One Piece: Heaven-Defying Luck

Atop the hill stood a skinny, black-skinned, long-nosed teenager with a pirate flag fluttering beside him. The teenager's eyes followed the approaching small boat intently.

'There's no Jolly Roger! They're not pirates. Saved!'

The teenager breathed a sigh of relief internally, his stance becoming more relaxed and confident.

The small boat's interior became clearer in his eyes.

'Three teenagers. They're the same age as me... hehehe, I'll definitely scare the shit out of them. Look, kekeke, they're already showing surprise on their faces! It must be because they're intimidated by my bravery and the Jolly Roger beside me.'

What the teenager didn't know was that the trio wasn't looking at him but rather at a shadow slowly approaching from behind.

As the small boat finally reached the shore, the teenager took a deep breath.

"Ori-sama—"

Thud.

The teenager—let's just call him Usopp—fainted spectacularly as a very presentable, bespectacled middle-aged man in a neat black butler suit suddenly appeared in his place.

The middle-aged man scanned the surrounding area with vigilant eyes, failing miserably to notice the small boat right in front of him.

Only after ensuring there were no witnesses or traces that could cause him extra trouble did he stuff Usopp into a black sack, slinging it over his back as he disappeared into the woods.

The trio, whose feet had just touched the ground, looked at this sudden turn of events in bewilderment.

Nami muttered in a daze, "What the hell just happened now?"

Zoro explained bluntly, "The butler kidnapped the liar…"

Xun's eyes lit up as he felt his luck stirring up trouble again.

"That's Kuro's Plan B. I just didn't think he'd actually go through with it..."

Zoro and Nami looked at Xun in surprise.

The trio followed Kuro's trail while conversing.

After climbing the hill, Nami's sharp eyes easily spotted the retreating figure of Kuro heading toward the luxurious mansion at the highest point of the island, carefully avoiding the villagers. She wondered aloud, "Is that butler guy the so-called Kuro? No wonder, but why did he attack Usopp instead of Kaya?"

Zoro calmly responded, "Why not?"

Xun nodded. "Exactly, why not? Kuro wanted to use his pirate crew to force Kaya to death and claim her will to inherit her property. But now that Buggy destroyed his setup, he's finally lost patience. And really, who's a better scapegoat in this village than Usopp?"

Nami retorted, "Impossible! The villagers won't believe it. Sure, Usopp is a little liar, but he'd never go so far as to kill Kaya or steal her wealth."

Zoro muttered absently, "I wonder about that."

Nami was bewildered by Zoro's response, and even Xun looked at him in surprise, teasing, "You sound like a man with a story..."

Zoro's face reddened slightly in embarrassment, but he still shared his experience.

"Since I set out to sea, I never thought I'd get lost so often. I didn't take much money with me—and I didn't have much to begin with. So, I had no choice but to hunt pirates and survive on bounties. Along the way, I ended up saving a lot of villages and people—not that I cared. But even so, when the Navy started giving me all kinds of nicknames and spreading rumors, even the people I saved were no longer grateful. They looked at me with fear and hostility. Fear, because of my so-called 'legends.' Hostility, maybe because they knew I wouldn't harm them, or because I got the bounty money and they had no reason to thank me. Since then, I've stopped caring about the people I saved. Over time, I've grown numb to those looks."

Nami's face grew somber as she recalled her own experiences. Although Xun told her the villagers were on her side, she could never forget their eyes that day. Even after Nojiko explained everything later, the damage was already done. For someone as sensitive as Nami, those hostile stares were unforgettable. They never considered why a little girl would join her mother's killers—they just insulted her. That's why she was shocked when they eventually stood by her side, because on that day, all she saw were hateful glances.

Xun noticed that the two of them were drowning in their sorrow and was speechless.

He patted both of them on the shoulder and carefully explained, "The average IQ in this world is shockingly low. It has nothing to do with either of you, specifically. Why do you think people like the Celestial Dragons can still rule peacefully? Or that the Navy can recruit thousands of people while the Revolutionary Army—supposedly a good thing for the masses—is called an evil organization, and people actually believe it?"

Xun suddenly stopped as they arrived at the door of a large mansion.

"We're here..."

Nami and Zoro hurriedly regained their composure, suppressing their earlier thoughts.

The trio skillfully vaulted over the entrance gate and infiltrated the mansion. However, they hadn't even taken a few steps before they were struck by the scene before them.

The surroundings were in utter disarray, with deep claw marks gouged into the walls and floors. Corpses, dressed in bodyguard suits, lay scattered across the mansion grounds—servants of the household, judging by their attire.

Nami broke into a sweat, her worry for Kaya and Usopp growing stronger.

"Xun, let's hurry! Something might've happened to Kaya!"

She barely spared a thought for the dead bodies. While their deaths made her furious at Kuro, it was nothing compared to the rage she would feel if something happened to Kaya or Usopp, people she could call acquaintances—perhaps even friends.

Xun placed a calming hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry," he said reassuringly. "Since I arrived on this island, everything has been under my surveillance. These guys were already like this before we got here. It must've been Kuro. When he found out his plan was thwarted, he probably went berserk and killed everyone in sight. Afterward, he must've come up with the idea to use Usopp as a scapegoat. Think about it: Usopp dreams of becoming a pirate, and a pirate needs money to sail. It wouldn't be surprising if someone thought Usopp got close to Kaya after her parents died just to get access to her wealth. It all fits too perfectly. If you didn't know Usopp well, it would be easy to believe. Kuro is even more ruthless than I imagined."

Zoro and Nami listened intently, curiosity shining in their eyes as they moved deeper into the mansion's interior corridors.

"To make his actions flawless," Xun continued, "Kuro even planned to give Usopp a certain drug to make him 'act aggressively' toward Kaya. All Kuro needed was for Kaya to see 'Usopp's true face,' share the truth with the villagers, and then... she'd die in despair shortly after. Kuro, as the sole miraculous survivor, would inherit everything."

Nami and Zoro looked grim, and Nami's eyes burned with a terrifying malice.

Though women in this world were open about their fashion and relationships, there was one line that could never be crossed: forcing someone into anything. And for an innocent girl like Kaya, Nami was certain that Kuro wouldn't even need to kill her directly—she would end her own life out of heartbreak.

The thought of Kuro's cruelty made Nami want to cut him to pieces.

As Xun finished explaining Kuro's plan, he suddenly felt something grasp his leg. Looking down, he saw a butler with a sheep-like head soaked in blood. The man's injuries were grave, though not fatal.

"Pl–ease... Kaya-sama... Save... her..." the butler managed to choke out.

The trio stared at him in surprise, their attention finally drawn to the injured man.

Zoro muttered with admiration, "What terrifying willpower..."

Nami nodded, her expression resolute as she crouched beside him. "I promise you! Leave it to me!"

The butler, relieved by her response, fainted.

Xun also regarded the man with a rare flicker of appreciation.

"He's a truly loyal man. No wonder he was able to design a magnificent ship like the Merry..."

Unbeknownst to the others, Xun had allowed the butler to sense their presence. It was no accident. Even Kuro's unraveling plan had been calculated for him to overhear. How else could Xun ensure the butler's gratitude and Merry's ownership?

After all, routines are the most practical methods of earning people's trust—and have been since ancient times.