"Hundred Plans" Kuro!

"Since you already know each other, that makes things much easier! By the way, does anyone in this village know how to sail, or could you introduce us to someone? We're hoping to get a bigger ship." Nami smiled at Usopp, her eyes full of earnest anticipation.

"As you can see, this is just an insignificant little village... You'll probably be disappointed." Usopp answered evasively, stammering.

"But there's clearly a grand, luxurious mansion standing on that hill." Zoro suddenly raised a hand and pointed uphill, piercing the silence with a single remark.

"!!!" Usopp's expression immediately turned strange.

Nami keenly caught the uneasiness on his face.

"Huh? Usopp, do you know the people there? Could you ask the owner of that estate to lend us some money or something?" Nami's eyes curved into lovely crescents as she mischievously egged him on.

"We can't go there! Absolutely not!" Usopp reacted like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, shouting at the top of his lungs.

"Hm?" Luffy and Zoro exchanged looks, their faces full of confusion.

"Ah, I just remembered I have something important to take care of! I know the owner of this place well, so eat and drink as much as you want! I'll be going now, see you later!" Usopp rattled off the words, then spun around and bolted out the door.

"What's wrong with him? Why was he in such a panic?" Nami muttered to herself as she watched Usopp's fleeing back.

Crunch. Luffy slowly took a bite of his apple.

"Stop guessing wildly. Let's go take a look ourselves, shall we, Luffy?" Rayson suggested with a smile.

That estate belonged to Kaya, Usopp's close female friend.

And deep within that seemingly peaceful mansion, another pirate was currently lying in wait: "Hundred Plans" Kuro, with a bounty of sixteen million Berries.

Judging by that guy's strength and performance, he had to possess a deep-purple combat trait. He would make excellent fusion material.

With the Grand Line drawing near, Rayson would never pass up any chance to strengthen his hand.

"Yeah! Hehehe!" Luffy grinned foolishly, his eyes brimming with eager excitement.

Outside the most prominent mansion in Syrup Village.

Led by Usopp's three little subordinates—Onion Head, Pepper Head, and Carrot Head—Rayson's group arrived there.

The three kids had come looking for them as Rayson and the others were preparing to leave the restaurant. At first, they had worried that their Captain Usopp might be harmed by this group of pirates.

But after learning that Luffy knew Usopp's father, the three brats brought them here without any reservations.

Rayson was also happy to have free guides leading the way.

"Wow, it's huge!" Luffy exclaimed, craning his head up at the sizable villa before him.

"It really is quite magnificent," Rayson agreed.

In a somewhat rundown village like this, it was no wonder such a lavish and enormous estate had drawn Kuro's attention.

"If the captain has disappeared at this time of day, then he must be here," Onion Head declared with absolute certainty.

"What's he doing here?" Luffy asked in confusion.

"Telling stories," Carrot Head answered expressionlessly.

"Isn't that a little inappropriate?" Nami frowned, thinking that Usopp's daily bragging to children was a bad example.

"There's nothing inappropriate about it! It's great!" Pepper Head defended his captain.

"What exactly is going on?" Even Zoro had become somewhat curious.

"The young lady who lives in this mansion has been very frail since she was little. Then, after both her parents passed away one after the other a year ago, she fell into deep grief. No matter how much money you have, once you lose your family, what could be more painful than that?"

"That's why the captain often uses his wonderful adventure stories to cheer the young lady up!"

The three kids explained over one another, their faces full of pride.

"So that's how it is. That guy's actually pretty impressive," Luffy concluded, resting his chin on his hand.

"Then has the young lady's health improved?" Nami asked. Her impression of Usopp immediately improved greatly.

"It's gotten much better!" Onion Head shouted proudly.

"That's great! Then let's go ask her if she can give us a ship!" Luffy grinned and threw both hands into the air.

"Hey! Her getting better is Usopp's doing, isn't it?" Zoro crossed his arms and glared at Luffy speechlessly.

What kind of logic was that? How did it naturally lead to asking for a ship?

"I'll go ask! Hehehe!" Luffy ignored the objections entirely and reached out to grip the estate's iron fence.

"Gum-Gum...!" Luffy's body rapidly stretched backward.

"Hey! You idiot!" Zoro and Nami's faces changed drastically as they hurriedly lunged forward and clung tightly to Luffy.

Rayson immediately grabbed Zoro around the waist with precision.

"Here we go!" Luffy suddenly let go without warning. The powerful rebound of his rubber body launched them into the sky like cannonballs.

"Ahhhhh!"

Nami and Zoro's terrified screams echoed through the air.

Inside the estate's courtyard.

"...And that's how we finally escaped from the belly of that giant goldfish! Hahahaha!" Usopp, who had left earlier, was now sitting on a branch of a large tree, wildly gesturing as he told the young lady by the window one of his fabricated adventures. The story had just reached its end.

"What's that?" A girl with flowing golden hair, delicate features, and a sickly pale complexion suddenly pointed toward the sky.

She was Kaya, the mistress of the mansion.

"Hm?" Usopp looked in the direction she was pointing, and his eyes instantly widened into circles.

People?! People were falling from the sky?!

With a tremendous crash, dirt flew everywhere as Rayson's group slammed heavily into the ground.

"Safe landing..." Luffy mumbled indistinctly, face-first in the mud.

"Safe landing, my ass!" Nami immediately turned into a shark-faced monster and roared furiously. If Rayson had not protected her at the critical moment, she truly thought she would have been smashed to pieces.

"Hey! Rayson! You bastard!" Zoro struggled to push himself up from the ground, veins bulging on his forehead as he furiously glared at Rayson and Nami, who were sprawled on his back.

"Sorry, sorry! You're tough, after all, Zoro." Rayson waved dismissively, offering an utterly insincere apology.

He had blatantly used Zoro as a human cushion, while Nami had been securely protected in his arms in a princess carry.