"Captain!"
From a distance, Carrot-Head and the other two spotted Usopp limping toward them.
"Captain, we've got to tell everyone about the pirates right away!!" the pepper-headed boy shouted anxiously.
Tell them…
Usopp hesitated as Kaya's words echoed in his mind. He instinctively hid his injured hand behind his back.
"Hahaha! That's just a lie!!" Usopp suddenly burst out laughing.
Just treat it like a joke, he thought. The sun will rise tomorrow like always, and everyone will laugh it off as another one of my silly stories. As for the pirates... I'll face them alone!
Usopp's heart ached, but his mind was set. He had chosen the most dangerous path.
"Hey—turns out it was all fake!"
"What? So there aren't real pirates?"
"Damn it! I thought Straw Hat was in on a big plan. Ugh... let's go home. Boring. Honestly, I'm starting to despise the captain."
The three kids looked at Usopp with disappointment in their eyes, then turned away, completely unaware of the blood-soaked hand he kept hidden.
On a cliff by the sea, Leo and the others sat listening to the wind, while Usopp's weary sigh drifted in the air.
"I love to talk," Usopp muttered bitterly. "But no one in the village ever believes me."
"But the pirates are coming tomorrow," Nami said as she stood up, arms crossed. "That's a fact."
Usopp nodded slowly. "Yes... but they all think it's just another one of my lies. They believe tomorrow will be peaceful... just another normal day."
His eyes darkened. Then he suddenly stood tall, fists clenched.
"So I'm going to face them! Right here on this beach! And turn this into a lie, too!"
Tears streamed down his face, but his voice was firm. "I love this village! I want to protect everyone!"
Luffy grinned. "Then we'll help you."
"Let me make one thing clear—every single bit of treasure belongs to me!" Nami added, rubbing her chin as she imagined how much the Black Cat Pirates might be carrying.
"As long as there's wine," Zoro said with a smirk.
Leo, quiet as always, didn't say a word. He simply gave Usopp a nod of acknowledgment.
Usopp, moved by their support, finally let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. "Then let's start planning how to deal with the pirates!"
"We can do that," Leo said calmly, "but Usopp... are you sure this is the only landing point? I remember we all came up from the north."
Usopp froze.
That one sentence shattered his confidence.
The sea breeze howled in the night, the sound mingling with the rustling trees along the shoreline.
Leo adjusted his top hat with a sigh and sat quietly on the sand, bored but vigilant.
As deputy captain and the most enigmatic among them, Leo had been left behind—his role, for now, to guard this side of the beach alone.
He knew the truth. The Black Cat Pirates would come from the north.
But he couldn't say that outright.
This was the moment Usopp and Luffy needed to build trust. Their bond would begin through this fight. Leo knew better than to interfere with fate.
Still, the night sky was stunning.
Stars stretched endlessly above, untainted by city lights. The sky reflected beautifully on the calm sea, like an open portal to the universe. Leo had watched this view for years now—at first enchanted by it, and now, peacefully at ease. Where his heart had once surged like crashing waves, it now mirrored the stillness of the starry night.
Snap!
A burst of electricity cracked in the distance.
He felt the faint ripple of power—Nami's doing. That must've been her weather staff.
Somewhere in the chaos, he heard her yell, "That's my money!!"
Phew...
The night breeze kept blowing across the shore.
But Leo's figure had already vanished with the wind.
"Ahem... I..."
"What... what have I done to him?"
Kaya stood frozen, tears streaking down her cheeks as Merry finished explaining what had happened.
Most of all, it pained her to know that Merry had shot Usopp to protect her. He had risked everything in that moment.
"Miss Kaya! This isn't the time to cry. I saw Krabatel leave the mansion. You're the only one who can stop him now!" Merry said, blood still staining his clothes as he struggled to stay upright.
"But what can I do?" Kaya asked in a daze. Her guilt was unbearable. She had driven Usopp away with her own hands. How could she face him now?
"Do you need help, Miss Kaya?" a gentle voice said from behind.
Leo's silhouette emerged from the moonlight, appearing beside Kaya as if summoned by her heart.
"You… You're the one with Usopp! Can you help me?" Kaya asked through sobs.
"Of course," Leo said, his voice warm and kind. "Usopp is a comrade we trust."
Leo reached out and helped Kaya to her feet. Then he turned toward Merry and flicked his hand gently.
A soft breeze circled around Merry's body. The swirling energy sparkled faintly in the air, and some of his bleeding wounds began to close.
Though still pale and bloodied, he looked far less fragile now.
"Wow... It's like I'm not even hurt," Merry whispered, awestruck.
"I didn't heal you completely," Leo replied, shaking his head. "I only accelerated your body's recovery. I'm not that good with healing magic yet."
"I understand... but sir, can I beg you to help us? Usopp is a good boy. He doesn't deserve this." Merry's voice cracked with desperation.
Leo didn't answer. He simply nodded and turned to Kaya.
"Miss Kaya, I'll help you. But there are some things only you can do. Whether it's for Usopp's sake, or for your own heart... some apologies must come directly from you."
"No! Miss Kaya's health—" Merry tried to protest, but Kaya cut him off.
"No, Merry. I'm going."
Her voice, once frail, now rang with resolve.
She had always waited for Usopp to come running back. But this time, she would go to him.
Leo handed her a cane. A mischievous smile played on his lips.
Kaya, still shaking, took the cane—and something changed.
A strength radiated from within her. Her posture straightened. Her weakness vanished. A quiet determination shone in her eyes.
"You know what to do," Leo said softly. "Go to the north beach. Usopp is waiting."
He paused for a second, chuckling to himself.
"I hope Krabatel appreciates this gift. I'd love to see the look on his face when the 'fragile' young lady stands up and knocks some sense into him."
With a gust of wind, Leo's figure vanished into thin air, leaving Kaya holding the cane—no longer a scared girl, but someone ready to protect what mattered most.