The beach where the Straw Hat crew landed in the original.
The Money and the Black Gold stopped about fifty meters from shore; any closer and they'd run aground on the sand.
Bang, bang, bang!
Rocky and the Second Squad stayed behind to guard the Money and the Black Gold.
The skiff touched the beach.
"Land really is nice."
After a sigh, Lister looked around and took a few steps forward.
Bang!
A small hole punched into the sand.
At the same time, a voice came from the trees nearby.
Lister paused, then laughed. "I thought I was somewhere else—so it's here after all. The people here aren't short on food or supplies; there's a wealthy household on the island. A sly pirate is hiding in that rich man's home. If we help that young heiress deal with the problem, they shouldn't be stingy with some grain. Mm."
"You know this place?" Nami asked, coming to his side.
"More or less. There are a few interesting people here," Lister said with a faint smile.
Bang!
A gunshot cracked into the sky. Lister stopped and looked toward the dense woods.
"I warn you—go no further! Do you think Captain Usopp, commander of eight hundred soldiers, is joking?" came Usopp's theatrical voice from the brush.
Unlike the Straw Hats, eight million would be too ridiculous to scare anyone. Eight hundred sounded almost plausible.
Behind Lister, Johnson and the pirates bared their weapons. A killing aura spread.
"We have to hold them, stall them," Merry whispered in Usopp's ear.
"But I'm scared!" Usopp trembled, his legs shaking.
"It's time to prove you're a man. Don't show a crack. Miss Kaya loves adventure stories—don't let her down!" Merry urged. In truth his own legs were shaking too, so he shoved Usopp to the front and stayed to support from the side.
"Fine, I'll hold out a bit longer!"
"Risk our lives? I, Captain Usopp, have cut down not a thousand but eight hundred men! Think I don't dare? You're in the wrong place—leave while you can!"
"Go!"
Lister couldn't be bothered to argue. "Kill!"
At his order he charged. Thirty-odd pirates surged after him.
Usopp and Merry went slack-jawed. This wasn't what they'd expected at all. A few quick-witted guards grabbed them and ran, but they couldn't outrun Johnson. In short order they were surrounded. The guards who resisted were clubbed to the ground by Johnson's wrench—he held back only because Lister had strictly forbidden killing civilians or burning and looting.
"I surrender!" Usopp cried, dropping to his knees. Merry, white-faced, knelt as well.
"Take them," Lister told Johnson.
"Captain Usopp with eight hundred soldiers?" Lister looked at Usopp with a half-smile.
"Not me!" Usopp shuddered and pointed at Merry.
Smack—Lister slapped him. "I hate liars. Who fired just now?"
Usopp looked at Merry, then at a nearby guard. "I wasn't aiming at anyone—I fired into the air. Captain, please be magnanimous."
"If you'd aimed at me, you think I'd let you live? Who fired?"
"Him," Usopp said helplessly, pointing at the guard.
Johnson raised his giant wrench to smash the guard's right hand—
—when a rush of footsteps sounded from afar, and a voice rang out:
"Stop!"