Syrup Village

Leaving Ailu Island, if one were to head west along the route, they would pass several islands and eventually reach the Arlong Empire.

If this "Cat Burglar" was indeed Nami, she would likely follow this nautical route back to Cocoyasi Village to hide her hard-earned treasure in the orange grove.

Buggy had considered that even if his route missed hers, or if this person wasn't Nami, it wouldn't matter; as long as he spread rumors of treasure, the money-grubbing navigator would surely take the bait.

In any case, the westward route was generally foolproof.

The cumulonimbus tornado from two years ago had made him deeply aware of the importance of an excellent navigator. Even in the relatively calm waters of the East Blue, such sudden conditions could occur, let alone in the Grand Line. No matter how high one's Devil Fruit mastery was, it still seemed too fragile in the face of nature's raw power.

The Battle of Edd War over twenty years ago, which had nearly changed the trajectory of the entire world, proved this point perfectly. If not for that earth-shattering storm, there would have been no Pirate King Roger thereafter.

A day later, the Big Top passed a small island west of Ailu Island. After hearing reports that "a cloaked outsider had purchased some fresh water and left in a hurry," the Big Top did not linger long and continued its westward voyage.

On the rocky beach of an island in the western part of the East Blue, a person wearing a gray cloak and carrying a pack lowered the sail and pulled their small boat onto the shore with great effort.

She wiped the sweat from her forehead and rubbed her somewhat hollow stomach. Thinking of the thin layer of potatoes and the biscuits she had bought not long ago, which had all been eaten by yesterday, she let out a sigh of resignation.

Rowing alone on the sea was an exhausting task, and the turbulent waves churned the stomach acid in her empty belly. Not only that, but she also had to worry about whether the Marines were hot on her heels. She felt both physically and mentally drained.

Dragging her body listlessly toward the village where smoke was rising, a thought crossed her mind, and a surge of strength welled up within her. Her gaze began to harden. "Hold on, for the sake of Cocoyasi Village... I must gather one hundred million Beli!"

Passing the slope ahead, in the woods nearby, a seventeen-year-old man and three six- or seven-year-old children sat by a wooden stump, laughing and giggling.

"Piment, Ninjin, Tamanegi, I, the great Captain Usopp, have brought joy to this boring village once again today, ha-ha!"

Usopp stood with his hands on his hips, laughing loudly. He glanced casually at the cloaked figure walking past, turned his head back as if nothing had happened, and then his laughter stopped abruptly. His expression turned strange; he rubbed his eyes and then whipped his head back around.

The road nearby was empty, not even a shadow in sight...

Usopp's teeth chattered as he shouted to the three boys, "Did you guys just see a strange person wearing a cloak?!"

"Tamanegi, did someone pass by here just now?"

"I don't think I saw anyone either!"

"Captain Usopp must be trying to trick us again; we won't fall for it this time!"

Hearing this, Usopp hugged his legs tightly, curling into a ball, a chill running through his heart. That face just now... was it a monster? Has something terrifying invaded the island? Why do I have such a bad premonition...

"Captain Usopp, what's wrong?"

"Captain Usopp must have scared himself with his own stories!"

"This isn't like our usual captain!"

The three boys chattered away.

"N-no... I... I just caught a disease that prevents me from telling ghost stories!" Usopp suppressed his unease, forced a smile, and raised a hand high. "We're starting the pirate patrol game!"

"Yeah!!!"

The next day, the Big Top approached the eastern shore of Syrup Village.

Buggy looked at a fishing boat left casually on the sand and crouched down to examine the shallow footprints that were almost buried by the shifting grains.

The person who sailed the boat must have left these shallow marks while dragging the heavy vessel onto the shore.

He compared them to his own shoes; the size of the prints suggested a woman's feet.

Heading west from the previous island, this one was the closest. If there had been no deviation in the route or accidents, the "Cat Burglar" should be on this island.

Presumably, she was afraid of being pursued by Marine warships, which was why she was in such a rush. However, to handle the journey to the next island, she would likely choose to resupply here. Judging by this lone fishing boat, the probability of her staying on this island was high...

Suddenly, a rustling sound erupted from the jungle. Buggy looked up to see black skull flags rising from the grass, and a garbled voice rang out.

"Y-you... you have been surrounded! Leave this island at once, or my eighty million subordinates, Captain Usopp, will..." The voice suddenly became impassioned. "...sever your heads!!!"

"Wow!" Shuma exclaimed, his eyes lighting up. "Eighty million... that's enough to eat for a long, long time!"

"Eighty million?" Buggy stood up and carefully surveyed the surrounding terrain. "I only see four people."

"Ah! We've been discovered, run..." The skull flags in the bushes toppled over, and several small figures scrambled away.

The grass fell silent instantly, and no further sound could be heard. This strange quiet left all the pirates baffled.

"What's going on?" Cabaji crossed his arms. "All bark and no bite. I thought something interesting was going to happen..."

Finally, a long-nosed man darted out of the bushes and stood on a high slope. He had been brooding over that strange figure all night and had woken up early to stand guard. The bad premonition that had lingered all night had finally come true...

He looked down at the pirates below, sweating profusely, and swallowed hard. "Hey, I am Captain Usopp, who rules this village! If you want to attack this village, I advise you to get lost now, otherwise... otherwise..."

Buggy raised an eyebrow. "Otherwise what?"

"I know you are vicious pirates from the East Blue, but even if... even if you are the Buggy Pirates, so what!" Usopp gripped his slingshot tightly. "I won't show any mercy!"

"Hey, look, a slingshot! His weapon is a slingshot!" The pirates on the rocky beach burst into laughter.

"My slingshot skills are much better than your marksmanship..." Usopp loaded a lead ball into the slingshot and pulled it back, sweat dripping down his face.

"Even if I'm chased by people with weapons, even if I'm cursed at, this is my village after all. I love this village so much, I want to protect everyone, and I won't allow you to destroy it!"

"Courage is a good thing, but having no strength to match that courage is a tragedy. To naively think you can drive away enemies like this is far too optimistic."

Buggy looked at the face that was identical to the one in the manga, a cunning smile curling his lips. "Shuma, take him down."

"Oh..."

Shuma unleashed Moonwalk, stepping on the air with a few rapid leaps. In the blink of an eye, he appeared to the right of the dumbfounded Usopp, his body suspended mid-air as he raised his right leg high.

"My apologies, long-nosed ingredient..."

No sooner had the words left his lips than his right leg, acting like a violent whip, slammed into Usopp's back. The immense force sent Usopp flying like a meteor, crashing heavily into the cliff face.

With a thunderous boom, a massive chunk of rock collapsed from the cliff, sending debris and dust flying everywhere and burying Usopp's body beneath the rubble.