There was no time to bother with Usopp, who wanted to cheer Luffy on.
What came next was—
The very first combat meeting ever held by the Straw Hat Pirates in a situation where both the captain and vice-captain were absent.
Of course…
When referring to "captain and vice-captain" here, it mainly meant Red.
As for Luffy—
Those who understood, understood. Those who didn't… explaining wouldn't help anyway.
Once the meeting began, Robin—personally entrusted by Red to act as the temporary commander—took the initiative to assign the upcoming combat missions.
This battle wasn't just about achieving the objective of killing Blackbeard.
In fact, Red had also subtly conveyed a second goal to Robin—
That was to allow Brook to truly融融融 integrate into the Straw Hat crew.
Admittedly, with the emotional bond between the Straw Hats and Laboon as a bridge, Brook had already joined the Straw Hat Pirates wholeheartedly.
Even Red himself had focused on training Brook these past few days, directly raising his level to 50.
But unlike everyone else—
Because Red had taken out Gecko Moria's group in advance, Brook's joining had been too abrupt, lacking any real emotional foundation.
So creating a battle that could give Brook a genuine sense of belonging became Robin's top priority.
A contemplative glint flashed through Robin's eyes.
She raised her head and spoke to everyone in her calm, gentle, and intellectual voice:
"Red has said that the Kuja Island guard force is far from weak."
"Each female warrior has strength of at least level 20 or higher."
"In that case, the three thousand two hundred ordinary pirates can be fully handled by Kuja Island's internal army alone."
"Coupled with Sanji providing aerial support above Kuja Island, there won't be any issues at all."
"As for the Black Lion Alliance pirates between levels 10 and 30…"
Robin slightly lifted her chin and looked at Usopp.
"Usopp—can your insect legion handle them?"
Usopp rubbed his chin thoughtfully before replying,
"Only… pirates below level 30?!"
"There are quite a few strong ones, but I think it shouldn't be a problem."
The usually unconfident Usopp didn't boast.
But Robin, who understood his personality well, knew—
When Usopp said he was unsure, it meant that if the enemy numbers or strength suddenly doubled, he might start to feel uncertain.
Which meant—
Usopp had this completely locked down.
"Very good!" Robin instantly grasped the meaning behind his words and smiled.
"Then Nami and I will handle all targets between levels 30 and 50!"
"Zoro, you'll deal with the one whose strength exceeds level 60!"
"Brook, Chopper, and Franky…"
Robin shifted her gaze again and continued with the plan she had already laid out:
"One of the level 50–60 enemies has already been taken care of by Sanji."
"Among the remaining targets, each of you—and Sanji—pick one and aim to finish the fight quickly!"
"Yes, Robin!"
Brook immediately straightened his posture and answered seriously when her gaze landed on him.
Franky and Chopper beside him also nodded with clear understanding.
At this point, aside from one special existence, all the forces dispatched by the Black Lion Alliance had been fully divided up by the Straw Hat crew.
Without any hesitation, everyone leapt down from the airborne Going Merry, heading toward their respective targets.
On Zoro's side, Usopp specifically dispatched two gravity stag beetles to help him locate his opponent.
"Alright then, Robin—I'll get going too!"
Usopp placed one foot on his stag beetle mount, having received the task of clearing out the fodder.
But just as he was about to say goodbye and move out, Robin suddenly called out to him again.
"Wait a moment, Usopp!"
As she spoke, Robin slowly pulled out a worn bounty poster from her pocket. A faint smile curled at her lips—a smile so wicked it made Usopp shiver.
"Usopp, don't tell me you've forgotten…"
"You haven't received your real mission target yet, have you?"
"Huh!?" Usopp blinked in confusion. "Aren't my targets just those fodder pirates?!"
"No, no, no~"
Robin gently wagged her finger, wearing a sweet smile that carried an inexplicable hint of danger.
"Those fodders are the targets of the insect legion."
"As for your target… of course, it's someone else entirely."
As she spoke, Robin tossed the document in her hand, which landed neatly in Usopp's grasp.
"What's written there is your mission target for this operation!"
"What!?"
Usopp opened the bounty poster in surprise.
What he saw was a man wearing a white-and-brown fur coat, with two long, slender horns protruding from his head.
Robin smiled as she explained,
"This man is your target."
"The one who enslaved multiple kingdoms more than ten years ago, known as one of the world's most terrifying criminals—"
"The Corrupt King, Avalo Pizarro!"
"The Corrupt King!?"
Usopp's hand trembled as he stared at the poster—an infamous criminal who had already carried a bounty of 540,000,000 Beli over a decade ago.
On the back of the poster was intelligence Robin had prepared in advance.
Island-Island Fruit user!
Able to assimilate his body with an entire island, gaining control over everything on it.
The weakness is that assimilation requires time, and once fused with the island, all damage inflicted upon the island is transferred directly to the user.
However, as Usopp looked at the horrifying crimes listed in the report, cold sweat instantly beaded on his forehead.
"W–Wait a second, Robin!"
"You're not saying…"
"That this Corrupt King isn't on Kuja Island…"
"But on the Sky Island beneath us, right?!"
"Smart!" Robin praised with a smile.
But this time, Usopp—who usually melted under praise—remained exceptionally calm.
After all, the logic wasn't difficult.
Compared to Kuja Island, which required a long assimilation period, it made far more sense to fuse with an island he was already familiar with.
But that meant—
Usopp would not only have to deploy his insect legion to suppress a massive pirate force…
He would also have to face the terrifying Corrupt King alone!
Instinctively, Usopp wanted to find an excuse and ask for help.
But Robin seemed to have anticipated this. Before he could say anything, she smiled and said:
"Usopp, before Red and Luffy left, he specifically asked me to remind you of something."
"Usopp, don't forget—you're the Straw Hat Pirates' finest sniper!"
"Your Devil Fruit ability and the insect legion are amplifiers of your strength, not shackles that bind you!"
"You're already a mature, capable warrior!"
"Let go of everything and prove it to the world with your own power!"
"Compared to commanding swarms…"
"Red said he hopes the world will grant you a brand-new title—"
"G·O·D Usopp!!!"
(End of Chapter)