I, the great swordsman, am definitely not a bootlicker

"Usopp!!" Chopper shouted anxiously on the streets of Water City.

"Usopp is missing. Miss Nami said he should be here."

"Look! There's blood!" Chopper pointed at the bloodstains on the ground

"Did that guy walk away by himself?" While Sanji was analyzing, Luffy flew over from somewhere, fell headfirst to the ground, and then bounced into the water.

"Luffy!!"

Sanji immediately jumped into the water to rescue him.

"What are you playing at again!" Looking at Luffy who was rescued and spitting out water, Zoro could only hold his forehead.

"Ahem, I want to fly around like a shipyard worker looking for Usopp."

"You idiot!" Zoro couldn't help but complain.

"Ah! Do you know? Something happened! Usopp and the money were stolen!" Luffy suddenly shouted.

Zoro had already walked forward in a daze, following the trail of blood: "We know everything. Come on, let's go to their lair now."

As soon as they arrived at Franky's territory, the four saw Usopp lying on the ground seriously injured.

"Chopper, how is he? Is he still breathing?" Luffy asked the ship's doctor anxiously.

"He's not dead, don't worry, he can still be saved, he just lost consciousness."

"Usopp...wait a moment!" Luffy looked coldly at the noisy wooden house where Franky's family was. "We will smash this weird house to pieces!"

As soon as they walked outside, they heard a commotion inside:

"Yo! You lose!"

"Hey! Go buy all the food from the restaurant!"

"We have plenty of money."

At this time, a tall and strong man walked out of the door and happened to meet Luffy and his four companions.

Luffy didn't say anything, just raised his leg and kicked him back into the house.

Ping pong!

The noisy house shattered in an instant.

"what happened!?"

"There seems to be someone outside!?"

"That's... Straw Hat Luffy!!"

"Hahaha, you guys are here to get the money back, right? Stupid, look at how many of us there are. Are we just the four of you?"

Immediately afterwards, the four of them rushed in like tigers among a flock of sheep and started beating them up. If it weren't for Franky, Zoro would have turned these little thugs into ghosts long ago.

"Wait! Stop! You're here to get back the 200 million from that good-for-nothing kid, right?" Seeing they were outmatched, the leader, Zanbai, hurriedly called a halt. "Unfortunately, the money isn't here. Our boss, Frankie, went shopping with it."

"He's already left the island on the sea train, trading on the black market. We don't even know where he is! In other words, even if you cause chaos here, that money..."

Luffy didn't want to listen to his nagging, so he punched him in the face.

“…I can’t get it back.”

"Don't say that anymore..." Sanji said with a dark face.

"It's not a matter of money now." Chopper obviously also knows some rules of the underworld.

"We're going to beat you... to pieces!" Luffy said harshly.

Afterwards, the roar of artillery fire and screams were heard from the wooden house. A group of gangsters were lying half-dead on the ground. The Franky family's habitat was torn into pieces by the four men.

"Are we going to chase Franky?" Sanji asked.

"Where to chase?" Zoro asked.

"It's really not good. They really don't seem to know where the money went."

"Even if we really kill Franky, he might have spent all the money. He won't come back so quickly if we just sit back and wait."

"Hey! First aid is complete!" Chopper finished bandaging Usopp: "We need to carry him up on a stretcher, come and help."

"There's no point in talking here, let's get back to the ship first." Sanji persuaded the dazed Luffy: "There's only Miss Nami on the ship, and little Robin is nowhere to be found. I'm worried."

"Hey! Luffy!"

"I've made up my mind!" Luffy said solemnly, "Let's say goodbye to the Golden Merry right here!"

-

On the Merry...

"Hey! Usopp, wake up!" Chopper shouted excitedly.

"Really? That's great!" Luffy rushed to the cabin to visit Usopp.

"Um...Little Robin, you haven't come back yet." It can be seen that Sanji is really worried.

"Let's go and see Usopp. She will come back when it's time." Zoro said meaningfully.

Unexpectedly, as soon as Zoro entered, Usopp hugged his thighs.

"I'm too embarrassed to see you... I'll give you the money..." As he spoke, he wiped his snot and tears on Zoro's pants.

Why are you hugging me?! Go hug the captain!

"Hey! Calm down."

"But I watched helplessly as the money I worked so hard to earn was snatched away by those guys..." Usopp refused to give in and burst into tears.

"Hey! Usopp, you need to rest now..." Chopper also comforted Usopp.

Then everyone told Usopp what happened after he lost consciousness.

"So the money won't be returned?" Usopp rubbed his eyes.

"No! Let's wait until Franky comes back!" Luffy was optimistic: "Even if he doesn't come back, we still have 100 million. Don't blame yourself."

"You're really reckless. You're lucky to be alive."

Yes, just like the original plot, Usopp was seriously injured because he broke into Franky's house alone.

"What's so lucky about that? All the money has been stolen!" Nami is not reasonable when it comes to money.

"I'm sorry..." Usopp blamed himself. "But what about the ship... Can 100 million repair the Merry? It's rare to have it repaired in a first-class shipyard... In order to cope with future voyages, it must be repaired more firmly."

"Well... Usopp, I've decided to change ships. Thanks to the Merry, we were able to get here. He has completed his mission!" Luffy pretended to be relaxed: "So, I checked, and for 100 million, you can buy a bigger old ship than this one..."

"Wait! Wait a minute!" Usopp was incredulous. "What did you say? Are you kidding me? Don't be silly! After all, the repair money is not enough! It's because I lost 200 million that the money is not enough."

"A first-class shipyard, and the charges are indeed first-class."

"No, it's not like that." Luffy tried to explain.

"Why is that! Explain yourself clearly! Are you saying that just to comfort me?" Usopp shouted angrily.

"No! This has nothing to do with money!" Luffy also yelled.

"Then why did you say such ungrateful words as changing ships!" Usopp became even more agitated.

"What are you arguing about? Calm down and talk it out nicely." Sanji interrupted them.

"Hey! How can I calm down? This guy keeps talking nonsense!" Usopp didn't appreciate it.

"It took me a long time to make this decision!" Luffy ignored Sanji.

"Hey! This is such a serious matter, just calm down!" But it was obvious that Nami couldn't control herself this time.

"Usopp, you can't be too excited!" The ship's doctor will take care of things that Nami can't handle.

"Merry... can't be repaired!!" Luffy yelled, he was also holding back a lot of grievances: "It can't be repaired anyway, otherwise why would I do this."

"Are you talking about this ship? The ship we've been on?" Usopp patted the seemingly sturdy deck of the Merry.

"Yes, this ship can't go much further!"

"What the hell are you talking about, Luffy!"

"It's true, they all said so. At the shipyard they said that the Merry could only sail to the next island at most! It would be difficult to go any further!" Luffy tried to explain.

"Really? They said... You just met these people today, so you believe everything they say?"

"What did you say?" Luffy suddenly became calm.

"Just because a so-called first-class sailor said those words, this ship that has always been with us... through life and death... and overcame countless storms... are you going to abandon it now?"

"Is this ship of such little value to you, Luffy?"

Sigh... This is just like you can never wake up someone who is pretending to be asleep. Zoro couldn't bear to listen any longer: "Usopp, I'm afraid you know more about the situation of the Merry than anyone else here. As the captain, Luffy must be responsible for our safety. He has his own difficulties."

"Yes, no one knows the Merry better than me. In that case, it doesn't matter whether we rely on them or not. Just like before, I will repair the ship. Isn't it like this before? Well, let's get started. Everyone come and help. By the way, we don't have enough wood. We need to go buy some wood..." Usopp dragged his scarred body.

"Usopp!! You are not a boatman!!" Luffy, who was calm, suddenly became furious when he saw Usopp's behavior.

"Oh, you're right, so what! They're devaluing other people's ships from the perspective of shipbuilders. How can such shipbuilders be trusted? We have to protect our own ship by ourselves! I will never abandon this ship!!" Usopp roared at the top of his lungs, "Are you idiots? I think you've been fooled by the shipbuilders' lies!"

"The Luffy I know wouldn't believe what a businessman says, but would believe in the strength of the Merry. Don't act like a captain, thinking you know everything and are experienced. What kind of decision do you make?" Usopp grabbed Luffy's collar and said, "I misjudged you, Luffy!"

"Wait a minute! Usopp, Luffy also..." at the beginning Nami wanted to persuade the two of them.

"Shut up! Nami!" Luffy interrupted Nami: "This is my decision. No matter what you say, I will not change my mind! We have to change ships! We have to say goodbye to the Merry here!"

"Listen up! Luffy! Not everyone is like you, only looking ahead! I can't abandon my injured companions and go on the road!"

"Stop talking nonsense! Even if we're companions, a ship is different from a person!"

"Likely, the Merry has potential and wants to survive! The problem is you! You're only interested in the new ship right now! But on the surface, you pretend to be reluctant to part with the Merry."

Furious, Luffy threw Usopp to the ground: "Don't go too far! Don't think you're the only one suffering! Everyone is the same!!"

Usopp still refused to give in. "Then why did you decide to change ships?!"

"Well, if you're not happy with my decision," Luffy said, getting more and more excited. "Get off this ship right now..."

"Asshole!" Before Luffy could finish, Sanji kicked Luffy hard and knocked him over: "Huff... Luffy! What did you want to say just now! Wake up and stop talking nonsense."

"Ah...ah...I'm sorry." Luffy calmed down a lot: "I didn't realize it just now..."

"No! Stop quibbling! Luffy!" Usopp, lying on the ground: "That's what you really mean!"

"What did you say!?" Luffy got angry again.

"We can continue on our journey by abandoning our useless companions. If you abandon this ship, then abandon me too."

"Hey! Usopp, stop talking nonsense!" Sanji was very upset.

"No, I'm serious. I've been thinking about this for a long time... Honestly, I can't keep up with your strength anymore. Just look at how I couldn't even keep an eye on the money today. From now on, I'll only cause you trouble! You don't need companions who hold you back, do you?"

"Luffy! You are the one who will become the Pirate King, and there is no need for me to go so far. Speaking of which, when I first set sail... you invited me on board. Our fate ends here."

"Different road non-phase plan!"

After saying that, Usopp turned and walked out of the room.

"Hey! Usopp, where are you going?" Nami chased out.

"I'm free to go wherever I want. I want to... leave this pirate group."

"How could this happen... Hey, come back!!" Nami looked shocked.

"Wait a minute!" Sanji is indeed a gentle person at heart.

"Ah...ah...Usopp, don't go!" Chopper burst into tears.

"I can't follow you any longer! I'm sorry to have been causing you so much trouble. This ship does belong to you, Captain... so... please duel with me! If I win... the Merry will be mine! Monkey D. Luffy! Duel with me!"

Zoro said nothing and watched all this quietly. He knew clearly that Usopp was, firstly, blaming himself for the 200 million today; secondly, he was indeed not confident. A man who could resist the fruit of negativity must have a much stronger sense of inferiority than an ordinary person; thirdly, he probably sincerely felt that the Merry was a reason for him to stay in the Straw Hat Pirates with peace of mind.

If this knot is not untied, it will be difficult for everyone to move forward.