to cripple his mobility and tied him up with rope.
“I didn’t cut them off. I just sliced them enough so he can’t run wild anymore… He won’t be able to use his techniques now. And if he somehow escapes and comes for revenge, that’d be annoying.”
While I was tying him up and cleaning up the area, Kaya burst out of the mansion door.
“Huh? Aren’t you the one who was with Usopp earlier?”
“Hi, Kaya… I came to save you.”
Seeing the unconscious and bound Klahadore beside me, Kaya made a complicated expression before thanking me.
“Kaya, can we talk for a bit?”
“With me? But the pirates are attacking…”
“It’s fine. My crew and Usopp’s group went to stop them. They’re strong, so don’t worry.”
Kaya thought for a moment, then nodded and returned to the mansion. I dragged the tied-up Klahadore after her. Once inside, I told her to report it to the Navy first, then began the conversation.
“Kaya, you always enjoyed listening to Usopp’s lies, right?”
“Yes… I knew he was lying, but hearing his adventure stories mixed with his dreams always made me feel good.”
“Then how about going on a real adventure with me?”
“Huh? My body isn’t well, so I can’t leave this place…”
“What if there was a way?”
“What do you mean?”
“I can’t tell you right now, but if you become my crewmate, I can make you healthy. Then you could experience those amazing adventures you heard about from Usopp for real. How about it?”
“Th-that’s…!”
“We still have some time. Think about it slowly. Usopp’s leaving the village to become a pirate anyway, so why don’t you go on your own adventure too? Traveling with me will be fun.”
“Yes… thank you for the offer. I’ll think about it.”
After successfully stopping the pirates, Luffy’s group and my crew were invited to Kaya’s house.
“Thank you for protecting this village from the pirates, everyone.”
Everyone smiled and nodded at Kaya’s grateful words.
“I heard Luffy needs a ship. If you’re okay with the one I have, would you accept it?”
“Whoa! Really?! Thank you!! We finally have our own ship!!”
Luffy’s group followed the butler Merry to where the ship was kept.
Kaya looked at me intently and asked,
“I have something I want to ask you, Jin.”
“Sure! What are you curious about?”
“Why would you want someone like me—weak and unable to fight—as a crewmate?”
“What?! You’re recruiting Kaya too?”
Nami, hearing this for the first time, glared at me. I broke out in a cold sweat and made an excuse.
“While you guys were fighting the pirates with Luffy’s crew, I took down Klahadore and made the offer to Kaya.”
After listening, Nami glanced at Kaya, then looked at me with ice-cold eyes and let out a long sigh.
“Sigh~ How did I end up traveling with such a womanizing captain…”
“Hahaha, don’t be like that. To be honest, it’s because I like you, Kaya.”
“Me?”
“Yeah! You’re pretty.”
“What?!”
Kaya’s face turned bright red. She fanned herself with her hands to cool down. Alvida watched me with a smile. As for Nami… I’d have to comfort her later.
“If I become your crewmate, will I really become healthy?”
“Yep. Unlike Usopp, I don’t lie!”
By jumping in first and skipping the event with Usopp, it seemed she didn’t actually have any special feelings for him.
“Yes. I will become everyone’s crewmate. Please take good care of me from now on.”
“Great! Welcome aboard, Kaya.”
Nami also smiled and greeted her, accepting that Kaya had become one of us. She really is kind.
After recruiting Kaya, we met up with Luffy’s group.
“What? Kaya’s going with Jin?!”
Usopp looked shocked when he learned Kaya had become my crewmate. His expression seemed somehow lonely. He was the one who decided to abandon her and leave first, yet he still looked like the victim. I was curious what his face would look like later when he saw me being all lovey-dovey with Kaya in front of him.
And so we set sail, heading toward our next destination.
Kaya
Gentle, studious, and pure-hearted. Now cured of her illness, she joins as the ship’s doctor.
