On the Going Merry, the crew watched tensely.
"As expected." Zoro shook his head helplessly. "Usopp is too eager to defeat Shirogai to prove himself. He didn't even realize that the one he trapped wasn't Shirogai himself."
"Wow! Shirogai is ruthless, I didn't even notice that!" Luffy exclaimed indignantly, feeling protective of Usopp. "Usopp fought brilliantly. It's a shame he just fell short."
"Just a little short, you mean," Sanji said indifferently, exhaling smoke. "Usopp can't possibly be Shirogai's match. The gap between them is too vast."
Chopper leapt into the air, clutching a small first-aid kit. "I need to treat Usopp's arm! His injury is serious!"
"Wait!" Nami grabbed Chopper by the collar, glancing at the scene below. "Shirogai seems intent on helping Usopp…"
A heavy silence settled over the deck.
The crew, each carrying their own concerns, watched the two figures below like spectators of a fragile moment that could shatter at any second.
The sea breeze was gentle, but the tension it carried felt like a rope tightened around their throats.
Even Zoro stopped sharpening his sword.
Even Sanji's cigarette burned shorter between his fingers.
---
Shirogai handed a few milky-white Healing Mushrooms to Usopp.
"Eat them. Two of these will mend your arm."
"I've already left the crew. Now we're enemies! I won't accept anything from an enemy!" Usopp turned stubbornly, glaring at the mushrooms that could relieve the intense pain in his arm. Wuwuwu… I want to eat them so badly! My arm hurts too much!
Shirogai shook his head with a faint smile, tossing the mushrooms beside Usopp and beginning to walk toward the Going Merry.
"Oh, right." Shirogai paused after a few steps, slowly turning to Usopp with a gentle smile. "Usopp… I've never considered you weak."
"…" Usopp, battered and exhausted, silently stared at the sand. He didn't know whether to take Shirogai's words as comfort or a fabrication.
Shirogai continued, voice calm as he walked. "I disdain deceiving my companions. In my eyes, you have never been weak. True weakness lies in those who wield great power yet fear provoking stronger opponents, daring only to dominate those weaker than themselves. Usopp… you have always been truly strong. You face danger and protect others, even against overwhelmingly powerful foes."
Usopp's heart throbbed painfully.
For a moment, the stinging pain in his arm faded beneath something deeper—
A warmth.
A crack in the wall of insecurity he built around himself.
But pride… wounded pride… held it together, barely.
Usopp's eyes reddened, moisture threatening to spill. Can't cry… Can't cry, Usopp! He tried to think of something happy. Oh, right! I've left the crew. I can form my own Pirate Crew. I'll be Captain Usopp! Recruit thousands of subordinates… even become Pirate King! Make Luffy and Shirogai envy me!
Wuwuwu… now I feel even sadder…
---
"So don't belittle yourself!" Shirogai added, his tone indifferent but firm. "Who would dare say a brave warrior like you is weak?"
With that, Shirogai returned to the Going Merry, a smile lingering on his face.
Usopp gripped the sand, trembling, lying on the ground. This Shirogai… deceiving me so genuinely, it almost hurts…
"Eh-heh…"
A mischievous voice suddenly sounded beside him.
"Luffy!"
Usopp looked up, startled. The Straw Hat Captain squatted before him, grinning playfully.
"You! What are you doing?!" Usopp tried to dodge, wary of Luffy's antics.
Wuwuwu… but Luffy grabbed the scattered Healing Mushrooms and stuffed them into Usopp's mouth.
"Cough, cough!"
Before Usopp could react, the mushrooms, mixed with a bit of sand, liquefied and merged with his body.
"Ptooey! Ptooey!" Usopp broke free, spitting out sand angrily, but the healing effects were irreversible.
"Hehe, Usopp… feeling better after fighting Shirogai?" Luffy asked with a grin.
Despite the grin, Luffy's eyes were soft.
He hid his worry behind childish mischief,
but Usopp knew him well enough—
Luffy didn't come here to tease him.
He came because he cared.
Luffy squatted beside him, mischievous but supportive. "How about we just go back? If not, we can sail two ships—the Going Merry and a new ship!"
Usopp's heart lifted. But then… a strange, stubborn emotion surged.
"No! The Going Merry must be our only ship!" Usopp gritted his teeth, sneering awkwardly. "Do you think the Merry Go has lost its worth? Do you believe the shipwrights' nonsense? Luffy, have you forgotten all the places she carried us to, even into the sky?"
"Usopp… you're getting obsessive." Luffy frowned, unable to understand the fervor in his friend.
"Even if the Going Merry can still sail, her current space can't accommodate new members!" Luffy continued.
"Then don't add new members!" Usopp snapped, unwavering. "We've sailed together fine! Why abandon the Going Merry just for that? I'll never allow it!"
Luffy paused, staring at the possessed determination in Usopp. This obsessive side was unlike the cheerful, boastful Usopp he knew. The guilt and fear from past battles, when Usopp felt powerless, had given birth to this strange obsession.
---
"Usopp, stop making a fuss," Luffy said slowly. "What we need to consider now isn't internal disputes."
"Luffy, you're the Captain. Shirogai is the Vice Captain. You both have a say. I… have none, is that right?" Usopp's voice hardened. He took a deep breath. "So I've decided to leave the crew! Since my thoughts don't matter, why force myself to sail with you? I can wander the seas alone! As for the Going Merry… let's fight for it!"
He raised his head, eyes blazing, roaring at Luffy.
"Come on, Luffy! I almost defeated Shirogai just now. This time… I will defeat you!"
The wind howled between them.
Two friends—
two brothers—
now standing as challengers, their bond twisted by pain neither knew how to voice.