"That's right, you're an idiot!"

Luffy joined the three kids in yelling at Klahadore, getting more and more agitated. He even started charging forward like them.

"Come on! You wanna fight?! I'm not scared of you!"

Zoro quickly pulled Luffy back. "What are you doing, yelling with the kids?"

"Get out! All of you!"

Klahadore's veins bulged in anger from Luffy's provocation.

"Hey, these injuries? They were caused by your good friend Usopp. Shouldn't you at least get someone to treat them for me?"

Alex called out to Kaya, still crying by the second-floor window, completely ignoring Klahadore's rage.

"Aren't your wounds..."

Luffy glanced at Alex curiously but barely opened his mouth before Alex kicked him away.

"Scram."

Luffy left to find Usopp and didn't return.

"Uh, sure... I'll have Merry take a look at you."

Though hesitant, Kaya still asked the butler Merry to bring Alex into the mansion for treatment.

Alex had two reasons. First, he genuinely wanted his wounds healed quickly—he figured the medicine in a rich family's house would be better. Usopp's previous lies gave him a perfect excuse.

Second, Klahadore just seemed off. Alex wanted to use the opportunity to dig into the strange butler's past.

"You can't just let an outsider into the mansion, Miss Kaya!"

Klahadore immediately protested.

"Right, if I go inside and accidentally have a few words with your young lady, you'll say I was trying to scam her out of money. That's no good, huh?"

Alex sighed, pretending to back off.

"If that's the case, you should—"

Klahadore was just about to show him the door when Alex interrupted,

"That butler, Merry, please show me in so I can get treated."

"You bastard!!"

Klahadore was furious, but he held it in and didn't protest further.

"You guys wait outside. I won't be long,"

Alex said to the others.

"Sounds good. I'll nap by the roadside."

Zoro yawned and left casually.

"If you try anything shady in there, I'll beat you up!"

Nami warned seriously before walking off with the three kids.

Alex admired her figure as she left, then turned and completely forgot what she just said.

A while later, from the sheep-headed butler Merry, Alex learned that Klahadore had worked on a ship three years ago but was kicked off for making a mistake. He drifted into the village, penniless and starving, until Kaya's father took him in and made him a butler.

According to Merry, Klahadore had cared for Kaya very attentively ever since. While he agreed Klahadore was harsh with Usopp, he hadn't noticed anything suspicious.

Alex then asked about Kaya's medical knowledge—why a rich young lady would know anything about healing.

Merry explained Kaya started studying medicine nine months ago and had made decent progress since then.

Nine months ago? That's when she met Usopp, right?

While Alex was piecing it together, Usopp's voice rang out:

"Kaya, run! They're going to kill you!"

By the time Alex and Merry rushed to Kaya's room on the second floor, Usopp had climbed the tree by the window and was shouting urgently:

"You've been tricked! That butler's a pirate!"

"I overheard him at the shore—he's after your family's fortune! He's been pretending to be a butler for three years, waiting to strike!"

Kaya was shocked, not believing a word.

"Tomorrow morning, they'll attack! Pirates are coming to kill you! He's evil, Kaya—run!"

Usopp's desperation was real. He and Luffy had overheard Klahadore plotting with a man wearing heart-shaped glasses.

"I'm disappointed in you, Usopp!"

Kaya cut him off, heartbroken.

"Don't lie just to get back at Klahadore! I know he's harsh, but this is too far!"

"I always loved your lies because they were fun and full of dreams. But this? This is cruel."

Tears streamed down her face as she shouted from the window:

"I believed in you! I thought you were the man who could turn lies into truth… how could you?"

Usopp, seeing she wouldn't believe him, reached out and grabbed her:

"Just come with me! I swear I'm not lying—tomorrow you'll see I'm telling the truth!"

"This isn't like you!"

Kaya slapped him hard, her heart aching.

SLAP!

BANG!

Just then, Merry, thinking Usopp was trying to kidnap Kaya, rushed in and shot him. The bullet hit Usopp's right arm at the same moment Kaya slapped him.

Whether it was the pain in his face, the gunshot wound, or heartbreak—only Usopp knew what hurt the most.

"What the hell are you doing? Who told you to shoot!"

Alex arrived just in time to see it, crushing Merry's gun with a twist of his hand.

He had been delayed when he stumbled across something interesting earlier, but rushed over the moment he saw Merry aiming a gun at Usopp.

"Intruder! Someone broke in!"

Shouts echoed from the garden. Alex knew security had spotted Usopp. He dashed to the window, caught a glimpse of Kaya's pale, stunned face, and growled:

"You take care of her."

He shoved Kaya toward Merry and jumped straight out the window.

"GET LOST!"

In a flash, Alex laid out all the mansion guards, then fled with the wounded Usopp.

"Tomorrow at dawn, Jango. Attack the village."

Usopp remembered Klahadore's words. He looked back at his beloved village.

He had run himself ragged, yelling to everyone that pirates were coming.

But no one believed him. He'd cried wolf too many times before.

Some even chased him away with brooms and pots.

Usopp sat, crushed and heartbroken.

"Don't cry."

Alex was surprised to see real tears falling.

"Shut up! These are a real man's tears!"

Usopp wiped his face and straightened up.

"Ah, your crew is here."

Alex saw the three kids running toward them—and behind them, Luffy.

"You're alive?!"

Usopp looked at Luffy like he'd seen a ghost. He thought Luffy had fallen to his death earlier.

"Alive?"

Luffy had no idea what Usopp was talking about. He'd just fallen asleep and Zoro found him.

"Captain! We heard about the pirates—let's warn the village!"

Green Pepper Head said urgently.

But Usopp remembered Kaya's earlier words:

"You're the villain now, Usopp. I can't believe you'd fall so low."

Trying to hide his bloody arm from the kids, Usopp laughed awkwardly.

"That was all just a joke. I just hate that butler, so I made it up."

No one replied. Alex and the others just stared.

This guy… he's got guts when it counts.

Alex was impressed. Usopp had to hide his pain, pretend nothing was wrong, and still keep lying like usual.

The kids believed him instantly, though they were clearly disappointed.

"I'm aShamed of you."

"Me too."

"We never thought you'd lie just to hurt someone."

They left without another word.

Usopp watched them go, silently.

That night, under the crescent moon by Syrup Village's western shore, the five of them sat together.

"Because I'm a liar, no one believes me."

Usopp's voice was filled with sorrow.

"But it's the truth,"

Zoro said plainly.

"Yeah, they're coming. But the village still thinks it'll be a normal day."

Usopp stood up, firm.

"That's why I'll stop them here. I'll turn this truth into a lie—that's the code of a liar like me."

They said nothing.

"Even though I'm injured, even though the villagers chased me with brooms... this is my home. I want to protect it."

Usopp cried again, his arm red with blood.

Silence.

"You're such a nice guy,"

Zoro sighed. "Even your crew ditched you, but you still want to fight alone."

"We'll help you!"

Luffy grinned, fired up.

"But I get all the treasure."

Nami added, to Alex's dismay. Money again?

"That four-eyed butler annoyed me too. And I got some perks, so I'll help."

Alex said casually.

"What perks? Who gave you perks?!"

Nami grabbed Alex by the throat and shook him violently.

Usopp was about to thank them but froze, watching Alex's face turn blue.

Ten minutes later...

"Let's hold a strategy meeting!"

Usopp's legs were shaking.

He punched his thighs, trying to stop them from trembling.

The others stared.

"What's so funny?! It's the Black Cat Pirates we're up against—of course I'm scared!"

Usopp yelled.

"We're not laughing at you. We think you're amazing."

Zoro said.

"We're not risking our lives out of pity."

Luffy added.

"You idiot. Fear and cowardice aren't the same. If you were a coward, I'd have ditched you already."

Alex was blunt.

"You're the idiot! Who made you my life coach?"

Nami snapped, nearly starting a fight.

"Y-you guys..."

Usopp teared up again. These people barely knew him, but they were willing to fight.

"Alright! Tell me what you're best at—we'll build the plan from there!"

"Cutting!"

"Stretching!"

"Stealing!"

"Fishing!"

Zoro, Luffy, Nami, and Alex responded in turn.

"...So two of you are basically useless in battle, huh?"

Usopp said seriously.

WHAM! WHAM!

Nami and Alex smashed him in sync.

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