Pfft!
Flames once again burned in Shirogai's hand, releasing three bursts of thick, white smoke that drifted across the beach.
"Hm?"
Shirogai frowned slightly and took a few steps back. "What a foul smell."
"Hmph! Sure-Kill: Smoke Star Stink Bomb!" Usopp's proud voice came from the haze. "You're not used to such childish attack methods, are you?!"
A sly grin spread across his face as he slipped into a blind spot out of Shirogai's line of sight. From there, he fired another round of special bullets.
"Sure-Kill: Bitter Star!"
Three projectiles burst open midair before reaching Shirogai, filling the surroundings with a powerful, bitter stench made from Water 7's strongest medicinal extract.
"Cough… cough… that's… awful…" Shirogai muttered, stepping back once again.
"I remember," Usopp shouted from hiding, "you once said the thing you hate most is anything bitter!"
Using the cover of the smoke, Usopp swiftly repositioned himself, firing off a flurry of attacks.
"Sure-Kill: Fire Star!"
"Sure-Kill: Stink Egg!"
"Sure-Kill: Triple Flame Star!"
"Sure-Kill: Please Gift Star!"
Each unique projectile burst around Shirogai, filling the air with flashes of light, smoke, and stench.
"Have you had enough yet?"
Shirogai's calm voice echoed from the heart of the explosion.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—
A sudden gale erupted. Dust and smoke twisted into a roaring storm around him.
"Sandstorm: Tornado!"
A spiraling vortex of sand burst outward, sweeping up the gunpowder and smoke.
On the Going Merry, the crew's expressions turned grim.
"This is Crocodile's Sand-Sand Fruit ability!" Luffy shouted, gripping the railing. "Usopp, run!"
"That's terrifying!" Nami cried, watching as the tornado chased Usopp across the beach. "Shirogai's really using that kind of power against him?!"
Sanji crushed his cigarette with a frown. "If Usopp's in danger, we'll stop Shirogai ourselves."
Chopper's eyes welled up with tears. "Why are they fighting?! They're supposed to be friends!"
"This is what Usopp wanted," Zoro said quietly, watching with sharp eyes. "Shirogai's treating him seriously, fighting him as an equal."
---
Panting, Usopp dashed across the sand, sweat pouring down his face. Seeing the sandstorm closing in, he dove behind a large boulder.
His mind raced. The tornado's range wasn't wide enough yet to move heavy objects. The boulder would break its momentum — just enough to redirect it.
"Alright," he muttered, gritting his teeth. "If I can stall it here, I can take it out in one shot…"
As predicted, the sandstorm shifted after a few seconds, circling around the rock and changing course toward him.
"Sure-Kill: Shirogai's Special Explosive Bomb!" Usopp yelled, launching a projectile laced with Shirogai's own blood from a past battle.
Boom!
The explosion tore through the air, consuming the sand tornado in flames. The roaring storm dissipated into the sky, scattering harmlessly.
Across the beach, Shirogai watched with faint surprise, then smiled and gave a small clap.
"Not bad. You managed to shatter a sand tornado."
"Save your compliments!" Usopp snapped, wiping sweat from his brow. "You're next!"
He glared at Shirogai's calm, smiling face. When they were comrades, that expression never bothered him. But now, under this sun, while he fought with everything he had — it made his blood boil.
He's so calm, so untouchable… as if my struggle means nothing to him!
"Don't underestimate me, Shirogai! I'm not one of those enemies you've crushed easily!"
"Sure-Kill: Multiple Smoke Stars!"
A volley of smoke shells exploded, covering the area in a thick, white mist.
"Heh," came Shirogai's soft chuckle from within. "I've never underestimated you, Usopp."
Then, from within the smoke, his voice changed — deep and commanding.
"Grant life: Smoke Star… condense."
The smoke twisted violently, pulling inward. From within it, an eerie face of an old man appeared, exhaling thick plumes of white mist.
"Cough, cough… Smoke Star answers your call, my master," the apparition rasped.
"What in the world?!" Nami gasped. "What kind of ability is that?!"
Even the Straw Hats stared in disbelief.
Usopp's eyes widened. "That thing looks dangerous!" He scrambled backward, trying to keep his distance from the strange old man made of smoke.
---
On the cliff, CP-0 agent Inbi Hebi observed the battle, his expression grim.
"Could it be… the Soul-Soul Fruit? Big Mom's power?" he whispered. "For him to use an ability like that— terrifying."
He scribbled into his report:
"The sniper known as Usopp fights with deceptively simple weapons. Though his attacks seem weak, they hide unpredictable dangers. Even the Fifth Emperor, Shirogai Yamikuro, avoids direct confrontation with his bombs."
The agent clicked his tongue. "As expected from the crew of the Fifth Emperor. Even their weakest member is full of surprises."
---
Usopp, unaware that he was now being praised by CP-0, was still giving it everything he had.
"Sure-Kill: Usopp's Curse — Demonic Sound Attack!" he shouted, firing a new round of projectiles while waving his arms wildly.
"Feel your teeth grow hair like fuzz soaked in vinegar! Feel invisible cockroaches crawling on your eyes!"
"Too noisy."
Shirogai flicked his finger lightly.
Instantly, all sound from Usopp vanished. His mouth moved, but not a word came out.
Startled, he touched his tongue — still there. He sighed in relief, then scowled furiously.
Grabbing a handful of sand, he hurled it uselessly toward Shirogai.
"Enough," Shirogai said quietly. His figure blurred and vanished.
When he reappeared, he stood directly in front of Usopp.
"Usopp," he said softly, his tone no longer mocking. "Think carefully. Were you — and the Going Merry — truly abandoned by your friends?"
He flicked Usopp's forehead with a finger coated in Armament Haki.
But before he could pull back, Usopp suddenly grinned.
His lips moved soundlessly, mouthing: You fell for it.
Boom!
The ground beneath Shirogai exploded.
A massive hunting trap sprang up, clamping around his foot and releasing coiled ropes that wrapped around his body. Sea-Prism Stone fragments glimmered faintly on the bindings.
"Got you!" Usopp shouted. "You're strong, Shirogai, but Devil Fruit users still have one weakness — the sea and Seastone!"
He dropped to his knees, panting but defiant. "I told you… I've been fighting seriously all along!"
He aimed again, his eyes sharp and unwavering.
That was Usopp — the sniper who turned desperation into precision.
Every feint, every stumble, every ridiculous attack had been for this one shot.