Usopp

The small boat slowly approached the shore. Ronan was the first to leap down, his feet sinking into the warm, soft sand at the water's edge.

He took a deep breath of fresh air. The sea breeze carried the fragrance of grass and trees and the scent of soil—a purity and freshness that the steel forest of the modern city could never match.

As far as the eye could see, there were lush green mountains and dense jungles.

Ronan's heart stirred. He calculated silently: "This layout, with mountains and water... could this be the village where Usopp first appeared?"

Beside him, Nami unfolded the navigation chart. After carefully comparing it, she said softly, "Mm, that's right. This island marks a small village."

"Village?!"

Luffy's eyes lit up instantly at the news. He grabbed Nami's shoulders excitedly, trembling with enthusiasm:

"That means there's meat?! This village must have a restaurant, right!!"

As he spoke, his drool uncontrollably dripped down, while Nami wore a look of utter disgust.

"Can't you think about something else for once!" Nami shoved him away hard, a vein bulging on her forehead.

Zoro, meanwhile, had already locked his gaze on a nearby hillside. He sharply noticed movement in the bushes.

"Careful," Zoro said, his right thumb nudging the scabbard of Wado Ichimonji open a crack, revealing a cold gleam of steel. "There's someone's presence."

"Huh?" Luffy, hearing Zoro's words, immediately stopped fantasizing about meat and looked around curiously: "Where? Where?"

Just then, from the thicket on the hillside, one crude pirate flag after another suddenly rose into view.

Luffy, far from tense, shouted excitedly: "Wow! That's amazing!"

Nami rolled her eyes and muttered: "Now's not the time to be impressed!"

Ronan watched and understood in his heart.

He knew that the Straw Hat Pirates' sniper, Usopp, was about to make his entrance.

Sure enough, beneath a large tree on the slope, a long-nosed youth stood with his arms crossed, striking what he thought was his most imposing pose, looking down at the four of them on the shore.

He cleared his throat and shouted loudly:

"Listen up! I am Usopp, the captain of the great pirate crew that rules over this village! People praise me and call me—'Captain Usopp'!"

Then, with a fierce gesture, he pointed down the hill, trying to intimidate these uninvited guests:

"If you're thinking of attacking this village, I suggest you give up! My eighty million subordinates won't let you off!"

Ronan glanced at Luffy beside him, who wore an expression of genuine awe and was shouting "Amazing—!" at the top of his lungs. The corner of Ronan's mouth twitched involuntarily.

He thought to himself: "A lie full of holes like that... no one would believe it... except Luffy."

Nami, meanwhile, shrugged helplessly. She shot Luffy a look like he was an idiot, then looked up lazily at Usopp on the hillside and called out:

"Liar!"

That single word made Usopp instantly switch from "majestic captain" to panic mode. He shouted dramatically:

"F-found out?!"

"See?" Nami said with a sly grin, immediately turning back to Luffy and Ronan. "He said 'found out' himself!"

On the slope, Usopp twisted left and right in a panic, trying to explain: "Damn it! I accidentally said 'found out'!"

Ronan watched this classic, comical scene and sighed inwardly: "...It really is just like a famous scene from the anime in my past life."

Luffy, only now catching on, turned back with a surprised look at Nami: "What?! It was a lie?!"

"Ahem!" Usopp refused to give up, forcing himself to salvage his dignity. He struck his imposing pose again:

"Eighty million was a bit of an exaggeration, but I still have outstanding subordinates!"

With that, he gestured. In one area of the thicket, a pirate flag began to bob up and down violently, as if simulating the momentum of a vast army.

Nami didn't even bother to look. She just picked her ear with an air of confidence: "It's three people, right?"

The moment Nami finished speaking, three children's figures shot out from the bushes.

Their faces were full of terror, and they screamed in unison:

"W-we've been seen through—!"

Before their words faded, they dropped the pirate flags in their hands and shouted, "R-run for it!" without looking back, then vanished in a flash.

"Hey! Don't run, you guys!" Usopp, drenched in cold sweat on the tree, yelled at the direction the children had disappeared.

Nami had completely lost patience. She pointed precisely at the only "weapon" in Usopp's hand and delivered the final taunt:

"I've never heard of a pirate using a slingshot!"

Ronan glanced at Nami, silently praising her.

Able to analyze the truth from a chaotic scene with just the slightest clues—no wonder she was the most meticulous navigator on the Straw Hat crew.

Luffy, having gone through the full process of "shock—confusion—realization," finally pointed at Usopp on the tree and burst out laughing:

"You're really interesting, you know!"

"Don't you look down on me, kid!"

Usopp, embarrassed and angry, forced himself to puff out his chest and put on a brave front, even though his legs were still shaking: "I'm a man with a lot of pride!"

Usopp saw that his intimidation had no effect and was instead met with laughter. His pride suffered a tremendous "insult."

He abruptly pulled his slingshot taut, the rubber band stretched tight, and aimed it at Luffy, who was laughing the loudest.

"Stop laughing!"

He forced himself to stay composed and roared:

"Because my pride is so strong, people call me 'Usopp the Proud'! My slingshot skills are far more formidable than an ordinary pistol!"

But the moment Usopp aimed at him, Luffy's laughter stopped abruptly.

The atmosphere instantly froze.

Luffy slowly raised one hand and pressed it against the straw hat on his head.

The brim cast a shadow that covered his eyes, making his expression unreadable.

His voice was low and serious, without a trace of jest:

"Since you've drawn your weapon, you'd better bet your life on it!"

Those words carried the weight of a thousand jun, making Usopp tremble all over, even the hand holding his slingshot began to shake violently.

Luffy continued, his voice icy: "I mean... this thing isn't a toy meant to scare people."

As Luffy finished speaking, Zoro let out a cold snort and gently moved his right thumb.

"Shing--"

Wado Ichimonji's scabbard was pushed open a crack, and a chilling, bone-piercing killing intent instantly locked onto Usopp.

In that moment, Zoro's aura also turned fierce and sharp.