"Usopp? I wanted to thank you again, for the support you provided earlier. I would have had a much harder time handling them on my own – I'm not yet used to air battles."
"Of- of course…"
She sighed upon realizing he couldn't even look her in the eyes. "Usopp… I'm sorry."
He startled, finally looking at her. "W- what? What for?"
"I kind of forced your hand into helping me out. While I'm the one who killed them, you helped me do it, but I didn't leave you much of a choice about it. So, I'm sorry. I should have been more considerate of your own feelings on the matter, and I shouldn't have pushed to do something you weren't ready for."
"I- I appreciate you saying that," he admitted, his fingers twitching nervously. "I'm not gonna lie, I was… a bit shocked, by how things turned out. But I don't feel guilty or anything – I was just surprised, because I didn't expect you to kill them like that."
"That's fair. I'm sorry for scaring you, then."
"M- me? Scared!? I'm never scared!" Usopp's bravado faltered when their eyes met, but then he puffed out his chest, seemingly making up his mind. "It's- it's my job as Master Gunner to handle long-distance battles and help from afar. You told me that! It's only natural that I would support you. You may call upon the Great God of Snipers Usopp whenever you wish to engage in battles of the sky!"
An amused smile graced Brynlee's lips as she relaxed a bit, glad they'd managed to move past this minor hurdle. "God Usopp? That's still two years away, I'm afraid."
Usopp immediately spluttered. "W- what? What do you mean?"
"Oops, I gotta go."
"What—wait a minute! What do you mean, God in two years!? Brynlee!"
"Here."
"What's this?"
"The money I owe you."
Zoro accepted the small package with a curious look, his eyes widening comically the moment he noticed the hefty stack of bills inside.
"I know you asked for unlimited booze, but you won't find it on the next island," she stated before he could protest. "I'm also unsure of when, exactly, we'll find the opportunity to make good on the results of our bet. So, I figured giving you the cash straight up ought to work well enough. I feel as though this is a fair estimation of how much you'd spend on alcohol on a single island, but if you genuinely think you'd spend more, I'll give it to you."
He quirked a brow in a challenging manner. "And if I try to swindle you?"
She shrugged. "You wouldn't."
"… Should be enough. Thanks." Safely tucking away the money, he then offered a small smirk. "We ought to make bets more often."
She scoffed. "I won't deny your skills, but you're mistaken if you believe me beaten so easily. I don't take bets lightly. I'll win the next one, and then we'll see who's gloating."
"Whatever helps you sleep at night," he snorted, before sobering up a bit. "Speaking of sleep, though, your new… friend, woke up earlier. Sanji already brought her food."
"I'm aware."
"Is she a threat?"
Brynlee took a moment to consider her answer. "I wouldn't have allowed her to stay on this ship had she represented a threat to our crew if that's what you mean. But I also wouldn't trust her with my life just yet."
"You said she was like you. A survivor."
"That's her story to tell. But I feel as though we are… kindred spirits, let's say. I knew our paths would cross one day, but I will admit that taking her with us was a decision made on pure impulse. Hopefully, I should be able to talk some sense into her."
"And if you can't?"
"Then I suppose we'll be parting ways on the next island."
He crossed his arms over his chest, unconvinced. "You killed those two agents because they were with Baroque Works, but you'll let their Chief-of-Staff go? Isn't she the strongest of their organization after the Boss himself? I didn't expect you to be a hypocrite."
"Yes and no. She's strong as far as her influence can reach, let's say. But while her Devil Fruit ability and her uncanny intelligence can be dangerous, she's not an offensive type. She's good at strategizing, defending, and redirecting but, in combat, she's only as strong as the weaknesses of others allow her to be. Which, of course, still makes her a highly dangerous opponent, but it does mean I'm confident I could take her down if need be."
"Then why spare her, if she's so dangerous?" he insisted.
It's only then that Brynlee realized what, exactly, Zoro was getting at. While he wasn't bothered by her decision to kill the Unluckies, they both knew some of the others had been a bit rattled by it, and this was a test – a test to see if, despite the front she put up, she still stood by that decision.
"… Killing the Unluckies was merely a precaution – a mean to ensure Mister 0 wouldn't learn of our crew's involvement in this affair and thus facilitate us returning Vivi safely to Alabasta. As of now, she doesn't represent the same kind of risk. However, if Nico Robin truly becomes a threat to our crew's safety, then I will deal with her accordingly," she stated firmly. "I hope to befriend her, yes, but I know better than to let that hope endanger our crew. Does this answer satisfy you?"
He gauged her for a moment, then nodded firmly. "I believe in your will, so that'll have to do."
She let out a surprised laugh at the unexpected callback – he'd thrown back the words she'd told him back before he engaged in his duel with Dracule Mihawk. But she supposed it was fair.
Now, let's go see how our guest feels…
Next up: a serious talk with Nico Robin! Will Brynlee be able to work her magic? Will Robin try to kill her? Will they cry and hug it out? Find out in the next chapter in three days xD