Usopp, sweating, stood beside Nami, her face tense.
"Go, Luffy! Take him down!"
"No good. His roar restricts Luffy's movements. Head-on's a bad bet."
"Then what? Luffy's not the tricky type."
"If we could seal his ability, it'd be easier…"
As Nami pondered, hand on chin, Usopp's expression shifted at her words.
He'd just talked with Kiri—what's needed to win a fight.
"Right!"
Usopp grabbed his slingshot, loading a new special pellet.
Stretching the band, he aimed.
Target: Eldrago's mouth.
To seal his ability, that was the clear weak point.
Quickly assessing, he steadied himself despite nerves.
"What're you doing?"
"Just watch. When it comes to sniping, I'm the best in this crew."
Waiting for his moment.
Eldrago and Luffy were talking.
"Alright, my ears are back. Phew, not deaf."
"Doesn't matter long. You don't like my power, huh, Straw Hat?"
"Yeah. It's loud."
"I've never lost a fight at sea. Know why? All creatures share the same weakness. Burst their eardrums, disorient them, and no one can beat me."
"Huh?"
"I'll end this now."
Eldrago leaned back, inhaling deeply.
A finishing blow. A roar beyond human limits, meant to incapacitate, making the kill easy.
His absolute confidence showed in the move.
The subtle gesture screamed finality.
Usopp didn't miss it, aiming at Eldrago's open mouth.
Steadying his breath, he fired with resolve.
"Take this! Special Attack: Tabasco Star!"
"Guh!?"
The pellet flew straight.
Mid-inhale, something shot into Eldrago's mouth. Hard, round, it burst on contact, contents splattering. A red, viscous liquid—unseen by him. Touching his tongue, searing pain spread, a potent irritant.
Spiciness registers as pain. Not taste—pain.
Crafted for pure heat, though hastily made, it ravaged Eldrago's tongue with devastating force. Pain surged, sweat poured, his body burned.
He couldn't help but scream. No ability—just a raw shout.
"Gah!? Spicy!?"
"See that, Luffy? My new weapon made an opening!"
"Shishishi, nice one, Usopp!"
Seizing the gaping chance, Luffy charged.
Leaping lightly, he stretched his neck back—a bizarre sight, but clearly a prelude.
Using the recoil, he launched a headbutt.
"Gum-Gum Bell!"
"Gah!?"
Pain tore through Eldrago's forehead, caught off-guard by the spice. The impact threw him off balance, nearly toppling backward. He barely stayed upright.
But Luffy didn't stop.
"Whip!"
"Guh!?"
A sharp kick stabbed his torso, staggering him again.
"Bullet!"
Another fierce punch to the gut.
Barely standing, Eldrago teetered on collapse.
"Hmm… Gatling!"
A storm of punches rained down. The relentless barrage gave no respite, pummeling him mercilessly. A final blow smashed his face, sending him flying.
Eldrago slid across the ground, overwhelmed by unprecedented exhaustion.
Hitting the dirt, he lay still briefly but rose with defiance, eyes bloodshot.
Not done. He spread his stance, bracing for a brawl.
Luffy responded, stretching both arms back, charging.
No tricks—just straight ahead, power surging for the finish.
"Guh, cough! Don't underestimate me…!"
"This is over! Gum-Gum—!"
"Even without my power, you—!"
His tongue, numbed by spice, slurred. But Luffy didn't listen.
Closing in, he thrust both arms forward.
"Bazooka!"
"GAAAH…!?"
The strike shattered Eldrago's golden armor, and he lost consciousness.
His massive body bounced like a rubber ball, flying toward his crew. They stood frozen, words lost, as he crashed into them, pinning them down.
No sign of him rising again.
Luffy landed, stopping.
The fight was over.
With their leader down, the pinned crew wouldn't attack further.
Everyone thought so.
Maybe that's why, caught up in the battle, their guard slipped.
"Phew, done. Worked up an appetite. Gonna get some oden later."
"Amazing… He was that strong—!" Tobio marveled.
"Don't move!"
Ignoring Tobio, a shout rang out.
Luffy turned, suspicious. Behind Tobio and Iwakura stood two pirates—Eldrago's crew. They'd moved during the fight, likely to aid their captain.
With Eldrago defeated, they resorted to hostages.
Sabers at Tobio and Iwakura's necks, they couldn't move.
Luffy watched calmly, unruffled.
"Hey, you, Straw Hat! Listening!?"
"I hear you. That's why I'm not moving."
"Good… If you resist, you know what happens. No more fighting. And hand over the gold."
"Do that, and we'll let them go unharmed."
"I'm fine with that."
Luffy dusted his clothes, shaking sand from his rolling and his straw hat.
Nonchalant. The pirates gritted their teeth.
No further action, just a stare-down. Luffy put his hat back on, utterly unconcerned. His expression, as if abandoning the two, was startlingly calm.
"But some people'd get mad at that. You'd better watch out."
"Huh? What're you blabbering?"
"Take you out, and we've got nothing to—!"
Mid-sentence, one pirate was struck from behind. A painful thunk echoed, and he collapsed instantly, dropping his saber.
The other yelped, terrified, but an attack came from behind too.
Usopp's hammer smashed his head.
"Usopp Hammer!"
"Guh!?"
Another painful sound, and he crumpled.
Nami, wielding a staff assembled from her hidden three-section staff, and Usopp, goggles on and hammer in hand, had circled behind. The pirates, too focused on Luffy, forgot the others—quite the blunder.
The two who felled them stood proud.
"Who's trying to steal my treasure? The gold's mine," Nami declared.
"Heh, don't forget Captain Usopp. That's the end of it," Usopp boasted.
A small act, but they'd helped their crew. They beamed with pride.
Iwakura and Tobio, stunned, were speechless. Luffy approached, grinning cheerfully. It was finally over.
The scene settled, enemies sprawled across the ground, leaving only the lonely hut standing.
They could finally explore.
"Done. Old man, oden okay?"
"Yeah, no problem."
"You guys are crazy strong. They seemed tough, but you handled them so easily," Tobio said, awestruck.
"Of course. I'm gonna be King of the Pirates. Can't lose to guys like that," Luffy said with a carefree laugh, his battle demeanor gone.
Tobio couldn't look away, staring in silent awe.
Luffy glanced at the solitary hut.
No gold in sight. If it was anywhere, it was there.
All eyes converged on the same spot.
They'd soon meet Woonan.
Realizing it, Tobio forgot the fight's terror, swallowing hard.
"Is Woonan in there?"
"Let's find out. This is the goal," Luffy said.
"Let's see how much gold's waiting," Nami added.
Following the three who started walking, Tobio and Iwakura's hearts raced for different reasons.
Meeting and reuniting—grandfather and grandson faced different stakes.
Yet their tense hearts were the same.
Tobio clenched his fists to steel himself, while Iwakura gripped his oden pot tightly, bracing to face Woonan as they approached the hut.
The door opened.
Strangely, only a barren, empty scene greeted them inside.
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