One Piece Chapter 23: Captain Usopp Enters

Two small sailboats travel across the open ocean. The leading boat has a pirate flag with a skull and crossbones. Nami looks forward with a serious expression, accompanied by a large "DO--N" sound effect. She declares, "WE NEED TO PLAN THINGS MORE!" Luffy sits casually on the edge of the boat, looking back at her. He asks, "WHAT DO YOU MEAN?" The back of Nami's head is visible as she asks, "ARE WE GOING TO THE 'GRAND LINE' LIKE THIS?" Luffy smiles and replies, "OH, THAT'S RIGHT! ALTHOUGH UNCLE CABBAGE GAVE US PLENTY OF FRUITS, WE DON'T HAVE ANY MEAT ON THIS SHIP!" Nami angrily yells back, "I AM NOT TALKING ABOUT THE FOOD SUPPLIES!"

Zoro lies back in the boat, arms behind his head, complaining, "AND WE DON'T HAVE ANY SAKE TO DRINK EITHER! HOW BORING!" Nami yells at him, her face drawn in a comical, exasperated style, "LET'S NOT WORRY ABOUT THE PROBLEM OF FOOD AND DRINK FIRST!" Nami then points her finger upward, explaining, "THE PLACE WE'RE GOING, THE 'GRAND LINE' IS THE MOST DANGEROUS PLACE IN THE WORLD! EVERY PIRATE IN THIS WORLD WISHES TO GET THE TREASURE THERE, SO WE NEED TO GET A BETTER SHIP FIRST!" A small translator note reads: "THE EVIL BUNNY SAYS: REAL PIRATES DRINK RUM! (OR GROG), BUT ODA-SENSEI (THE MANGAKA) PREFERS TO USE SAKE IN ONE PIECE". Nami rests her chin on her hand, thinking, "WE'RE ALSO SHORT ON CREW MEMBERS AND THIS SHIP DOESN'T HAVE ANY EQUIPMENT. NO MATTER WHAT YOU THINK, WE CAN'T POSSIBLY BE SAFE!" Another note says: "NOTE: FROM NOW ON, 'THE EVIL BUNNY' WILL PROVIDE THE INFO CORNERS FOR THIS MANGA ^_^: YOROSHIKU!". Luffy asks, "OH! WHAT DO WE DO THEN?" Nami, looking at a map, replies, "WE HAVE TO PREPARE FIRST, AND PLAN FOR THE JOURNEYS AHEAD. THERE'S A VILLAGE DUE NORTH. WE SHOULD GO THERE FIRST!" Luffy grins widely and says, "FIRST THING TO DO WHEN WE GET THERE IS LOOK FOR A BETTER SHIP! AND EAT SOME MEAT!" Nami sits in the background, looking exhausted by his priorities.

A young man with a long nose, wearing a plaid bandana, overalls, and a white sash, stands on a cliff overlooking the sea. Seagulls fly overhead, crying "KA!". He stretches his arms and says, "HU HU! IT'S SUCH A BEAUTIFUL DAY... THERE'S NOTHING LIKE STARTING SUCH A HAPPY AND REFRESHING DAY BY LOOKING AT THE SEA!" A translator note reads: "'USO' MEANS LIE IN JAPANESE; 'AESOP' IS THE AUTHOR OF 'THE BOY WHO CRIED WOLF' (COULD BE RELATED)." Below the cliff, a peaceful village is shown nestled among trees, with birds chirping "CHIRP!". The young man turns to face forward, crossing his arms confidently with a "DO--N" sound effect. A caption box introduces him: "VILLAGE YOUNGSTER USOPP".

The page opens with a large, panicked close-up of Usopp screaming, hands on his head, yelling, "THE PIRATES ARE ATTACKING! WE'RE IN DANGER!!" In the next panel, a villager looks out a window, saying, "THIS IS BAD!" as the sound effect "TAP TAP TAP..." indicates running. Usopp sprints down the middle of the village street, arms flailing, shouting, "EVERYBODY, RUN!! THE PIRATES ARE COMING! THE PIRATES ARE COMING!" with a "WAAAAA..." sound effect. The villagers react in various ways. A man with slicked-back hair looks shocked, exclaiming, "WHAT!? PIRATES!!?" Meanwhile, an older man with glasses calmly drinks his morning beverage while looking out the window, noting, "OH! USOPP IS STARTING TO SHOUT AGAIN, THAT MEANS I HAVE TO GO TO WORK NOW." A woman stands beside him. In another house, a man reading a newspaper with a cigarette in his mouth looks annoyed, saying, "NOT AGAIN..." while a woman nearby looks worried, saying, "THIS IS BAD! THIS IS BAD..."

A large panel shows Usopp laughing hysterically with his mouth wide open, declaring, "I WAS JUST JOKING...! WAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" A large sound effect booms behind him. The villagers' reactions quickly turn to anger. An angry man leans out of his window wielding a broom, yelling, "WHY YOU, LITTLE LIAR! I WON'T LET YOU GET AWAY THIS TIME!" Usopp starts running as a frying pan is thrown at him, hitting the ground with a "TANG!" sound. He grunts, "UHF!" In the bottom panel, Usopp runs down the street as multiple villagers lean out of their windows, shouting angrily. Usopp looks back and says, "UH OH! EVERYBODY'S COMIN' OUT TODAY!"

Usopp sprints away, laughing, "WA HA HA HA HA! THEY'RE CHASING ME!" A mob of angry villagers pursues him, brandishing brooms, pitchforks, and pans, yelling, "STOP RIGHT THERE! YOU BASTARD!" A large running sound effect accompanies the chase. In the next panel, the villagers have stopped, looking around in frustration. One says, "DAMN! HE GOT AWAY AGAIN!" Another adds, "THAT GUY DOESN'T SEEM TO BE ABLE TO GO ON FOR A DAY WITHOUT LYING! IF I EVER CATCH HIM, I'LL MAKE HIM PAY!" The villagers are seen from a distance, wondering, "WHERE DID HE GO ANYWAY?" In the foreground, a rustling sound "GASA..." comes from a bush. The final panel reveals Usopp hiding in the bushes, covering his mouth and snickering, "HEE HEE HEE HEE HE... I HAVE FOOLED THE WHOLE VILLAGE AGAIN!"

Usopp is now relaxing up in a tree, leaning back with his hands behind his head, laughing. He says, "I AM VERY HAPPY... I'VE DONE ANOTHER GOOD DEED TODAY! I'VE HELPED ADD SOME EXCITEMENT TO THIS BORING VILLAGE!" A rustling sound "GASA..." is heard. A voice from below calls out, "AH! THERE HE IS!" Usopp looks down, saying, "HUH?" A close-up shows Usopp smiling as he recognizes them, saying, "OH OH! IT'S YOU GUYS!" The bottom panel reveals two young boys standing below, both holding wooden swords. A translator note reads: "PIIMAN MEANS GREEN PEPPER & NINJIN MEANS CARROT". The boy on the right, wearing a skull and crossbones shirt, says, "GOOD MORNING!" A caption identifies him as "VILLAGE BOY PIIMAN". The boy on the left, wearing a skull and crossbones hat, yells, "CAPTAIN USOPP! USOPP'S PIRATE CREW READY FOR ACTION!" A caption identifies him as "VILLAGE BOY NINJIN".

Usopp stands with Ninjin and Piiman. Usopp asks, "PIIMAN, NINJIN, WHY ONLY YOU GUYS ARE HERE? WHERE'S TAMANEGI?" Piiman replies, "HE'S PROBABLY STILL SLEEPING," and Ninjin adds, "RIGHT?" Usopp agrees, "UH! I THINK SO!" Suddenly, a voice yells, "WAAA-AAAA!!" Usopp looks surprised. In the distance, a boy with glasses runs toward them, screaming, "THIS IS BAD! AAAAAAA!" Usopp recognizes him, "IT'S TAMANEGI!" Ninjin asks, "WHAT IS HE YELLING?" while Piiman wonders, "HOW CAN HE SLEEP SO MUCH?" Tamanegi sprints closer, panting "FUH... FUH..." with a rapid "TAP TAP TAP TAP" sound effect. He shouts, "THIS IS BAD! THE PIRATES ARE COMING!!" A caption introduces him as "VILLAGE BOY TAMANEGI".

Tamanegi frantically reports, "IT'S TRUE! I JUST SAW IT! THE SHIP HAS A SKULL FLAG, AND HAS COME DOWN TO THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE SHORE!" Usopp points at him and says, "YOU'RE LYING!" but Tamanegi insists, "IT'S TRUE!" Tamanegi continues, "AND THE SYMBOL ON THE FLAG IS OF BUGGY'S PIRATE FLEET!" A small vision of Buggy's ship with its skull and crossbones flag appears behind him. Usopp looks shocked, exclaiming, "WHAT DID YOU SAY?" Tamanegi cries, "IT'S TRUE! WE'RE DEAD!" Usopp immediately turns and sprints away, declaring, "ALAS! TIME FOR SNACKS!" The three boys yell after him, "DON'T RUN AWAY!" Usopp stops, clutching his stomach and sweating, making an excuse: "ACTUALLY, I HAVE THIS DISEASE THAT WILL KILL ME IF I DON'T EAT SNACKS..." The boys angrily shout back, "YOU'RE LYING!"

Ninjin and Piiman yell at Usopp, "CAPTAIN, AREN'T YOU ALWAYS SAYING YOU WANT TO BE A REAL PIRATE!? HOW CAN A PIRATE BE AFRAID OF OTHER PIRATES!?" Usopp turns back, sweating, and rationalizes, "THAT'S RIGHT! AND THERE ARE ONLY THREE OF THEM..." Tamanegi asks, "WHAT? THREE...?" Usopp adds, "IT'S JUST TWO SMALL BOATS!" Usopp then strikes a confident pose, raising his fist high with a loud "DO--N!!" sound effect. He declares, "OKAY! USOPP'S PIRATE, LET'S MOVE! LET'S FIGHT FOR THE VILLAGE AND PEACE!" He starts running off, shouting, "LET'S GO! FOLLOW ME!" The three boys initially stare in silence with a "..." bubble, but then they cheer enthusiastically, raising their fists and yelling, "YES!!" and "YES CAPTAIN!!"

A wide view shows a large island with mountains in the distance under a cloudy sky. Luffy, Zoro, and Nami arrive at the island's shore in their two small boats. Luffy stands at the bow of his boat, holding a wooden pole, and looks out, saying, "WOW! THERE'S REALLY AN ISLAND HERE!!" Zoro sits behind him, resting his arms on his knees, and replies, "SO WHAT DID YOU EXPECT?" Nami, standing on the shore nearby, says, "WE FOLLOWED THE MAP, SO IT WON'T BE WRONG!" Luffy responds, "OH..." as the boat bumps against the shore with a "GAKON!" sound effect. Luffy points forward with a big smile, asking, "IS THERE A VILLAGE HERE?" Nami looks down at a map in her hands and confirms, "UH HUH! LOOKS LIKE THERE'S A SMALL VILLAGE!"

The page starts with three young boys, Ninjin, Piiman, and Tamanegi, hiding behind a bush on a cliff overlooking the shore. One asks, "HEY! TAMANEGI, ARE THOSE THE PIRATES THAT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT?" Tamanegi replies, "THAT'S RIGHT! LOOK, THERE'S A PIRATE SYMBOL!" pointing towards the two small boats docked below. Another boy observes, "THEY DON'T LOOK SCARY!" and the first agrees, "YEAH!" Down on the beach, Luffy stretches his arms high, exclaiming, "BEEN A LONG TIME SINCE I LAST STOOD ON FIRM GROUND..." Nami, standing nearby with her hands on her hips, retorts, "THAT'S BECAUSE YOU WERE SLEEPING ALL THE TIME!" Meanwhile, Usopp is shown hiding behind a rock, sweating and looking nervous, thinking ".........". In the next panel, Zoro looks back over his shoulder and casually remarks, "BY THE WAY, I JUST NOTICED A MOMENT AGO... WHAT ARE THOSE GUYS DOING THERE?" Luffy and Nami look confused. A large, jagged sound effect "Gikuuu!!" (SHOCKED!) erupts from the bush where the three boys are hiding, indicating they realize they've been spotted.

Usopp, still hiding, yells out in panic, "HEY! YOU... DON'T RUN AWAY!!" as the three boys sprint away from the cliff edge, screaming, "WAAAA..! WE'VE BEEN FOUND!!" Large sound effects accompany their hasty retreat. Usopp is left sweating with a shocked expression. Below, Zoro, Luffy, and Nami stare up at him with blank, unimpressed expressions. Suddenly, Usopp regains his composure and strikes a dramatic, confident pose on top of the cliff, arms crossed, looking down at them. A massive "Zudo--n!!" sound effect emphasizes his stance. He boldly declares, "I AM THE GREAT PIRATE FLEET LEADER, USOPP, WHO IS IN CHARGE OF THE SECURITY OF THIS VILLAGE! I'M ALSO KNOWN AS 'CAPTAIN', 'CAPTAIN USOPP'!"

A wide shot shows Usopp standing high on the cliff, looking down at Luffy, Zoro, and Nami on the beach. Usopp continues his boast, "IT'S BEST IF YOU DON'T TRY TO ATTACK THIS VILLAGE, BECAUSE MY 80 MILLION MEN ARE NOT GOING TO FORGIVE YOU!" with a "Do--n" sound effect. Nami looks up at him calmly and says, "YOU'RE LYING RIGHT?" Usopp instantly breaks character, grabbing his head in a panicked, comical overreaction, screaming, "WAA! I'VE BEEN CAUGHT!" An arrow points to him with the text "BULL'S EYE!". Nami sweatdrops and points out, "SEE, YOU EVEN SAID IT YOURSELF!" Usopp continues to freak out, thinking, "ARGHH!! DID I JUST SAY THAT? BAD PLANNING! BAD PLANNING INDEED!" with another "BULL'S EYE!" arrow pointing at him. In the bottom panel, Luffy laughs uproariously, holding his stomach, "HAHAHAHA! YOU'RE SO FUNNY!" Usopp, looking annoyed and sweating, yells back, "HEY! DON'T UNDERESTIMATE ME! I AM A MAN WITH HIGH SELF-ESTEEM! AND EVERYONE CALLS ME THE 'HONORABLE USOPP'!"

The scene shifts to the village. An exterior shot shows a building with a sign reading "MESHI" (Food). A caption box notes, "A SMALL TAVERN IN THE VILLAGE." Chatter sound effects surround the building. Inside, Zoro, Nami, Usopp, and Luffy are seated around a table filled with food and drinks. Zoro is drinking from a glass, Nami is holding a cup, and Luffy is happily stuffing a massive piece of meat on a bone into his mouth. Usopp asks, "SO, YOU'RE LOOKING FOR COMPANIONS AND A BIG SHIP?" Luffy, with his mouth full, replies, "YUP!" Usopp smiles, "OH! SOUNDS LIKE A BIG ADVENTURE!" Nami looks surprised and asks, "WHAT? LOOKING FOR COMPANIONS?" In the next panel, Usopp leans in, telling Luffy, "THERE'S ONLY ONE PLACE WHERE YOU CAN FIND THE STUFF YOU WANT IN THIS VILLAGE... ALTHOUGH IT'S NOT A VERY BIG SHIP, BUT IT'S NOT THAT SMALL EITHER". Nami asks, "WHERE?" Usopp's expression turns serious as he explains, "THERE'S A MANSION NOT FAR FROM THIS VILLAGE THAT BELONGS TO A WEALTHY FAMILY. THE SHIP BELONGS TO THE MANSION'S OWNER".

Inside the tavern, Usopp continues his explanation to Nami. He gestures with his hand, saying, "ALTHOUGH WE SAY THAT SHE IS THE OWNER... SHE IS A PITIFUL YOUNG GIRL... A WEAK AND SICK GIRL THAT ALWAYS LIES ON THE BED..." Nami listens attentively. In the next panel, Nami asks, "EH? THEN HOW COME SHE'S THE OWNER OF THE MANSION?" Meanwhile, Luffy is happily chewing on a bone and holding up a glass, shouting, "OBASAN!! ANOTHER PLATE OF MEAT!!" Zoro, sitting next to him, yells, "I WANT SOME MORE SAKE..." Nami turns to them angrily, shouting, "ARE YOU LISTENING TO ME!!?" A small translator note at the bottom reads: ": OBASAN MEANS AUNT OR MA'AM". In the bottom panel, Usopp continues his story, "I THINK IT HAPPENED AROUND A YEAR AGO.. THAT GIRL'S PARENTS DIED OF SICKNESS, LEAVING HER A LARGE INHERITANCE, A MANSION, AND OVER TEN SERVANTS..." A detailed drawing of a large, impressive mansion with a gated entrance is shown behind him.

Usopp leans back in his chair with his hands behind his head, looking serious. He says, "EVEN IF YOU ARE REALLY RICH, IT DOESN'T EXEMPT YOU FROM SORROW". Nami looks down thoughtfully. She then smiles gently and decides, "LET'S FORGET ABOUT SEARCHING FOR A SHIP IN THIS VILLAGE. WE'LL GO AND SEARCH SOMEWHERE ELSE..." In the next panel, Zoro and Luffy stop eating and look up in surprise with a "!?" above them. Usopp looks shocked, sweating, and says, "NEVERMIND..." A "BAN..." sound effect is visible on the table. In the bottom panel, Luffy smiles broadly and says, "OKAY! BUT WE'RE NOT IN A HURRY ANYWAYS, I STILL WANT SOME MORE MEAT! LET'S BUY SOME MORE MEAT FOR OUR SUPPLY!" Usopp points at Luffy, remembering something, and asks, "OH YEAH, YOU......SAID EARLIER THAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR COMPANIONS? IS THERE SOMEBODY WHO WANTS TO BE OUR COMPANION?"

Usopp strikes a confident pose, pointing to himself with a wide grin and a sparkle effect. He declares, "LET ME BE THE CAPTAIN, AND I'LL JOIN YOU!" A large "DON!" sound effect accompanies his boast. In a smaller panel to the left, Nami and Zoro have collapsed onto the table in exasperation, while Luffy looks on blankly. Nami flatly rejects him, "NEVERMIND!" Usopp reacts with comical shock, his jaw dropping as he yells, "WHAT KIND OF ATTITUDE IS THAT?" The scene then shifts to the exterior of the large mansion mentioned earlier. Inside, a young blonde woman, Kaya, sits by a window, looking out. She says softly, "UHM... CLAHADOR..." A tall man in a dark suit and glasses, Klahadore, stands in the doorway holding a clipboard. He asks, "WHAT IS IT, KAYA OJOU-SAMA?" Kaya, looking out the window with a gentle expression, replies, "I... I WANT TO SEE USOPP-SAN..." A translator note at the bottom reads: ": 'OJOU-SAMA' IS A RESPECTABLE WAY OF SAYING 'MISS' OR 'MISTRESS'".

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