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OP Gold And Fire Ch 24 : Hard To Find [1]
🕑 Added 2025-01-22 10:36:42 +0000 UTCFinding Kuro was harder than he expected, regardless of who he asked, he couldn’t find any information about any pirate on this island. The villagers of Syrup Village had no idea that a Pirate was living among them.
Ragna had a certain idea that Kuro was hiding but that makes his work even harder. He wasn’t the only person who was looking for Kuro, Nami was doing the same, though her goal wasn’t Kuro himself but rather his hidden treasure which she had no idea whether it existed but she was still going strong all thanks to her vivid imagination, love for money and stubborn personality.
“Oh, you are back.” Ragna saw a long-nosed idiot entering the tavern where he was eating, more like letting out the frustration of not finding any pirate to slaughter on the food.
“You…” Usopp immediately went from a dejected slouch to a party speaker seeing Ragna.
“Shush… keep your voice low. I don’t wanna attract attention towards me.” Ragna grabbed the boy by his neck and took him away on the side.
“But but, what are you doing here ?” Usopp was still stuttering as he asked this, still remembering just how Ragna disarmed him from that long distance by just throwing a marble at him.
His eyes went to the two weapons on his west, both sword and gun were standing out like a sore thumb, making him gulp in fear.
However, next what Ragna asked made him sigh in relief. Becuase it turns out that Ragna wasn’t looking for trouble with him.
“Pirates? Here? Nah, there haven’t been any pirates in Syrup Village. I’d know if there were!” He puffed out his chest proudly. “I’m the great Captain Usopp, after all!”
Only to later remember that calling himself a pirate could cost him in front of Ragna. He shut his mouth with his hands and looked at Ragna, seeing that he wasn’t looking at him in a way that he might attack him anytime, he sighed again.
Ragna too sighed. “You’re sure? Not even rumours or suspicious people?”
Usopp hesitated. He could tell this guy was serious, and with that sword on his back, he was definitely not someone to mess with. “Well, I haven’t heard anything about pirates. And trust me, if there were any, I’d be the first to sound the alarm!”
Dejected, Ragna rubbed his forehead. “Figures. This place is too quiet for anyone dangerous to be hiding.” He muttered to himself, even now he wasn’t getting why a big pirate like Kuro would hide in a small village like this.
‘Did that Jango guy lie?’ Ragna thought, maybe he should torture him a little more, this time though it won’t be with a feather but rather a cutter…
Ragna paused, then asked, “What about gold? Is there anywhere I can buy a lot of gold in this village?”
Ragna made sure to explain his intention, he wanted to buy and not loot. He got the money for it, and he wasn’t someone to loot from ordinary people anyway. Pirates however are different cases.
Usopp’s eyes widened in confusion. “Gold? In Syrup Village? Are you kidding me? This is a small, peaceful place. We don’t have shops selling simple shell jewellery let alone Gold!”
Ragna’s disappointment deepened and Usopp seeing his face started to sweat buckets, currently according to him, his survival was connected to the other person's mood so he didn’t want to make him angry, so he started rocking his brain for any possible answer When suddenly he snapped his fingers. “Wait a minute! There is someone who might be able to help you.”
Ragna’s brow furrowed. “Who?”
“Kaya’s family,” Usopp said, nodding. “They’re the richest people in this village. If anyone can get you gold, it’s them.”
“Kaya?” Ragna repeated, tilting his head.
“Yeah, she’s a sweet girl who lives in the big mansion up the hill. Her family’s loaded,” Usopp explained. “She’s also a good friend so maybe she will give you a discount if you give my name to her!” Usopp again boosted.
Ragna looked up toward the hill, thinking it over. “Alright. That certainly helps. Let's give it a shot.”
—-
Nami strolled back to the ship, bags of supplies in both hands and an irritated look on her face. “What kind of backwater village is this? Hardly any shops, and the ones they do have are overpriced! And don’t get me started on Ragna—how does he expect me to work with such a tight budget?” She complained.
Ragna didn’t want to waste his time shopping, he loathed it, this was also a good time to test out Nami’s character.
So, he gave her some money to shop and bring back all the essential things. It was just enough money that anyone would like to steal but not enough that it would put a dent in his pocket if Nami stole it.
Nami too happily took the money, she was Nami what you expect.
Her plan was to buy things at cheap with her excellent haggling skills and keep the leftover money for herself or better yet, buy things for herself. A girl can’t stay in just one cloth after all.
She huffed, dropping the bags onto the deck and rubbing her shoulders. “At least I managed to get the essentials. But honestly, I deserve a medal for all that haggling.”
She glanced around the ship and frowned. Something felt off.
“Wait… where’s the Micheal Jackson….. damit why I’m calling him that, It’s all Ragna’s fault. Where is Jango…?” she muttered, walking to the spot where they’d tied up the hypnotist.
The ropes lay limp on the floor, cut open. Nami’s eyes widened. “This Ain’t good!”
Her heart started racing as she looked around frantically. “Wait a minute, if he is free then he most likely would go to find his captain, then we can find Kuro…!”
The panic which was setting in her was replaced by a determination to find Kuro first and get his treasure and then she bolted off the ship.
She sprinted through the village streets, asking anyone she passed, “Did you see a weird guy with a goofy moustache and a hypnotic disc?!”
—-
A few Minutes Ago…
Jango sat tied up on the ship, grumbling to himself. “How could they do this to the great Jango? Tying me up like some common thief!”
Wiggling his hands behind his back, he felt the cool, metallic edge of his trusty hypnosis disc still tucked into his coat. “Ha! They never took him away…. Such a amateurs.” Jango smiled and to some degree he was right, Ragna very much was an amateur in many things. So the first time he took a hostage, he completely forgot to search him for any hidden weapon on him.
Twisting his wrists awkwardly, Jango managed to grip the disc. Using its sharp edge, he began sawing at the ropes. It took some time, but with a satisfying snap, the ropes fell apart, and he was free.
Jango stood up, stretching his sore arms. “Freedom! Now, time to take advantage of this little opportunity.” He glanced around the ship, a sly grin forming. “Their ship looks sturdy. If I take it, I can sail away, far from these maniacs!”
But as he examined the ship’s helm, his grin faded. “Wait a second… This ship, ain’t this a little too big for just a single person to drive?” Jango was confused. He clearly remembered that Ragna was driving this ship alone when they first encountered him. Earlier he didn’t think about it but now when he saw it, he realized that he couldn’t take the ship. It at least needs two people if he was planning on taking this ship any further than a few kilometres. Not to mention he was no Navigator.
Frustrated, Jango scratched his head. “Fine, plan B. I’ll find Captain Kuro and warn him! The Black Cat Pirates are destroyed, and that crazy swordsman is coming for him next.”
Jango’s confidence faltered as he realized the obvious. “Uh… but where is Captain Kuro?” He wasn’t lying when he said that he knew nothing besides Kuro being in Gecko Island when Ragna Torture him for information.
Thinking about this a fire lit up in him, he gonna take revenge. He gonna make that swordsman laugh twice as much as he did in the last 24 hours.
He will laugh until his lungs can’t take it anymore and he gasps for air. That and only then his revenge will be satisfied.
“Guess I’ll have to start searching the village.” He jumped off the boat and wandered into Syrup Village, muttering, “Captain Kuro better be around, or I’m in big trouble!”
—-
Ragna finally reached the big mansion which Usopp talked about and he had to agree, the place was big.
“It’s sure nice to be rich…” He said with a little irritation on his face. Remembering how both he and his mother lived back then in poverty.
“Just wait, I’m gonna get rich big time one of these days and build a place better than this…” he internally said to his future self like every boy from a humble background says once in his life.
Eyes shining with countless dreams to make it one day he knocked on the big doors of the mansion only for them to open by a butler a few seconds later.
“Who are you ?” Asked the butler in a formal suit and glasses.
“Wait, a minute… have I seen you before somewhere.”
xxx
[Word Count: 1590]
It's a little silly but I don't wanna make my character without flaws, it's one piece so a little Guffy is fine I believe
