Chapter 136 Fateful encounter

Author: Xiao Yifeng

Translator: PapaSmurf0700

Van Augur, after finishing his dismissive remarks about Usopp's credibility as a sniper, cradled his sniper rifle, emphasizing the importance of the weapon to his craft. "For a sniper, the weapon is the most important and absolute," he declared, his eyes alight with a fervent passion for his beloved gun, which he believed destined him to become the world's premier sniper.

"You don't even have a sniper rifle, so you are destined not to be my opponent," he pronounced, looking dismissively at the pistols at Usopp's waist. As he prepared to leave, confident in his superiority and dismissing Usopp as a true competitor, a determined voice stopped him.

"I can't pretend I didn't hear that," Usopp retorted, his usual timid demeanor giving way to a moment of defiant courage. His fingers brushed under his nose as he spoke, his mouth curving into a smile of confidence. "Guys who only rely on weapons are not qualified to say such things to me, so leave." In his heart, Usopp held onto his core values: the memories of his loved ones, his pride in being a sniper, and the gifts he cherished, including the dual guns given by his deputy captain, which he now wielded.

This was Usopp, not just the sniper of the Straw Hat Pirates, but a man with his own sense of dignity and pride. Despite his fears and self-doubt, he stood his ground against Van Augur, defending his honor and the significance of his chosen weapons.

Usopp, with his dual pistols drawn, gently ran his fingers over their familiar contours. He spoke with a blend of nostalgia and pride, "Those pistols are my best friends and have helped me defeat many enemies." However, he swiftly transitioned, asserting a pivotal belief, "I never thought I would rely on their strength to become number one in the world."

Standing tall and meeting Van Augur's gaze squarely, Usopp declared, "It's not that you can call yourself a sniper because of a weapon!" His conviction was clear as he proclaimed, "I believe that even with only a slingshot, I can become the strongest sniper in the world because it's always a human being who pulls the trigger."

With that, he raised his pistol skyward and fired a shot without employing any special ammunition or tactics. The result was immediate and impactful: a seagull plummeted from the sky, landing right between them, a testament to Usopp's marksmanship.

Van Augur, observing the fallen seagull and then turning his attention back to Usopp, reassessed the long-nosed sniper. Before this display, Van Augur might not have given another thought to Usopp, but the precise shot made it impossible to disregard him. For the first time, Van Augur considered the possibility that Usopp could be a formidable adversary in the future.

With a nod to himself, Usopp holstered his pistols and turned to leave. His departure was swift, without any farewells. He justified his abrupt exit internally, "I interrupted him for being interesting just now, and now I must make a quick decision. Bai Ye, what do you call this? Oh, right—Take care..." With those final thoughts, Usopp walked away, leaving an impression on Van Augur and reaffirming his own path as a sniper.

-----

After hearing the detailed accounts of Chopper and Usopp's encounters, Bai Ye was filled with a sense of wonder and remarked, "It's really fate." He found it intriguing that in such a vast town, they had coincidentally met two members of the Blackbeard Pirates, and moreover, those who held similar roles within their respective crews. He pondered briefly on the nature of destiny and its mysterious workings.

However, Bai Ye quickly brushed off these thoughts, recognizing that any significant confrontation between the Straw Hats and the Blackbeard Pirates was a story for another time, as per the original narrative. He redirected the crew's focus: "From now on, only Luffy and the others are left to find." He proposed that once they regrouped with Luffy, they should use the map Robin had obtained to locate Mont Blanc.

With that, the rest of the crew nodded in agreement, ready to proceed with their mission. "Let's go!" they echoed.

-----

In a local tavern, Nami sat at the bar counter, clearly irate. "It really pisses me off, that guy Luffy, is he really an idiot?" she muttered under her breath, her annoyance palpable. Beside her, Zoro, equally perplexed by her anger, finished his drink and signaled for another, "Really, why are you so angry? Boss, give me another drink."

The source of Nami's frustration was an unexpected encounter after Luffy's victory over Burgess. They had inadvertently entered a hotel controlled by the Bellamy Pirates. They met Sarquiss, Bellamy's second-in-command, along with a female crew member. The confrontation escalated when Sarquiss contemptuously threw some change at their feet, suggesting they buy better clothes to replace their 'shabby' ones. Luffy's naive inquiry, "Can I take it?" only intensified Sarquiss's mockery, solidifying his perception of Luffy and his crew as mere novices, and he laughed heartily at them. This entire episode was why Nami was still simmering with rage.

After another sip of her drink, Nami banged her glass on the counter, voicing her exasperation about the townspeople. The bartender, observing her state, refilled her glass, and offered a piece of local wisdom, "This is a town made up of countless pirates. Here, strength is everything." He placed the refilled glass in front of Nami and added, "Please use it. It seems that your anger will not dissipate for a while. I will treat you with this glass of wine."

Caught off guard by the bartender's understanding and his unexpected generosity in such a tough town, Nami paused her tirade, her gaze shifting to the bartender, momentarily distracted from her anger.

At that moment, the tavern owner moved to the other side of the bar, busying himself with arranging food on plates. He continued imparting his local wisdom, "In this town, if you don't have the strength and take everything into your heart, it will be very sad. So the best way is not to provoke them." After saying this, he placed two cherry pies on the table, gesturing for Nami to enjoy, "Please enjoy."

Nami, still feeling the sting of the town's rough nature, remarked, "Really shitty place." The owner, while cleaning the wine cabinet, responded, "You can think that way, which means you are a normal person. But unfortunately, normal people are abnormal here. The Log Pose will be set in about four days, so just leave at that time." His words hinted at the peculiar and often harsh reality of life in this pirate-dominated town.

Nami expressed her concern, "Is it going to take 4 days? I can't stay here for two days only." She suddenly remembered their objective to go to Sky Island. A four-day delay could disrupt their plans, especially without the Log Pose's guidance to navigate them. Just as she was about to address the bartender again, two distinct voices interrupted her:

"Hey uncle!" "Hey boss!" The sounds were followed by the noise of someone knocking on the table. Both the bartender and Nami turned to see the newcomers. One was Luffy, and the other was a towering man with dark skin, twice the height of Luffy's. His appearance was striking - a large, round body with thin limbs, a mouth with several broken teeth, a pronounced crooked nose, and a thick, woolly mane of black hair flowing under a black bandanna. His attire consisted of an open white shirt, green patterned trousers, a yellow sash, and classic black boots with large bronze buckles.

There was no mistaking his identity - this was Marshall D. Teach, captain of the Blackbeard Pirates, destined to be Luffy's lifelong enemy.

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