The town of Alubarna, divided into its four cardinal blocks.
In the east block, four figures stood in confrontation.
Sanji, stubbing out his cigarette in a portable ashtray, calmly fixed his gaze on the enemy. Beside him, Usopp desperately tried to quell the tremor in his knees, his slingshot gripped tight in his hand. The figures before them were enemies. Of that, there was no doubt.
They tried to identify them by cross-referencing their appearances with the information Kiri had provided. Utilizing existing knowledge would significantly increase their chances of victory.
Sanji didn't particularly need this information, but he knew it would be crucial for Usopp. This consideration was why he indulged in their pre-battle conversation.
The enemies showed no sign of moving yet, seemingly radiating an air of余裕 (composure/confidence).
"Black afro, sunglasses. And a mini-skirt in yellow, with dazzling legs, wearing an adorable hat, gracefully holding an umbrella, and a radiant smile that rivals the sun itself—that's the beautiful woman. Usopp, based on the intel, do you know who she is? Unfortunately, I can't identify the man."
"Your intel is seriously skewed! That's probably Mr. 5. And next to him is Miss Valentine."
"Miss Valentine… terrifying. How incredibly cute. Just one glance from that smile, and my knees are trembling, threatening to give way. Ahh, I think I've fallen in love…"
"Relax, you're your usual self. What about the guy?"
Standing before them were the lowest-numbered Officer Agents: Mr. 5 and his partner, Miss Valentine. Though they were the lowest numbers, that was only within the ranks of the Officer Agents. From the perspective of Baroque Works as a whole, they were considered formidable opponents, possessing troublesome abilities.
Listening to Kiri's information had proven to be the right decision. They understood that the two confronting them were Devil Fruit users. They also knew what their abilities were, how they were used, and what their weaknesses were. Though surprised at first, Usopp had never been more thankful that Kiri was on their side. Even the fact that their first encounter was with the lowest-numbered agents felt like a stroke of luck. Usopp gritted his teeth, steeling his resolve.
"Alright… so if we don't defeat these guys, they're going to cause a lot of trouble. That means we can't let them escape, and we can't run away ourselves!"
"Of course! What are you even saying at this point?"
"I know that! Just… confirming. Just in case."
Usopp put on his goggles, adopting a battle-ready stance. Seeing this, Sanji grinned and lightly tapped the ground with the tip of his shoe. Mr. 5 and Miss Valentine, observing the two, continued to exude an aura of confidence.
"Did you hear that? They say they're going to defeat us."
"Kyahaha, what a foolish thought. They should just run away quickly. Not that they can, though."
"Ah, Miss Valentine. There's something I want to tell you. My heart, the moment I saw you, began to beat with the rhythm of happiness and love—"
"Hey, what?! You cut that out! These guys are our enemies!"
Even amidst such strange pre-battle banter, the air grew tense when the moment came. The instant Mr. 5 stirred, the playful attitude of Sanji and the fear on Usopp's face vanished.
"The blonde one uses kicking techniques. And the long-nosed one was a sniper, right?"
"We have the home advantage. Shall we both go?"
"No, it won't take long. I'll take the blonde."
"Then I'll take the long-nose. Kyahaha."
Their comments, spoken as if they already knew about Sanji and Usopp, naturally heightened their guard. They realized they had already been identified. It wasn't surprising; they were a secret society with an extensive intelligence network, and with Kiri among them, they had been marked from the start. They must have been investigated during their voyage. Some islands they passed were deserted, others teeming with people. It wouldn't be strange for them to have been investigated anywhere, they mused.
"So it's mutual, then. Doesn't mean we have the advantage either."
"Damn it, it really isn't that easy after all…"
"Then it's a test of skill. I'll take on that bomb-guy."
Sanji seemed to have made up his mind and decided to engage Mr. 5 as designated.
"So Usopp, you'll take down that lovely Miss Valentine, gently and without a single scratch. Can you do it?"
"Can I?! Are you an idiot?! It's hard enough to just win, why are you making it even harder?! And only for me!"
"Listen, Usopp, I can't kick a lady. Besides, if you die for Vivi-chan, I won't regret it."
"I'M THE ONE WHO'LL DIE?! Don't assume I'm going to die!"
"Alright then, let's go!"
"Wait! Then at least promise you'll help me if things get dangerous—!"
Sanji, his hands still in his pockets, walked forward and beckoned Mr. 5 with a slight tilt of his chin. Mr. 5's brow twitched slightly, as if he understood the intent but didn't appreciate it.
"I don't want to hurt Miss Valentine with your power. I'll fight you, so come on."
"Oh? You want to choose your own dying place?"
"Keep talking. That's a perfect line for a small-fry."
"Very well… I'll tear you apart limb by limb with my Bomb-Bomb powers."
"Bring it on. Hope you don't end up filleted into three pieces."
Provoking each other without fighting, the two walked away, leaving the main street. The remaining two stood dumbfounded. Miss Valentine, holding her umbrella, looked at Usopp, who shivered when he realized he was being watched.
"So, you're my opponent?"
"Huh?! Th-th-th-that's right, you jerk! My name is Captain U-sopp! I'm the sniper of the Straw Hat Pirates, and I've even defeated a Fish-Man executive!"
"Hmm, really. And?"
Miss Valentine started walking only after the backs of the other two had disappeared. She took her first step without the slightest fear of a potential ambush, heading directly towards Usopp. Usopp flinched, backing away, but then planted his feet firmly after that initial step.
If he ran now, his comrades would die.
With that thought, his body stopped, regardless of his will. Before he knew it, his trembling ceased, and he glared at Miss Valentine with a fierce gaze.
She must have judged him to be a man with some backbone. However, Miss Valentine's stride didn't falter. She approached him slowly from the front.
"So you're forcing yourself to be brave, are you? Kyahaha, a futile effort, how tiresome."
"It's not futile… I'm just a slow starter. It takes me a little while to get in the mood, but you should have finished me off before I got serious. Once I'm serious, no one can stop me! Yes, my name is! Captain—!"
"Usopp, isn't it? I already heard."
As she muttered this, Miss Valentine was already right in front of him, seemingly floating just above the ground with light movements. Her right leg was already swinging upwards, aiming to kick Usopp's face. Feeling a sudden gust of wind, Usopp gasped. Miss Valentine chuckled, and then used her ability.
"Weight: 2,000 kilograms."
As her kick, delivered with a twist of her waist, was unleashed, her body instantly became heavy. Taking a crushing blow to the face, Usopp was easily sent flying, then slid violently across the ground upon landing. He tumbled several meters, kicking up dust, before coming to a natural stop. It was a heavy blow that felt like it might have broken his nasal bone.
When moving, she would lighten her weight to the limit, achieving high-speed movement by simply kicking off the ground and jumping. Then, only at the moment of attack, she would make her entire body heavy. Like a cannonball, perhaps even more.
Usopp, blood flowing from his nose, lay on his back, looking at Miss Valentine. To think this was the lowest rank was no laughing matter. He had heard about the uses of the Kilo-Kilo Fruit's power and her fighting style, even being told she wasn't particularly good at combat, but this was incredible. Kiri might have found a way for her to win using her own abilities, but for someone seeing her for the first time, she was certainly a formidable threat.
Just because she was a woman didn't mean she was bad at fighting. Usopp shivered, making that judgment from just a single strike.
Enduring the pain in his face, he desperately stood up. The fact that he hadn't been knocked unconscious by such a heavy blow surely meant Usopp was growing stronger too. Indeed, brawling wasn't his forte. But in return, he possessed a weapon he could be proud of. He had talked to Kiri many times, strategized with her, and found a winning chance. He wouldn't back down.
"Oh, you got up surprisingly fast. I thought you'd be weak enough to be finished by that."
"Thanks… With that hit, I think I can finally show you my serious mode."
"What's that? How lame. Do you think you can beat me when you're serious?"
"Yeah, I do. Because I have reliable friends on my side."
He wiped the nosebleed that had reached his lips with his arm, then gripped a projectile and loaded it into his slingshot. Adopting a fighting stance, Usopp spoke calmly.
"My friends, Kiri, made me stronger. I won't waste any more time."
"You're so annoying! You're totally looking down on me!"
Miss Valentine again lightened her weight, bouncing lightly in place with agile movements. The Kilo-Kilo Fruit allows its user to change their weight from 1 kg to 10,000 kg. Now, lightened to 1 kg, she could perform movements impossible for an ordinary person. As a result of continuous training with her ability, she had become accustomed to instantly manipulating her weight and delivering kicks that utilized her full body weight. This was a fighting style capable of crushing human bones, despite her being a woman. He couldn't let her get away here.
Fortunately, precisely because Usopp considered himself weak, he had ingrained all the information about the Officer Agents into his mind. And he sensed a carelessness in the confident Miss Valentine. There was a chance to win. Precisely because his opponent was stronger than him, Usopp judged that he could win.
"I'm not scared of you at all. Maybe I'll finish you off in an instant. Or perhaps you'd prefer to have your bones slowly broken? My ability makes either easy."
"You know, you're strong, so… that's why you don't understand, do you?"
"Huh?"
"The natural enemy of the strong is the cowardly and weak."
Miss Valentine's face showed annoyance. He must have offended her. She no longer intended to wait.
"What's that? Makes no sense. You're annoying."
"Heh heh, aren't you the one who's scared?"
"Hah?! Are you stupid?! You're the one who's trembling!"
"Am I? I wonder why, but you don't seem scary to me anymore…"
It was all a bluff. Inside, he was terrified, his knees shaking, but his mouth moved freely. Being told such things by an opponent he had dismissed as weak would undoubtedly be humiliating. It was a simple provocation, but it was clearly working, as Miss Valentine's face visibly reddened with anger.
The more she lost her composure, the better. Usopp took care not to let his false bravado show and laughed loudly.
"Ha-ha-ha-haaa! It seems you've finally realized the true terror of Captain Usopp! Yes, I am he! Who conquered the impregnable fortress of Navarone! Who brought the legendary Giant Warrior Pirates under my command! Who defeated a ridiculously huge goldfish that could swallow an island! Captain U-sopp!"
"Shut up! All that's lies, isn't it?! Idiot, i-di-ot!"
The bigger the lie, the better. Miss Valentine's anger visibly mounted. If she lost her composure and combined it with carelessness, creating an opening, it would be a godsend.
"Enough of your insolence! You, just die already!"
The terrifying thing, however, was that even without her composure, she was still strong. Miss Valentine, kicking off the ground and approaching directly, was astonishingly fast. The lightness of her weight seemed to be a factor; so light she could practically fly on the wind, her speed was beyond that of an ordinary person. Before he knew it, she was in front of him, her leg swinging up before he could react. Usopp was stunned and kicked away without being able to defend himself.
Her toes dug into his cheek, his entire body lifted, and the impact felt strong enough to snap his neck. He tumbled across the ground, unable even to break his fall. She had indeed instantly made her weight heavy only at the moment of attack. She still retained that much composure, meaning she wasn't weakened.
As he rolled over and over, Miss Valentine caught up to Usopp before he could get up. Lightening her weight, she floated up and dropped directly onto him, aiming for where his body had stopped. At that moment, to increase her attack power, she instantly made her weight heavy, aiming to crush him.
"I'll mash you into a pulp! 10,000 Kilo Press!"
"Gyaaaaaah?!"
Seeing Miss Valentine falling at high speed, Usopp frantically rolled to evade. Successfully escaping somehow, she couldn't stop her descent and, due to her 10,000-kilogram weight, she created a crater in the ground and disappeared into the small hole she had made. In that time, Usopp got up and hurriedly put distance between them.
He had a plan. A sure-kill technique that, if executed correctly, could finish any opponent in one blow. The problem was that it couldn't fail. He needed to wait for the chance.
Miss Valentine was buried in the hole. Was this the moment? Just as he was about to ready his slingshot, however, she powerfully jumped out.
"Sure-kill—!"
"Don't get carried away!"
Lightening her weight, Miss Valentine soared high into the sky with agile movements. This was troublesome. If she moved that quickly, there was a risk of him missing. Opportunities were few. Usopp, calmly judging that timing was crucial, dashed forward.
"Ugyaaaaah?! S-scaryyyy!!"
"Hah?! Don't run away!"
He ran in the complete opposite direction from Miss Valentine. Easily turning his back to her, he tried to run away from the spot at full speed. Seeing this, Miss Valentine was enraged and immediately kicked off the ground to pursue.
"You piece of trash! How much of a coward are you?! After all that talk, are you just going to run away?!"
"Woooah! Who cares anymore! My life is important! I can't die in a place like this!"
"What a terrible man. I definitely won't let you get away!"
Miss Valentine jumped, having lightened her weight to the limit. With just one or two kicks off the ground, she floated through the air and was quickly catching up. Usopp glanced back briefly, then quickly readied his slingshot. Running, he aimed at the ground and fired a single projectile.
"Just kidding! Smoke Star!"
"What?!"
A smoke bomb burst at his feet, and his figure instantly vanished into the smoke. Miss Valentine, already airborne, couldn't stop and plunged into the smoke screen.
Her vision narrowed dramatically, but Usopp was nowhere to be seen. Clicking her tongue lightly, she pressed on. Without stopping, she burst through the smoke in an instant. She didn't believe such a timid man would stop. He must be fleeing. She decided to chase, assuming he was running straight ahead.
She emerged from the smoke without making contact. When her vision cleared and she saw the street, Miss Valentine couldn't help but be astonished. Usopp, having confirmed that she had passed right by him, yelled from within the smoke screen.
"Uso-pp Spell!"
"Damn it, he was hiding in there…!"
"Imagine it… a needle, deeply stuck between your nail and flesh!"
"What?! No! Just thinking about it hurts so much!"
Usopp had merely shouted from his position. Miss Valentine was still positioned with one foot in the smoke screen, not far away. But it seemed to have been a proper attack. Imagining the situation, she shivered with a crawling sensation on her skin. It hurt just to imagine. If the goal was to cause dismay, then the attack could be considered a success.
"I didn't want to use this technique, but I have no choice. If you hear it all, you won't be able to stand… it's that terrifying a spiritual attack!"
"H-huh, what is it? I just won't listen—"
"Five canker sores on your gums…"
"Ugh?!"
"You tripped and landed hand-first on a cactus."
"Ughh…"
"You tried to put on your shoe, and a cockroach jumped out from inside it—!!"
"Noooooo!!"
The more he spoke, the more Miss Valentine was shaken. The smoke screen still lingered, so they couldn't see each other, but that meant he could aim. Usopp readied his slingshot without visually confirming the enemy.
"Now! Take this! Black Shine Star!"
He fired in the direction of the scream, and it successfully struck her. It was a large, fist-sized black balloon, which flew with force and burst easily upon hitting Miss Valentine's body. There was no pain. No damage. But the moment the balloon popped, a large quantity of something flew out from inside, scattering all around.
Small, black objects. Caught off guard, Miss Valentine couldn't immediately comprehend. When they fell to the ground and rained down on her, she finally identified them. It seemed that every single one of them was a cockroach.
"I-Ick…!?"
Seeing one she had instinctively caught in her palm, she froze, forgetting herself. Her body trembled subtly, and when the cockroaches on her hat and shoulders rustled, it became even more pronounced. And in front of her eyes, a cockroach scuttled across her palm. This time, with enough force to almost make her faint, Miss Valentine shrieked, throwing the cockroach away.
"Nooooooo! That's disgusting!"
"That's your weakness. Women usually hate cockroaches."
"Hieeeeee! Get them off, get them off, get them off! Disgusting, disgusting, disgusting!"
In reality, Usopp's "Black Shine Star" was nothing more than toy cockroaches. They did move, but they were designed to stop after a few seconds.
But Miss Valentine, unaware of this, believed them to be real without a shred of doubt, with no composure left. She flailed about, terrified of the cockroaches on her head, shoulders, and legs. She wanted to remove them immediately but couldn't bring herself to touch them.
Because of this, she moved around in a strange manner.
In this state, she couldn't use her abilities. She couldn't fight calmly. As the smoke screen slowly cleared, Usopp stood tall and proud, loading a projectile into his slingshot.
Even though she was flailing, she wasn't moving from the spot. Such an easy target was rare. Extending the rubber of his slingshot, he launched a relentless follow-up attack.
"Now you can't escape! Take this!"
"Nooo!"
"Sure-kill! Sleeping Star!"
The projectile flew straight towards Miss Valentine's face. It made contact with her nose and burst with a 'pop,' scattering a small amount of smoke. Inhaling it, she lost consciousness in just a few seconds and collapsed without even breaking her fall.
The "Sleeping Star" was a new weapon and sure-kill technique developed in collaboration with Chopper. It was a powerful sleeping drug that would cause immediate sleep upon inhalation. Moreover, since it was dispersed as smoke, there was no escaping it as long as one was breathing. It was its first use in actual combat, and it had worked perfectly. He had won without a single scratch, just as Sanji had requested.
"A-a-alright… Did she fall asleep? She fell asleep, right? Phew…"
Usopp let out a deep breath, wiping the sweat from his brow. His legs now began to tremble, and he looked around, relieved to confirm that there were no enemies present.
"Heh heh, if I know your weakness, you're not scary. Did you see that, you jerk! I'm getting strong too, you idiot!"
Shouting at the peacefully sleeping Miss Valentine, or perhaps at the unseen enemy, Usopp calmly began to gather his thoughts. He looked around the chaotic townscape again, realizing he had to act immediately.
This wasn't a battle that would end by defeating just one person. Thanks to the detailed strategy he had meticulously planned with Kiri beforehand, anticipating every possible situation, his next course of action was already clear. Kiri had said that irregularities would always occur. Assuming Kiri's help wouldn't be available, Usopp looked into the distance.
His gaze wasn't on the palace, but towards the desert. From the very beginning, he had a crucial task in mind, one that only he could accomplish. Therefore, he wouldn't waver.
"I've defeated one of the enemy executives… The rest of you, I'm leaving the others to you."
Usopp immediately ran towards the center of town, gritting his teeth with a tense expression.
"I have to stop the rebel army…!"
He had anticipated the worst-case scenario. And it had become a certainty on their journey to Alubarna.
That's why Usopp ran.
Kiri had entrusted this to him, saying only he could do it. He couldn't betray Kiri's trust. Suppressing his worries for his comrades, Usopp prepared to fight alone, heading not towards his friends, but towards his own battle.
-------------------------------
I've already uploaded 40 chapters of this story on Patreon!
If you enjoy it, come check out the latest chapters in advance.
Here's the link:
[patreon.com/Greyhounds]
Thank you so much for your support!!
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"