"No more!" Luffy shouted. "No matter what they say, I can handle it, but if they dare say anything about my nakama, I won't let them get away with it!"
Nami was taken aback when she heard this. She hadn't expected Luffy to be different from other pirates. Initially, Nami was completely unwilling to join a pirate crew, even temporarily. But along the way, she realized that these three were different from other pirates she had encountered.
The captain was a carefree, funny guy, Zoro was a directionally challenged swordsman who was usually silent but occasionally said surprising things, and Clover Benson was kind-hearted.
The three of them were all innocent in nature and liked to joke with children.
They didn't seem like pirates at all.
"Alright, alright, let's focus on the bigger picture." Clover dragged Luffy out of the mansion without further explanation. Luffy kept glaring at Kuro as they left, as if he wanted to eat him alive.
When Clover passed by Kuro, his body exuded a strong killing intent. Kuro suddenly broke into a cold sweat. After Clover and the others left, Kuro collapsed to the ground in terror.
"That guy…" Kuro muttered, his eyes wide in disbelief.
"That guy…" Zoro also glanced at Clover's back as he dragged Luffy away. At that moment, Zoro had felt the same powerful killing intent from Clover.
After leaving the mansion, Luffy went to find Usopp, while Clover and the others found a spot to sit down in the village.
"There's a weirdo here!" A kid suddenly ran up to Clover and the others, yelling.
"What weirdo? Everyone's upset right now. Stop making stuff up," another child replied.
"It's true! There's a weird guy walking backward!" the first kid insisted, pointing to the side. Everyone turned to look and saw that, indeed, there was a strange man walking backward.
"Who are you calling a weirdo?!" The strange man turned around, revealing a familiar face to Clover: it was Jango from the Black Cat Pirates. "I'm a super-powerful master of hypnosis!"
"Master of hypnosis? Can you do a trick?" The kid's eyes lit up at the mention of hypnosis.
"What?!" Jango replied, suddenly serious. "You think hypnosis is something to be done casually?... Watch this!" He pulled out a ring.
"I thought you said you wouldn't perform?" Zoro grumbled.
"Look at this ring! When I count to three, you'll all fall asleep! One… two… thumbs up!"
Thud!
With a loud bang, the three kids collapsed to the ground, fast asleep. Even Jango, the so-called hypnosis master, knocked himself out.
"What's wrong with this guy?" Zoro shouted in disbelief.
"What a weirdo. Let's move somewhere else." Clover shook his head and picked up two of the sleeping children. Zoro sighed and picked up the third as they headed off to another part of the village.
Not long after Clover and the others left, Kuro appeared and woke Jango, taking him to the coast.
Meanwhile, Luffy and Usopp were having a serious talk by the shore and overheard their conversation.
Shortly after, Usopp rushed past Clover and the others with a determined look on his face. He didn't respond to their calls and ran straight into the village.
Clover and the others arrived at the coast and found Luffy sleeping, apparently hypnotized by Jango.
At the same time, Usopp was trying to warn the villagers that pirates were going to attack the next morning. But because Usopp had a reputation as a liar, the villagers didn't believe him.
The only person left who might believe him was Kaya, but when Usopp went to see her, she didn't believe him either. After all, Kuro had taken care of her for the past three years. The idea that Kuro was a pirate was something Kaya could never accept, and she even ended up arguing with Usopp.
Luffy relayed to Clover and the others the plan for the next morning.
"If that's true, then that butler's going to kill her in cold blood," Clover said after hearing Luffy's explanation.
"I'll take care of that butler!" Luffy declared.
"No, leave it to me!" Clover immediately shot back. This was his first mission given by his "modifier," so he felt it was his responsibility to handle it personally.
"Of course it's the captain's job!" Luffy shouted.
"The captain needs to maintain an air of mystery. He doesn't need to act unless absolutely necessary. That's what's cool!" Clover retorted.
"Huh?" Luffy was surprised. But Clover had perfectly guessed Luffy's little thought process. After all, Clover had been watching over him for twenty years. He knew him well!
"That makes sense!" Luffy recalled how Shanks didn't fight the bandits back then—his vice-captain did. Shanks had just stood there, looking really cool.
"Then it's all yours!" Luffy slapped Clover's arm, smiling.
The three mischievous kids had apparently cooked up some kind of plan and ran off toward the village, leaving Clover and the others confused.
"Wait a minute!" Luffy suddenly shouted.
"What's wrong?" Nami asked.
"We need to buy meat quickly, or the butcher will close up shop!" Luffy exclaimed.
"That's not the issue here!" Zoro yelled, hitting Luffy on the head with his scabbard.
As dusk fell, the crew met Usopp again. At first, Usopp tried to play it off, claiming it was just another one of his lies, which made the three kids lose respect for him and walk away.
Later that evening, Clover and the others brought Usopp to the beach.
Nami treated Usopp's injuries, and only then did he tell them the truth.
Usopp's injuries were from trying to warn Kaya, who didn't believe him. He had tried to escape with her, but he was shot by Merry, Kaya's other servant.
"Are the pirates really coming?" Nami asked after finishing her treatment.
"Yes, they're definitely coming," Usopp nodded. "But everyone thinks I'm lying. They all believe tomorrow will be another peaceful day. So I'll face the pirates on the coast myself! I'll make this lie into the truth! That's my creed as the 'Great Liar!'"
For the first time, Clover saw Usopp as a man. A man who was willing to carry his burdens alone.
"Whether they shoot me or chase me with a broom, this is my village. I love this village, and I want to protect it!" Usopp said, trembling, but resolute.
"You're such a fool for trying to face them alone," Zoro laughed.
"Let me make it clear, the treasure is mine!" Nami added.
"I'll make sure Kuro is taken down!" Clover stated.
"Alright, we'll help too!" Luffy nodded.