Two Dreams, One Adventure

Determined to Save Them!

Usopp came walking over, looking incredibly dejected. Luffy watched in confusion when the long-nosed teen told them all that pirates weren't going to attack. He was lying the whole time. Luffy was confused. He'd heard it all, too. Zoro looked at him, and Luffy gave an unsure shrug, not knowing why Usopp was doing this. What was the point? "Just like all the other times, it was just a lie!" he said with a laugh. "I was just having revenge on that butler! By making up stories about him being a pirate!" He laughed again.

Luffy was... disappointed. The three kids were, too, but for a different reason. They left, disagreeing with what Usopp lied about, it wasn't right to make up lies like that. The three stayed silent, expecting an explanation that they got almost the moment the kids were out of hearing range.

"Because I lied so much, none of the villagers believed me."

"Even so, the pirates are still going to attack, right?" Nami asked. Usopp nodded, completely sure. They were going to attack in the morning, he was positive.

He punched the ground, a guilty look on his face. "No one believes me! They all think tomorrow morning will be completely normal!" Then he declared he was going to save the village anyway, even if none of them believed him. Even if they got angry at him again, chased him with the aim to hurt him. This was his home and he'd protect it. "I love this village. I can't do nothing when everyone is going to be killed!"

The three pirates smiled, and vowed to help him. "But I get the treasure," Nami said suddenly. Luffy asked what the plan was, while Usopp was crying silently, looking in shock. Why would stranger pirates help him out with this? But didn't he know they were friends already? And friends helped friends, didn't they?

While the three pirates looked unbothered and not nervous at all, Usopp was shaking in fear, and tried to get himself to stop. "Stop looking at me, of course I'm scared! A pirate fleet is going to attack tomorrow!" he shouted, looking embarrassed about being so scared. "I don't need your sympathy, go away!"

Luffy frowned, his eyebrows furrowing in annoyance. But Zoro was the one to reply first. "We're not sympathizing with you! We're commending you for having courage." Luffy glared and asked why else they would risk their lives.

Usopp started to cry again, but wasn't angry. It had only lasted a few seconds. "You guys... I'm so touched!" he cried. Luffy grinned.

-x-

The next morning, they stood at the slope they poured oil on, which would stop the pirates from getting up the cliff from the beach. They would guard it, make sure nobody made it past them. The pirates were close, Luffy could smell them and the smell of alcohol. It was strong there. He told Zoro they were near, without Usopp hearing.

Zoro put his arm around Luffy's waist. Usopp was watching them, and asked if they were together. Luffy simply nodded. Usopp said nothing more, and they didn't see his expression after he found out.

But Luffy heard and smelled their ship coming from the other direction, and he bluntly said that. Zoro cursed, and Usopp shouted in horror. Luffy went running in that direction to stop them from getting to the village, running as fast as he could, which was pretty fast, to be honest. But he somehow found his way to the village.

"I'd been going to the north shore! What the heck?!" he said angrily, and then went in the direction he thought he'd been going to before. He managed to find it, but was now angry he'd missed the fight! When he got there, Zoro arrived, too, and stunk of the oil. He told Luffy to not ask before he did.

Nami called, "What took you so long?"

"How dare you kick me!" Zoro shouted.

"You didn't even tell me where north was, Usopp!" Luffy shouted just as angrily. They were there to kick some ass. Jango looked at Luffy with a slight amount of worry on his face. After all, Luffy had outright, violently attacked him out of nowhere. He was an enemy, so Luffy wasn't so against doing such a thing again.