In a cold, dark Marine prison, a long-nosed man, bound tightly by ropes, sat on the ground with a look of utter defeat, trembling as he muttered in a low voice.
"The Going Merry is safe and sound, but why did I get caught by the Marines again?" "Luffy Zoro Sanji Sherlock Aaaaah! Anyone is fine, just please hurry up and rescue me from here!"
Usopp's heart pounded frantically. Naturally a coward, being all alone in this dark and oppressive environment made it even worse for him.
However, when pushed into a corner, people can unleash surprising potential, and Usopp was no exception. It was as if a bolt of lightning flashed through his mind, and the long-nosed fellow instantly remembered a highly important matter.
(That's right! Those Marines only confiscated my tool bag, but they didn't search my pockets.)
(If I remember correctly, there's still an Axe Dial hidden in my pocket—it's perfect for helping me escape!)
Usopp's eyes lit up, and he immediately began wriggling his body, trying to fish the Dial out of his pocket.
Whether those Marines did it on purpose or were genuinely careless, the ropes tied around Usopp were highly unprofessional. After squirming on the ground like a giant caterpillar for a while, he actually managed to fish a seashell out of his pocket. It had to be said, this guy's physical flexibility was really something.
(Great! First, I'll use it to slice through these ropes!)
Covered in sweat, Usopp was overjoyed. He adjusted the direction of the Axe Dial to avoid injuring himself, then gritted his teeth and pressed it hard!
Click! A crisp sound echoed clearly in the silent cell.
Nothing happened.
"..." Usopp was utterly dumbfounded.
(What's going on? The ropes aren't cut? Could this Axe Dial be broken?)
However, before he could think any further, footsteps suddenly echoed from outside the cell. Startled, Usopp didn't even have time to put away the Axe Dial in his hand; he simply sat right on top of it. Taking a deep breath, he tried to look calm as he stared at the cell door.
Tap, tap...
As the footsteps drew nearer, Usopp's heart leaped into his throat. The atmosphere felt exceptionally oppressive.
Clank! The cell door swung open, and a tall, thin figure walked in slowly. Although the light inside the cell was dim, the long-nosed fellow, possessing incredible eyesight, could still clearly make out the newcomer's appearance.
A black suit, a white Marine officer's coat, golden bangs covering his eyes, and a smile brimming with malice and ridicule at the corners of his mouth.
Gulp... Usopp subconsciously swallowed hard.
Though he couldn't see the other man's eyes, he instinctively felt that this rather young-looking Marine officer definitely did not come with good intentions!
"What... what exactly do you want here, you bastard?! Are you here to interrogate me? You might as well give up, because Captain Usopp will never betray his comrades!"
To bolster his own courage, Usopp blustered loudly, putting on a brave face despite his inner terror. "I advise you to let me go right now, or else my 8,000 subordinates will definitely make you realize exactly what it means to wish you were dead!"
Hearing this, the blonde Marine was stunned for a moment. Then, as if suddenly realizing something, he actually began to clap his hands enthusiastically in all seriousness.
"Impressive, impressive, impressive!"
Clapping his hands, Fred praised him from the bottom of his heart, "Hehehe, you CP5 agents really live up to being specially trained by the World Government. That acting is truly top-tier!"
"If I hadn't known your identity beforehand, I probably really would have taken you for a goofy pirate who's so terrified that his mind has gone a bit unhinged."
(Who are you calling unhinged, you bastard? Eh? Wait... what nonsense is he talking about? CP5? Agents? And... acting??? Is there something wrong with this guy's brain?)
Usopp's mind was instantly filled with question marks. What on earth was this blonde Marine talking about?
"Speaking of which, you professionals really are amazing. At first, I was worried about how you guys would manage to sneak into this fortress, and whether I'd need to cut you some slack. But to my surprise, you actually came in without warning, like you just dropped out of the sky, without leaving a single trace."
"It's just, why did you have to disguise yourselves as the Straw Hat crew? That could easily blow your cover!"
After voicing his admiration, Fred finally noticed Usopp's utterly bewildered expression and laughed:
"Hehehe, I almost forgot to introduce myself. I am 'Black Crow' Fred, the client for your mission this time. I assume your superior, Spandam, must have given you a heads-up beforehand?"
Usopp didn't answer. Instead, he just stared at Fred as if looking at an alien, waves of shock crashing through his heart.
Although he still didn't understand the exact situation, the long-nosed fellow could be certain of one thing: this blonde Marine with the covered eyes had completely misunderstood something.
And it was a monumental misunderstanding!
(Calm down! Calm down! Calm down! This is a great opportunity! A golden chance to escape!)
Usopp's breathing gradually grew heavy as his brain worked at lightning speed. The long-nosed fellow, who was usually in the habit of bragging and bluffing under pressure, suddenly felt that this exact moment was the ultimate test of his bluffing skills!
Life is a stage, and it all comes down to the performance!
Usopp had told countless lies in his life, but the lie he was about to tell today would undoubtedly be his most successful one yet!
Under Vice Admiral Fred's astonished gaze, the twisted and exaggerated expressions on the long-nosed man's face vanished instantly. In their place was an incredibly calm poker face. This massive contrast immediately left Black Crow completely dumbfounded.
"I see. So you're the Black Crow. I've heard a great deal about you."
Narrowing his eyes slightly, Usopp shifted his body and lowered his voice, speaking slowly, "My apologies, but in my current state, I won't be able to salute you."
"Uh... it's fine, it's fine." Fred thought to himself that this agent was quite polite, then looked at the tightly bound long-nosed man with a bit of curiosity.
"If you feel like those ropes are in the way, just break out of them. Ropes like that shouldn't be able to hold you guys at all, right?"
(Damn it! If I could break out of them, I would have done it ages ago, alright?!)
Having originally wanted to hint at the blonde Marine to untie him, Usopp grumbled in his mind upon hearing this, but then he had a stroke of genius.
"No. Although these ropes are no different from fragile noodles in my eyes," Usopp puffed out his long nose with a smug look and smiled faintly,
"for the sake of not raising suspicion, I'll endure it for a little while."
"Oh~~~~ As expected of an agent specially trained by the World Government. Your thoroughness is remarkable!"
Rear Admiral Black Crow nodded with a look of admiration, his conviction about the other party's identity as a CP5 agent growing even stronger.
"Alright, time is of the essence. If you have something to say, Rear Admiral Fred, please be brief," Usopp said with an air of nonchalance, though his back was already completely drenched in cold sweat.
"You're right. Any later, and I'm afraid the rest of your comrades will be captured by Rear Admiral Alan, just like that fellow who disguised himself as a pirate hunter."
Fred didn't notice the flash of sheer horror in Usopp's eyes when he mentioned the pirate hunter, but instead continued explaining on his own:
"The goal of this mission is a jailbreak, but it's not a jailbreak in the true sense. Because letting that dangerous fellow out alive brings absolutely no benefit to our family."
(What on earth is this guy talking about now?)
On the surface, Usopp maintained a calm expression full of mysterious confidence, but inside, his confusion only deepened.
(Sigh~ If only Sherlock were here. If it were him, he would definitely be able to analyze what kind of sinister scheme this guy is cooking up.)
"Therefore, what you need to do next is..."
Fred pondered for a moment, glanced around, and then squatted down to eye-level with Usopp, whispering:
"First, you must secretly release Crocodile, who is locked away in the deepest part of the prison. If necessary, my people will provide cover for you from the shadows."
"Hmph, there's no need for that. Please have faith in our abilities." The long-nosed fellow, who was gradually getting into character with his bluffing, let out a soft hmph.
"Isn't it just letting Crocodile out? What's so hard about that... Eh? Did you just say Crocodile?"
"Yeah, the former Warlord of the Sea, Crocodile—Sir Crocodile." Black Crow shot a suspicious glance at Usopp, who had already turned completely pale. "What? Is there a problem? Your expression looks very strange."
"It's nothing, nothing at all! I just had a sudden bout of stomach pain, ahahaha..."
Usopp hurriedly snapped out of his absolute shock. He offered a sheepish laugh, but waves of sheer panic crashed through his mind once more.
(Oh my god, am I dreaming? What kind of insane plot twist is this?!)
Honestly, compared to releasing Crocodile—who had a massive score to settle with the Straw Hat crew—the long-nosed fellow would much rather stay locked up in this dark prison...
"I see." Having already jumped to conclusions, Fred didn't think much of it.
"After the successful jailbreak, quietly bring Crocodile to the harbor, where a transport ship packed with fruit is waiting. Guide him on board. Remember, it must be that specific fruit-filled transport ship. This is extremely important!"
"..." Terrified out of his wits, Usopp was completely unable to think straight anymore, and could only nod his head mechanically.
"And then... hehehe..." Speaking up to this point, Rear Admiral Fred couldn't help but chuckle softly.
"And then, on that transport ship, you will take Crocodile and..."
Black Crow made a throat-slitting motion with his hand, then said in a faint tone dripping with chilling intent to kill:
"Kill him!"
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