One Piece pirates salty life

In Leo's memories of his previous life, the hidden identity of Kuro had caused a tremendous amount of trouble for the Straw Hat Crew. Back then, the entire crew was seriously injured. If Usopp hadn't been lucky, he probably wouldn't have made it aboard the Going Merry. He would have either been shot by Merry or killed by the pirates surrounding him.

But everything was different this time. Although many events still unfolded similarly, the outcomes had changed drastically after Leo arrived in this world. The most seriously injured person now was Usopp, and even that injury was caused by Merry before the situation escalated.

Kuro's defeat had already been written into fate. Whether it was the stronger Kaya or the enhanced Nami, either of them could have taken him down once they regained their composure. What they lacked wasn't strength—it was courage.

Once Arlong's arc is resolved, Nami will probably be completely free of her burdens.

As for Usopp, without facing the desperate struggle he endured in the original timeline, would he still have the determination to follow Luffy to the end? Leo wasn't sure. Even though he made a bet with Usopp, he knew it was impossible to awaken someone who was pretending to be asleep.

"Ahem!" Kuro coughed, lifting his face slightly to look at Luffy. His tone was bitter.

"I never thought that I, Kuro, would be defeated by someone like you. Who are you?"

Tread!

Luffy stepped forward and placed one foot near Kuro's head. He bent slightly at the waist, grinned widely, and declared, "I told you, I'm Monkey D. Luffy! I'm the man who will become the King of the Pirates!"

"You think your plan will succeed? You're wrong! I won't be defeated by a pirate who ran away from the sea. A pirate only loses their name when they lose their life!"

With those parting words, Luffy delivered a swift kick, sending Kuro hurtling back toward his scattered crew. Without looking back, he turned and walked toward Leo, a wide smile spreading across his face.

"We won! We protected the village!"

At some point, the three little kids—Carrot Head, Onion Head, and Green Pepper Head—had shown up again. They stared at Usopp with bright, admiring eyes.

As expected, their Captain was the coolest! He'd defeated the enemy and saved the village once more!

"Hey, Leo! You were the one who saved me just now, weren't you? Thanks a lot!" Luffy said cheerfully, resting his hands behind his head.

Since he wasn't injured in this version of events, he didn't collapse like in the original timeline. The only thing bothering him now was a growling stomach.

Leo smiled and replied, "Luffy, isn't that what we're supposed to do?"

Still, Leo's gaze shifted toward Kaya. Although she had returned the cane and didn't collapse, her movements were unsteady. Her body trembled faintly, and she still looked weak.

Meanwhile, Zoro had used the distraction of Luffy's battle with Kuro to finish off Jango. With a heavy thud, the hypnotist was knocked unconscious, another victory added to Zoro's count.

Later, on a small cliff overlooking the coast, the crew sat down to catch their breath. Nami looked at both Leo and Luffy, curiosity in her eyes.

"Why were you both so angry back there?" she asked, breaking the momentary silence.

Luffy was lying flat on his back, arms crossed behind his head. He replied without hesitation, "I hate those kinds of guys. What they did... it was just wrong."

"..."

Nami stared at him and slowly lowered her head.

"What are you talking about? For pirates like them, doing such things is just part of their nature," she said, clutching Luffy's straw hat in her hand, her expression unreadable.

"That's not true, Nami," Leo added, looking out over the ocean. "Not all pirates are like that. Some people set out to sea chasing dreams, not destruction."

His eyes reflected something distant—something nostalgic. In his past life, watching One Piece had ignited something in him. The fantasy of freedom, of adventure, had captivated his heart.

Nami was at a loss for words. This was the first time she had encountered people like Leo and Luffy—pirates who talked about dreams instead of treasure, about hope instead of fear.

Elsewhere, Kaya had regained some of her strength thanks to the healing magic Leo had cast. She now sat facing Usopp, her eyes filled with emotion.

Usopp hesitated before finally speaking.

"Can I ask you guys not to tell anyone what happened here today?"

The three kids immediately protested.

"What?! Why not?" Carrot Head was the first to react.

"You saved the village, Captain! Everyone should know!" Green Pepper Head chimed in.

"People will finally respect you!" Onion Head added, jumping up and down.

Kaya also seemed surprised and slightly distressed. "Yes, Usopp. You have to clear up everyone's misunderstandings!"

But Usopp shook his head with a peaceful expression on his face. "There's no need. Talking about it will only spread fear among the villagers. They've lived peacefully for so long... let's not ruin that."

He looked down at his bandaged hand and smiled.

"Let's just pretend nothing ever happened. As always, everything I said yesterday was just a lie."

He chuckled to himself.

"A lie... that protected everyone."

Kaya looked at him, her eyes trembling with emotion.

"Usopp..." she whispered.

"Hm? What's wrong?" Usopp asked, tilting his head.

"No, it's nothing," she said, brushing her hair aside and smiling gently.

From a distance, Leo glanced toward the pair. The soft breeze lifted Kaya's hair as the two locked eyes, creating a peaceful, intimate moment.

It was such a beautiful scene that Leo couldn't help but mutter to himself.

"Man, I just got fed a mouthful of dog food…"

…

Later that day, Kaya stood before the group in a long coat, her posture formal and composed.

"Mr. Luffy, I will make arrangements to take care of your ship."

"Thank you! Without your help, we couldn't have protected the village," Usopp said, standing beside her with his arms crossed and a bright smile.

"Don't say it like that," Zoro replied, lazily stretching. "If you hadn't done anything, I wouldn't have gotten involved."

"Me neither," Luffy added, clearly more focused on the growling of his stomach than the conversation.

"Hehe, don't thank us. I got plenty of treasure out of it anyway," Nami laughed as she hugged a bag filled with loot from Kuro's ship.

Leo didn't say anything. He merely nodded, his mind already racing with thoughts about the Going Merry.

In the original story, Luffy had eventually been forced to burn the Merry. That moment had left a deep impression on Leo—one of sorrow and helplessness.

Maybe, just maybe, if he invested a little more now, Kaya could strengthen the Merry's structure. Maybe this time, they could avoid that fate.

Before leaving, Leo quietly used his magic to erase all traces of battle from the coastline. If the villagers were to wander over and discover the wreckage, Usopp's lie would unravel.

Later, Kaya invited the entire group to her mansion for a meal and a rest. Along the way, Usopp and the three kids took their leave.

They had to return home—and Usopp had to prepare for something more.

After all, the village prankster had now been accepted as a true member of this motley crew of pirates.