Chapter 17 - CH 17

Where's our Captain, you savages?!" screamed the one called Pepper, with Carrot and Onion right behind him.

"Ah, that was some good meat." Luffy said as he patted his swollen belly, which caused the kids to look at him in horror.

"M-meat?"

"N-no way."

"These guys are cannibals."

Luffy smiled as Nami tried to hold in her giggles. Zoro looked at the kids with a dark smile as he leaned on the table.

"Your captain," he said as he gave a dark smirk "was eaten."

"AAAAHHHHH! CANNIBALS!" they screamed as they looked at Nami, who screamed back as to why they were looking at her as Luffy and Zoro laughed.

'It's even funnier the second time.' Luffy thought as Nami tried to explain it was just a joke.

"B-but you s-s-said-" one of them said, which Zoro and Luffy laughed again. After a short chat about the food and Usopp with the restaurant owner, they all left toward the mansion, where the children said Usopp would be. As they walked, the children started laughing with Luffy.

"You really got us good." they said as they continued to laugh. As they walked, Nami asked why Usopp would be at the mansion, to which they said was to lie. The children went on about how the owner, Kaya, has been sick for about a year when her parents died. How even though she had a lot of money, it didn't make her happy. They then went on about how Usopp went there to tell her stories to lift her spirits, along with what they liked about Usopp. Luffy smiled at that as they arrived at the gate of the mansion.

"We're here." Onion said. "The gate's locked tho-" was all he said before he and his friends screamed at seeing Luffy stretch his arms. Zoro and Nami knew what he was doing as they and the kids grabbed onto Luffy, only to be shot in the air with him. They all flew in the air while everyone screamed in fear, or excitement in Luffy's case, before they all came crashing down next to a tree on the side of the house. Luffy was laughing at the 'successful' landing as he and Zoro walked away from the crater, while Nami grumbled and rubbed her backside.

"My word. Are you alright?" came a voice from the window next to the tree. They all looked up to see Usopp in the tree and Kaya in the window.

"Don't worry. We're okay." Luffy said with a smile.

"Maybe you are!" screamed Nami.

"Who are you all?" Kaya asked.

"Oh them?" Usopp said with a slightly nervous tone. "They're just fans of mine who wanted to join the Usopp pirates."

"No. We're here to see you miss." Luffy said.

"Me? For what reason?"

"Well, we're hoping that-"

"What is the meaning of all this?!" came another voice. Everyone turned to see Klahadore, or Kuro, walking towards them with a sour expression.

"Klahadore." Kaya said.

"Out with you all. You're trespassing." he said as he adjusted his glasses with the palm of his hand.

"Klahadore, these people are-"

"Not now Miss Kaya. We'll talk after this rabble has left." he answered back before she finished. "Now all of you. Leave the grounds unless you have business with me."

"We don't have business with you." Luffy said in a calm voice with his hat over his eyes. "We're here to talk to the lady of the house about lending us a ship."

"She is ill and cannot deal with the likes of you miscreants, so a ship is out of the question." he said as he looked up in the tree and spotted Usopp trying to hide. "USOPP!"

"Crap. He saw me." Usopp said as he looked down at the butler.

"What are you doing here? Trying to worm your way into Miss Kaya's good books to get at her fortune?" Kuro said with a bored expression.

"Khlahadore!" Kaya screamed at him while Usopp tried to get her to calm down.

"Of course you would. Only the son of a filthy pirate would make up a scheme like that." he said. Usopp glared down at Khlahadore.

"What did you just say about my father?!" he screamed as he used a hook to jump down the tree and glared at him some more while trembling in rage.

"Calm down Usopp." Khlahadore said with a smug grin as he adjusted his glasses again before going on. "Why not just do what you do best and lie? Tell us how your father is a traveling salesman. Or that you're really adopted?"

"BASTARD!" Usopp screamed as he slugged Khlahadore right in the face, knocking him to the ground. Kaya and the kids stared in shock while Luffy just watched the evens happen once more. Khlahadore sat up before spewing out Usopp's savage nature and insulting his father again.

"SHUT UP!" Usopp screamed before saying how he was proud of his old man and that he wasn't ashamed to be the son of a pirate. Luffy smiled at that while Khlahadore only grinned before insulting his father once again. Usopp was ready to punch him again, but stopped when Kaya begged him not to hit him anymore. Usopp listened as Khlahadore ordered them all out and to never come back. Usopp left in a huff, saying it was fine with him. After he left, the kids started yelling at Khlahadore for what he said about Usopp. Luffy kept quiet as they left after Khlahadore ordered them to leave again. After they walked out the gate, Luffy ran off to where he remembered where Usopp would be. He slowed down when Usopp was in sight and sat down next to him.

"I want to be left alone Luffy." Usopp said as he looked out at the sea.

"Hey come on Usopp. Don't let that bastard butler get to ya. We both know your dad is a great guy." Luffy said, which got Usopp to smile and say how much he looked up to his old man and wanted to be like him. Luffy smiled before he asked if he would see Kaya again.

"I don't know." he said. "That stupid butler doesn't want me anywhere near her."

"Why not ask politely? He's right there." Luffy said as he pointed down the cliff they were on. Usopp looked down and spotted Khlahadore speaking to a strange man wearing heart shaped glasses. They both listened to them talk about how Khlahadore was Captain Kuro of the Black Cat pirates. How three years ago, he decided to kill Kaya to obtain her fortune after Jango hypnotized her to sign a will stating he would get everything should she die.

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