One Piece: Legend of the Star Sea

Zoro suddenly stopped Luffy and Alex, resting his hand on the hilt of his sword. His sharp gaze locked onto the towering cliff ahead, eyes filled with caution.

"Who's there? Anyone up there?" he called out.

Luffy looked around but didn't see a single soul.

Swish! Swish!

Out of nowhere, a flurry of pellets shot toward Alex and Luffy. Both dodged with ease.

Alex looked up and saw dozens of pirate flags bearing skull symbols fluttering at the top of the cliff. Strangely, they always came up in sets of three from the dense foliage.

"Whoa! So many pirates! Awesome!" Luffy shouted with excitement, waving his arms.

Alex sighed inwardly. They hadn't even seen a single person yet, just a bunch of flags. And this guy's already talking about "so many people"? If I farted by accident in succession, would he think someone ambushed us with machine guns?

Suddenly, a man with a long nose in a brown outfit appeared, standing arrogantly on a tree branch near the cliff's edge. Arms crossed, he called out to them with a wild grin, "I am the mighty Captain Usopp, ruler of this village! Everyone respects me as the great Captain Usopp!"

"If you plan to attack the village, I suggest you turn back now. My eighty million men won't show you mercy!"

Standing above them with supreme confidence, Usopp looked down like a true overlord.

"Eighty million?! That's insane! So cool!" Luffy exclaimed, eyes wide with awe.

Everyone else remained calm—except Luffy, that food-loving goof.

What is this guy's deal? He's obviously bluffing. Is he an idiot?

Alex shook his head at the overconfident Usopp and pointed up at him, asking Luffy and Zoro, "Mind if I go up there and knock him into next week?"

"Wait! He has eighty million men, Alex! He'll kill you!" Luffy said with genuine concern, holding his head.

Zoro sighed in frustration while Alex was left speechless by Luffy's gullibility.

"That's right! My eighty million soldiers are invincible! If you're scared, you'd better leave while you can!" Usopp shouted confidently.

"You're lying," Nami said flatly, shooting Usopp a cold glance.

"Uh-oh. Busted," Usopp muttered, clutching his head in panic.

"See? He admitted it," Nami said, launching into a fierce chase.

"I slipped up, okay?! You're too sneaky!" Usopp whined, swaying dramatically.

"Wait, it's all fake?" Luffy finally caught on. Alex couldn't even be bothered to react anymore.

"Eighty million might be exaggerated, but I do have an elite squad," Usopp insisted.

Right then, the flags around him started shaking as if a real crew were cheering him on.

"You said you wanted to knock me out, didn't you? Well, listen up! I've got 8,000 elite warriors, and I'm a proud man with dignity. Because of that dignity, everyone calls me the proud Captain Usopp! If you want to duel, fine—but it'll be one-on-one! If I lose, you can stay. But if you lose, get out of my village!"

Usopp had noticed the bandages on Alex and his sluggish movements earlier when dodging pellets—he must've been injured. Banking on that, Usopp was gambling everything on a 1v1 challenge.

"A duel? One-on-one?" Alex's eyes darkened as he took a step forward.

"Listen up," he said coldly. "I don't care if you have eighty million or eight thousand men. If you have the guts to challenge me, be prepared to get launched!"

Luffy and Zoro lost their easygoing demeanor, their eyes sharpening as they looked up at Usopp.

"Wait, are you guys being serious?" Nami whispered, startled that all three seemed ready to pummel Usopp.

Alex cracked his knuckles, the sound sharp in the air. "Whether my opponent is an ant or the world's strongest, I never hold back. I don't underestimate anyone—even liars."

Usopp had drawn his slingshot and aimed it at Alex, but the moment their eyes met, Usopp froze. Alex's chilling stare carried real killing intent, paralyzing Usopp with dread. Cold sweat drenched his back as if he couldn't breathe.

"You're right, Alex," Luffy said, lowering his straw hat and casting a shadow over his face. "He's armed now—it's not just talk. Go ahead and knock him out. If he really has 8,000 men, Zoro and I will handle them."

Clang!

Zoro pushed one sword slightly out of its sheath, the cold steel flashing. "You're facing real pirates now."

"So scary… this is what true pirates feel like," Usopp muttered, legs trembling.

Finally, unable to take the overwhelming pressure from Alex, Luffy, and Zoro, Usopp collapsed to the ground in a cold sweat.

"You've lost the will to fight," Alex said, walking toward him slowly. "But this is still a duel. I won't go easy on you."

"Captain Usopp is in danger! Run!" three terrified kids burst from the trees, abandoning Usopp as they dashed back to the village.

Without their props, all the flags around Usopp fell like dominoes. A complete collapse.

"Hey! Don't leave me!" Usopp shouted after them, his eyes nearly popping out.

"Will he be okay?" Zoro asked, knowing Alex wasn't in the best shape for a fight—his wounds hadn't fully healed.

"Don't worry," Luffy grinned. "Last time, even injured, Alex still knocked out that red-nosed guy in one punch."

Usopp heard that and nearly fainted on the spot. He glanced at the ship docked nearby—the one still bearing Buggy's flag.

Did they steal that from the Buggy Pirates?! If they beat the infamous Buggy of the East Blue, what kind of monsters are these people?!

Usopp's mouth went dry, panic setting in as Alex drew closer. His knees shook, and—thud!—he accidentally rolled off the cliff.

Alex walked up to him, staring down. "Not gonna lie, I recently punched a red-nosed freak so hard his nose got even redder and rounder. Now I meet you, long-nose. Guess I have a thing for beating up unusual noses. Want me to make yours short and stubby?"

"Wait! You've got it all wrong! I wasn't challenging you!"

Usopp had landed right in front of them. Panicking, he flailed his hands.

"What are you saying? That your challenge wasn't aimed at me?" Alex narrowed his eyes.

Just as Alex was about to strike, Usopp pointed behind him—at Nami—and yelled, "I was challenging her! I never said it was you. You just assumed!"

Everyone froze. Alex, Luffy, and Zoro stared in disbelief.

"What?!"

"You Shameless jerk!" Nami shouted. "You're a guy! I'm a girl! How could you publicly challenge me?!"

Nami thought she was safe hiding in the back—but Usopp still dragged her into it.

"I'm the most respected man in all of East Blue! Everyone gives me face! I'm Captain Usopp, the most honorable man alive!"

Relieved Alex wasn't coming at him anymore, Usopp coughed weakly and stood up, legs wobbling as he resumed bluffing.

"Wow! Everyone respects you? You must be amazing!" Luffy shouted, falling for it again.

BAM!

Before he could say more, Nami stormed up and slammed her iron fist into Usopp's face, knocking him flat.

"Alright, I win the duel!" she said with a radiant smile, extending her hand to Usopp.

Thinking she was helping him up, Usopp raised his hand—only for Nami to say, "As the winner, I deserve a reward, right? I'll take ten million Berries."

This time, it was Usopp's turn to be stunned speechless…

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