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PFFT!!
When the viewers saw Usopp—who had barely even spoken a single line after his introduction—get knocked out by Luffy's *Conqueror's Haki*, they couldn't help but burst into laughter!
Scratchman Apoo: "AH HAHAHA!!! Is that Straw Hat using his *Conqueror's Haki* as some kind of initiation rite for his crewmates? Anyone who joins his team gets blasted with it first...!"
Trafalgar Law: "HAHAHA! I was just about to say that! This is hilarious. So far, every member of the Straw Hat Pirates who has appeared has been taken down by their own captain's *Conqueror's Haki*..."
Eustass Kid: "But didn't Buggy escape that fate?"
Capone Bege: "That's because he isn't officially part of Red-Haired Luffy's crew yet..."
Eustass Kid: "..."
Vinsmoke Sanji: "Poor Usopp. He got taken out the moment he showed up."
Roronoa Zoro: "Compared to me and Nami, he really got unlucky."
Usopp: "Damn you, Zoro! How dare you laugh at me?! If it weren't for your stupid idea, Luffy wouldn't have used his *Conqueror's Haki* on me in the first place!"
Nami: "AH HAHAHA! It's not OUR Zoro's fault—it's the OTHER Zoro's fault!"
Vinsmoke Sanji: "AHHHH! Nami-san, don't defend that idiot moss-head!"
Roronoa Zoro: "Shut up, curly brow!"
Tony Tony Chopper: "This is terrible... Next up is my entrance. Am I going to get knocked out too?"
Vinsmoke Sanji: "Wait... Isn't it my turn next? I don't want to end up foaming at the mouth like an idiot!"
[Luffy, Zoro, and Buggy climbed up the hill and soon found Usopp lying unconscious on the ground.]
Seeing this, Luffy flipped Usopp over and adjusted him into a comfortable sleeping position on the grass.
[Once they arrived at the village, the trio began purchasing supplies.]
[Thanks to Luffy's insatiable appetite, most of their shopping revolved around meat...]
"Dear customers, I'm sorry, but this is all I can sell you. I still need some stock for my own business," said the restaurant owner, handing over a large package of cured meat to Luffy with a smile.
Luffy looked at the bundle of cured meat. It wouldn't even last him three days...
But once they set sail, they'd be out at sea for at least a month!
This amount of meat clearly wasn't enough!
"Dear customers, if you're looking to buy more meat in bulk, let me recommend a place!" The restaurant owner stepped outside to the middle of the road and pointed toward a distant mansion. "See that? That's the home of the richest man in this area. They have plenty of supplies. You can ask them directly—if they're willing to sell, you can buy as much as you want."
"Great! Thank you so much, mister!" Luffy said happily, delighted by the information.
He suddenly remembered something and asked, "By the way, mister, where can we find a good ship in this village?"
Their current boat was far too small. According to Buggy, it would likely be smashed to pieces by the waves before they even reached the Grand Line.
Though there was the Black Cat Pirates' ship docked nearby, Luffy refused to use such a notorious pirate vessel.
If they sailed with that ship, wouldn't they risk getting attacked by Marines every time they docked?
Even though they hadn't committed any crimes, they'd still bear the blame for the Black Cat Pirates' misdeeds. That would be like having mud smeared all over their pants!
As for money...
Luffy and Zoro only had around 3 million Berries between them, and Buggy had brought a few million when he joined. However, they had recently seized over 10 million Berries from the Black Cat Pirates' ship!
With this combined sum, they could afford a decent vessel.
"A ship?" The restaurant owner hesitated for a moment but then pointed toward the same mansion again. "It's still them! They're the only ones on the island selling ships."
"Perfect!" Luffy exclaimed cheerfully before bidding farewell to the restaurant owner.
The trio walked to the mansion.
Buggy patted the large bag of money slung over his shoulder and frowned. "Why are we bringing so much money here? If we want a ship, why not just take it?"
Both Luffy and Zoro turned to glare at Buggy.
Cough cough...
Buggy nervously cleared his throat twice and quickly looked away. "Uh... Pretend I didn't say anything..."
Kaya's parents were merchants, so when they heard someone wanted to purchase a large quantity of meat, they greeted Luffy and his group warmly.
Accompanied by several servants, Kaya's father smiled and approached the trio. "I heard from the gatekeeper that you're here to buy meat, correct? So... how much do you need?"
Luffy spread his arms wide. "The more, the better! Also, we're looking to buy a bigger ship while we're at it."
Before Kaya's father could respond, they heard the voice of the butler, Merry, behind them. "Master, Mr. Clahador, whom you've kindly taken in, has fully recovered. I suggested he rest longer, but he insisted on coming to thank you immediately."
Instinctively, everyone turned toward Merry's direction.
Standing beside Merry was a neatly dressed man wearing glasses, a black suit, and a slicked-back hairstyle. He looked every bit the part of a respectable gentleman...
However, the moment he saw Buggy, his heart skipped a beat!
Damn it! Why is he here?!
Buggy also spotted Kuro and immediately froze in confusion.
What kind of nonsense was this? The infamous captain of the Black Cat Pirates being taken in by ordinary civilians?
And thanking them?!
Would a bloodthirsty pirate ever say "thank you"?!
Did I wake up in some alternate reality today or what?!
Buggy shouted incredulously, "Kuro?! What's this act you're putting on?!"
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