Of the three who entered Kaya's mansion, Zoro, fingers brushing the hilt of his sword, spoke up.
"Four-eyes, did you say you chopped up a goldfish the size of an island?"
"If you're such a formidable swordsman, I'd like to cross blades with you sometime."
"Ah, no, that's...!"
"Usopp, are these people you know?"
"Y-yes! These guys are my crew...!"
Right after Usopp said that, someone stepped forward from behind them and spoke up:
"Who gave you permission to barge into this house?!"
"Mr. Cleha...!"
The man called Mr. Cleha had slicked-back hair, wore a black suit, and glasses.
He lifted the glasses he was wearing slightly at the bridge and stepped forward, and Luffy, looking at him, said:
"Sorry for busting in uninvited, but we didn't come to steal anything—we just wanted to take a look at the ship the young lady owns..."
"Shut it. I have no intention of talking to the scoundrels that the liar brought here."
"You should at least listen when someone is talking...!"
"It's fine, Nami."
"But Luffy, those guys..."
Nami looked at Luffy's face as Mr. Cleha brushed past her.
His expression felt so cold that it seemed devoid of any emotion.
"Don't you dare talk to Usopp like that, Mr. Cleha, I...!"
"No reason is necessary. What's important is that the liar showed up in front of the young lady again."
"Long time no see, Usopp. I've heard plenty about you around town."
"Y-yeah... it's been a while, Mr. Cleha."
"I told you last time—your lies are too much for the young lady's weak constitution, so stay away."
"No, I only wanted to help Kaya..."
"You say it's for her sake, but in truth you're just clinging to her hoping to snatch up the crumbs she drops."
"Huh?"
"Don't talk about him like that, Mr. Cleha! Usopp is a really good guy!"
"At best, he's still the son of a pirate!"
Usopp clenched his fists tightly and spoke up.
"Knock it off."
"What do you mean 'knock it off'? The real reason you keep wanting to see the young lady is for her money...!"
"Stop it, you bastard!"
Wham!
Usopp's fist struck Mr. Cleha's face.
He stumbled backward, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.
"Mr. Cleha!"
"Miss, look at this! He resorted to violence because words are useless!"
"His father's a pirate, so the son's just the same...!"
"Shut up!"
"My father is a pirate and a brave warrior of the sea! I'm proud to be his son!"
"I may be a liar, but I'm not about to lie about the blood that flows through my veins!"
"I am a pirate's son!!!"
After Usopp's shout, there was a stunned silence for a moment.
Catching his breath, Usopp turned and met Kaya's eyes.
"Usopp..."
"Sorry, Kaya."
Seeing tears welling in Kaya's eyes, Usopp dashed off in the opposite direction of the mansion.
****
"Mr. Cleha, Usopp is a good boy."
"Being good is a separate matter."
In Kaya's room, three people were present.
Kaya sat on her bed, face buried in her pillow, while Mary, standing next to the door, spoke toward Mr. Cleha, who stood in the center of the room.
Mr. Cleha, with a healing pad taped to his left cheek, responded to Mary's words, and Kaya lifted just the lower part of her face from her pillow and spoke:
"I think it was wrong for Usopp to be sneaking around with me, but this time you went too far, Mr. Cleha."
"...May I sit?"
"...Okay."
Mr. Cleha sat down beside Kaya's bed and continued:
"It's already been three years since I came to work at this mansion."
"After making a mistake on my previous ship and getting kicked off, I wandered around with no skills and no money until I ended up in this village."
"It was your father, Miss, who saw me about to starve and gave me work."
"He is the savior of my life, and you are the daughter of my benefactor."
Kaya now lifted her face and looked at Mr. Cleha, listening to his words.
"I know it's presumptuous of me to meddle in Miss's choice of friends."
"Moreover, Usopp is someone acknowledged by Mary, my senior, and even the villagers."
"However, when I consider Usopp's flippant behavior and speech, I can't help but doubt whether he's truly a decent person!"
"If he were to do something to harm Miss, I would...!"
"Mr. Cleha..."
Just as Kaya called out, clutching her face with both hands, Mary spoke, looking at Mr. Cleha:
"Mr. Cleha, I know how much you care for Miss, so don't blame yourself too harshly."
"That's right. I'm always grateful to you too."
"Now that you both have said that... I have only gratitude left."
"When I keep seeing Usopp with Miss, I can't help but think of the worst outcomes."
"Someday, when Miss is not around, maybe we could have a talk—"
"What the heck? It's unfair you two plan to meet without me!"
"…I just remembered something I need to do. I'll think about meeting with Usopp another time."
Mr. Cleha said that, and walked toward the door, exiting the room.
"Mr. Cleha really is a closed-minded fellow."
"You're right, Miss, but he's still a good man."
"I'm worried about Usopp, Mary. He must be hurt."
"Miss... how are you feeling today?"
"I'm fine today. Why do you ask?"
"It's been over a year since I've known Usopp properly."
"I even know where he goes when his mind gets cluttered."
Mary said as she flung open the door that Mr. Cleha had closed and spoke:
"These evenings haven't been very cold lately.
"How about a nighttime outing instead of during the day?"
****
"There's no better answer to someone insulting your parents than a punch to the face. Good job, Usopp."
"Thanks, Luffy."
"Nami, where did Zoro go?"
"He was gone before I knew it."
"Ugh, what am I going to do with this guy who's always losing his way?"
The three of them walked beneath a sky stained a pale crimson.
Luffy walked side by side with Usopp, with Nami following behind them.
"Luffy, I have somewhere I want to go. Will you come with me?"
"Where is it?"
"The place I go when my thoughts get complicated. Just keep going straight from here."
"It's the end of the island, and it looks just like the place we met during the day—only the opposite direction."
"Okay."
They headed to one of the two cliffs, where a downward path between them led to the sea—just like the place where the two had first met.
In front of them, the sea merged with the sky as the sun sank into the horizon, and red twilight stretched across the sky above.
Luffy and Usopp sat beneath a tree growing at the cliff's edge, while Nami stood a few steps away.
"Luffy, what do you think about the sea?"
"Honestly, I'm not that fond of the sea, Usopp. I hate how the sea breeze smells so briny."
"That's why I prefer walking on solid ground."
"I'm scared of the sea."
Seeing Usopp say that, Nami spoke up.
"I think you're scared of more than just the sea, so it doesn't come off as particularly meaningful."
"But the sea is far more terrifying!"
"Why?"
"Because I imagined myself in the middle of the ocean."
"But imagine there's not a single island in sight and no wind blows... I'd feel suffocated and pass out."
"The sea is a place where you never know what might happen, so you need even more courage."
"Yeah... that's why I'm proud of my father."
"My father is brave enough to face a sea like that—unlike me."
"...Usopp."
"Luffy, so I..."
"No, Usopp, duck down a bit."
"Hm?"
"Nami, you too."
"Why...?"
Luffy sat up, pulling Nami down with his right arm while pushing Usopp's head down with his left.
Usopp and Nami fell forward along with Luffy, their upper bodies disappearing into the bushes.
"Ouch, Luffy!"
"Nami, be quiet and look down there."
"That's... the butler we saw earlier."
At Luffy's words, Nami and Usopp peered over the cliff below.
Down there, Mr. Cleha was walking toward a man wearing a wide-brimmed hat and a coat.
Up close, he wore sunglasses, but peculiarly, the lenses were shaped like hearts.
"Hope you're ready, Jango."
"Of course, Cro... no, should I call you Mr. Cleha?"
"I don't care what you call me. Just answer my question."
"All set, Captain. The plan to assassinate the young lady?"
On the cliff above, Usopp and Nami, overhearing the conversation, were equally shocked.
"It's taken me three years to earn these people's trust—so much so that it wouldn't be strange if Kaya signed a will leaving me her entire fortune."
"With your hypnotism, get Kaya to write the will, and there won't be a problem."
"The crew is waiting offshore. Once we raid the town, we just need to kill the young lady, right?"
"Right. Split the loot from the pillage with the fortune I'll get from Kaya, and there'll be plenty left over for you and the crew."
"More specifically, they're the henchmen of Captain Cro, who has a bounty of 16 million berries."
"By the way, it's incredible—you lived three years as a butler in disguise... If it were me, I'd have looted and booked it with my crew right away."
"I'm sick of being chased by the Navy. From faking my death to now, I've held out for three years for that reason."
"Now it's time to finish it."
As the two spoke, a long rifle barrel emerged from the bushes where Luffy and his friends were hiding.
"Shoot, Usopp."
"Y-yeah, Luffy...!"
Lying prone, Usopp lifted the rifle with trembling hands.
He pressed his eye to the scope and aimed the gun at Mr. Cleha—no, at Cro.
"You heard me, Usopp. He's scum with a bounty of 16 million berries."
"I- I know!"
"If that bastard put a sword to Miss's throat, would you hesitate like this?"
"Th-that's... huff, huff..."
"...You're pathetic, really."
Luffy looked at Usopp, whose hand was still shaking, rifle unshot, and thought:
"Taking a life for the first time is hard, but in this harsh world, the moment can come when it must be done."
"I thought this was that moment for Usopp, so I egged him on."
"If he can't even handle that..."
"Um... Luffy."
"What is it, Nami?"
"Over there, something's moving in the bushes on the opposite cliff."
"...What?"
"That's weird... there's no wind, but—"
I guess I should use [Observation Haki].
At Nami's words, Luffy, thinking that, in an instant emitted a colorless aura all around him.
As that energy reached the opposite cliff, a multitude of images flashed through Luffy's mind.
They were images of the two people beside him, a large rock, a tree, a squirrel on the tree.
Thud!
And two people crouched in the bushes before the cliff.
"Huh... Mr. Cleha...?!"
"Kaya...!"
At that moment, Kaya tumbled backward out of the bushes.