OK, after having reread the relevent posts of yours, I now sort of see what point you were trying make. So what you're saying is that Usopp beating Jyabura and rejoining afterwards would have sent the wrong message to readers. That message being that to deserve to be a Strawhat you have to be physically strong (like a Zoro or a Sanji). And that message is one that totally goes against everything the Strawhats stand for. Is that the point your were trying to make, or have I missed the boat here? If yes, then I agree with you, it would send the wrong message, to some readers at least. I say some readers because whether one sees this message or not is all a matter of one's own personal interpretation of the story. So whether or not the message is there depends on the person reading the story. Or stated another way, you can say the message is there, or you can say it's not there, which would both be perfectly valid viewpoints, IMHO. I'm rambling aren't I?
Anyways, I also agree that Usopp fighting Jyabura would have done nothing for him or for the story - mainly for character development reasons however, not for thematic reasons.
Yeah, but I think it'd be just as bad for the character as the theme.