Chapter 26 - Syrup Village 05.

[Chapter Size: 2102 Words.]

Third Person POV

Village Syrup, East Blue.

...

...

Syrup Village, East Blue, dawn. The island was enveloped in the tranquil beauty of the morning, with the sun beginning to rise on the horizon, painting the sky in golden and soft orange hues. The waves gently lapped at the fine sandy beach, creating a trail of white foam along the shore. Seagulls soared in the sky, their melodious cries filling the air as they sought their first meals of the day.

Then, a distant sound began to break the island's serenity. At first, it was just an almost imperceptible murmur, almost like the whisper of a sea breeze. But soon, it intensified, turning into an unmistakable roar that cut through the air. It was the sound of an approaching ship.

From the horizon, a pirate ship emerged, its imposing silhouette cutting through the sea. Tattered, black sails, weathered by time, fluttered in the wind as the ship relentlessly approached the island's coast. The ship's hull bore the emblem of a black cat, a sinister representation of its crew.

As the pirate ship drew nearer, the excited shouts of dozens of men could be heard, echoing across the beach and disrupting the morning's tranquility. They were not welcome on that peaceful island, and their intentions were vile. They had been summoned by their former captain, Kuro, who had issued orders through a private Den Den Mushi to attack the island.

The Black Cat Pirates were in action under the leadership of the vice-captain, Jango, who now commanded them as they waited on the beach. The men disembarked with a cruel determination in their eyes, ready to plunder the village.

The arrival of the pirate ship cast a possible ominous shadow over the tranquil island, and the fate of the island was about to be decided by the events that would unfold next.

After the ship finally stopped, they found themselves on a deserted and isolated beach. Here, the initial commotion began to subside, and they sought a safe place to regroup before launching their attack on the village.

The scenery around them was impressive. The beach stretched across a peaceful sandy expanse, with few signs of human life or activity. The sound of the waves gently breaking against the shore echoed, creating an atmosphere of anticipation and tension.

The pirates began to spread out on the beach, some gathering in small groups to discuss strategies, while others walked on the sand, looking around to ensure they were safe and away from prying eyes. Their weapons were still at hand, ready to be used at any moment.

Jango, the vice-captain, was at the center of the group, giving orders and coordinating the pirates to prepare for the imminent attack on the village. They checked their weapons, adjusted their clothing, and reinforced each other, ready for the impending battle.

They were the Black Cat Pirates, who were currently operating under the orders of the vice-captain, Jango, acting in secret for the past few years.

"LET'S GO, EVERYONE! REGROUP WITH CAPTAIN KURO BEFORE WE INVADE THE VILLAGE!" Jango commanded with enthusiasm as they disembarked and gathered on the beach.

"I see that you've arrived earlier than I imagined..." A new voice interrupted the pirates' movements, surprising them and, at the same time, bringing relief when they recognized the voice's owner.

"Captain Kuro! Hm?! What happened to you?" Jango questioned their former captain as he spotted him. Kuro stood before them, with much of his body wrapped in bandages and an arm immobilized by a splint, evidence of a recent injury.

With a determined look, Kuro clenched his teeth tightly, still consumed by the memories of his humiliation and eager for an opportunity for revenge.

"Some damn pirate showed up and did this to me!" Kuro growled, echoing the memories of the events of the past few days. He remembered how he had contemptuously taunted a group of pirates with bounties lower than his own, only to be brutally defeated by their captain, with no chance of counterattack. The humiliation still burned in his memory.

Kuro felt a burning rage welling up inside him, a rage that seemed to consume him after the terrible beating he had taken from Monkey D. Luffy. That defeat at the hands of the young man with the straw hat had been a devastating blow to his proud self-image.

Kuro could barely bear the thought of how his grandeur and renown had been shattered by that boy with a straw hat. Every memory of that brutal fight, Luffy's precise blows, and the young pirate's indomitable power fueled his growing anger.

He could never have imagined that he would fall to such an extent, to be brutally defeated by the group of pirates he had taunted. Now, Kuro was obsessed, his mind fixed on a single idea: revenge against the man with the straw hat who had dethroned him and reduced him to a pitiable state.

"Anyway, let's start the attack. Jango, come with me. I've already taken the necessary measures in the mansion, but I need your skill to get Kaya to sign the will documents," announced Kuro, his eyes shining with determination as they prepared to launch the attack on the village. However, before they could give the order, something unexpected happened, interrupting their conversation.

BANG!

A blast cut through the air, and a bullet fell with a clatter on the ground, right in front of the group of pirates. They all turned to the source of the attack, finding a long-nosed man perched on top of a hill about 400 meters away. He was crouched, holding a rifle firmly, his eyes focused on the approaching pirate group.

"It's you..." Kuro couldn't help but taunt when he recognized the man.

"I didn't expect to find you here, Usopp, but it's a great surprise. I might even kill you before..." Kuro couldn't finish the sentence when suddenly, one of the pirates in front of him took a shot to the head. The impact of the bullet caused blood to splatter on the scene, some drops even landed on Kuro's clothes, leaving him stunned.

As Kuro tried to process this new information, Usopp, with his deadly aim, fired his rifle, proving that his skills were far more dangerous than Kuro had ever imagined. Shock and surprise were clearly reflected on Kuro's face as he tried to comprehend the surprising turn of events.

Usopp had caught Kuro off guard, who had only expected to face a storyteller but found himself facing a skilled and deadly sharpshooter. He couldn't help but question Usopp's newly discovered capabilities, and this revelation made him realize that he had seriously underestimated the long-nosed boy.

While Kuro tried to process this new information, Usopp, still crouched, took the opportunity to reload his rifle. The weapon, acquired by Luffy at the store, was a prototype created by Vegapunk, costing only 5 points. It was a powerful piece of technology that outperformed the weapons used by the Marines, and the World Government had not yet produced it on a large scale. Usopp, wasting no time, fired more precise shots at the Black Cat Pirates.

*BANG!*

*BANG!*

*BANG!*

*BANG!*

*BANG!

*BANG!*

*BANG!*

The gunshots echoed as Usopp relentlessly targeted the invading Black Cat Pirates as they advanced along the beach. With determination, he fired accurate shots, ruthlessly taking down the invaders before an explosion occurred.

Usopp's precise shots were like bullets guided by destiny, finding their targets with deadly accuracy. The roar of the shots was accompanied by the cries of pain from the pirates hit, one by one falling.

The scene was a whirlwind of chaos and desperation, with the Black Cat Pirates desperately seeking shelter, but Usopp showed no mercy. His focused gaze and unwavering determination did not waver, and he continued to eliminate his enemies with lethal precision, an impressive display of skill and courage amid the impending confrontation.

Usopp demonstrated astounding marksmanship, taking down a dozen pirates with accurate shots. His weapon, with the ability to store multiple cartridges in the magazine, only accentuated his deadly skill. It was as if Usopp possessed an innate gift for taking down his targets, a skill that echoed his father's talent.

While Usopp kept the Black Cat Pirates at bay, on the other side of a hill, Luffy and his companions watched the scene with attentive eyes.

"I'm quite satisfied with this now..." Luffy murmured, unable to contain a smile. He had managed to awaken Usopp's bravest side, forcing him to confront his fears and take responsibility for protecting Kaya. Through rigorous training in recent days, Luffy had acquired an arsenal of weapons at the store, especially for Usopp. He spared no effort, subjecting the boy to tough training and forcing him to learn how to use all available weapons.

Luffy wanted Usopp to understand that the world was not a place of childish dreams, and that he would have to be willing to get his hands dirty with the blood of his enemies if he wanted to protect Kaya. Despite the suffering Usopp had endured in the past three days, he was determined to protect Kaya, even if it meant staining his hands with the blood of the pirates. His determination to fulfill this mission and rescue Kaya was stronger than ever.

*BANG!*

*Reload*

*BANG!*

*BANG!*

*BANG!*

Usopp turned out to be a natural master with weapons, something Luffy had already noticed. He lamented that in the anime, Usopp had been relegated to using his slingshot.

"This is the kind of sharpshooter my crew and I need on my ship..." Luffy commented, admiring Usopp's skills.

"Are we just going to watch?" Nami asked beside him in her characteristic attire.

"For now, yes, but it looks like he might not be able to handle all of them. Zoro, do you want to get in on the action?" Luffy asked Zoro.

"Of course, it's been a while since I've fought, and I'm eager to see the result of my training..." Zoro couldn't help but smile with anticipation.

"Then go. Let Usopp deal with Kuro. I want him to surpass Kuro here." Luffy made the decision, and Zoro leaped from where they were towards the beach.

Kuro boiled with anger; his plans were being thwarted by a boy he never imagined would be capable of killing someone. He looked around and saw a large number of his crew dead on the way, victims of the skilled sharpshooter.

In his path, there were many bodies left behind as they tried to reach Usopp, who was on the hill.

Kuro, consumed by rage, realized he had no choice. With fury, he used an ability he had developed, inspired by a theory he had seen in the styles used by the Marines and the CP: Rokushiki/Soru. He advanced towards Usopp with only one arm, his claws ready to kill the boy once he was within his reach.

Usopp, on the other hand, showed no hesitation. He looked seriously at Kuro's advance and dropped his rifle to pick up a military bag by his side.

Kuro was stunned when Usopp removed pins from a strange object he couldn't identify and threw them on the path. The small, almost ball-shaped spheres fell in Kuro's way before he could reach them. However, he didn't have time to maneuver around these objects as he had already used his technique to approach Usopp.

When Kuro was about to reach the spheres, he realized too late that they simply exploded, engulfing him in a sudden blast.

*BOOOOOOM*

"CAPTAIN KURO!!!" The Black Cat Pirates couldn't contain their shock and astonishment as they saw their former captain being engulfed by the violent explosion.

"Let's go! Hurry, help Captain Kuro! It's just a kid!" The few survivors among the pirates began to rush toward the explosion, their eyes filled with hatred because Usopp had caught them completely off guard and caused the deaths of many of their comrades.

"Where do you think you're going?" A new voice interrupted the determined advance of the group of pirates. A man with three swords strapped to his waist appeared in their path, blocking them.

"Who the hell are you, you bastard?" Jango roared in anger, prevented from advancing. The plan to plunder the island and get rich was becoming increasingly frustrating.

"My name is Roronoa Zoro, and I will be your opponent..." Zoro declared, with a confident smile and the posture of someone ready for battle.

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