章 7: Chapter 7
As the sun rose back into the sky, illuminating the world with its golden rays, a stirring shout jolted the entire crew from their slumber. "I'm hungry!" Luffy bellowed, his voice filled with an insatiable appetite, as he stretched his sleep-weary muscles and cast off the remnants of slumber. Zoro, Nami, and I, who had been woken up rather abruptly, grumbled in annoyance, "You're the one who ate all the food!" before laying back down to rest.
"We should be reaching the next island soon. So at least we won't die of starvation," Nami reassured us. And as she predicted, it wasn't long before we spotted a mass of land on the horizon. We could see the cliffs, towering trees, and rolling plains of the distant island as it grew bigger and bigger, the ship cutting through the waves as we approached the new land. The anticipation of what lay ahead was palpable, and we all stood at the bow of the ship, eagerly awaiting our arrival at the next island.
As we safely docked the ship onto the sandy shores of the island, we all disembarked our vessel, finally able to stretch our legs. "Ah, I've missed the feeling of solid ground under my feet," Zoro exclaimed as he stretched his back, relishing the sensation of being on solid ground once more.
"Let's go find somewhere to eat!" Luffy exclaimed as he started marching in the direction of the slope leading to the top of the cliff, his stomach growling audibly.
Just as Luffy started walking forward, six pirate flags rose from the bushes surrounding the docking area, followed by a torrent of lead ball bearings that flew in Luffy's direction. Easily sidestepping the approaching projectiles, Luffy stared in the direction they had come from, on top of the cliff. "Ha~HaHa~Haa, I'm Usopp, leader of the Great Pirates that reign over this village. People praise me as the great Captain Usopp!" A boisterous voice echoed in the bay area.
"If you're thinking of causing trouble in this village, think twice as me and my 80 million men will crush you where you stand!" He added, gesturing to the numerous pirate flags proudly raised in the surrounding bushes.
"Cool!" Luffy exclaimed, totally impressed, his eyes alight with excitement.
"You're lying, aren't you?" Nami asked, tiredly not believing a word Usopp was saying, her face etched with skepticism.
The latter panicked, "Ah! She saw right through me!" He shouted, clearly flustered by Nami's accusation.
"See you admitted it," the orange-haired vixen added in a cheeky tone, a smirk playing on her lips.
Not wanting to hear anymore of Usopp's lies as he kept on adding more. I simply walked in the direction of the village, following the flattened dirt pathway worn down by constant use.
Seeing as I was ignoring him, "Hey! Where are you going?" Usopp shouted, his legs shaking in fear as he pointed his loaded slingshot at me.
"Now that you've drawn your pistol, put your life on the line," Luffy recited the memorable words of Shanks, his voice low and serious.
Usopp's shakiness only grew as he kept his slingshot trained on my figure, sweat dripping from his forehead at the intense stalemate.
But I was not intimidated, I pulled out my revolver with swift precision and shot in his direction. The bullet flew right next to his head, slightly grazing his curly hair.
Usopp, scared out of his wits, dropped his slingshot and slumped to the ground on his knees. "I don't take kindly to being held at gunpoint," I said coolly, "Next time, I won't miss." I added, leaving the threat in the air as I continued my walk toward the village.
As my words left my mouth, three panicked children ran out of the bushes, dropping the raised pirate flags as they ran away as fast as their little legs could take them.
Seeing the defeated Usopp, Luffy burst into laughter as he asked, "You're Yasopp's son, aren't you?"
"You know my dad?!" Usopp asked excitedly, his eyes wide with surprise.
Tuning out the conversation, I kept walking towards the village, with a single goal in mind; to find something to eat.
As I walked at a leisurely pace, I made an unexpected encounter with a man dressed in an impeccable butler uniform. The uniform was a deep black color, with brass buttons running down the front of the jacket and matching brass accents on the pockets and cuffs. He wore a crisp white shirt underneath, with a black bow tie perfectly tied at his neck. His round glasses perched on his nose, and his gray and black striped shoes were polished to a shine. He was having small talk with the surrounding villagers, and I immediately recognized him as Captain Kuro, the antagonist of this island. I approached him in a friendly manner, "Hey, I'm new in this town. Would you mind pointing me toward the nearest restaurant?" I asked.
With a gentle smile and impeccable decorum, the butler gestured towards a large building on the main road of the village. "If it's food you're looking for, I highly recommend Meshi over there. Their potato and steak are out of this world," he said in a soothing tone.
"Thanks, good sir," I replied, tipping my hat to him as I made my way toward the restaurant.
As I made it into the restaurant, I was immediately struck by the warm and inviting atmosphere. The restaurant was bustling with noise, the clinking of glasses, the murmur of conversation, and the sizzling of food on the grill. The wooden floorboards creaked under my feet as I walked to an empty table and sat down on a sturdy wooden chair. The chair let out a creak as I let my rear collapse on the comfortable seat. With a gesture to a nearby waitress, I ordered the recommended steak and potato suggested by the butler.
As I was enjoying my meal, the rest of the crew, including Usopp, finally arrived and joined me at my table. Luffy couldn't resist trying to steal from my plate, earning him a fork to the palm.
"Get your own," I muttered before resuming my leisurely eating.
As I was busy savoring the flavors of the steak and potato on my palate, my mind wandered to my earlier encounter with the butler, Captain Kuro. While lost in thought, Nami interrupted me. "Hey Cole, what are you thinking about? You look pensive," she asked with a hint of curiosity in her voice.
I shrugged nonchalantly, "Nothing serious," I replied, not willing to give away any more information.
"Alright, if you don't want to tell me, I won't pry. Just let me know if you need anything," Nami conceded with a friendly smile.
As I continued to ponder on how to help the Straw Hat crew with the inevitable encounter with Captain Kuro, Usopp excused himself to visit Kaya. The rest of us continued to eat, piling empty plates as the food at this restaurant was truly delicious, reminding us of home-cooked meals and warming our bellies.
With my appetite satiated, I finally managed to concoct a reasonable plan. "Nami," I said, standing up from my seat, "Can I talk to you for a minute?" I asked, gesturing towards a secluded corner of the restaurant where we could speak more privately. Nami nodded, following me as I led the way. As we reached the corner, I leaned in closer to her ears and spoke in a hushed tone, making sure our conversation wouldn't be overheard.
Following our conversation, Nami and I left for the docks ensuring to inform the others who were still indulging in their meal that we would not be away for long.
As Nami and I approached our docked ships, I shared my plan with her. She listened attentively, nodding in understanding as I spoke. Nami looked at me with a hint of uncertainty in her voice, "Are you sure?" she asked in a hushed tone. I met her gaze with a confident look and replied confidently, "I'm positive."
As Nami and I returned to the restaurant, we arrived just in time to see Luffy and Zoro playfully telling the kids that they had apparently eaten their beloved Captain Usopp, which was why they looked relatively bloated. The kids, who had looked ecstatic only moments before, started panicking and looking around frantically. The duo laughed at their expense, finding their prank amusing. Nami stepped in, her voice calm and reassuring as she explained to the kids, "They didn't eat your Captain, he simply stood up and left saying he had something to do." She gestured with her hands, trying to calm the kids down. The expression of relief on the kids' faces was palpable as they looked at Nami with gratitude.
"Oh, he must've gone to Miss Kaya then." One of the kids replied, his voice filled with a sense of understanding.
Luffy looked at the kid with a quizzical expression, "Who's that?" he asked, his tone curious.
"She's a young Mistress who lives on the hill a little out of the village." The kids replied, pointing in the direction of the hill.
Nami's eyes gleamed with interest as she said, "Young Mistress? She must be rich." Her focus on money was evident in her tone. I added, "If she's rich, she must have a ship."
Luffy's eyes lit up with excitement as he exclaimed, "Oh! Then let's go ask her for one!" The little kids, though unsure if she would grant our request, still decided to show us the way, leading us toward the hill.
The large mansion the kids led us to was simply enormous, with a grand garden and gate encircling the entire property. The mansion looked old, but in a dignified way, with a nobility kind of vibe to it. It was clear that the mansion had been built with old money. The garden was meticulously maintained, with a variety of plants and trees that created a lush green landscape. The mansion itself was grand and imposing, with tall windows and a grand entranceway. The architecture was a mix of classic and modern styles, which added to the nobility vibe of the mansion. Two armed guards dressed in butler clothes stood at the main gate entrance, making it clear that we would have to find a way to sneak in. Luffy, being Luffy, had trouble with the idea of sneaking, so he simply stretched his arms and used the side fences as a catapult, propelling us inside the property.
With a loud thud, we all landed next to a large tree, our landing causing a bit of a commotion. A window on the second floor of the mansion was open, and upon closer inspection, we saw Usopp sitting on one of the large branches of the tree, deep in conversation with a blonde woman. As we got closer, we realized that the woman was none other than Miss Kaya, the lady of the house. Our sudden and unannounced arrival had caused quite a stir, as Usopp and Kaya both stopped their conversation and turned to look at our disheveled selves with surprise and confusion. The expression on Usopp's face was one of shock, as he had not expected to see us there, while Kaya's expression was one of curiosity, as she wondered who we were and what we wanted.
"AH, Why are you all here?" asked Usopp, his eyes wide with clear panic. He fidgeted nervously, clearly uncomfortable with our unexpected arrival.
"Huh, you know them Usopp?" Kaya asked, her voice filled with curiosity as she looked at Usopp with a questioning expression.
"Uh, yeah they are the new members of the Usopp Pirates," Usopp lied through his teeth, his voice strained and forced. He shot us a pleading look, hoping that we would go along with his story.
"Yeah! I mean No." Luffy replied, his tone confused. He turned to Kaya and asked excitedly, "Are you the mistress of the house?"
Kaya simply nodded from her window, her blonde hair cascading over her shoulders.
"Then I have a request of you, we want a big ship!" Luffy asked, not realizing how unusually big his request was. His excitement was palpable as he waited for Kaya's response.
Just as Luffy finished his sentence, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!" an angry man's voice came from behind us. We all turned around to find ourselves face to face with none other than Klahadore, infamously known as Captain Kuro, a notorious pirate known for his cruel and ruthless tactics. The moment he came into our sight, Nami started trembling slightly. She reached into her breast and took out a ruffled brown paper. She opened the scrunched paper, revealing a drawing of a man with slicked-back black hair, a pair of distinctive Harry Potter-like glasses, and grey and black striped shoes. Underneath the drawing, there was a bounty of 16'000'000 bellies. The paper in Nami's hands was none other than Captain Kuro's wanted poster.
With a trembling hand and voice, Nami muttered "Captain Kuro, you were right Cole." The perched Usopp on a tree, Kaya, Zoro and Luffy all stared intently at the bounty poster in Nami's hand, it was a perfect resemblance with the butler in front of us. The realization of the true identity of the butler hit them like a ton of bricks, as they all stood there in shock and disbelief.
"That couldn't be," Kaya exclaimed in disbelief, her eyes wide with surprise. The memories of the man who had spent years disguised as her butler, running through her mind. The memories of how he had taken care of her when she was sick, comforted her when she lost her father to illness, and stood by her side when she was left alone in this world. The betrayal was etched on her face, written in the lines of shock and disappointment.
While Kaya stood there in disbelief, her mind struggling to process the revelation of her butler being a notorious pirate, the disguised captain, now revealed as Captain Kuro, tried to salvage his cover. He turned to Nami, his expression a mix of anger and desperation, as he spoke "What are you talking about, young lady? This is completely ridiculous." His words were calm and measured, but the veins bulging on his forehead and the anger in his eyes betrayed his true emotions.
With a swift and practiced motion, I quickly drew my revolver and aimed it at the unsuspecting butler's head. Without hesitation, I pulled the trigger, and with a loud bang, the butler vanished in a blur of speed, reappearing on top of the black metal fence that surrounded the property. His speed was impressive, too fast for the human eye to follow.
"How did you know?" The butler now revealed as the presumed dead Captain Kuro asked, veins bulging on his forehead as his 3-year-long plan was thwarted at the last moment. He glared at us with a mixture of anger and frustration, trying to understand how his disguise had been uncovered.
"When I first saw you today, your face seemed familiar," I said, "So I asked Nami if she had any stack of bounty posters I could check."
"So a simple hunch?" the furious captain said, his tone filled with disbelief.
"A cowboy's gut is as true as his aim, and he goes with it till the end," I said coolly, my voice low and steady, my eyes locked onto him with a fierce determination. I pointed my guns at him, my fingers hovering over the triggers, ready to fire at a moment's notice.
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