If You're Going to Draw a Gun, Stake Your Life on It

"Ha ha ha! You're pretty interesting."

Seeing Luffy's meaningful smile, Usopp immediately felt both embarrassed and enraged.

"Hey! Don't underestimate me, punk! I'm the proud Captain Usopp!"

As he spoke, he sharply pulled back the slingshot in his hand, stretching the rubber band taut as he aimed it at Luffy below.

"You saw it just now, didn't you? My slingshot is even more accurate than a pistol!

"Take one more step forward, and I really won't hold back!"

Usopp's slingshot trembled slightly as though he were about to fire at Luffy.

Yet, faced with the dark opening of the slingshot, Luffy showed no intention of dodging.

He merely slowly raised a hand and pressed down on the Straw Hat atop his head. The shadow cast by its brim obscured his eyes, making his expression impossible to read.

But the aura around him changed in that instant.

"If you're going to draw a gun, stake your life on it..."

Luffy's voice was low and calm, yet it carried a chilling coldness that made hearts tremble.

Usopp's face went pale at Luffy's sudden change in demeanor, and he instinctively took half a step back.

"W-What are you talking about...? What life...?"

Luffy slowly raised his head. His normally cheerful, laughing eyes now glinted with an intimidating light.

"I'm saying that thing isn't a toy for scaring people."

"Hmph."

Zoro instantly understood Luffy's intent.

A savage grin curled across his lips. With a light push of his thumb, he slid Wado Ichimonji an inch from its sheath, its cold gleam razor-sharp.

"That's right, kid. The people standing before you are real pirates."

The killing intent emanating from Zoro pressed down upon the cliff like something tangible.

"Now that you've raised a weapon, are you challenging us?"

Victor also kept both hands in his pockets, smiling as he looked at the sweating Usopp.

"My, my, how interesting. Are we starting a fight?"

"Uh... Ah..."

Usopp was drenched in sweat. The hand gripping his slingshot began shaking violently out of control, and even his teeth were chattering.

These three guys... were completely different from the punks he had met before!

That was the aura of people who had truly fought and killed!

The aura of real pirates!

Nami stood behind them, watching the scene with a helpless sigh. Rubbing her forehead, she complained:

"What are all of you doing...?"

Finally.

"Clatter."

Usopp could no longer withstand the terrifying pressure radiating from the three of them.

The slingshot fell from his hand, and he collapsed weakly to his knees at the edge of the cliff, cold sweat soaking his back.

"A-As expected of real pirates... Your presence really is extraordinary..."

Seeing Usopp scared out of his wits, Luffy could no longer keep his tense expression up.

"Hehehehe!!"

Luffy instantly broke character, clutching his stomach and pointing at Usopp as he burst into laughter.

Zoro also withdrew his killing intent and leaned against a rock, laughing loudly.

Watching this classic scene from the original story, Victor wore a nostalgic smile as well.

"Huh?"

Usopp's despairing expression froze as he stared blankly at the three laughing figures below.

"W-What?"

"I just copied it!" Luffy said, wiping tears of laughter from the corners of his eyes. "Those were the exact words of the pirate I respect most—Shanks!"

"Sh-Shanks?!"

Usopp's eyes flew wide open. "You mean Shanks? You know the great pirate Shanks?!"

"Of course I do!"

Luffy proudly puffed out his chest. "Ah, right! Seeing your face reminded me. Your dad is Yasopp, right?"

"Huh?!!"

The impact of that sentence was too much. Usopp's foot slipped, and he fell from the cliff with a scream.

"Thud!"

Fortunately, there was a beach below. Usopp landed face-first in the sand, but he ignored the pain and scrambled over to Luffy.

While Luffy and Usopp were busy recognizing each other, Nami sidled up to Victor and nudged him with her elbow.

"Hey, Victor. The name Shanks sounds kind of familiar. Is he famous?"

Victor glanced at her and answered casually:

"He's all right, I suppose. One of the Four Emperors standing at the pinnacle of the Grand Line—'Red-Haired' Shanks."

"O-One of the Four Emperors of the Grand Line?!!"

Nami's mouth fell open in shock. That goofy-looking Luffy actually knew someone of that caliber?

"Then... is that Shanks really strong?"

Victor rubbed his chin and spouted nonsense with a straight face:

"Yeah, he's only slightly weaker than me."

"..."

Nami's face instantly darkened, veins bulging on her forehead. "What nonsense are you talking about now?!"

She took a deep breath, deciding not to argue with this egomaniac, then held out her hand in front of Victor.

"Victor! Give me the key to the cabin! You guys catch up, and I'll go aboard to get some Beli and buy supplies in town!"

Victor looked at her fair hand and smiled faintly. "Mm. No."

"Huh?!" Nami was just about to explode.

Though he had said no, Victor casually took out a ring of keys and tossed it through the air to Nami.

"Remember to take plenty. We have a lot to buy," Victor said, turning around and waving a hand.

Nami caught the keys, her expression stiffening.

She looked at the heavy keys in her hand, then at Victor's back ahead of her. The look in her eyes became complicated.

This guy...

He clearly knew I stayed because of the money, yet he still trusted me enough to give me the key to the treasury?

Was he really stupid, or...?

"Yeah, got it," Nami muttered quietly, gripping the keys tighter.

Then Victor looked toward the group chatting happily ahead and clapped his hands.

"Hey, Luffy, stop talking. It'll be dark soon. Let's go eat in the village first."

Luffy's ears twitched, and he immediately jumped up happily.

"Ah! I almost forgot about meat! I want meat!!"

As he spoke, he took off running toward the village, kicking up a cloud of dust.

"Hey! You don't even know the way, do you?!"

Usopp was startled and hurriedly climbed up from the ground to chase after him. "Wait for me! Hey! Hey! That's someone else's house!"

"Ah! Luffy, don't run so fast!" Zoro could only shout helplessly as he followed.

The scene shifted.

Half an hour later, inside a small restaurant in Syrup Village.

"Chomp chomp... Delicious! This meat is so good!"

Luffy held a huge bone-in chunk of meat in one hand, his mouth stuffed full as he chewed in huge bites, grease all over his lips.

Usopp sat beside him, asking excitedly:

"Really?! My dad really was on Shanks's ship?!"

"Yeah, of course." Luffy swallowed the meat in his mouth. "You look exactly like him, so I guessed it the moment I saw you."

"Really? That's great! My dad... was actually on such an amazing ship!"

Usopp's face flushed red with excitement, pride shining in his eyes.

Over the years, he had endured plenty of scorn from the villagers because his father had gone to sea to become a pirate.

But now that he knew his father was a truly powerful pirate, the huge weight in his heart was finally lifted.

"Mm-hm..."

Zoro was gulping down beer beside them, letting out a satisfied sigh.

"Whew! Good beer! Drinking after coming ashore really is the best."

Nami sat beside Victor, happily eating as well. Although she had things on her mind, she could not resist the food before her.

After hearing Luffy's words, she raised her head and curiously examined Usopp's face before asking hesitantly:

"They look alike? Then... was Yasopp's nose just as long?"

Luffy was reaching for the last piece of meat on Zoro's plate. Hearing that, he nodded.

"Yeah. Yasopp's nose didn't seem this long... But his dad's shooting was really accurate, hehehe."

"Hey! That piece of meat is mine!" Zoro smacked Luffy's hand with his chopsticks.

"Ah, that hurt."

"Then let go, you bastard!"

Watching the lively scene, Nami could not help but smile with ease.

These guys might seem unreliable, but they really were interesting.

"Ah, it's so greasy. Hey, Victor, that apple in front of you looks pretty good..."

Nami was just about to ask Victor to pass her the fruit in front of him to freshen her mouth.

But before she could finish speaking.

"Here."

Victor moved with lightning speed, grabbing the bright red apple and stuffing it straight into Nami's newly opened mouth before she could react.

"Mmph—!!!"

Nami's eyes widened instantly. Her mouth was stuffed full with the apple, and she could only make muffled sounds of protest.

"No need to thank me, Miss Navigator. Eating more fruit is good for your skin," Victor said with a smile, withdrawing his hand and quietly taking credit.

"Mmph mmph mmph! Damn you, Victor!!"