"Too careless!"
Nami sat at the bow of the ship, gently stroking her smooth chin, her eyes narrowed in frustration.
After leaving Orange Town, they continued on their original course. However, Nami was far from satisfied with the outcome of their adventure. In the end, she still hadn't managed to recover all the treasure. A large portion of it had been spent by Luffy and Zoro on wine, meat, and other necessities. The rest was used for dry food and water.
By the time Bailey—the spoils she'd risked so much for—finally reached her hands, less than half remained.
"It's simply not possible to enter the Grand Line like this!" she exclaimed aloud, fuming.
The ship was too small, their supplies too few, and worst of all, their crew configuration was utterly inadequate.
Let's talk about the ship first. It was completely unsuitable for the Grand Line. A vessel of this size and build couldn't possibly withstand the fierce weather and currents found there. Even though she now had the power to manipulate the celestial phenomena—a gift that made her a top-tier navigator—there would still come times when repairs were needed.
But she was just a navigator. What did she know about repairing ships or maintaining complex rigging? That was the work of a professional shipwright.
Getting a proper ship—one capable of enduring long-distance voyages—was the most basic requirement.
Then there was the crew. Aside from her, they were all fighters. Even the most mysterious among them, Leo, seemed to be focused solely on combat. Based on his behavior so far, she hadn't seen him take an interest in anything else.
Sure, she could double as helmsman, but she couldn't possibly stay awake 24 hours a day to keep the ship on course. If she collapsed from exhaustion mid-journey and no one else could handle the rudder, they could end up anywhere.
They didn't even have a cook, let alone a doctor or a shipwright.
Thinking about all this, Nami sighed and shook her head. This crew was completely unqualified to head into the Grand Line. They had the map, yes—but what use was it if the ship and crew couldn't survive the journey?
They were just a ragtag bunch pretending to be pirates.
Leo, who had been observing Nami silently, finally asked, "What are you mumbling about?"
Nami rolled her eyes and explained all the problems she had just been stewing over—about the ship, the crew, and the lack of resources.
To her surprise, Leo simply smiled at her and said, "The island I asked you to take us to—it's known for shipbuilding. And as for a doctor, I can take on that role temporarily."
"You're prepared?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
Leo shrugged. "At least somewhat."
Nami crossed her arms and sighed again. "Well, since you've got a plan, I won't argue."
The island they were headed to was remote, located far off the main shipping routes. Few merchant ships passed through, and even pirates seldom visited. There was only one shipbuilding family living on the island, and they had limited business dealings with the Kingdom of Goa.
These circumstances had made the village peaceful, though not prosperous.
But among the quiet villagers, there was one exception.
Usopp.
He was the son of Yasopp, the sniper of the Red-Haired Pirates. Because of his lineage and his own wild imagination, he had taken it upon himself to "guard" the village in his own unique way.
Each morning, he would climb to the top of a tall tree outside the village and shout at the top of his lungs, "Pirates are coming!"
He did it more as a joke than a warning, but the villagers had long grown used to it. It was just Usopp being Usopp. In fact, many of them appreciated the alarm as a quirky way to start the day.
For Usopp, this daily ritual gave him a sense of purpose.
After his morning theatrics, he'd usually wander into the village, where he'd visit Kaya and entertain her with grandiose tales of adventure—none of which were true, of course. They were all stories he made up to satisfy his own vanity and to impress Kaya, who was bedridden due to illness.
Later, he'd gather with three neighborhood kids and continue spinning tales of daring exploits. It was a simple life, but for Usopp, it was perfect.
"Look! There it is!" came a voice from below his perch.
Two of the village kids were standing beneath the tree, waving at him excitedly.
One had spiky carrot-colored hair and wore a black hood with a pirate emblem. The other had a green pepper-shaped head and wore a short-sleeved shirt, also with a pirate design. They both carried wooden daggers.
"Huh? Just you two? Where's Onion?" Usopp asked as he flipped down from the branch and landed smoothly in front of them.
"I dunno. Maybe he's still sleeping," the two boys guessed.
Suddenly, a voice shouted from a distance. "Hey! Something bad has happened!"
It was Onion, the third kid, running toward them in a panic. He wore glasses and was gasping for air.
"Oh no! Pirates! Pirates are coming!!" he shouted.
Usopp's eyes widened. Normally, he was the one shouting those words. For Onion to be saying them seriously… that meant something was different today.
He took a deep breath, straightened his back, and nodded solemnly. "Alright. Let's go check it out."
Even though he always boasted to Kaya about how brave and strong he was, this was the first time he'd actually face real pirates. But if it meant protecting the village—and Kaya—he was willing to do it.
Usopp led the trio to the only stretch of shoreline on the island where a ship could safely land.
Sure enough, a small ship had docked there.
Three figures had disembarked, leaving only a girl to drop the anchor.
From a distance, Usopp examined the strangers carefully.
One of them looked like a nobleman from a storybook, dressed sharply and standing upright like a gentleman. Another wore three swords at his waist and exuded the aura of a powerful swordsman. The third—wearing a straw hat—looked carefree and silly, clearly excited to explore.
They didn't look like terrifying pirates at all.
"Are you sure these are pirates?" Usopp asked Onion.
Onion nodded, his voice trembling. "Yes! Look at their sails! They've got a pirate flag!"
"But they don't look scary..." Pepperhead muttered.
"Yeah. They look more like tourists," Carrothead added.
"Not necessarily," came a deep, eerie voice behind them. "Maybe we're pirates who specialize in eating children…"
The three kids froze.
They turned around and were immediately hit by a horrifying sight.
Leo stood behind them, cloaked in illusion magic. Blood oozed from his body, and his face was twisted and torn as if he had just crawled out of the underworld.
"A-A-AHHHH!!!" the kids screamed in unison. "G-G-Ghost!!!"
They stumbled over themselves trying to escape, nearly peeing their pants in terror.
Usopp turned around, confused by the screams. But when he looked back, he saw none of the horror the kids described.
Leo stood calmly, now back to his normal, kind-looking self. His formal clothes were neat, his smile gentle.
"Hello there," Leo said cheerfully. "My name is Leo, from the Kingdom of Goa. I heard there's a shipbuilding merchant on this island. Is that true?"
The illusion had faded. Leo casually pulled out a few lollipops from his coat pocket and handed them to the frightened children. Their terror quickly vanished, replaced by curiosity and the sweet distraction of candy.
Then, Leo turned his full attention to Usopp, sizing him up with thoughtful eyes.
For Leo, this wasn't just about getting a new ship. He had another goal—something only he knew.
Usopp, of course, had no idea what kind of adventure was about to unfold.