"Phew, I'm exhausted. I can't do this anymore..."
"Forty minutes left."
"What!! It's still that long?!!!"
"If you have enough energy to spout that nonsense, you might as well improve your focus."
"I really can't go on..."
"Usopp, you give up too easily. If this is all you're capable of, then we'll stop here."
"I-I understand!"
Twenty-five days later.
In the forest beside the western coast, Maud sat on a rock, calmly watching Usopp undergo physical training.
During this period, Maud had stayed in the forest to teach Usopp.
Usopp had invited Maud to stay at his house several times, but Maud had rejected him every time.
Usopp refused to give up, though. At first, he brought it up at least five times a day.
After hearing it so often that he could no longer stand it, Maud told Usopp the reason.
After dealing with Captain Kuro, he had chosen not to show his face in the village simply because it was better to avoid unnecessary trouble.
After all, he still had to stay here for at least twenty more days. If he attracted the attention of the Marines, not only would he be unable to teach Usopp in peace, Usopp might even get dragged into the mess.
Under those circumstances, he had never intended to leave the forest, much less stay at Usopp's house.
Once Usopp learned the reason, he finally gave up on inviting Maud to stay with him.
With Maud's gradual and persistent guidance, Usopp had proved himself. From a weakling who couldn't do this or that at the beginning, he could now barely endure high-intensity training. He was finally starting to look the part.
Afterward, even if Maud left, as long as Usopp persisted every day, he would surely undergo a transformation in a few years.