Battle at the Shore: Luffy Pirates and Usopp vs. the Black Cats

Major Chapters: 28-39
- Other Chapters: 27, 40
Volumes: #4, #5
Victor: Luffy Pirates and Usopp

The Build Up

Kuro of the Thousand Plans, a man who believed himself a genius, outwitted the Marines three years ago, tricking them and clearing himself from the hunt. He landed in Syrup Village, where a young Kaya's parents took him in. Three years later, they had died and Kaya was desperately ill, and Kuro's plan -- the one that he'd concocted at the very start of it all -- began to come together.

Usopp was a village youth, a liar and a self-proclaimed pirate captain. When some real pirates, the Luffy Pirates, landed at his town everything started to unravel. Kuro unveiled himself, but only to Usopp; he was disbelieved by the villagers he loved and Kaya herself, who slapped him and claimed him a villain. Even as he was shot in the arm, though, he vowed to fight the pirates with all his might. Touched by his courage, Luffy and his crew resolved to fight, and so the plan was set into motion to stop the siege.

The Action

After discovering that they were on the wrong shore, Luffy and his group split up into two teams: Usopp and Nami, who reach the other shore; and Zoro and Luffy, who end up in two separate quagmires. The two who meet the Black Cat Pirates fight valiantly, but are both outnumbered and outpowered. The pirates hurry up the slope to raze the village, and Usopp tearfully cries for them not to massacre his people.

Luffy and Zoro arrive with a flair, Zoro feuding with Nami and Luffy damning Usopp for not telling him which way was north! Jango hypnotizes his men for them to stand a chance, but fortunately Luffy ends up hypnotized as well and disbands the lot of them with a single Gomu Gomu Gatling Gun. He ends up trapped beneath the Black Cat's mast after Jango hypnotizes him to fall asleep.

Zoro then tussles with the Black Cat's ship guards, Siam and Buchi Nyaban, but with one sword after being tricked. Nami throws him his swords in the quick, but ends up imperiled by Jango's chakram -- but Luffy takes the attack instead, after having been woken up by her. Kuro arrives, as does Kaya, and the battle heats up as Kaya escapes from Jango into the woods while Luffy tangles with Kuro on mostly even terms.

The fights continue heatedly, with Kuro displaying his violent Shakushi maneuever and Jango readying to kill Kaya. The Luffy Pirates come through in the end, though, as Zoro makes an opening for Usopp (who downs Jango with a Kayaku Boshi) and Luffy head-butts Kuro to unconsciousness with his Gomu Gomu Bell attack. Both fights end on opposing pages, as an interesting note.

The Aftermath

Usopp swears his crew and Kaya to secrecy, out of the hope that the villagepeople will never learn of Kuro's treachery. He then disbands his crew and joins Luffy's, while in the meantime Kaya gives the crew their ship: the Going Merry! They set sail, and after hearing of Usopp's mother's death, Kaya resolves to become a doctor.