Howdy, everyone.
We've finally crossed 100k on this fic, YAAAAYYYYY
Anyways.....
Yesterday (Sunday) was my Pop's 50th Birthday, so I was super busy with my family, decorating and preparing the stuff for the birthday party. I didn't get any chance to write anything because of that.
And tomorrow (Tuesday), I've booked a service for my bike, so I don't know how much time it will take. If I got free early, then YAY, if not... well, no chapter then.
Currently it's 9: 30 PM (India time) as I am doing the final touches to the chapter.
So, Yeah... that's all.
P.S: The Syrup village arc is going to be quiet dark. And I mean, Semi-Berserk level of dark. So, fair warning. And I am going to give Usopp a massive character development that even great ODA is not ready for. You just wait.
POWAAAAA...
Attendance Please:
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SYRUP VILLAGE—
"Ahh! What a beautiful day! The sun is so bright and warm over the sea!" said a village youth named Usopp, as he stood near the cliff outside the village, gazing out at the ocean.
He bent down, picked up a small pebble from the ground, and tossed it up and down a few times. Then, without looking, he flicked it backward.
The pebble hit the tree, bounced off, and flew toward the bush.
"Owww…"
A high-pitched voice came from the bushes, and two little children stumbled out, one rubbing a red spot on his forehead.
"H-How did you know we were hiding in that bush!?" asked the boy named Carrot, while his friend Pepper kept rubbing his forehead.
"Heh…" Usopp smirked. "…Trying to sneak up on the great Captain Usopp!? You boys are still too young to surprise a sharpshooter like me!!"
"Oh man, I thought we had you this time!!" said Pepper, while Carrot nodded along.
"What are you two doing here anyway!? I thought I told you guys today was a day off!!" Usopp then looked around. "…And where's Onion!?"
"There's no day off for the Usopp Pirates!!" said Carrot, raising his small, makeshift sword.
"Hm hm, Carrot's right. And about Onion… he might still be sleeping, I guess," said Pepper.
Usopp rubbed the bridge of his nose. "That boy…"
Suddenly, a loud yell pierced the air as Onion came running toward them, panic written all over his face.
"CAPTAIN… CAPTAIN… WE'RE DOOMED!!! THE PIRATES ARE COMING!!!"
He stopped near the group, bent over, and panted for breath.
"Huff… p-pirates… I saw two boats at the beach…"
Carrot and Pepper went over to him, rubbed his back, and told him to breathe deeply.
After calming down, Onion looked at Usopp with fear. "Captain, I saw two boats approaching the beach. One was flying the Buggy Pirates' Jolly Roger."
Usopp's eyes widened. "W-What!? Buggy Pirates!?" He began to panic, biting his nails. "W-What do we do now!? The pirates are here!!! Think, Usopp, think!!"
"What's there to think about, Captain? We're the great Usopp Pirates!! We're not afraid of anyone!! Let's go fight them," said Pepper.
"Yeah… let's show them the terror of the Usopp Pirates!!" Carrot raised his makeshift sword.
"Yeah, Captain, we can do this! There are only four of them! We can take them down easily!!" said Onion.
"Wait, only four!?" asked Usopp. Onion nodded.
Usopp's entire mood shifted. He straightened up, and his usual confidence returned.
"Alright then, Usopp Pirates, get ready! We'll defend our village!!"
"AYE AYE, CAPTAIN!!!"
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At the beach—
Luffy jumped off the boat and landed on the sand with a soft thud. He adjusted his hat and looked around. "Well, what do you know? There really is an island here!!"
"Of course there is. It's right here on the map," replied Nami, showing it. "And it looks like there's a small village too." She then jumped off her stolen boat, her feet sinking slightly into the warm sand.
Yuji and Zoro jumped off Luffy's boat and landed on the beach.
"Ahhh!! Solid ground at last!!" muttered Zoro, looking around. A gull cried overhead, and somewhere in the trees, insects buzzed in the afternoon heat.
Yuji hummed and rubbed his chin, feeling a bit of stubble already growing. "Looks like I need to shave and then have a nice bath!!"
"Yeah… I need that too," said Nami, stretching a bit, her arms reaching toward the sky.
"What!? Shaving!?" teased Zoro.
Nami's eyes twitched. "No, you idiot!! I meant a bath… a nice, warm bath!!" she huffed.
Zoro just kept smirking.
Yuji shook his head and then cleared his throat. "We should push our boats further up onto the sand so they don't float away with the waves."
Everyone nodded in agreement.
Zoro pushed the first boat onto the beach, while Yuji pushed Nami's boat ashore.
He then took his bag and guitar from the first boat and slung them over his shoulder. Nami packed her maps and picked up her treasure sack.
"All set," said Nami as she came over and stood beside Yuji.
Yuji looked at her and saw that her hands were full of maps and her sack.
"If you want, I can put the maps in my bag. It will be easier for you to carry just the treasure."
Nami shook her head. "No no… it's okay. I can carry it. But thanks anyway."
Yuji nodded.
"Hey, if you two are done, I want to ask… what's up with those guys up there!?" asked Zoro, tilting his head toward the slope where someone was clearly trying to hide. A bush shook nervously. "They've been watching us since we got here."
Nami just shrugged. "Who knows!? It's none of our business!!"
Luffy tilted his head. "Do you think they're guards or something for the village Nami mentioned!?"
Just as Luffy finished speaking, four black flags bearing pirate skulls were raised from that direction. Usopp then stepped out from hiding, standing tall with his head held high. "FEAR ME, PIRATES!!! I AM THE GREAT CAPTAIN USOPP!! A FEARED PIRATE AND RULER OF THIS LAND!! SO YOU'D BETTER THINK TWICE BEFORE YOU INVADE!! I HAVE 80 MILLION MEN UNDER MY COMMAND!!"
Luffy's jaw dropped, and his eyes widened in shock. "WHATTT!? 80 MILLION!?"
Nami clicked her tongue. "Tch, idiot, that's obviously a lie!!"
"AHHH… SHE FOUND OUT!!" The kids following Usopp threw their pirate flags away and ran without looking back. One of them—Onion—tripped over a root but scrambled up so quickly it was almost like a somersault.
Usopp's face fell as he watched Carrot, Pepper, and Onion run away. "HEY, YOU GUYS!! DON'T RUN AWAY!!"
Sweat poured down Usopp's back as he slowly turned toward Luffy and the others. He gulped, then took out his slingshot and aimed it at them. "I-It doesn't matter… I'm more than enough to take you all on."
Seeing this, Yuji, Zoro, and Nami stared at him with blank expressions, while Luffy's face grew serious.
He pushed his straw hat down slightly, shading his eyes. "Now that you've aimed your weapon at us… are you ready to put your life on the line too?"
"Wh-what!?" Usopp asked shakily, his fingers trembling on the slingshot.
Nami raised an eyebrow at Luffy's sudden serious tone. She opened her mouth to speak, but Yuji put his finger to his lips, signaling her to be quiet.
Zoro glanced lazily between Luffy and Usopp, though his hand had subtly moved closer to one of his swords.
Luffy spoke again. "I mean, when you aim a weapon at someone, you should also be ready to put your life on the line… because that thing in your hand is not a toy. So, what's your answer!?"
Usopp began shaking. The slingshot slipped from his hand and clattered to the ground. His knees buckled, and he fell forward—but instead of collapsing, he caught himself in a deep bow, his forehead nearly touching the dirt.
"R-real pirates are really scary!!"
Luffy burst out laughing. "SHISHISHISHISHI… got you!!"
Usopp looked up at Luffy laughing, then at Zoro and Yuji smirking, and Nami chuckling. "Wh-what!?" he asked, confused.
"I stole that line from Shanks. He was so cool when he said it to a bandit who was pointing a gun at him." explained Luffy with a grin. He then walked over to Usopp and held out his hand. "Hey, you said your name is Usopp, right!? You wouldn't happen to be Yasopp's son, would you!?"
Usopp's hand froze halfway to Luffy's. His eyes widened. "Huh!?" He took the offered hand and pulled himself up, suddenly energized. "Hey, how do you know about my dad!? Wait, did you meet him!? What was he like!? Is he really a great pirate!?" The questions poured out one after another.
"Yeah, I met him when I was seven. He's really cool. And yes, he's a great pirate," Luffy replied with a grin.
Usopp's face broke into a grin so wide it seemed to erase his earlier fear. He began to laugh. "Hahahahaha… Hey, you know about my dad, so that makes us friends." He threw his arm around Luffy's shoulder. "Come on, let's talk somewhere else."
He then led Luffy and the others toward Syrup Village. "Come on, come on… this is my village. It may look small, but the people here have big hearts. They are very welcoming and generous," he explained with a big smile.
Luffy grinned back and nodded eagerly.
Zoro and Nami followed behind with steady steps, while Yuji stared at Usopp, imaginary question marks floating above his head.
Nami, walking beside him, glanced over and nudged him. "You've been staring at him for a while!! What's wrong!?"
"Where's his nose!?" Yuji asked absentmindedly.
"What!?" Nami asked, confused. She looked at Usopp talking with Luffy, then at his nose, which appeared perfectly normal.
"His nose should be longer!!" muttered Yuji, and Nami looked at him as if he had lost his mind.
But what she didn't know was that after Yuji took a closer look at Usopp and didn't see his famously long nose, he began questioning reality.
He then looked at Luffy, Zoro, and Nami. 'They look exactly like their manga versions, so why does Usopp resemble live-action version? Interesting... very interesting!!'
Usopp led them to the local restaurant. He opened the door, causing a small bell overhead to chime, and looked at the owner behind the counter. "Hey there, Auntie Mia, you look as good as ever." he said with a grin.
The woman looked up from her newspaper and gave him a blank stare. "And you're as troublesome as ever." She then glanced at Luffy and the others. "And what do we have here? Newcomers? Don't tell me you tricked them with your tall tales again."
"Hmph… my stories aren't tall tales; they're the true adventures of my grand journeys!!" shot back Usopp.
"Yeah, yeah, the adventures of the great Captain Usopp," Mia said in a teasing tone. Then her expression turned serious. "I'll have you know I'm not running a charity here, so if your new friends have money, they're welcome; if not, then you can all leave."
"Hey, how can you—" Usopp started, but Yuji placed a hand on his shoulder, stopping him.
"We do have money," he said to Mia. She nodded and gestured toward an empty table by the window.
"Take a seat. I'll send someone to take your order."
The group sat at the table, and Luffy immediately opened the menu, his eyes scanning the pages intently.
"Quite a lady, isn't she!?" muttered Zoro, placing his three swords on the table.
"Yeah…" replied Usopp. "She's just like that. Business hasn't been good in our village for a few years. After the mayor and his wife died three years ago, the village's income dropped. They were the ones who managed all the businesses here. Now, the only person left is Kaya, their daughter. But she has a terminal illness and can't go out." He sighed.
"That bad, huh?" said Nami.
"Yeah."
There was silence at the table. Then a girl came over to take their order. Luffy ordered his usual meat dish. Yuji ordered sandwiches for everyone, orange juice for Nami, and a bottle of booze for Zoro.
"So…" Usopp spoke up. "Can you tell me more about my dad!?" he asked Luffy.
Luffy hummed, leaning back in his chair. "Well, Yasopp is a great sharpshooter and sniper. One time, he shot down a bird from miles away. I was amazed. Can you believe it? Miles away!"
Usopp grinned. "Well, that's my dad for you!!"
"Yeah. And more than that, he's part of Shanks' crew. Yuji told me that Shanks became a very strong pirate in the Grand Line!!" said Luffy.
Usopp's eyes widened as he looked at Yuji. "What, really!?"
Yuji nodded. "Yeah, Shanks is one of the Emperors of the Sea, with a bounty exceeding 4 billion berries."
"WHAT!???"
Luffy, Zoro, Nami, and Usopp all shouted in response to the amount.
"4 b-billion berries!!!" Nami muttered, swallowing hard.
"That's… insane!!!" said Zoro, wiping sweat from his brow.
"4 billion!!" Usopp muttered under his breath. Then he looked up. "Wait, if this Shanks is the captain and has such a huge bounty, then what's my dad's bounty!?"
Yuji hummed, taking a slow sip of water before answering. "Well, there's the first mate, Benn Beckman, whose bounty is 2.5 billion, and then there's your dad, the second mate. His bounty is 1.8 billion."
"Wow!!!" Usopp's voice cracked slightly. He blinked, then leaned forward. "My dad has a 1.8 billion berry bounty!? THAT'S SO COOL!!!" He spun toward Mia at the counter, nearly knocking over his water glass. "Take that, you old hag. My dad's a world-famous pirate!!"
"Yeah, yeah, whatever," she replied, but her voice was softer this time—almost a smile.
Usopp turned back to Yuji and gave him a thumbs-up. "My man, you just made my day." He leaned back in his chair and looked at the ceiling. "1.8 billion…" he muttered with a soft smile. Then his smile faded into sadness. "I wish Mom was here to hear it."
Then the girl returned with the order and placed it on the table.
Luffy immediately dug into his meat dish, while Zoro opened the bottle of booze and took a sip, his eyes closing in appreciation.
Yuji and Nami each picked up a sandwich and began eating. The bread was fresh, and the filling was generous despite Mia's gruff manner.
After a few more minutes of comfortable silence, Usopp turned to Luffy. "So, what's the real reason you guys came here? I mean, it was really nice to meet someone who knows about my dad, but just chatting can't be the only reason, right!?"
Luffy hummed between bites and then said, "Well, I'm looking for people to join my pirate crew…"
"Wait, really!?" asked Usopp.
"And a bigger ship," added Yuji.
At that, Usopp rubbed his chin. "I don't know about crew members, but if it's about a ship, I know just the right person who can get you one."
"Who!?" asked Nami.
"Kaya," replied Usopp.
Zoro raised an eyebrow. "The same terminally ill girl!?"
Usopp nodded. "Yeah. She has a shipyard on the other side of the village. You can ask her and look at any ship you like—well, for the right price, that is."
At that moment, Luffy, Yuji, and Zoro all looked at Nami.
"What!? Why are you looking at me like that? Wait a minute…" She then clutched her treasure sack tightly, pulling it close to her chest. "I'm not giving you any of my money!!!"
"Aww…" Luffy slumped, his shoulders sagging.
"Tch, the witch is showing her true colors," muttered Zoro.
Nami shot him a sharp look. "What did you say!?"
Yuji sighed, setting down his sandwich. "Come on, Nami, we can't keep sailing on those small boats. We need a bigger ship, a real ship. And for that, we need money."
"B-but, my money!!?" She pouted and tried to look cute, but Yuji just gave her a blank look.
"Stop that. A trick like that doesn't work on me."
Nami huffed, then glanced at Luffy's eager face and Zoro's serious expression. She let out a tired sigh.
"Fine. But I'll be the one negotiating with this girl," she said.
"I'm fine with that," said Yuji.
"Okay," Luffy chimed in with a grin.
"Whatever," grumbled Zoro.
Nami nodded, satisfied, then looked at Usopp. "Take us to Kaya."
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See you in next chapter....