Inside the dim ship cabin,
Hachi, Usopp, and Zoro stared at each other in confusion.
"Something's weird about today's food…" Usopp sniffed hard.
"It smells… way too good."
Suspicion was natural—
anyone suddenly kidnapped would be on edge.
Unless they were heartless.
"Could it be poisoned?" Hachi muttered as he eyed the bowl.
"What?!"
Usopp's legs shook instantly.
"Th-they're trying to poison us?!"
It wasn't like Usopp was fearless—
he hadn't experienced anything yet that trained him to stare death in the face.
So of course, the idea terrified him.
"No, no—I was just saying it casually," Hachi clarified.
"If they wanted to kill us, they wouldn't even need poison.
With their strength, one swing would be enough.
Why waste effort?"
Usopp exhaled in relief.
"H-Haha… I wasn't scared, I was just… creating atmosphere, you know."
Even if he was terrified—
there was no way Usopp would let others see that.
Usopp had dignity.
"Let's just eat."
Hachi spoke with surprising calm.
"They kidnapped us, which means we're valuable.
As long as we're valuable, they won't kill us."
After days of imprisonment,
Hachi had done a lot of thinking.
And he genuinely felt like his IQ had improved.
He grabbed his bowl awkwardly, hands and legs shackled with iron cuffs linked by chains.
Inconvenient, yes—
but he'd grown used to it.
And frankly, Adrian had been generous.
They had freedom inside the cabin.
They were fed three meals a day.
For captives, that was luxury.
Hachi scooped a spoonful into his mouth.
The moment the food touched his tongue—
His eyes widened.
His pupils shrank.
His whole body jolted.
"Th—Th—This—!"
Usopp panicked.
"Hachi?! What's wrong?! Did the poison really—?!"
Hachi took a deep breath—
And shouted at the top of his lungs:
"IT'S… DELICIOUS!!!"
Usopp collapsed onto the floor.
He'd been worried for nothing!
This guy wasn't dying—
he was overwhelmed by the taste!
"Hachi, it's just food—how good could it be?"
Usopp grumbled and picked up his bowl.
"You're a fishman! Haven't you eaten good food befo—"
Then he took one bite.
"...."
Silence.
Then—
"My mom…"
Tears streamed down Usopp's face.
"This tastes just like the food my mom used to make—
I… I miss her…"
He cried while shoveling spoonful after spoonful into his mouth.
Zoro stared, speechless.
"It's just food. No way it's that goo—"
He tried one bite.
CLANG!
His spoon dropped to the floor automatically.
Zoro froze, expression twisted by shock.
He couldn't even control his face.
Within moments—
The cabin fell into chaotic harmony:
Three prisoners, Hachi, Usopp, and Zoro—
devouring their bowls like starving wolves.
When they finally finished,
a blissful expression spread across each of their faces.
Then—
The same thought rose in all three minds simultaneously:
"…Actually… being kidnapped isn't that bad."
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