Cursed Seas and Slashing Tides

The group was still eating when three kids burst into the restaurant, frantic.

"Where's our captain!?" one of the kids asked, eyes darting around.

Luffy let out a satisfied sigh. "Man, that meat was good!"

"Meat!?" One of the kids glanced at the empty plates in horror. "D-don't tell me..."

"Your captain... got eaten." Zoro said with a sinister grin.

"Aaahhhh! Ogres!" the kids screamed, backing away.

"Why are you looking at me!?" Nami exclaimed, and then glared at Zoro and Ryomen, who both started laughing.

"It's not funny!" Nami huffed, arms crossed.

…

Later, one of the kids mumbled. "So he went to the mansion, huh?"

"Where the sick girl lives?" Nami asked, a little confused.

"Why would he go there?" Luffy scratched his head.

The kids explained that Usopp visits the girl often, telling her wild stories to cheer her up.

"Well, let's go ask her for a ship!" Luffy said, ready to go.

"But we already decided we wouldn't!" Nami shot back, exasperated.

…

At the mansion, Luffy yelled at the top of his lungs, "Hey! I need a ship!"

No one responded, so Luffy casually climbed the gate, much to the others disbelief.

"He's actually doing it…" Ryomen muttered, shaking his head.

"Why are you here!?" Usopp's voice rang out, full of surprise.

Luffy ignored him and peered up at a window where a girl was sitting. "You're the owner, right?"

"Yes… why?" Kaya responded, confused.

"I want a big, sturdy ship!"

Just then, a man in a suit arrived, eyes narrowing at the scene. "What do you think you're doing? You realize you're trespassing, right? And you, Usopp... I recognize you."

The man sneered, his voice dripping with disdain as he belittled Usopp and his family. Usopp, unable to hold back, threw a punch.

"Shut up!"

The man wiped his mouth, unfazed. "Like father, like son. You're an animal, just like him."

Usopp clenched his fists. "I'm proud my father's a pirate! A brave sea warrior!"

"Hmph, you're just after Miss Kaya's fortune. Get out, now." the man snapped.

"Stop it, both of you!" Kaya intervened, her voice trembling.

Usopp's face hardened as he turned away. "Fine. I'm leaving. And I'm never coming back!"

"Let's go before this guy starts yelling at us too," Ryomen muttered, casting a disdainful glance at the butler.

The man's glare darkened before he turned back to the house.

…

Later, the group stood by a fence, chatting idly when one of the kids ran up, panting.

"Guys! There's a strange man coming this way... walking backward! Look!"

They all turned to see a man indeed walking backward, as strange as could be.

"I'm not strange!" the man shouted. "I'm just a typical traveling hypnotist!"

The kids' eyes lit up, and they begged him to show them a trick.

"Alright! When I say 'one, two, Django,' you'll all fall asleep."

The moment the hypnotist repeated the phrase, both he and the kids collapsed into deep slumber.

Zoro facepalmed. "Now that's strange."

Ryomen raised an eyebrow, watching the man warily.

…

Meanwhile, Usopp stood on top of a cliff, gazing out at the sea.

"Hey! There you are!" Luffy called out, suddenly appearing beside him.

"Don't sneak up on me!" Usopp yelped.

"Yasopp is your dad, right?" Luffy asked casually.

"Huh? How do you know that?"

"I met him when I was a kid. He's part of Shanks' pirate crew."

Usopp's jaw dropped. "What!? He's with a famous pirate crew?"

Luffy nodded, explaining how Yasopp was an amazing sharpshooter.

Usopp's anger flared again. "That butler spat on his name..."

"You mean that butler?" Luffy pointed down at the base of the cliff, where the butler and the strange hypnotist were talking.

They both listened as the two conspired about hypnotizing Kaya to steal her fortune and then kill her.

"They're going to attack the village and kill Kaya!" Usopp whispered, fear taking over.

"Hey! You guys! Don't kill Kaya!" Luffy shouted at the top of his lungs.

Startled, the butler and Jango noticed the pair. Jango wasted no time, flashing his hypnotic rings. Usopp ducked just in time, but Luffy wasn't so lucky. He fell asleep instantly, tumbling off the cliff.

"Didn't mean to kill him, but whatever." Jango said, indifferent.

Believing Usopp wasn't a threat, they left, confident in their plan.

Shaken, Usopp bolted back toward the village, running past Ryomen and the others at top speed.

Zoro blinked in confusion before looking at Ryomen. "How do we get to the beach?" They

asked in unison.

…

Usopp, out of breath, burst into the village, screaming at the top of his lungs. "Pirates are going to attack tomorrow! We need to leave now!"

Instead of panic, the villagers erupted in anger. "Shut up, Usopp! Stop disturbing us with your nonsense!"

"You have to believe me!" Usopp pleaded desperately. "Everyone's really going to die!"

…

At the edge of the island, a pirate ship quietly docked.

Klahadore, the butler, smirked as he spoke to the pirate crew. "Thank you for coming. It's been a long time. Tomorrow, at dawn... destroy the village."

The pirates grinned, eager for the impending destruction.

…

Back at the beach, the group found Luffy waking up after being hypnotized, and learned about Kuro's plan.

"We can't let them destroy the town and kill all these people!" Nami shouted, her fists clenched in anger.

"Of course we won't!!" Luffy responded, determination flashing in his eyes.

Ryomen let out a long sigh, leaning back against a tree. "Why does a fight need to happen everywhere we go?"

Zoro, arms crossed, smiled slightly. "Who cares? The more enemies, the better."

…

"Dammit! Why doesn't anyone believe me!?" Usopp shouted, tears running down his face as he stumbled back from Kaya's mansion.

His breath hitched, the sting of rejection deep in his chest after trying and failing to convince her about Klahadore's true identity and plans. The thought of her in danger, trusting that snake of a man, made his heart ache.

"They're the only ones who might be able to help me now…" He thought of Luffy and the others. Usopp knew the villagers wouldn't believe him—they never did. But those pirates, that crew, they were different.

He trudged back toward the beach, shoulders heavy with guilt. When he reached the group, his throat tightened. Instead of telling them the truth, he lied. "I made everything up." He said, voice wavering. The lie stung more than he thought it would, especially as the kids, his loyal "crew" looked at him with shock and hurt before turning away.

…

Later that night, the group gathered by the beach. The moonlight cast a pale glow over the ocean, the only sound being the gentle lapping of waves. They sat in silence, each lost in their own thoughts, until finally, Usopp broke it.

"We have to stop them. Even if no one believes me… I can't let this happen."

Luffy stood up, stretching his arms with a grin. "Then we'll help you protect your village."

Zoro nodded in agreement. "Sounds simple enough."

Ryomen glanced at the dark horizon, his expression unreadable. "So we're doing this, huh?"

Nami sighed, crossing her arms. "Of course we are."

…

At dawn, the plan was finally set in motion. They spread out across the shore, awaiting the attack.

Ryomen and Zoro stood in front of a hill coated with oil. Ryomen's eyes scanned the horizon before glancing at Zoro with a smirk. "Why do I always have to remind you about these things?"

Zoro grumbled, his hand resting on one of his swords. "I get it, alright! Lucky us."

Ryomen chuckled. "At least you get it now. But seriously, forgetting that the beach has two shores could've cost us greatly."

After a few moments of silence, faint screams echoed from the other side of the beach.

Zoro straightened up. "Seems like it's starting. We need to head over there."

Ryomen glanced back toward the forest path. "Follow me, and try not to get lost."

"I'm not gonna!!" Zoro shouted, annoyed as they raced through the trees.

…

On the other side, Luffy, Nami, and Usopp watched as the pirates slipped one by one on the oil they had carefully spread.

Luffy burst out laughing. "Hahaha! These guys are really funny!"

Usopp stepped forward, trying to muster his courage. "Listen to me! I am Captain Usopp! Leave now or be ready to face defeat!"

Jango, the hypnotist, smirked. "Why would we listen to you?"

Usopp froze for a second. 'Damn, he's got a point,' he thought. His mind raced for a way out. "Alright then! I'll let my subordinate handle you!" Usopp pointed dramatically at Luffy.

Jango blinked. "Huh? Shouldn't you be dead?"

Luffy cracked his knuckles. "Are you an idiot?" He then grinned, his arms stretching. "Whatever, I'll just beat you all! Gomu-Gomu no…Gatling Gun!!"

Luffy unleashed a flurry of punches, pummeling the pirates in rapid succession. Usopp and Jango stood frozen in shock, wide-eyed at the display of raw power.

"Dammit!" Jango cursed, stumbling backward. "Seems we're not enough! Meowban Brothers, get down here!"

Two figures emerged from the ship—cat-like humans with sleek movements and deadly claws.

"What's the problem, Captain?" one of them asked lazily.

"Butchie, Siam! Get rid of those three!" Jango ordered, pointing to Luffy, Nami, and Usopp.

The brothers initially hesitated, but soon rushed toward Nami and Usopp with malicious intent. But before their claws could strike, they were intercepted—Butchie's attack blocked by a slash from Ryomen, and Siam's claws met with the clink of Zoro's sword.

"Saving you is starting to become a habit, huh?" Ryomen teased, glancing at Nami with an amused smirk.

Nami, catching her breath, smirked back. "Let's hope it doesn't become a regular thing."

"We made it just in time." Zoro said, his usual calm demeanor breaking with a smile.

Ryomen raised an eyebrow. "Could've arrived faster if you didn't get lost."

Zoro shot him an irritated look. "Shut up!"

From the side, Jango mumbled, "Now there's even more of them? Captain Kuro won't like this…"

Butchie growled, shaking off his surprise. "You bastard! I'll make you pay for that!" He lunged at Ryomen, but Ryomen quickly sidestepped and knocked him unconscious with a powerful blow.

"Butchie!" Siam shouted, but before he could react, Zoro swiftly disarmed him, taking him down with ease.

Luffy, now standing before Jango, grinned. "You're the last one!" And with a single punch, Jango fell to the ground, unconscious.

Suddenly, a cold voice cut through the air. "What is going on here!?"

Kuro stood at the top of the hill, his eyes scanning the battlefield littered with his fallen crew. His anger radiated through his sharp gaze, locking onto the group below.

Ryomen chuckled darkly. "Finally, the boss shows up, huh?" His smirk deepened as Kuro's eyes narrowed, filled with dangerous intent.

.....

Hello there! Hope you liked the chapter. Just wanted to tell all of you I won't be able to post for a while, that's all. So see you next time, on Dragon Ball Z!