Chapter 4
"Having rubber powers is great!" Luffy told Usopp. "I wish I had them."
"But I used to be able to swim," Usopp complained. "I've dreamed of being a bold adventurer of the sea, a pirate like my dad."
"I learned to swim because I promised Cap'n Shanks I would, but all you have to do is be a pirate that doesn't fall overboard. If you did you could stretch and pull yourself back aboard."
"I guess so," said Usopp glumly.
"Let's see what you can do," Luffy suggested. "How far can you stretch your arms and legs?"
Usopp tested the limits of his stretching abilities. "I've always been a good runner. When I make my legs longer I can run three times faster."
"You could move your slingshot closer to the target, too," said Luffy.
"Good idea," said Usopp. He tried this, seeing how well he could aim with his arms stretched out.
Suddenly Luffy came up from behind and punched Usopp in the back. Boink!
"Hey, what was that for?" Usopp raged.
"Just testing."
"That hurt... no, I guess it didn't really. It just surprised me. Try it again."
Luffy threw several more hard punches. "If you can take that, you'll be able to bounce almost anything."
"I'm Usopp the Unbreakable! I laugh at punches, pistols, and knives," Usopp boasted. With that, he poked his left arm hard with his pocket knife and went "Yeooow!"
"Looks like you still get hurt by sharp stuff," Luffy observed.
"Tell me about it," said Usopp, holding his bleeding arm.
Suddenly they heard Yasopp calling for them.
"Oh-oh," Usopp said. "Dad wants to sell the fruit and now it's worthless."
"Just keep cool and don't tell him," Luffy advised. "It'll all work out."
"How do you figure that?" Usopp asked nervously.
"I don't bother with figuring," Luffy replied. "I just expect things to work out and they usually do."
Usopp was still doubtful, but they went back and handed the backpack with the Gum Gum Fruit to Yasopp.
"Hey, what happened to your arm?" Yasopp asked Usopp.
"I tripped and fell down on a sharp branch when we were running through the woods," Usopp lied.
"I'm off to try to sell this treasure to the richest family in town," Yasopp told them. "Have your mother look at that cut."
Both boys waited a few minutes and them followed Yasopp to the rich family's mansion.
"I don't really know anyone in that family except a girl named Kaya," said Usopp. "She's pretty nice... for a girl. I hope Dad doesn't get in trouble over the fruit."
Usopp stretched over the hedge at the side of the mansion and let Luffy climb over it using him as a ladder. They worked their way to the open window of the front parlor and listened.
"So you see, sir, this rare Gum Gum Fruit is the only treasure I've been able to find in all my years at sea, and I need to sell it to help my family," they heard Yasopp explain.
"Poor fellow, of course I'll help you," said Kaya's father. "A rare fruit like that should be worth 10,000,000 berries."
"Thank you, sir," said Yasopp. "You are extremely generous."
"Pardon the interruption of your old servant, sir," said another voice. "Shouldn't we test the fruit?"
"Naturally, Merry," said Kaya's father. "Would you like to be the one to eat it and get rubber powers?"
"Oh, no sir," replied Merry timidly. "Stretching is far too undignified for me."
"Then call my two guards," ordered the master of the house. "One of them might find stretching useful in his work."
"I beg your pardon, but it's their day off, sir," said Merry.
"Well, I don't want to keep this poor man waiting," said the master. "Fetch his payment and we'll test the fruit tomorrow."
"Thank you so much, sir," said Yasopp.
"See," whispered Luffy to Usopp. "It worked out, just like I said."
"For now," Usopp whispered back. "But tomorrow they'll find out they've been cheated."
"The pirates will have sailed by then," Luffy replied with a grin.
"But what about me?" Usopp asked. "If I stay here on the island they'll find out about my rubber body sooner or later. They'll blame my father and say he gave me a piece of the fruit before he sold it. My family will be disgraced!"
"Hmmm," Luffy pondered. "I know! I'll smuggle you aboard the ship before we sail!"
"That doesn't seem like a really smart idea," Usopp objected.
"You don't have a choice if staying around here will get you caught for sure," said Luffy. "You said you wanted to be a bold adventurer of the sea, right? Now's your chance!"