Chapter 256: The Duel Ends

Chapter 256: Chapter 256: The Duel Ends

A powerful burst of flame suddenly shot toward Raynor.

Seeing this, Luffy looked tense, afraid that Usopp might actually fire the gun.

If that happened, there would be no way to undo things.

Thankfully, Usopp was using a slingshot.

A flaming bird flew toward Raynor in an instant.

Raynor simply flicked his finger, scattering the flaming bird apart.

Then he blurred forward and appeared in front of Usopp, using Finger Pistol to pierce straight through Usopp’s shoulder armor.

The pain made Usopp spray blood and break into a cold sweat. He fell to the ground and rolled around in agony.

Only after a long while did Usopp finally stop. He covered his shoulder and slowly got back to his feet, a serious look in his eyes.

"Don’t get too cocky. It’s not over yet."

As soon as he finished speaking, a black sphere appeared in Usopp’s hand. He threw it forward, and a flash of light burst out.

Raynor couldn’t help closing his eyes.

The next moment, Usopp’s Origin Pistol was already pressed against Raynor’s forehead.

"The winner has been decided, Raynor. Hurry up and give up. I really will fire."

Hearing this, Raynor clenched his fist. Usopp’s eyes filled with fear.

Then there was a loud explosion, and Raynor was sent flying backward.

Luffy and the others cried out in shock.

"Hey, Usopp! You really dared to fire!"

Luffy had personally witnessed the power of the Origin Pistol.

Its power was enough to make an entire mountain collapse in an instant.

If Usopp had fired from such a close distance, Raynor would have had no chance of surviving.

Luffy wanted to go down and take a look, but just then, Raynor steadied himself, opened his eyes, and rubbed the mark on his forehead.

Then he looked toward Usopp.

Usopp was holding an Impact Dial in one hand and clutching his arm with the other, crying out in pain nonstop.

Seeing this, Nami’s tears fell again. She had been afraid that Usopp really would fire.

If he had, it would have been very hard for their crew to accept him again.

Seeing this, Luffy showed a relieved expression and stepped back.

At that moment, Raynor looked up at Usopp and said:

"You’ve had enough fun, haven’t you? This is your last chance to fire the Origin Gun. Hurry up and load the bullets."

Hearing this, Usopp and the rest of the Straw Hat crew all looked shocked.

Usopp froze for a moment, then raised the Origin Pistol and said:

"What are you talking about? There are bullets in here. If you don’t believe me..."

Before Usopp could finish, Raynor’s expression darkened. He blurred forward, appeared in front of Usopp, and drove a fist into his stomach.

Usopp’s abdomen immediately caved in, and he spat out a mouthful of blood.

The next moment, Usopp aimed the Origin Pistol at Raynor.

But Raynor grabbed his hand and twisted it hard. The Origin Pistol fell into Raynor’s hand.

Raynor pointed the Origin Pistol at Usopp, a serious look in his eyes.

"You can’t have the Going Merry, because it doesn’t belong to you. It belongs to everyone."

With that, Raynor aimed the Origin Pistol at the sky and pulled the trigger.

A crisp clicking sound rang out.

Only then did the hearts of the Straw Hat crew finally relax.

They knew that Usopp could never use something so dangerous against Raynor.

After pulling the trigger, Raynor let go. Usopp collapsed to the ground with difficulty.

Raynor gently placed the Origin Pistol beside him, then took out forty Origin Bullets and left them with him as well.

Then he turned and walked toward the Going Merry.

Halfway there, he glanced back and said:

"Before sunset tomorrow, I’ll repair the Going Merry here. If you haven’t returned to the Straw Hat crew by then, don’t ever come back."

After saying this, Raynor looked straight at Luffy and shouted:

"Do you agree, Luffy?"

Hearing this, Luffy’s expression grew serious. Although they had already agreed on everything beforehand, he still couldn’t bear to make the final decision now.

But for them to reunite properly, Luffy gritted his teeth and said solemnly:

"Yes. As captain, I declare that if crew member Usopp does not return by tomorrow night, he will be permanently expelled from the Straw Hat Pirates!"

His words struck the hearts of the Straw Hat crew like a bolt from a clear sky.

Tears streamed down Nami’s face as she looked at Luffy in despair.

Sanji lit a cigarette and remained silent.

Chopper’s tears poured down again. He turned to Luffy and said:

"Hey, Luffy, give Usopp a little more time. He’ll come around!"

As Chopper spoke, Sanji placed a hand on his head and blew out a ring of smoke.

"All right, Chopper. Stop. This is the captain’s order. It can’t be changed."

Hearing this, Chopper burst into tears.

Just then, Usopp struggled to get up from the ground.

He put the bag of Origin Bullets Raynor had left behind into his pocket, picked up the Origin Gun, and staggered into the forest.

Seeing this, Chopper wanted to chase after him, but Sanji grabbed him.

Chopper turned around and struggled against him.

"Hey, Sanji, what are you doing? Usopp is badly injured, and he’s alone in the forest. What if wild animals attack him?!"

"What if it rains and his wounds get infected? At least let me treat his injuries!"

Hearing this, a serious look appeared in Sanji’s eyes.

"If this were the Usopp from before, I wouldn’t stop you."

"But the Usopp standing there now is a defeated warrior."

"What he needs now is to lick his wounds alone. If you go after him, it’ll be like handing him a knife that he can never pull out again."

Hearing this, Chopper gritted his teeth, as if he had finally understood.

He started walking toward the cabin, but after only a few steps, he suddenly changed into his reindeer form and leaped off the Going Merry, chasing after Usopp.

Seeing this, Sanji sighed.

He turned back toward Luffy. Tears were still streaming from Luffy’s eyes.

"This decision hurts too much..."

Meanwhile, Chopper scattered the supplies he was carrying into a random corner of the forest.

Then he ran back to the Going Merry in tears.

The atmosphere aboard the Going Merry was especially strange. Everyone in the Straw Hat crew was downcast.

Raynor’s expression was also somewhat cold.

This incident had dealt a huge emotional blow to the Straw Hat crew.

But he couldn’t go soft. Otherwise, Usopp would never grow, and would remain insecure and petty forever.

That would put a heavy strain on the feelings between the crew members.

So when a hard decision has to be made, hesitating only creates more trouble. At a time like this, he couldn’t afford to go soft.

It was all for Usopp’s sake.

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