After Tom and Luffy joined forces to deal with Kuro, the remaining Black Cat Pirates grabbed their unconscious captain and fled swiftly.
The injuries Luffy had sustained while fighting Kuro were no less severe than Tom's, yet the time he had spent fighting Kuro alone was far shorter than Tom's. This was indirect proof that the hypnotized Kuro was indeed much stronger than before; otherwise, Luffy wouldn't have been so badly wounded in such a short time.
Fortunately, Luffy had been there. If only Tom and Nami had remained, the two of them would have been no match for the hypnotized Kuro.
Nami had initially been worried that the treasure she'd left on the slope below would be snatched away. However, Tom tossed the two sacks back to her. It turned out that just before the slope was completely blocked by boulders, Tom had used his fishing rod to hook the two sacks of treasure from below.
Tom figured that since Nami had taken a hit from Kuro for him and gotten injured because of it, he might as well help her retrieve the treasure she cared so much about. This was to stop her from moping around him with that long face all the time—it was bad luck.
When Tom and Luffy, arms slung over each other's shoulders, reached the forest leading to Syrup Village, they ran into Zoro and the others. There was no helping it. Tom had a sprained ankle, Luffy was seriously wounded, and Nami was injured too. They couldn't very well have a woman carry the two of them back. So, the two comrades, dragging their battered bodies, had to support each other and walk slowly.
Along the way, Luffy asked Tom why he called his extendable fishing rod the "As-I-Will-It Rod" and said Tom was an idiot. Tom nearly started brawling with Luffy on the spot upon hearing this. Little did he know, Luffy would argue with conviction: "Your rod is clearly silver-gray, yet you call it a 'Golden Cudgel'? Isn't that stupid? It should be called the 'Silver Cudgel' or the 'Gray Cudgel!'"
Nami, walking ahead, also turned around, stared at Tom for a moment, and then asked, "Are you colorblind?"
"Of course not, you foolish woman! You don't understand anything. That's a cherished memory from my childhood. Is it so strange to name it that?" Tom looked at Luffy and Nami with pity. These two had no childhoods to speak of. How sad.
"Oh, I see," Luffy said with an understanding look. "You were often beaten with a golden cudgel as a kid. I didn't know you were such a bad child back then." Nami looked at Tom with even more confusion and a strange expression.
Damn it, though I was occasionally naughty as a kid and got a light scolding from my parents with a small stick, you can't just say that about me!
Tom's face darkened. Under Nami's astonished gaze, he and Luffy promptly rolled onto the ground and started scuffling.
You both have wounds that are still bleeding, and you're fooling around like this? Is that really okay?
Nami stared dumbfounded as Tom and Luffy argued and wrestled on the ground. Finally, she could take no more and delivered an iron fist to each of them, knocking the two irresponsible idiots flat.
"If you keep messing around, I'll punch you again!" Nami threatened, fist raised, addressing the two now-prone figures with large lumps on their heads.
Having quelled the minor conflict between Tom and Luffy, the three of them finally continued toward the forest.
"What happened to you two? You're badly wounded," Zoro asked as he saw the bloodied and covered in scars state of Luffy and Tom when they met up with him and Usopp in the forest.
"That butler was really tough. It took a lot to beat him," Luffy said, collapsing weakly to the ground.
"Was the enemy that strong? It must be because you two only play around all the time and haven't built up strong wills or sturdy bodies. That's why fighting is so hard for you," Zoro remarked, glancing at the somewhat drained Tom lying next to Luffy, his arms crossed.
Wow, you have the nerve to say that!
Hearing Zoro's words, Tom felt his blood pressure rise. During their past voyages, when he was training on the ship, this guy was often comfortably napping. By the time Tom was training to the point of exhaustion, Zoro probably wasn't even awake yet!
"Did anything happen on your end?" Tom asked Zoro.
"Of course something happened. Kaya was almost killed," Usopp said, his body covered in bandages. Kaya was beside him, carefully checking his wounds.
"What happened?" Luffy asked Usopp.
"It was like this. A strange man suddenly appeared in front of me. Luckily, Usopp saved me just in time," Kaya said, looking at Usopp with gentle affection.
"I'm the man who will become a brave warrior of the sea. This is nothing," Usopp said, rarely not exaggerating. When he saw Kaya in danger, he had taken out his slingshot and, despite his severe injuries, managed to hit the person trying to attack her—his sniping skills were truly impressive.
Tom hadn't expected that throwing Jango away with his fishing rod would create a chance for Usopp to play the hero.
"Weren't you supposed to be protecting them? How could you let Kaya get into danger?" Tom asked Zoro, making a disdainful gesture at him.
"Who could have guessed that hypnotist guy would suddenly fall out of the sky, landing right in front of Kaya as she was rushing back with medicine from the mansion? I couldn't get to her in time," Zoro said, looking annoyed. Seeing Tom's disdainful gesture made a vein bulge on his forehead.
Luffy, seeing Tom give Zoro the middle finger, thought it looked fun and joined in, also giving Zoro the middle finger.
"Can you lengthen just your middle finger?" Tom asked Luffy, who was lying beside him.
"Let me try," Luffy said, attempting to elongate the middle finger he was pointing at Zoro. He actually managed to make it grow a bit longer.
"Well? Do you fully grasp the meaning our middle fingers are conveying?" Tom asked Zoro with a grin.
"Hahaha! How does it feel?" Luffy laughed happily, wiggling his elongated middle finger at Zoro, starting to egg him on.
"You two are looking for a beating!" Zoro couldn't tolerate being ganged up on by Luffy and Tom.
Thump! Whack! Thud!
Luffy, Zoro, and Tom tangled into a wrestling heap. Nami's face turned blue, her pretty brows twitching. Can't these guys behave for even a moment?
Bam! Bonk! Wham!
Nami delivered three consecutive punches, instantly flattening Tom and the others until they couldn't move, leaving Kaya—who had been preparing to treat their wounds—stunned.
After Kaya finished treating their injuries, Tom asked Usopp, puzzled, why they hadn't returned to Kaya's mansion to recover.
Usopp told him with grave seriousness that he didn't want the villagers to know about the pirate attack on the village. If he returned covered in blood and wounds, the villagers would easily suspect something was wrong. So, he preferred to have Kaya treat him in the forest.
In truth, this decision had nearly cost Usopp his life. If Kaya, who had gone to fetch medicine, had been a few minutes later, Usopp would have died.
Learning this, Tom felt great respect for Usopp. Though the guy usually loved to boast and seemed quite cowardly, his determination and courage to keep his promise, even at the cost of his life, was something few people could match. Seemingly timid, yet capable of bursting forth with courage far beyond ordinary people at times—Tom felt Usopp appeared contradictory on the surface, but he lived authentically.
A few days later, Usopp gathered the three kids—Onion, Pepper, and Carrot—in the clearing where they had first met and formed the Usopp Pirates. He made them shout out their dreams.
"I want to run a bar!"
"I want to become a first-rate carpenter!"
"I want to be a novelist!"
The three kids stood before Usopp, tears welling in their eyes, shouting their dreams with utmost conviction.
"I want you to swear here! Never give up on your dreams! Move forward on the path you want to take!" Usopp paused here, his eyes reddening. He looked up at the sky, took a deep breath, and shouted loudly, "I declare that from today, the Usopp Pirates are hereby dissolved!"
As he shouted this, the hot tears that had been building up in Usopp's and the three kids' eyes finally overflowed.
On this day, Usopp, to realize his dream of becoming a brave warrior of the sea, finally resolved to set sail and disbanded the Usopp Pirates of many years.
Six days later, the sprain in Tom's right foot, though not fully healed, had improved enough for him to walk with difficulty. This was largely thanks to the high-quality medicine Kaya had provided. Otherwise, he estimated he wouldn't have been able to walk properly for another week or two.
During these six days, Tom and the others recuperated at Kaya's mansion. Since the collapse of the cliff walls on both sides of the slope had blocked the path, and their ship was below that slope, they had to rest patiently while waiting for the villagers of Syrup Village to clear the blocked road.
However, to their surprise, when they were preparing to set sail, Merry told them that Kaya was willing to give them a new ship and wanted to speak with Tom about something.
So, Merry took Luffy and the others to see the new ship, while Tom and Nami went to see Kaya.
"It must be because you were caught stealing from someone's house, you shameless thief!" Nami said, walking beside Tom. After chatting with him over the past few days, she had learned that his unusual-looking fishing rod was stolen from Kaya's house, which left her speechless.
This guy is already a pirate, yet he still does these sneaky things. All that talk about pirate dignity he gave me before was just nonsense!
Thinking this, Nami shot a sharp glance at Tom, who remained unflinching and composed.
"I did save them, more or less. Isn't it normal to take some payment?" Tom retorted, curling his lip. "Why are you following me? Wasn't I the only one called over?"
"If you really like that fishing rod, I'll help you buy it. That's better than stealing from someone's house," Nami snorted lightly.
When did this woman become so kind-hearted? She's actually willing to spend money to buy something for me?
Tom looked at Nami with an expression of horror, as if he'd seen a ghost.
"What's that look for? If you don't want to, then forget it. You can live under the shadow of being a thief for the rest of your life," Nami said, then turned to leave.
'Live under the shadow of being a thief'... That phrase is more suited to describe you, woman.
Tom reasoned that if Nami was willing to spend money to help him, that was for the best. Getting it legitimately was better than having stolen it. It couldn't hurt to try.
"Hey, don't leave in such a hurry. Let's go sort this out together," Tom said, grabbing Nami's arm and leading her to see Kaya.
Sometime later, Tom and Nami arrived at Kaya's room. Finding Kaya standing dazed by the window, completely unaware of their arrival, Tom had to knock on the door.
Kaya still didn't react. Finally, Tom had to cough heavily a few times, which finally got Kaya's attention.
After inviting Tom and Nami in, Kaya smiled and said to Tom, "I asked you here because I have a few requests."
"What is it?" Tom asked, feeling strange. His relationship with Kaya was merely decent, not as close as Usopp's with her. Why would she have requests for him?
"Usopp is leaving the village today to become a pirate. If he's with all of you, I'd feel much more at ease," Kaya said, glancing unconsciously at the window, remembering the times Usopp would boast to her from the big tree outside. A faint smile touched her lips. "I'd like to ask you to look after Usopp. He loves to boast and sometimes pushes himself too hard. I just want him to live well. I don't want him to encounter danger."
"Miss Kaya, you're underestimating Usopp. He's not some weakling who needs constant care. If he joins us, then he and I will be crewmates. Helping each other is only natural," Tom said seriously. "I'm afraid I can't promise you that. If Usopp truly decides to sail with us, the person most responsible for his life is himself. If he's always protected, he'll never become stronger, never achieve his dream of becoming a brave warrior of the sea. You wouldn't be helping him; you'd be harming him!"
"Why do you have to be so blunt? Couldn't you have said it more tactfully?" Nami said, seeing Kaya's smile freeze upon hearing Tom's words. She thought this man was so straightforward, unable to be flexible.
"I'm telling the truth. And honestly, I don't have the power to guarantee Usopp's safety in the future. None of us know what dangers we'll face on the seas. If I make promises that are hard to keep so easily, how can I stand my ground?" Tom said seriously to Nami.
"Haha!" Kaya suddenly covered her mouth and laughed lightly. "You really are trustworthy. Then my first request is considered fulfilled."
"The second matter is very important to me," Kaya continued, not giving Tom a chance to speak. "Regarding the fishing rod you took from my house..."
"We'd like to buy that rod. Is that alright? It's very important to him," Nami interrupted anxiously before Kaya could finish.
"You really want to buy it?" Kaya asked, giving Tom and Nami a strange look.
"Is there a problem?" Nami asked, feeling a sense of foreboding.
One minute later.
"What?! You say that fishing rod is worth at least two hundred and seventy million Berries?!" Tom and Nami cried out in unison, clutching their heads, mouths agape wide enough to fit an egg.
Cold sweat poured down Nami's forehead. She had initially thought a fishing rod would cost at most a million Berries. She could grit her teeth and pay that, then make Tom pay her back ten or a hundred times over. She never expected things to go so far beyond her estimates that she nearly lost her temper.
"Yes. This rod was specially commissioned by my late father. It was designed for giant Sea Kings. The material used to forge it is a special metal unique to the West Blue called 'Air-Form,'" Kaya explained, watching the stunned pair. "This 'Air-Form' metal is a type that returns to its original size upon contact with air. In environments with little air, it shrinks to over ten times smaller, or more. So, this rod, which looks only about twenty centimeters long, can extend to nearly twenty meters when fully unfolded."
"So, this short rod has many segments inside, also made of Air-Form metal. They're normally sealed within the rod. When exposed to air, they can extend rapidly," Tom finally understood why the rod could shrink so short and extend so long.
"While Air-Form metal isn't as hard as the world's toughest diamond, it's about eighty percent as hard. Breaking it is very difficult," Kaya said, looking seriously at the short, silver-gray rod in Tom's hand. "Let me ask once more. Do you really wish to buy this rod?"
"Yes!" Nami said without hesitation.
Tom had been ready to give up. Something this expensive, which he'd just taken casually... Thinking about it now, he felt quite embarrassed. He had originally thought the rod was worth a hundred thousand Berries at most. Kaya's family was rich; such a loss would be a drop in the bucket for them. Besides, he had helped deal with the Kuro problem. Taking a hundred thousand as payment wasn't excessive, right?
He never anticipated the rod's value far exceeded his estimate, giving him a real sense of guilt as a thief. This also showed that Nami's ability to assess the value of objects was better than Tom's. Though she had also severely misjudged the rod's price this time, she was closer than Tom—after all, Nami was best at appraising treasure.
What Tom didn't expect was that Nami, who loved money as much as her life, would decisively say she wanted to buy this astronomically priced rod.
"Do you really have that much money?" Tom asked Nami, a flicker of hope in his heart.
"Nope!" Nami's casual answer immediately made Tom sweat. You don't have the money, so why shout so confidently?!
"We'll buy it on credit!" Nami stated firmly to Kaya.
As if she'd agree to that! Tom glanced at Nami. No sooner had this thought surfaced than he heard Kaya say, "Alright. As long as it's truly useful to you."
"You only took the rod. I can give you the rod's accessories as well, as a set. But only if you agree to one condition of mine," Kaya said, making Tom's heart stir. If the rod alone was this good, the accessories probably weren't bad either. If he could get it all, it would definitely be a boon for him. His weapon and fishing tool problems would be solved.
In fact, Tom had been somewhat puzzled before. If this rod was designed for Sea Kings, it seemed too simplistic. So, there were other accessories. That made sense. Sea Kings weren't easy to catch.
"My father had a wish: to use this rod to catch an enormous Sea King. But he passed away," Kaya said to Tom. "If you promise me that you will use this rod to catch a giant Sea King and have Usopp bring that Sea King back here, then I can give you the rod and its accessories for free."
"No problem. I can promise you that. I'll catch the world's largest Sea King to fulfill your father's wish," Tom declared, patting his chest. Kaya's request wasn't excessive, though he was still puzzled. Why does Usopp have to be the one to bring it back?
Nami, sitting beside Tom, sensed the underlying reason. To strengthen Tom's power, Kaya was willing to entrust him with this valuable rod left by her father. On one hand, she wanted Tom to fulfill her father's wish.
On the other hand, as Tom and the others grew stronger, Usopp, being with them, would become safer to a certain degree.
Kaya had really gone to great lengths for Usopp's sake. But getting such a great item without spending a single Berry was quite a profit.
Just as this thought crossed Nami's mind, she heard Kaya say with a smile, "I really envy the two of you, being able to set sail together."
"What are you talking about? Me setting sail is my own business. It has nothing to do with this idiot," Nami said, her face turning red for some reason as she pointed at Tom, who was fiddling with the rod beside her.
"You fool! Why are you insulting me for no reason?!" Tom said, putting the rod away, very displeased.
"You two really get along well," Kaya said to Tom and Nami with a mysterious smile. Then, extending the index fingers of both hands, her face reddening, she made a kissing gesture by touching the tips together. "That day when you fell from the sky, I actually saw. You two did this, didn't you?"
"WHAT?!" Tom and Nami exclaimed in shock simultaneously. Seeing Kaya's two index fingers intimately touching, like a pair of lovers kissing, both of them instantly turned to stone...
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T/N :
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