"AHH! SHE KNOWS!" screamed three little children from the bushes. They then dropped the flags and took off running on the verge of tears while Usopp screamed at them to not run. After they ran, Nami walked away from the boat and picked up one of Usopp's lead stars.
"Never seen a pirate who uses a slingshot." she said as Luffy laughed at Usopp's antics.
"Be quiet!" Usopp shouted as he aimed his slingshot at them. "I'm an expert with this thing!"
"Now that you've drawn your weapon, will you use it?" Luffy asked in a low tone, giving Usopp a serious look with his hat shadowing his eyes. Usopp just looked at look with fear in his eyes at his words. Zoro decided to have some fun as he flicked his blade out of the sheath a bit so Usopp could see the glint of the sword.
"The ones before you are real pirates. Careful, or the next move you make will be your last." he said as he gave a sinister looking grin towards Usopp. Usopp looked like he was going to wet him as he still had his slingshot aimed at Luffy. His whole body trembled before he dropped his weapon and fell to his knees in defeat as he let out a sigh.
"Just like I thought. A real pirate's words have more impact." Usopp said as he looked at trio with a sad look. "Especially since they can back up their words." Luffy and Zoro looked at each other before laughing.
"I stole that." Luffy said as he continued laughing, causing Usopp to look at him confused. "I stole that from Shanks, a pirate I know."
"Wait, you mean Red Haired Shanks?" Usopp asked.
"Yeah. You're Usopp, Yasopp's kid right?" Luffy asked.
"Y-you know my dad?!" Usopp asked as he leaned over the edge of the cliff before falling down. He quickly got to his feet before asking if Luffy knew his father again. "Yeah. But first, let's get some food."
()()()()
Usopp lead the three of them to a restuarant 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 after Luffy started eating again. "We weren't hoping to get a better ship. Know anyone who can help us?"
"Sorry, but we don't have anyone here who can help." Usopp said with a hint of a nervous tone. "What about whoever's in that mansion on the hill?" Nami asked. "I saw it from earlier."
"Do not go there!" Usopp yelled as he stood up, shocking Nami and Zoro. Luffy remained calm, knowing who was there and what was going on. Usopp looked at them nervously before he grabbed his bag. "I uh...got somewhere to be. Everyone here knows me, so eat all you want. It's on me." he said as he walked out the door.
"Wonder what's wrong with him?" Zoro asked. Luffy just shrugged before they went back to eating. After a few minutes of Luffy gorging himself, they were about to leave before the door burst open.
"The Usopp Pirates are here!" screamed the children who were with Usopp earlier. The trio looked back at them as they approached their table. "Where's our Captain, you savages?!" screamed the one called Pepper, with Carrot and Onion right behind him.
"Ah, that was some good meat." Luffy said as he patted his swollen belly, which caused the kids to look at him in horror.
"M-meat?"
"N-no way."
"These guys are cannibals."
Luffy smiled as Nami tried to hold in her giggles. Zoro looked at the kids with a dark smile as he leaned on the table.
"Your captain," he said as he gave a dark smirk "was eaten."
"AAAAHHHHH! CANNIBALS!" they screamed as they looked at Nami, who screamed back as to why they were looking at her as Luffy and Zoro laughed. 'It's even funnier the second time.' Luffy thought as Nami tried to explain it was just a joke.
"B-but you s-s-said-" one of them said, which Zoro and Luffy laughed again. After a short chat about the food and Usopp with the restaurant owner, they all left toward the mansion, where the children said Usopp would be. As they walked, the children started laughing with Luffy.
"You really got us good." they said as they continued to laugh. As they walked, Nami asked why Usopp would be at the mansion, to which they said was to lie. The children went on about how the owner, Kaya, has been sick for about a year when her parents died. How even though she had a lot of money, it didn't make her happy. They then went on about how Usopp went there to tell her stories to lift her spirits, along with what they liked about Usopp. Luffy smiled at that as they arrived at the gate of the mansion.
"We're here." Onion said. "The gate's locked tho-" was all he said before he and his friends screamed at seeing Luffy stretch his arms. Zoro and Nami knew what he was doing as they and the kids grabbed onto Luffy, only to be shot in the air with him. They all flew in the air while everyone screamed in fear, or excitement in Luffy's case, before they all came crashing down next to a tree on the side of the house. Luffy was laughing at the 'successful' landing as he and Zoro walked away from the crater, while Nami grumbled and rubbed her backside.
"My word. Are you alright?" came a voice from the window next to the tree. They all looked up to see Usopp in the tree and Kaya in the window.
"Don't worry. We're okay." Luffy said with a smile. "Maybe you are!" screamed Nami. "Who are you all?" Kaya asked.