The next morning dawned bright and clear, not a cloud in the sky.
With Nami temporarily tagging along, the four finally reached Syrup Village.
As for Zango, he'd been tossed into the sea to feed the fish. If he survived, that was just his rotten luck refusing to die.
The island that housed Syrup Village had a peculiar geography. Sheer cliffs encircled it on all sides, with only the eastern coast accessible via a single harbor. From there, a long sloping path stretched inland.
The group moored their boat. Luffy bounded up the slope first, bursting with excitement.
Reiner tied the ropes securely to a wooden stake at the dock before following.
"Good grief... I really can't stand this captain sometimes."
Nami sighed, watching Luffy rush off like an impatient child.
Although Reiner's summoned demons had terrified her yesterday, her impression of the crew had softened afterward.
After all, they had saved her, which she couldn't deny had left her with some gratitude.
And when she overheard Zango's confession about Kuro's plot, it was Luffy's furious reaction that shook her most.
He'd spent the whole day shouting about going to "beat up Kuro."
Since when do pirates fight for justice?
Every pirate Nami had ever known was like Arlong's crew—cruel and greedy. That was why she despised pirates from the bottom of her heart.
To buy back Cocoyasi Village from Arlong, she had taken up thieving. But she only ever stole from pirates.
In her eyes, their wealth was stolen blood money. She wasn't so deluded as to think herself noble, but she could steal from pirates with a clear conscience.
She still had no intention of becoming a pirate. But for now... traveling with these three was tolerable.
"Stop right there!"
A sudden shout caught their attention.
From the roadside sprang a long-nosed youth with a bushy afro. His skin was bronze from the sun, and a small satchel was tied at his waist.
Reiner recognized him instantly.
God Usopp—the man who wavered endlessly between cowardice and bravery.
Reiner admired him, in truth. Compared to Zoro's almost unreal perfection, Usopp was far more human—a mirror of every ordinary person.
Yet time and again, this timid, fragile soul found the courage to confront fear head-on, standing tall with the resolve to die for his friends.
In him bloomed miracles that no one expected.
Looks like the "weakling trio" can be formed early, Reiner thought.
And who would the third member be, besides Nami and Usopp?
That's right—himself.
After all, he was just the logistics guy. The real fighters were his undead.
At present, only two were truly battle-ready: the Blade Devil, molded from Zoro's template, and the Chainsaw Devil, molded from Luffy's.
Luffy might not use three-sword style, but his fighting instincts and agility were terrifying. Combined with the grotesque trio of chainsaws, his revenant was enough to make anyone's skin crawl.
Reiner smirked to himself and strolled up casually.
Meanwhile, Luffy was already chatting happily with the newcomer.
"How'd you know I'm Yasopp's son?" Usopp asked.
"Ha! You look just like him. For a second, I thought Yasopp himself had shown up here!"
"You know my dad!?" Usopp's eyes lit up, his joy obvious as he peppered Luffy with questions.
"He should still be on Shanks' ship, right?"
"You mean Red-Haired Shanks!?"
"How'd you know that?"
"Nani!? He's a great pirate!"
"Eh? Really?" Luffy scratched his head, grinning sheepishly.
"Our captain never keeps up with the news," Reiner sighed. It was absurd—Shanks was Luffy's greatest idol, yet he never bothered to check up on him.
The group chatted as they walked, Luffy rambling about Yasopp.
When Shanks had lived in Foosha Village, Luffy often overheard Yasopp and Lucky Roux's tall tales.
And now, he was repeating those same stories to Yasopp's son.
Before long, the five arrived in the village and slipped into a small restaurant.
"You really look up to Yasopp, huh?"
"Of course!"
Usopp climbed onto a chair, striking a dramatic pose with one foot planted on the table. "My dream is to become a brave warrior of the sea—just like him!"
"Nice! Then join our crew!" Luffy grinned widely.
"In that case, I'll be your captain!"
"No thanks," all four answered in unison, bowing their heads to continue eating.
"Hey, don't reject me so fast! At least think about it!" Usopp protested weakly.
"Anyway, we're actually looking for a ship," Reiner said, setting down his utensils. "Usopp, you know where we can find one?"
"...A ship?"
Usopp stroked his chin, thinking aloud. "There's only one place around here you might find one."
"Perfect! Take us there!" Luffy beamed.
But suddenly, Usopp's face darkened. He waved his hands frantically. "No way! You can't go there!"
The group blinked, puzzled. Usopp then explained about the grand mansion in the village, and its frail young mistress, Kaya.
"Wait... Kaya?" Nami's eyes narrowed. "Isn't that exactly what Zango was talking about yesterday—Kuro's scheme?"
Reiner had known all along, but Nami was the first to connect the dots aloud.
He considered laying it all out for Usopp directly, then dealing with Kuro through sheer force.
"Zango? You mean... You guys know about Kaya and Kuro?" Usopp asked, confused. He'd only mentioned Kaya, so how did they already know about Kuro?
Reiner calmly explained about their run-in with the Black Cat Pirates the day before, and how Zango had spilled Kuro's plan.
"You're not lying to me, are you!?" Usopp slammed his hands on the table, eyes wide. "This isn't just some trick to steal a ship, is it?"
Reiner pulled out a bounty poster taken from Zango and handed it over.
It showed Captain Kuro, who was wanted three years ago. The only copies likely left were in the hands of Kuro's own men, since officially, Kuro had already been "captured" and the Black Cat Pirates had stayed in hiding ever since.
"T-this is...!" Usopp's face twisted in panic.
He recognized Kuro instantly—after all, every time he'd snuck into Kaya's estate, it was Kuro who had thrown him out.
"Damn it!" Usopp stuffed the poster into his satchel and bolted for the door.
He had to warn Kaya at once. A pirate worth sixteen million Berries had been living beside her for three years!
"Wait for me! I'm gonna beat up that bastard too!" Luffy yelled, grabbing the last of the food from the table and racing after him.
Reiner and the others followed quickly.
Kuro wasn't someone to underestimate. His "Shakushi" speed was far beyond what any of them could follow right now.
And that was precisely why Reiner coveted his template. The sheer explosive speed, perfect for ambushes, was...
—just too damn cool.