"Why are you so slow getting back?"
"Wait, Luffy—why is your face so red? What happened?" Zoro frowned, giving Luffy a once-over.
"Ah, you mean this? Just now I got hypnotized by some hypnotist and fell off a hill—must've been over ten meters. My head and face hit the ground at the same time."
Luckily, Lock woke me up, otherwise I'd probably still be sleeping! Hahaha—" Luffy said, pointing at his oace.
Zoro squinted. "Wait, what? Forget the hypnosis for a second—you're telling me your head and your face hit the ground at the same time? That's—ugh!"
Before he could finish, Lock clamped a hand over his mouth and dragged him aside. Nami, who hadn't spoken yet, was pulled along too.
"Luffy, Nami, Zoro, and I need to talk in private. Don't come over yet—I'll tell you later," Lock said firmly.
"What kind of secret is this that even the captain can't hear? Eh, whatever—you'll tell me later anyway." Luffy scratched his head, confused but not pressing further.
Zoro crossed his arms. "Hey, Lock, you stopping me that fast… don't tell me those slap marks all over Luffy's face came from you?"
"Yeah, I hit him." Lock didn't even hesitate.
"…Then I get it."
"I get it, too," Nami said, nodding.
"No, hang on, what exactly do you two 'get'?"
"Do you think we're idiots like Luffy? Hypnosis plus handprints—you slapped him to wake him up," Zoro said flatly.
Nami nodded again in agreement.
"But if that's the case, why hide it?" she asked curiously.
Lock shrugged. "Honestly? I could've just splashed water on him. I chose to slap him instead."
Zoro smirked. "Yeah, nothing like waking someone up with a good smack. Don't worry—we won't rat you out. Still, Luffy's something else…"
"I believed him when he said his head and face hit the ground at the same time," Nami sighed.
"From the first day I met him, I knew his brain worked in strange ways. I just didn't realize how strange," Zoro added.
"Anyway, what's this 'secret message' you're gonna tell him later?"
Lock made a hushing gesture. "You'll find out soon enough."
"Fair enough," Zoro replied.
"Same here~" Nami said.
At that moment, Luffy wandered over, curiosity written all over his face.
"You done yet?"
The lock turned back. "Yeah, that's all."
"Then hurry and tell me the secret!" Luffy grabbed him excitedly.
"Hands off first."
Once Luffy let go, Lock leaned in and whispered something in his ear.
"Really? I'm looking forward to it!" Luffy bounced on his heels, grinning.
"Of course it's true," Lock said with a smile.
"Hey, what did Lock tell you that got you so hyped?" Zoro asked.
"It's a secret. But you'll know soon enough—and trust me, you'll be happy. Hehehe!" Luffy flashed a wide, toothy grin.
Zoro chuckled. "If it's something that'll make us happy, then yeah, I'm curious."
Nami turned to the group. "By the way, why did Usopp run back to the village in such a panic? Something must've happened at the beach, right?"
Lock nodded. "Yeah, here's what happened…"
In the village —
Usopp ran through the streets, shouting to the villagers that pirates would attack tomorrow morning and urging them to flee.
But just like Klahadore predicted, no one believed him. They called him a liar, told him to stop, and even praised the butler for being a model citizen, telling Usopp he should learn from him.
That's when it clicked. Klahadore had told him the plan on purpose, knowing the villagers wouldn't take him seriously.
Inside the Kaya Estate —
A white-haired servant entered, holding a small glasses case.
"Here it is, miss. The pair you ordered from the shop in the next town."
Kaya looked at the box and smiled. "Yes, that's it. Thank you for going all the way there." She took the case carefully from his hands.
"Is it a gift?" the servant asked.
Kaya nodded. "Tomorrow marks three years since Klahadore joined our household. He's taken such good care of me—I want to give him something."
"I'm sure he'll be very pleased," the servant said with a polite smile.
Back in the village —
Usopp wasn't giving up. "Listen to me! The pirates will come tomorrow morning!"
"If we believed every story you told, we'd have run away hundreds of times already," one villager scoffed.
Usopp shouted, desperate. "If you don't believe me, everyone here will be slaughtered! This time it's real!"
But instead of listening, they chased him off with brooms, mops, and even chairs.
"Damn it!" Usopp cursed as he sprinted away, the mob in hot pursuit.
Inside the Kaya Estate —
"Good, you came." Kaya looked up at Usopp, who stood balanced on the tree outside her window.
"Run away, Kaya! You're in danger!" he shouted immediately.
"Huh? What's going on?" she asked, confused.
"You've been tricked! That butler of yours—he's a pirate!" Usopp said, deadly serious.
Kaya frowned. "Is this some kind of joke?"
"It's not a joke. I saw and heard it myself—Klahadore is a pirate who's been pretending to be your butler for three years, all to get your family's fortune. His crew is attacking tomorrow morning!"
Kaya's expression hardened slightly. "That's going too far. Even so, lying like this isn't like you, Usopp."
She had always thought of him as a friend who told tall tales for fun—but not like this.
"I'm not lying!" Usopp shouted, voice raw. "It's true! It's all true!"