The sun, a benevolent eye in the cerulean sky, smiled down on Syrup Village. Brightly colored houses and jewels spilled across a velvet hillside, nestled amongst gentle slopes. Two paths, a brisk three-minute run apart, snaked up from the shoreline, the only access points between towering cliffs. A fragile peace reigned, about to be shattered.
A skinny boy with goggles perched on his head and a slingshot casually slung over his left wrist sprinted through the cobbled streets, his long nose a frantic herald. This was Usopp, the village liar and self-proclaimed Captain of the Usopp Pirates (current membership: Usopp, Onion, Pepper, and Carrot). He shrieked, "PIRATES! PIRATES ARE COMING! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!"
His lungs burning, he skidded to a halt, gasping. "The pirates are—" A flying pot interrupted, connecting with the back of his head. Stars exploded. He staggered, turning to face the villagers, a wave of disgruntled faces brandishing brooms, pans, mops, and the baker's wife's menacing rolling pin.
"Usopp!" a burly farmer roared. "How many times must we tell you to stop these pranks?"
"But… but… they were real this time!" Usopp stammered, clutching his head. "Big ship, black sails, skull and crossbones!"
The baker's wife scoffed. "Oh? And I suppose Captain One-Leg and his parrot were there too?"
Usopp knew he was beaten. "Maybe I… exaggerated…" he mumbled.
The villagers dispersed, grumbling. Usopp, however, remained, a frown etching his brow. He stood on a southern cliff overlooking the sparkling sea. A nagging feeling persisted. He had seen something – a flicker of mast, a glint of metal… a chilling premonition. He dismissed it as paranoia.
Just then, two children, around nine years old, appeared. Pepper, a boy with dark hair wearing a pepper-shaped hat and a light green shirt bearing the Usopp Pirates' Jolly Roger, and Carrot, a freckled boy with short, spiky purple hair covering his eyes and a red hat, spoke simultaneously: "Good morning, Captain! The Usopp Pirates are here!"
Before Usopp could respond, another child, Onion, with brown hair in a distinctive onion-like tuft and tiny eyes, burst onto the scene shouting, "Terrible news! Pirates! Their boat has a skull mark! North shore!"
Usopp, skeptical, scoffed, "That's a lie!"
Onion, tears welling from his run across the village, insisted, "It's the truth!!"
Immediately upon realizing that Onion was telling the truth, Usopp's first instinct was to flee. "Snack Time!!" he yelled, starting to sprint.
However, Carrot and Pepper cried out simultaneously, "Liar!" and "Don't run away!", halting his escape. Then Onion added, "If I recall correctly, it's Buggy the Clown's mark!" This revelation instilled a mixture of fear and recognition in Usopp, Pepper, and Carrot, momentarily freezing them in place. Onion continued, "But I just saw three shadows!"
Usopp, summoning his courage, declared with newfound spirit, "YOSH! Let's go, Usopp Pirates! Let's protect the village!"
=========================
Meanwhile, some time after leaving Orange Town, the Straw Hat Pirates enjoyed a rare moment of calm aboard their newly acquired vessel—a small, battered ship commandeered from Buggy the Clown. Luffy munched on an apple, Zoro rested, and Nami meticulously checked their course.
Luffy stretched. "Meat! I'm starving!"
Zoro, eyes half-closed, grumbled, "We ate two hours ago."
Nami, rolling her eyes, said, "And you're still eating, Luffy. We're nearing Gecko Island. Or, as someone keeps calling it, Syrup Village."
Luffy's eyes lit up. "Syrup Village!"
"Gecko Island, Luffy," Nami sighed. "It took forever to find this place, even with the correct name."
Luffy frowned. "But I swear it was Syrup Village…"
"We can't continue like this," Nami stated firmly. "This crew, our provisions, and this tiny ship are completely inadequate for what lies ahead."
"You're right," Luffy agreed, apple still in his mouth. "We need meat!" while also thinking to himself 'Usopp, Going Merry, and Sanji'
"And some booze," Zoro mumbled.
"We need far more than that, you idiots!" Nami exclaimed, returning to her charts. Luffy, however, smiled, already anticipating new adventures.
They landed on the north shore. Luffy leaped onto the sand before Nami even beached the boat. Zoro stretched.
"Nice to be back on land," he said.
"Yeah. Now, to find some meat," Luffy grinned. Nami sighed, knowing his focus wouldn't shift. Zoro agreed about the meat and the booze, but his words were cut short by rustling in the bushes.
"We've got company," he said darkly. Luffy chuckled as he knew what was going to happen, Nami hid behind the boat, and Zoro stood his ground. Then, laughter echoed from the hilltop.
A skinny young man with a long nose, arms crossed, and a confident smile, stood overlooking them, surrounded by pirate flags bearing his Jolly Roger. Luffy couldn't suppress his grin.
"I am Usopp, leader of this island and an invincible fleet of pirates! I am feared as CAPTAIN USOPP!" Usopp bellowed. "You fools dare attack my island? My eighty million men will—"
Nami interrupted calmly, "That's a lie."
Usopp's face paled. "Shit! I've been found out!" he cried.
"Okay, eighty million might be a slight exaggeration," he admitted, gesturing weakly at a few waving flags. Nami smiled, pointing. "You mean those three?"
Three terrified children scrambled from the bushes, dropping the flags and fleeing. Usopp screamed at them to stop.
"Never seen a pirate who uses a slingshot," she commented as Luffy smirked.
Usopp, aiming his slingshot, yelled, "I'm an expert!"
Luffy, in a low, serious tone, asked, "Now that you've drawn your weapon, will you use it?" Zoro subtly flicked his sword, the glint catching Usopp's eye.
"The ones before you were real pirates," Zoro grinned menacingly. "Careful, or your next move will be your last."
Usopp trembled, dropped his slingshot, and fell to his knees. "Just like I thought," he sighed. "Real pirates' words carry weight... especially when backed up." Luffy and Zoro laughed.
"I stole that," Luffy said, still laughing. "From Shanks, a pirate I know."
"Wait, Red-Haired Shanks?" Usopp gasped.
"Yeah. You're Usopp, Yasopp's kid, right?" Luffy asked.
"Y-you know my dad?!" Usopp exclaimed, nearly falling off the cliff in shock. He scrambled back up, eyes wide. "You know my dad?!"
"Yeah," Luffy grinned. "But first, let's get some food."
//////////////////////
Usopp led the three of them to a restaurant so that they could eat. While they did, Luffy told Usopp how he met his father. Usopp listened as Luffy told him about how his father went on and on about his kid, which is how he knew who Usopp was. He then went on about how excellent Yasopp's sniping was. How he never missed a shot, or how he said he could hit the antenna of an ant without hurting the rest. Usopp smiled as he listened to every word, glad to have heard something about his father after over a decade.
"Hey, Usopp," Nami said, once Luffy had resumed his enthusiastic eating. "We weren't exactly hoping to acquire a better ship, you know. Although we like a ship better than we have now, you wouldn't happen to know anyone who could help us with that, would you?"
Usopp started to shake his head, a nervous tremor in his voice. "Sorry, but we don't have anyone who—"
Before he could finish, Luffy interrupted a mischievous glint in his eye. "Yeah," he said, pointing towards a grand mansion perched atop a nearby hill. "They have Merry."
Zoro and Nami exchanged startled glances. They hadn't missed the fact that the man before them shared the same name Luffy had mentioned earlier. But given Luffy's casual manner and the way he'd spoken about knowing Usopp's father, they assumed the connection was through Yasopp's stories. The way Luffy so easily dropped the name "Syrup Village" and seemed to know so much about Usopp, despite the boy's apparent lack of sailing experience, raised eyebrows, particularly Nami's. She gave Luffy a sharp, assessing look, her gaze lingering on him for a moment longer than strictly necessary. The implications of Luffy's seemingly effortless knowledge were far from clear.
However, they decided not to question him. Luffy had mentioned he would explain everything when gathering the other seven crew in his own time, so there was no point in pressing him for answers he wasn't going to give yet.
"How do you know?!" Usopp yelled, his face a mask of confusion. Luffy just grinned, a faraway look in his eyes for a fleeting moment, as if recalling a distant memory. "She's a beauty! Perfect for our crew!"
Usopp said, "Don't go there! I uh... got somewhere to be. Everyone here knows me, so eat all you want. It's on me," before hurrying out the door, leaving Nami and Zoro stunned, while Luffy burst into laughter.
"What's wrong with him?" Zoro asked, staring at Luffy, who was still chuckling. Simultaneously, they heard, "The Usopp Pirates are here!" a chorus of children's voices shrieked—the same ones who'd been with Usopp earlier. The trio turned as the children approached their table.
"Where's our Captain, you savages?!" Pepper yelled, Carrot and Onion close behind, looking menacing.
"Ah, that was some good meat," Luffy said, patting his distended belly. The kids stared at him in horror.
"M-meat?" Pepper and Onion stammered.
"N-no way," Carrot whispered, aghast.
Luffy grinned as Nami fought back giggles. Zoro leaned on the table, a dark smile playing on his lips.
"Your captain," he said, his smirk widening, "was eaten."
"AH! WITCH!" they screamed, pointing accusingly at Nami, who shrieked in protest at the accusation, as Luffy and Zoro roared with laughter.
'It's even funnier seeing it for the second time,' Luffy thought, as Nami frantically tried to explain it was a joke.
"B-but you s-s-said—" one of them sputtered, prompting another round of laughter from Zoro and Luffy. After a brief conversation in the restaurant about the food and Usopp's whereabouts, they all headed towards the mansion where the children said Usopp would be. As they walked, the children began laughing along with Luffy.
"You got us good," they said, still chuckling. During the walk, Nami asked why Usopp would be at the mansion. The children explained that Usopp was there to tell stories to Kaya, the mansion's owner, who had been ill for a year since her parents died. Despite her wealth, she was unhappy, and Usopp was trying to cheer her up. They enthusiastically shared their admiration for Usopp as they reached the mansion gates.
"We're here," Onion announced. "The gate's locked, though—" He trailed off, along with his friends, as they shrieked at the sight of Luffy stretching his arms. Zoro and Nami knew what was coming. They and the kids grabbed onto Luffy, only to be launched into the air with him. They soared through the sky, a mixture of screams and Luffy's excited laughter filling the air, before crashing down near a tree beside the house. Luffy laughed at their "successful" landing as he and Zoro walked away from the resulting crater, while Nami grumbled and rubbed her bruised backside.
"My... Are you alright?" a voice called from a window near the tree. They looked up to see Usopp peering from the tree and a slim and pale-skinned girl with pale blonde hair long to the shoulders. She has wide brown eyes, that are of a sort of lighter shade.
Kaya at the window.
"Don't worry. We're okay," Luffy said with a grin.
"Maybe you are!" Nami yelled.
"Why are you here?" Usopp asked, a slightly nervous tone in his voice as he tried to shield Kaya.
"We're here to see you, miss," Luffy said.
"Me? For what reason?" Kaya asked, her nervousness increasing as she observed Usopp's protective stance.
"Well, we're hoping that—"
"What is the meaning of all this?!" a new voice boomed. Everyone turned to see Klahadore, or Kuro, striding towards them with a sour expression.
"Klahadore," Kaya said weakly.
"Out with you all. You're trespassing," he declared, adjusting his glasses.
"Klahadore, these people are—"
"Not now, Miss Kaya. We'll talk after this rabble has left," he interrupted. "Now all of you, leave the grounds unless you have business with me."
"We don't have business with you," Luffy said calmly, his hat low over his eyes. "We're here to talk to the lady of the house about selling us a ship."
"She is ill and cannot deal with the likes of you miscreants, so a ship is out of the question," Kuro sneered, his gaze flicking upwards to spot Usopp trying to hide in the tree. "USOPP!"
"Crap. He saw me," Usopp muttered, looking down at the butler.
"What are you doing here? Trying to worm your way into Miss Kaya's good books to get at her fortune?" Kuro said with a bored expression.
"Klahadore!" Kaya cried out, while Usopp tried to soothe her.
"Of course you would. Only the son of a filthy pirate would make up a scheme like that," Kuro sneered. Usopp glared down at him.
"What did you just say about my father?!" Usopp roared, using a hook to swing down from the tree, his rage evident.
"Calm down, Usopp," Kuro said with a smug grin, adjusting his glasses. "Why not just do what you do best and lie? Tell us how your father is a traveling salesman. Or that you're adopted?"
"BASTARD!" Usopp screamed, punching Kuro squarely in the face, sending him sprawling. Kaya and the children stared in shock, while Luffy simply observed the unfolding events. Kuro sat up, spitting out insults about Usopp's parentage.
"SHUT UP!" Usopp yelled, declaring his pride in his father and refusing to be ashamed of his pirate heritage. Luffy smiled; Kuro only grinned and continued his insults. Usopp was about to punch him again when Kaya begged him to stop. Usopp relented as Kuro ordered them all off the property. Usopp stormed off, declaring he didn't care. The children then unleashed their anger on Kuro for his insults. Luffy remained silent as they left after Kuro's repeated orders. Once outside the gates, Luffy ran off to where he remembered Usopp would go. He slowed down as Usopp came into view, sitting down beside him.
"I want to be left alone, Luffy," Usopp said, staring out at the sea.
"Hey, come on, Usopp. Don't let that bastard butler get to ya. We both know your dad is a great guy," Luffy said. Usopp smiled, expressing his admiration for his father and his desire to be like him. Luffy smiled before asking if he would see Kaya again.
"I don't know," Usopp sighed. "That stupid butler doesn't want me anywhere near her."
"Why not ask politely? He's right there," Luffy said, pointing down the cliff. Usopp looked down and saw Kuro speaking to a strange man with heart-shaped glasses. They overheard Kuro revealing himself as Captain Kuro of the Black Cat Pirates, explaining how three years prior, he'd planned to kill Kaya to steal her fortune after Jango hypnotized her into signing a will leaving everything to him.
"N-no way," Usopp whispered, his blood ran cold. Kaya, the woman he'd sworn to protect, was in mortal danger. He pictured his father, Yasopp, standing proudly on the deck of Shanks' ship. A fierce determination hardened his gaze. He wouldn't run. He wouldn't hide. He would face Kuro, and he would protect Syrup Village. Maybe, just maybe, he could even prove himself worthy of the title "Captain Usopp." And perhaps, sailing with Luffy, a man who knew and respected his father, was the way to do it.
"Hey," Luffy said at the top of the cliff, getting both Kuro and Jango's attention.
"Wha? Who are you?" Jango asked.
"You're that straw hat kid from before," Kuro said as he adjusted his glasses. "What are you doing here?"
"Leave Kaya alone!" Luffy said in a serious tone. Kuro just narrowed his eyes.
"So, you heard our conversation?" Kuro asked, turning to Jango. "Jango."
"Right," Jango said, producing a ring and waving it at Luffy. "Watch the ring, kid. When I count 1, 2, Jango, you'll jump off the cliff. One...Two...Jan—"
Suddenly, in a blur of motion. Luffy launched Usopp, a perfectly aimed projectile propelled by a burst of unbelievable speed and precision. Usopp, screaming a wordless shriek of pure terror and surprise, became a human missile. He didn't just land on Jango; he collided with him with such force that Jango was sent sprawling, unconscious, to the ground. Usopp landed in a heap beside him, winded but otherwise unharmed.
Then, Usopp, catching his breath, yelled, "WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING?!" His voice was slightly breathless.
Kuro's jaw dropped. He stared, utterly speechless, at the bizarre tableau before him: Jango, knocked out cold, and Usopp, miraculously unharmed, lying beside him. The hypnotic ring clattered to the ground, forgotten. Even Luffy seemed momentarily stunned by the unexpected effectiveness of his impromptu attack. The only sound was the gentle lapping of the waves against the rocks below. Then, a seagull landed on Usopp's head.
Before Kuro could snap out of his shock, he heard a familiar, terrifying cry: "GUM-GUM ROCKET!" He barely dodged the colossal rubber fist that whizzed past his ear, the wind from its passage ruffling his hair. Seizing his chance, Usopp, already reloading his slingshot with impressive speed, fired a well-aimed shot that struck Kuro squarely in the face.
Enraged, Kuro dashed towards Usopp, intent on silencing him permanently. Luffy finally freed himself from the ground where he'd landed after his failed attempt to tackle Kuro, seeing Kuro sprinting toward Usopp. He launched a rapid barrage of punches at Kuro, but the seasoned pirate dodged them all with effortless grace.
Kuro's eyes narrowed, a predatory gleam in them. He moved with a speed that belied his butler facade, drawing a slender, wickedly sharp dagger from beneath his coat. The blade flashed, aimed directly at Luffy's heart. Time seemed to slow. Luffy, sensing the deadly intent behind the attack, twisted his body at the last possible moment. The dagger grazed his skin, leaving a thin red line. A fierce grin spread across Luffy's face. "Gomu Gomu no Bullet!" His fist, propelled by the force of his stretched rubber arm, slammed into Kuro's chest. The impact echoed across the cliffs. Kuro gasped, his eyes widening in disbelief, before crumpling to the ground, unconscious.
=========================
After their confrontation with Kuro and Jango on the secluded southern cliffs, Luffy and Usopp quickly tied up the unconscious bodies of the two villains using ropes from Usopp's bag.
"There, that should hold them until we can get the authorities," Usopp said, double-checking the knots.
Luffy nodded in satisfaction. "Great, now let's head back and regroup with the others. I'm sure Zoro and Nami are wondering what's taking us so long."
The two made their way back down the cliffs, hurrying towards Kaya's mansion. As they approached, they could see the worried faces of Usopp's pirate crew, as well as Zoro and Nami, who had been waiting anxiously for their return.
"Usopp! Luffy! There you are!" Nami exclaimed. "What happened? We were starting to get worried."
Usopp quickly explained everything that had transpired - Kuro's true identity, the planned attack on Syrup Village, and their confrontation on the cliffs. The Usopp Pirates listened with growing horror, realizing the gravity of the situation.
"So Kuro and Jango are down, but the rest of the Black Cat Pirates are still out there?" Zoro asked, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword.
"That's right," Usopp confirmed. "We need to find a way to convince Kaya and stop the rest of the crew before they carry out their attack."
Nami frowned, deep in thought. "Hmm, if Kuro and Jango are out of commission, that buys us some time. But we need to act quickly before the other pirates realize something's wrong."
Usopp turned to Kaya's mansion, his expression determined. "I have to try and make Kaya understand the truth. She has to believe me."
Luffy placed a hand on Usopp's shoulder. "We're with you, Usopp. Let's go talk to Kaya and make sure she knows what's going on."
Back at the mansion, they explained everything to a shocked and heartbroken Kaya, who finally accepted the truth. Just as the weight of Kuro's betrayal settled upon her, Onion burst into the room, his small face pale. "The pirates! Their ship! It's coming to the south shore!"
Without a word, Zoro stood, a grim smile playing on his lips. "You had your fun, Luffy. Now it's my turn." He started towards the door, his hand instinctively resting on the hilt of Wado Ichimonji.
"Wait!" Onion cried, scrambling after him. "They're heading for the southern cliffs! I'll show you the fastest way!" He tugged at Zoro's pant leg, urging him towards a side exit.
Zoro followed Onion, a whirlwind of urgency leading him through the mansion's back gardens and down a narrow, overgrown path. The salty tang of the sea grew stronger, the sounds of shouting echoing through the air. They emerged onto the southern cliffs, overlooking a chaotic scene. The Black Cat Pirates, emboldened by Kuro's absence, were rushing toward the village, to terrorize the villagers.
A cruel grin spread across Zoro's face. "Perfect." He drew his three swords, the polished steel gleaming in the afternoon sun. With a roar, he charged into the fray, a green blur of flashing blades. The pirates, initially confident, quickly realized they were hopelessly outmatched. Zoro's swords danced, a whirlwind of precision and power. Cries of surprise and pain filled the air as one after another, the pirates fell. The fight was short, brutal, and entirely one-sided. Within minutes, the remaining Black Cat Pirates were either unconscious or fleeing back to their ship, leaving behind a trail of scattered weapons and groaning bodies. Zoro stood amidst the wreckage, sheathing his swords, his work done.
The villagers, unaware of the battle that had saved them, awoke to a peaceful dawn. The villagers, blissfully unaware of the danger they had narrowly avoided, buzzed with activity.
Inside the mansion, Luffy said, "Good work yesterday, Zoro!" Zoro nodded his head in acknowledgment, before turning to Kaya about the ship. "So, about that ship," he began, a hopeful grin stretching across his face. "The Going Merry. We kinda need it."
Kaya blinked, surprised. "The Going Merry?" she repeated. Then, turning to Merry, the butler, who hovered nearby, she asked, "Did you tell them about her?"
Merry, equally surprised, stammered, "N-no, Miss Kaya, I haven't mentioned the ship or its name to anyone." He looked from Kaya to Luffy, a puzzled frown creasing his brow.
Luffy, oblivious to the confusion, simply beamed. "She's a beauty! Perfect for our crew!" He mimed sailing with his hands, nearly knocking over a vase of flowers.
Kaya, seeing Luffy's earnest desperation and in gratitude for saving her and the village, softened. She glanced again at Merry, a silent conversation passing between them. A small smile touched her lips. "I suppose," she began, a hint of amusement in her voice, "a proper thank you is in order. And the Going Merry… well, she has been waiting for an adventure."
==================
At the north shore of the island
A rumbling sound echoed from the hillside. Suddenly, Usopp, his oversized backpack bulging at the seams, came tumbling down the slope, a human avalanche of bandages, slingshots, and dubious-looking concoctions. He yelled incoherently as he bounced and rolled, heading straight for the unsuspecting Luffy and Zoro.
Luffy, mid-sentence about the merits of cannonballs versus meat, blinked as the chaotic mass approached. Zoro, leaning against a nearby tree, simply sighed. With perfect timing, they both extended their feet, planting them firmly in Usopp's path. The impact stopped the would-be pirate in his tracks, sending him sprawling face-first into the grass with a muffled "Oof!"
His backpack, seemingly possessing a life of its own, continued its forward momentum, bouncing over Usopp's head and landing with a thud a few feet away. A cloud of dust erupted from the impact, revealing a bizarre assortment of items scattered across the lawn: a rubber chicken, a bag of marbles, a small, wilting plant, and a suspiciously large magnifying glass.
Usopp groaned, pushing himself up, his face covered in dirt and leaves. "I… I meant to do that," he mumbled, brushing himself off with a theatrical flourish. He scrambled to his feet, attempting to regain some semblance of dignity, and fixed Luffy and Zoro with a determined, if slightly dusty, glare. "I am Usopp, Captain of the Usopp Pirates, and I'm here to join your crew!"
With a sudden burst of energy, Luffy leaped onto the railing, his straw hat perched precariously on his head. He threw his arms wide, his infectious grin lighting up his face.
"SET SAIL!" he roared, his voice echoing across the water. The Going Merry, catching the wind in her sails, surged forward, embarking on a grand adventure.
Kaya stood at the edge of the pier, a small, wistful smile on her face as she watched the Going Merry pull away. Tears glistened in her eyes, but they were tears of joy and gratitude, not sadness. Usopp, standing at the ship's railing, waved back, his usual bravado replaced by a quiet sincerity.
"Take care, Kaya," he called out, his voice thick with emotion. "I'll come back and tell you all about my adventures!"
Kaya nodded, clutching the small, wrapped package he had given her. "I'll be waiting, Usopp," she replied, her voice barely above a whisper. "Captain Usopp."
A final wave and the gap between the ship and the shore widened. Usopp turned away, a new determination hardening his gaze as he looked out at the open sea. He had a crew, a captain to serve, and a world to explore.