Buggy, wrapped tightly in a snakeskin sack, squirmed in frustration, his annoyance clearly visible on his face. His round red nose and the ridiculous afro on his head made him look more like a circus clown than ever before.
"Gu~" The Dartrix ruffled its feathers and cast a disdainful glance at Buggy, lying helplessly on the ground. Despite its recent evolution, which made it look inexplicably older—almost as if it had aged seventy or eighty years—it still had a youthful spirit, with lively emotions flickering in its eyes.
Dartrix suddenly took flight, flapping its wings vigorously. The gust it created kicked up dust, which flew straight into Buggy's face.
"Ah… pfft, pfft!!!" Buggy, still bound in the sack, spat out the dust, his anger boiling over as he glared at Dartrix. "You rotten bird! This isn't over!!!"
Meanwhile, Usopp, who had also been thrown to the ground by the explosion, stood up, a look of excitement on his face. Ignoring his injuries, he quickly surveyed the wreckage of his military factory.
"It… worked!!?" Staring at the devastation before him, which resembled the aftermath of heavy artillery fire, Usopp jumped into the air, punching his fist in triumph. Then he turned to Buggy, who was still struggling on the ground, and exclaimed, "Buggy, your formula is the real deal!"
"A small concentrated projectile with such terrifying power!"
"Ha! That's nothing!" Buggy, managing to sit up despite being bound, puffed up with pride. He straightened his iconic red nose and said confidently, "If your technique weren't so crude, the explosion would've been even more powerful!"
His bright red nose glistened in the sunlight, as shiny as ever. But as Buggy said this, he glanced at Usopp, a mix of surprise and disbelief crossing his face.
"Are you kidding me? This brat actually developed several of my inventions in just one month! He even perfected the Buggy Bomb, something I've been struggling with for years!"
"Is this kid... some kind of arms-developing genius?"
Even Buggy, with his vast experience, couldn't help but feel shocked by Usopp's talent. In less than a month, Usopp had cracked the ammunition formula that even Buggy couldn't decipher. It made Buggy question whether he'd been wasting his life all these years.
Is this long-nosed brat really from East Blue? And what's the deal with that strange owl?
Having been imprisoned since his capture, Buggy still knew little about Pokémon. But as he looked at the successfully developed ammunition, Buggy recalled the deal he made with Usopp: if the Buggy Bomb was successfully created, Usopp would set him free.
Suppressing his surprise, Buggy was about to remind Usopp of their agreement when, suddenly, a figure sped toward them from a distance.
A golden mane of hair fluttered in the wind, and a pair of impressive… features bounced in rhythm with each step. Kaya, full of urgency, dashed toward Usopp's factory.
Every step she took left a small size-34 footprint in the dry, hard soil, each imprint more than 10 centimeters deep.
Kaya skidded to a stop in front of Usopp, sending a rush of air that caused his long nose to wobble.
"Usopp, are you alright!?" Seeing the cuts and bruises on Usopp, Kaya's eyes filled with worry. She quickly pulled a bottle of milk from the medical bag slung over her shoulder and handed it to him.
"Here, drink some milk to recover!"
Though Miltank's milk didn't have medicinal properties, its nutrients, combined with Usopp's remarkable recovery abilities, worked wonders.
"Ah, Kaya!" Usopp grinned, his eyes lighting up as he took the bottle, unscrewed the cap, and drank deeply. After finishing the milk in one go, he let out a contented burp and smiled at Kaya.
"Don't worry! It wasn't an accident today. I just underestimated the power of the ammunition and didn't take enough precautions."
"To be honest, as long as we infuse Dartrix's energy into the ammunition, we can create special bullets with incredible destructive power!"
"When the time comes, the orders for Kaya's Chamber of Commerce will be through the roof!!!"
"Really?" Kaya's face lit up with happiness upon hearing the good news.
But before she could say anything, Buggy, sitting off to the side, cut in impatiently, "Hey, hey, hey! Can you two stop flirting in front of the audience!? And now that the ammunition's done, how about letting me go, as promised?!"
The moment Buggy spoke, an awkward silence filled the air. Usopp and Kaya blushed, stealing glances at each other before quickly looking away.
Spring was in the air, and with it came the stirrings of new love. The young couple, still getting used to their budding feelings, were shy and easily embarrassed.
Buggy's words had hit the mark, piercing their thoughts like an arrow.
Usopp awkwardly rubbed his nose and looked up at the sky. Meanwhile, Kaya, her face glowing with embarrassment, suddenly turned and slapped the tree next to Buggy.
"What do you mean by flirting!?" Kaya shouted, her eyes squeezed shut in mortification.
Then...
BAM!!!
Her palm struck the thick tree trunk with a thunderous sound.
CRACK... CRACK...
A deep fissure appeared in the decades-old tree, which then slowly toppled over until it crashed to the ground.
Kaya, still red-faced and lost in her own world, hadn't realized what she'd done. But Buggy, who had been sitting against the tree, was frozen in shock.
His head turned mechanically toward Usopp, his eyes wide with disbelief.
His expression seemed to say, "Kid, you're something else!!!"
"Haha..." Usopp chuckled nervously, then quickly crouched down to untie the sack and free Buggy.
After witnessing Kaya's unexpected display of strength, both men shared a silent understanding. Buggy, having regained his freedom, was uncharacteristically quiet.
The atmosphere was thick with tension, but then, Usopp's Rotom phone suddenly sprang to life, projecting a new system notification into his eyes.
"Huh!?" Usopp exclaimed, breaking the awkward silence, and then his expression shifted to confusion.
"The ranked battle area is open on the Grand Line!?"
Despite his youth and limited experience, Usopp knew some of the legends about the Grand Line.
It's said that only true sea warriors can survive there! And right now, his father, Yasopp, is out there.
The Grand Line is filled with life-threatening dangers!
Pirates roam everywhere, and the weather is unpredictable—this is no place for a kid from the East Blue like him to handle.
Even though he has the power of Dartrix, Usopp still felt like a weakling who only knew how to shoot a slingshot...
Can he really... manage to make it through the Grand Line?
Usopp, who had never been confident in himself, once again fell into deep self-doubt.
"What's wrong?"
Kaya, noticing the shift in Usopp's mood, leaned over curiously to see the information on the screen. Her expression quickly mirrored Usopp's—frozen with uncertainty.
"The Grand Line…"
Kaya pursed her lips slightly, deep in thought. She glanced at Usopp, then down at her toes.
After a moment, Kaya suddenly said:
"Go! Usopp!"
"…"
Usopp was taken aback. "Kaya, what did you say?"
"I said…"
Kaya slowly lifted her head. At this moment, her eyes were filled with Usopp's image.
In an encouraging tone, Kaya repeated:
"Go! Usopp! Go to the Pokémon League Tournament!!!"
"But…"
Usopp hesitated, but Kaya didn't let him finish. She asked directly:
"Don't you want to resurrect your mother?! Don't you want to become a brave sea warrior?!"
"Go! Go to the Grand Line!"
"That's your true stage!!!"
Kaya, who had seen a glimpse of Usopp's future, knew that he couldn't remain confined to this small Syrup Village.
"I believe in you…" she murmured softly. "You're a man who keeps his word!!!"
Kaya's words were like a beam of light, piercing straight into Usopp's heart. The part of him that had been cowering in fear suddenly felt a warmth, a push from behind urging him forward.
Though he had vowed to become a brave sea warrior, fear seemed ingrained in Usopp's very bones. But as long as there was someone, even just one person, who believed in him, he would…unleash the power known as [GOD]!
Usopp suddenly clenched his fists. He had already taught Kaya's ammunition workers how to craft Energen Star. The new ammunition was too powerful and not yet ready for mass production. All that was left was for the Kaya Trading Company to pull together funds and trade with the dimensional merchants again.
In truth…he had no reason to stay here.
"Kaya, thank you!"
A confident smile reappeared on Usopp's face. Though his legs were still trembling, he shouted:
"I've made up my mind!!!"
"The Grand Line! Brave sea warrior Usopp!"
"Here I come!!!"
With all his might, Usopp clenched his hands, faced the sky, and shouted.
But just then, Kaya stepped forward, took a deep breath, and said:
"Usopp, this time, I'm going with you!"
"Huh?"
Usopp was stunned for a moment, then immediately turned to look at Kaya. "You…what did you say?"
"I said, I'm going with you!"
Kaya looked at Usopp firmly. The two locked eyes.
"W-Wait…"
Usopp shook his head repeatedly, unconsciously taking two steps back and waving his hands.
"No, no! The Grand Line is too dangerous! I…"
Before Usopp could finish, Kaya stepped forward again. The weak girl from two months ago now radiated a reassuring strength.
"It's okay, Usopp!"
"I'm strong now!"
Usopp glanced at the large tree Kaya had shattered with a single slap, unsure of how to respond.
But then Kaya smiled sweetly, rushed to Usopp's side, and said:
"Besides, with a great sea warrior like you protecting me, what danger could there possibly be on the Grand Line?"
"I…"
Usopp's face turned red. Faced with what was essentially a confession, the usually loquacious Usopp found himself at a loss for words.
"Sorry to interrupt…"
Buggy, who had been observing the exchange, looked at the two with a mix of doubt and confusion. He asked hesitantly:
"Resurrection…did you just say resurrection!?"
"…"
"..."
——
——
East Blue Sea, a certain pirate base.
"Ah!"
A pirate leader covered in blood was suddenly knocked out and hit the wooden box behind him. He climbed directly onto the wooden box and smashed into pieces.
"cough!"
The pirate leader covered his wound, coughed twice, looked forward in disbelief, and cursed angrily:
"Damn fat bitch! You betrayed us!!!"
"Huh?" The woman, who was wielding a mace, Alvida suddenly turned her head, a ferocious look flashed in her eyes.
"Fat bitch!? How dare you call me fat bitch!!!"
Alvida controlled her fat body and rushed towards the foul-mouthed pirate.
But at this moment...a dark green cold light flashed suddenly.
All of a sudden!
The pirate leader who had been glaring angrily just now suddenly had his eyes widened, as if someone was holding his eyeballs inside, protruding outwards.
In Alvida's sight, the pirate leader's head and body separated instantly.
And between her and the corpse, a huge mantis figure suddenly appeared.
"Scy... Master Scyther!"
Looking at the sudden appearance of the Scyther, Alvida suddenly broke out in sweat on her forehead.
Although they had been together for some time, she felt a chill when she thought about those sharp arm blades that had killed countless pirates like her.
Scyther, on the other hand, did not look at Alvida, an inferior-looking being among humans, with any respect. It nodded with a normal expression and said hello:
"Cha!"
"..."
"Cha..." Alvida replied nervously.
(End of this chapter)