Xi Luobu Village.
At this moment, Yun Lie had already emerged from the forest, holding a sack in his left hand, from which a faint trickle of blood seeped, and in his right hand, a person with a bruised face and red glasses.
"Yun Lie, you finished so quickly?"
Nojiko said, surprised, when she saw Yun Lie return.
Less than half an hour had passed, the supplies on the Bezan Black had just been dealt with, and Yun Lie was already back.
"They were too weak; I didn't even get to warm up."
Yun Lie threw the sack and Jango onto the Bezan Black, saying with an unfulfilled air.
The sack also revealed the people inside: two cat-like individuals, Butch and Sham of the Black Cat Pirates.
Both were pirates with a bounty of seven million beli!
Jango, who was beside them, had a bounty of nine million and could use hypnosis.
The other Black Cat Pirates underlings, those without bounties, he had thrown to feed the wild beasts in the forest, ensuring they could no longer do evil.
Yun Lie was bending down, preparing to tie up these three and toss them aside, when Nami walked over with light steps.
Her orange hair gently swayed in the breeze, like dancing flames, and her eyes were agile and intelligent.
"Yun Lie, why don't you put them in the space you opened? That way, they definitely can't escape." She blinked, suggesting.
"That's right, it seems! Thanks for reminding me, Nami!"
Yun Lie was stunned for a moment, a glint of light flashing in his eyes.
Soon, he opened another space next to his personal space, a space just large enough to hold three people.
Just like that, the three were thrown in by Yun Lie, and what awaited them was only life imprisonment by the Marine.
"Yun Lie, why isn't Captain Kuro of the Black Cat Pirates here? Did you kill him?" Nami asked again.
Kuro was the Captain of the Black Cat Pirates, with a bounty of sixteen million beli, and she was very eager for that!
"No, Kuro has a big conspiracy…"
Yun Lie shook his head and told the two women all the information he knew, pushing all the reasons onto Jango anyway.
"This Kuro is as bad as Arlong!"
Nojiko and Nami's faces changed with anger after hearing this.
Recalling Arlong's various evil deeds in Coco Village, the destroyed homes, the injured villagers, and then thinking of Kuro's attempt to usurp Kaya's family fortune, they were truly two of a kind, making one's teeth itch with hatred, and the anger in their hearts burned fiercely.
"Small problem, now that we're here, Kuro's sweet dream should end."
Yun Lie said, wrapping his arms around the two women, almost losing himself in their adoring gazes.
"Let's go, we'll meet this Black Cat Captain and, by the way, see if Xi Luobu Village has any specialties to replenish our supplies."
With his arms around the two women's slender waists, the three walked slowly towards Xi Luobu Village.
...
However, they hadn't gone far when a long-nosed, afro-haired boy suddenly leaped out from the roadside bushes with a "whoosh," a bulging pouch hanging at his waist, his eyes vigilantly fixed on them, like a startled deer.
"Stop!" the boy shouted loudly, his voice trembling with a feigned composure, tightly clutching a slingshot, ready to deal with any potential danger.
Yun Lie recognized him at a glance—wasn't this the God of Despair, Usopp!
Speaking of which, Usopp's background was truly tragic.
When he was young, his father, Yasopp, left them, mother and son, to sail the seas in pursuit of his pirate dream, and from then on, there was no news of him.
His mother raised him alone, toiling with hardship, and her health was already poor; she passed away from illness when he was just old enough to understand things.
Without his mother's protection, young Usopp could only live with difficulty on the villagers' relief, and he gradually developed a habit of lying, filling his inner loneliness and insecurity with one imaginary story after another, eager to gain others' attention and approval.
"Boy, what's your name?"
Yun Lie asked, pretending not to know him.
"I am the brave warrior of the sea, Usopp!"
The boy tried to puff out his chest and raised his head to answer loudly, his long nose particularly prominent in the setting sun, but his slightly trembling legs still exposed his inner nervousness and unease.
"Usopp, is there a particularly wealthy family in your village?" Yun Lie continued to ask.
As soon as these words left his mouth, Usopp immediately tensed up, retreated a few steps, unconsciously reaching for the slingshot at his waist, looking at them warily, his eyes full of defensiveness: "Who are you? Why are you asking that?"
"Oh, Yun Lie, look at you, you've scared him. I'll explain."
Nojiko helplessly pulled Yun Lie aside, a gentle smile on her face, and patiently explained to Usopp, even specifically pulling out Kuro's wanted poster to show him.
Usopp stared at the wanted poster, examining it carefully for a while, his eyes filled with confusion and shock, only then half-believing their words.
"Oh no! Miss Kaya's family is in danger!"
Usopp's face suddenly turned pale, he snatched the wanted poster from Nojiko's hand, turned, and ran desperately towards the village.
He had only one thought in his mind: he had to quickly tell Kaya's family that the seemingly kind butler, Krabatler, was actually an evil pirate with malicious intentions!
His steps were hurried, and even the pouch at his waist swung violently as he ran.
"I'll go with him first, lest something happen to this kid."
Yun Lie simply instructed, then, like an arrow released from a bow, he chased in the direction Usopp had disappeared.
His speed was extremely fast; in a flash, he was gone, leaving only a faint whisper of wind.
Usopp ran all the way, panting, his cheeks flushed, sweat continuously dripping from his forehead onto the ground.
Finally, he arrived in front of the impressive mansion in the village.
He was all too familiar with this mansion, as it was home to his most important friend—Kaya.
He skillfully avoided the guards at the entrance, and, relying on his familiarity with the terrain, he ran to a tall tree and nimbly climbed onto a branch using both his hands and feet.
"Kaya, are you there?"
Usopp lay on the branch, shouting loudly, his voice still containing uncalmed breaths.
When he saw Kaya sitting by the window, quietly reading, his suspended heart finally relaxed slightly.
"Usopp, what's wrong?"
Kaya heard the voice, closed her book, turned and saw it was him, a gentle smile appearing on her face as she asked softly.
The sunlight spilled onto her, casting a warm halo around her, making her appear exceptionally beautiful and moving.
"Kaya, Krabatler the butler is a pirate! You must tell your parents quickly, they are in danger!"
Usopp said urgently, casually throwing the crumpled wanted poster through the window, his tone hurried and tense, his eyes filled with anxiety.
"Wh-… how could this be!"
Kaya picked up the wanted poster, and after seeing the photo and name on it, her eyes widened, her face full of disbelief, and her complexion instantly turned pale, as if all color had drained from her.
"Usopp, thank you! Father and Mother are going out to sea with Krabatler the butler today, I have to stop them!"
After speaking, she didn't bother to adjust her skirt, opened the door, and ran towards the port.
At this time, Kaya had not yet experienced the pain of losing her parents, so her physical condition was very good, and her steps were not slow as she ran.
Seeing this, Usopp also quickly climbed down from the tree and ran after Kaya towards the port.