Usopp lowered his slingshot, chest heaving with exertion, curls sticking slickly to his face from the sweat pouring down his temples. He pushed the mass of hair away from his eyes to see the scene play out in front of him more clearly.

The deafening roar of the crowd engulfed the sound of his breath, but it was dimmed by the rush of his own heart in his ears.

It had been a long time since he had last competed in any of the Games, the two years of self-training not preparing him for the activities deemed suitable for "Godly Sports" and the few months of being back in Luffy's circle hadn't kicked him out of solitary habits completely. It was easy to work out and train - it was considerably harder to fight against someone whose gifts included existence erasure where one small error could mean the end of not only his beloved god of gods but a horde of common folk.

The little girl, a priestess of will, collapsed with a horrified scream, the hallucinogenic bulbs working their magic as he hit his target. Usopp almost mirrored her posture, falling to his knees as he continued to pant harshly; gasping breath filtering past his bruised throat and aching ribs painfully, but he was satisfied with the outcome.

There was a brief moment when shaded eyes swung to look at him, a moment where the pounding in his heart stilled and the world froze, hung on a string, before Luffy took the eyes' attention back.

Luffy would win against the god of autonomy.

Luffy was blessed enough to do anything, willful enough to beat anyone, and powerful enough to be stopped by nothing.

Usopp had done his part, he deserved a rest.

His eyes slipped closed, the last thing he saw before everything turned black was a gaggle of common folk flashing into view as the priestess of willfainted.

—-

It was difficult, Usopp found, to be back in his temple.

Back to his hard throne and open windows that let in uncomfortably muggy air and bugs. The bells around his ankles jingled mockingly as he shifted, his nose filled with cloying incense that felt almost toxic after the sweet ones used at the Games.

Being a human god for the most part was boring. Being an unpopular human god was downright miserable.

He missed Luffy.

He missed Zoro and Franky and Robin and Nami and Chopper and Brook. Maybe even Sanji, if only just a little bit.

He missed the freedom being with other worshiped people gave him. The kind of companionship he had to give up after he was chosen as the next person to be a living god for his village, after his father left and his mother passed away, leaving him with nothing but priests and wary worshipers as company.

Agod of misfortune.

A gloomy position. One where people only came to beg him not to inflict his blessing on them - or to ask to be protected against it.

He was still shocked a god of children and luck came to him, asked him to be a part of his circle, ask him to join his venture into ascending into the lofty role of the god of gods. Getting to meet others like him, the people he had come to accept as his family, who knew the pains of being worshiped and separated from general society, the fear of either dying a god or being kicked back into your humanity with little ways of supporting yourself.

Usopp had long given up hope of leaving his position. He had talked about it when he was younger, had whispered through the walls to his childhood crush that he would leave the temple and run away, live as a wanderer for the rest of his life if it meant he could be normal again. But Kaya had been sickly and he was scared to leave her, scared to come back and find her gone from this world. She had been the one to really talk him down, telling him he was needed and that his place was important, and Usopp was glad for an excuse not to run away from her. He believed her words and took comfort in her presence until she was whisked away to be a priestess to some goddess of health in hopes her condition would better, leaving him behind, alone. He had decided to stay put, to wait for her, to trust in her words that he was needed and wanted.

It was hard to feel needed when he was blamed for every disaster, though.

Terribly hard.

Then, like a storm, Luffy had rolled into his village, seemingly bringing disaster with him, but ultimately saving their tiny town from extinction as they were betrayed by the village leader's servant.

A god of children and luck, followed closely by agod of lost wanderers and a goddess of travelers, all on their way to the yearly Games while hunting down other human gods to join their circle.

Luffy wanted the world and Usopp believed he would get it.

It was like a dream come true when that beloved god asked if Usopp wanted to join him and his small but ever growing circle.

Usopp didn't care if he would have to return when the seasonal Events were over, if he would be stuck back in his temple after being absent for a year - the thought of finally getting away with no priests to gently admonish him every time his feet touched the ground or anytime someone got too close after his cleansing.

He would be in a traveling band full of equals.

Not even the tremble in his body from the prospect that he could get killed by some higher ranked god did anything to quell his excitement.

Now, though, it was nearly painful to think about. It felt like they had such a short amount of time together after their long separation. After the death of Luffy's brother, Ace, Luffy had been wrecked, intent on ensuring that he gained enough power to protect his circle, to ensure he never had to go through that pain again.

And they were all besides themselves after hearing the news; afraid for their beloved god and pained by their inability to comfort him.

It had been good to see them after those distressing years, but now, being away again, it felt too soon. Their reunion so brief and so filled with fighting and fear, it had been over and done with both too quickly and so agonizingly slow.

"God Usopp!" The harsh whisper brought him out of his daze and Usopp turned to the trio of boys, all dressed in their ceremonial robes for the festival of Usopp's return home.

Usopp didn't reply, as he wasn't allowed to, but he tilted his head in acknowledgement, eyes darting around for any of the priests before turning to look at them fully instead of out of the corner of his eye.

"God Usopp, did you see the crowd outside?" Piiman started again, his eyes constantly flickering to look behind his back at the door they came through, "It's the biggest I've ever seen!"

"Of course it is. You heard about what our God Usopp did at the Games - he surely won over a lot of new followers." Tamanegi butted in, pulling his cloak closer to himself in protection against the chilly morning air. "It'd be madness if there wasn't a flock of people racing to see the awe-inspiring God Usopp!"

"Yeah, but no one thought it'd be that much." Ninjin argued back.

Usopp listened with half an ear as the three boys argue amongst each other, his own eyes trained on the slightly opened door, straining to catch a glimpse of this crowd.

"You three!"

Unsurprisingly, the boy's loud voices had alerted one of the priests and Usopp straightened up nervously. The Head Priest, Mornin, continued ranting as he got closer, grabbing Piiman by the collar and directing the lot out a side door as he chastised them.

When all four had vacated, Usopp waited a few seconds before carefully standing, trying hard not to jingle the bells on his person. He winced every time one clinked as he stepped closer to the door, curiosity getting the better of him.

Cautiously, Usopp pushed the door wider, peeking through to see the swarm of worshipers waiting for the festival to begin.

Usopp's eyes widened at the sight; a full sea of people crowded together, their bright yellow and red clothes appearing startling bright against the pale morning sun and the thick blue fog that covered the ground, making it seem as if the gathering was wading in water.

It was the first time Usopp has seen such a large group for his returning festival - or any festival for that matter. They were a small village to begin with and the turnout for a misfortune god had never been the best. Even the few times he had returned from the Events hadn't increased the numbers of worshipers to this great extent.

Usopp felt a moment of dizziness, his breath catching in his chest with the knowledge that the swarm outside his temple doors was for him. That they had come to see him.

The lightheadedness caused him to stumble forward, the bells around his ankles cutting sharply through the temple's silence as he leaned against the door.

There was a heart stopping moment when the door gave way against his weight, the wood and iron creaking open and Usopp thought his lungs had failed him with how little he could breathe. The sudden jerking of the door as it ran into something gave his heart a single second of continued stillness before the organ was pumping erratically in his chest.

He looked up, following the line of a profile to the imposing face of a man, if he could be called that, as he was a wall of pure muscle and strength.

The massive man turned minutely to look behind him, eyes widening behind his helmet when he caught sight of Usopp.

Before Usopp could scurry back to his hiding hole, the wall of a man reached down and picked him up effortlessly, lifting him up high as he dragged the dark skinned man out of the temple and into the morning sun.

The quiet voices that had been rising and falling amicably stilled in an instant, all eyes turned on Usopp and his bulky captor.

The beat of his heart was painful as he waited for something to happen, for anything to happen. He considered the fact that perhaps the crowd wasn't here to celebrate his return, but rather to punish him for taking down Sugar and helping in dethroning Doflamingo. Usopp thought about the wide reach the Donquixote sphere reached and the massive surge in hatred towards Luffy after he dismantled the older man's reign of power. They had angered not only a lot of people, but had angered a lot of the highest tier, people who could have them all murdered in a blink of an eye.

The anxiety was back, crashing through Usopp in a thick, black wave. He shouldn't have left the crew again, even if it was a requirement to keep his post as a god, even if it was so that they didn't lose their placement in the world - it would definitely be safer and more secure to stick together. They could have opened a pantheon and tried to petition for their continued godhoods and priesthoods in front of the ruling council-

Before Usopp could continue his line of thought, his downward spiral was halted by his captor's booming voice:

"God Usopp!"

And like that, the crowd's deafening cheer washed away his fear and left his head spinning dizzyingly as the gentle air was broken suddenly and harshly.

Usopp instead was overcome with an intense embarrassment, and he waffled between struggling in the giant man's grasp and hiding his face in awkwardness.

Before he could voice his desire to be released in the sweet relief of death, he was gently placed back on the ground, the small rocks and dirt littering the raised steps to the temple doors digging into his bare feet, making him aware that he was definitely not supposed to be walking around, especially not outside.

He made a quarter turn step, intent on slipping back inside and hiding on his throne until the priests arrived and noticed his dirty appearance and demanded he be cleaned again, but he didn't make it far before hands were grabbing at him and tugging on his clothes, his hair, his hands, his bells and chains and bangles. There were too many people rushing at him, pulling and jerking him from left and right.

Usopp pulled at the hands, stumbling back and crashing back into the wide chest of the first man, the giant who had dragged him into the sunlight and kickstarted the entire situation.

It definitely hadn't been Usopp's fault for leaving his post to go see the crowd in the first place.

Definitely not.

Just like the first time, Usopp was shocked speechless when he was grabbed under the arms and hoisted into the air, risen completely above the swarming group of worshipers who tried desperately to feel his skin and kiss his hands. He gripped the giant's hands in his own, not daring to struggle for fear that he would be dropped and drowned in the mass of crowding bodies.

Usopp's feet touched the ground again, the cool stone of his temple greeting him as the door behind him was closed.

He waited for a few beats, the suddenness of the situation taking a while to process as he realized he had been saved from the horde. The god turned to look at the doors, the voices on the other side booming in an incomprehensible clashing of sounds.

The heat and residual feel of the hands grabbing and tugging at him left him off-kiltered, but the pressure from the giant man's touch continued to burn his skin and he rubbed absently at it.

As if on queue, the priest Mornin came around the corner and saw him, frowning disapprovingly at the god.

"The crowd..." Usopp started, trailing off as the old man got closer. He motioned towards the door half-heartedly, as if the movement could finish the rest of his sentence for him.

The old man shook his head, the corners of his mouth downturning, but he didn't comment on Usopp's frazzled appearance or his disappearance from his station.

"Let's clean up before the ceremony."

Usopp nodded back at the priest and followed him out the entrance way to the bathing area where Luigia, an old priestess woman, and his ceremonial clothes were waiting.

Usopp leaned over the edge of the below-ground bath, frowning at the set of clothes hanging off a faceless statue. They were the nicest clothes he owned and the oldest - leftovers from his predecessors that lasted through the trials of time, but he could see that the cloth was starting to wear in some places.

"Are you listening to me?"

"Uh, yes?" The reply was nearly automatic and Usopp could feel his face heat in embarrassment because he definitely had not been listening to the older woman as she scrubbed his back roughly with a sponge on a long stick.

She smacked him over the head with the wet weapon, Usopp ducking too late to avoid the hit.

He rubbed his head, glaring at Luigia with no real heat, turning towards her fully as she smacked the stick in her hand, a lecture poised on her tongue, waiting for his full attention.

"You probably didn't hear about it, but ever since your return, the village has been getting more and more residences. All sorts of types, more than anyone knows what to do with. The village is expanding rapidly." Though she didn't exactly say it was bad, Usopp still felt like she was blaming him for something, so he gave her a small, placating smile in hopes of getting her forgiveness.

Her faces gentled at his expression, lowering the sponge into the water as she continued.

"It's a good thing, god Usopp." Her face looked soft and her voice sounded tired. "I know our small village never could give you a truly...godly experience. Most of your priests are us old folk who came from the previous god. A misfortune god doesn't get much recognition and the worshiper flow and donations are...low."

"I've never felt stifled here, Luigia." Usopp rested his head on his folded arms, looking up at the old woman through the flyaway curls that had escaped from his bun.

It was a lie, of course.

He had always felt stifled living as a god. It wasn't exactly because of the rather poor conditions, but they definitely didn't help. Usopp could barely remember what it was like to live as a normal person, to be able to walk around freely, to be able to talk to anyone he wished to. The closest he had gotten to that was in Luffy's group, but that wasn't a full time thing yet.

It would be, though.

Once Luffy became the god of gods, Usopp could stay with him and the others, with people who saw him as an equal, as a person.

Usopp closed his eyes, mind wondering to a future where they could have the freedom that was only afforded to the top tiers. As he was, he was little more than a gilded prisoner.

Usopp frowned at the thought.

"Finished!"

Usopp opened his eyes to see the three priest boys clutching nearly empty baskets of red and orange flowers. The ground from the edge of the tub and out the door haphazardly strewn with the bright floral buds to show their hard work.

Usopp couldn't hold back a smile when Luigia gave a dramatic sign as the three boys tittered to themselves about the crowd waiting to get in.

"That's good, we just finished here. Step out."

Usopp followed her command obediently, trying to push his earlier thoughts down deep enough that his mind was no longer clouded with them, and failing.

Usopp stepped carefully on the flowers, looking at them between his toes and poking at the browning petals with little interest as he waited for his clothes to be put on.

Luigia and the boys struggled with the heavy garments, but after a bit of effort and discreet assistance from Usopp, the thick red covering slid up his legs and hugged his waist. Luigia tied the leather bands tight so that the bejeweled metal rim didn't follow along with the whims of gravity.

Usopp gave a tentative sway of his torso, testing the layered cloth and metal hangings. When they stayed on, he nodded his head at Luigia who was already taking the two looping pieces of cloth out of the rim of the skirt and manhandling his arms through them, straightening them out until they sat against his chest and back in some type of mock, wide set suspenders. She continued, pulling out two strips of fabric that had been tucked in the folds of the skirt and snapping open metal rings, fitting them through the slots at the ends of two pieces of loose fabric and clasping them closed around his wrists and upper arms. He shook out his arms, frowning at the swish of the useless sleeves.

Luigia turned back to the mannequin, picking up a box with a pitiful groan as she straightened back up, pounding a fist against her lower back and giving a rather loud sigh, looking pointedly at the three boys as she made a show of struggling to hold the box up.

Piiman rolled his eyes in exasperation, a rather funny look on his young face, before grabbing the box from her and opening it, showing the inside to Ninjin and Tamanegi.

The three grabbed handfuls of bell chains, shaking them out and struggling to untangle them.

Tamanegi finished first, walking over to Usopp and motioning him to lean down so the boy could thread the clasps through the loops on the arm flaps, closing them together in a more reasonable mock-sleeve. Ninjin did the same on his other arm while Piiman gave up his struggle and handed the bells to Luigia who made sure to make a loud ruckus of disappointed sighs as she untangled each chain.

When she finished, she took half and gave the rest to Piiman, both of them hooking the clasps through the loops on the sides to "close" the suspender-shirt's openings along his ribs.

Luigia paused in her threading, tongue clicking audibly as she pulled at the fabric strip.

"The loop is broken." Usopp raised his arm higher to look at it, chewing at his cheek when he saw the missing hole.

Luigia sighed heavily, this time of real exhaustion, before producing a knife from the folds of her own skirt and ramming the end through the fabric, creating a mock hole.

"I'll fix everything later."

Usopp just nodded in reply, worrying at his lip before he caught himself and stopped.

Usopp fiddled with the inner edge of the shirt as they continued to thread the bell chains, thinking of how it was more like an attached open and backless vest than anything and feeling rather exposed by the bare-ness of his back and front.

Luigia instructed the three boys to lower both the heavy set of neck amulets and Usopp dipped his head without complaint to take the necklaces around his neck, Luigia fussing with the lot until they were all settled properly. He frowned at the headpiece, his neck already screaming from the remembered pressure, but despite his hesitation, the large piece was fixed onto his head after Luigia had pulled his hair out of its bun and ordered it as nicely as she could.

Luigia looked him over critically, a tired smile spreading over her face as she reached a hand up to pat his face. Usopp bent down, letting the old women do as she wished. "You look perfect."

Usopp frowned, words forming on the tip of his tongue, but the presence of the three boys stilled it.

Luigia seemed to have noticed his anxiety, but she said nothing and instead waved a hand at the door.

"Come on, we need to do the finishing touches before the festival starts."

Usopp followed the three boys out the doors, his steps careful as he tried to balance the heavy metal on his head and keep to the flowered path at the same time.

He couldn't hold back a sigh of relief when he sank into his chair, the ability to distribute the pressure more satisfying than the uncomfortableness that the hard stone left. Usopp shuffled around, getting as comfortable as he could.

It was Mornin who came then, two pots cradled in his arms as he hurried to Usopp's side.

"We're running out of time, the sun is almost fully risen." Mornin dropped the pots at Usopp's feet, instructing the boys to quickly get to work.

Piiman and Ninjin took the red pot, both pulling out the brushes inside and grabbing Usopp's hands, smearing the red paint across his palms and then doing the same to the bottom of his feet.

Usopp couldn't contain another frown, knowing he wouldn't get away with anything without leaving behind evidence until the paint had fully been washed off.

Mornin and Tamanegi took the second pot, carefully pulling the brushes from the gold paint and getting to work marking his bare skin with the designs meant for the festival. Usopp held still as Mornin stroked the brush next to his eyes and forehead, moving only to tilt his head up when the old man dragged it from his bottom lip all the way over his goatee and down his neck to his chest.

When he was finished, Mornin stepped back with a critical eye and looks Usopp over, making small adjustments to his hair and necklaces and reorganizing the bells. Luigia sighed loudly every time the old man fiddled with something, but she didn't stop him.

Mornin stepped back with a satisfied smile and Usopp thought it was over before the man froze, eyes trained on Usopp's legs.

"The anklet bangles?" Mornin asked the old woman.

Luigia grimaced at the words, motioning Tamanegi forward.

"Go get the box."

When the boy returned, both Luigia and Mornin reached in to grab the thick beaded bangles, the heavy metal weighted further by the three rows of bells.

Usopp couldn't contain a sigh at the sight of them.

He had been hoping they would have forgotten.

The two elders clasped the anklets on him and Usopp settled in for a long day of stillness.

The crowd was larger than Usopp had glimpsed that morning.

As soon as the doors were opened, the mass of people who waited outside were nearly vibrating with excitement, edging the boundaries of the door frame as the hired men carried Usopp's aging palanquin out into the sun.

The space used for traveling to the festival location was narrow as the worshipers packed in, straining to get closer, to sneak a touch, to call his name. Usopp shifted his feet closer together as a few people swiped at the flower base, coming away with handfuls of petals.

Mornin and Luigia walked in front, holding up the ceremonial staffs, Luigia dipping down to swipe at offending people as she walked. The three boys traveled behind, ringing their bell poles and joyously following in the head-priestess's image as they too swung unhindered at the pulsating mass of followers whose hands strayed too close.

Usopp felt conflicted at the attention.

He would be lying if he said he didn't enjoy it. Seeing the crowd left something warm deep inside his chest, a euphoria that made it hard to breathe. But at the same time, there was a gripping weight in his stomach. A fear of embarrassment and anxiety that stemmed from his own self-doubt.

The warring emotions made him stiff and twitchy as they continued down the road. He bemoaned the lack of veil on the current ceremony's costume.

It was a relief when he was set down in front of the steps to the raised stage. The boys raced forward, digging more flowers out of the side satchels, scattering them from the edge of the palanquin and up the stairs. Usopp waited with barely concealed impatience as he waited for the boys to finish and for Mornin and Luigia to take his hands and lead him up the stairs. He sat on the seat, the chair so uncomfortable that he couldn't help thinking that even his shit stone throne was better than the unsteady branch thing that was surely a punishment in and of itself.

And just like that, the festival began.

It was a rather distant one - the crowd not allowed to touch the stone platform and the activities involved set around the structure. There was feasting, dancing, plays, and a rather boring speech given by the village leader, and the hours dragged on for Usopp as the people became more preoccupied with each other rather than with him.

It wasn't until the sky was starting to darken that the crowd's attention turned towards Usopp.

It was almost an instantaneous shift, Mornin climbing the steps to stand at his side, his arms raising and voice sounding out to get the large gathering's attention.

With all the eyes turned back on him, Usopp went inside his own head to stop himself from physically cringing away as Mornin gave his own speech.

It was less long and tedious than the village leader's who had spoken about the increase in the village size over the last while and the subsequent expansion of the village, but it was still long winded and uninteresting to Usopp.

"-new priests taking over." The applause was what pulled Usopp back to the present, Mornin waiting patiently as the crowd went wild. The last dregs of the speech registered in his mind and Usopp couldn't contain a frown. Mornin stepped to the side, his back no longer blocking Usopp's view of the gathering.

There was a clear divide in the group, a handful of people given a breadth as they stood in front of the stage.

Usopp leant forward, hands gripping the wicker armrests as he looked at the lot. It was hard to look at them, embarrassment stealing his sight and forcing him to look away and back towards Mornin, a clear question on his distressed face.

The old priest, used to Usopp, came forward, resting a hand on his shoulder and leaning close, shielding him from the people's eyes.

"Breathe," but it was too late, and Usopp could feel his world crash around his ears as he fully realized what Mornin meant. He gripped the old man's sleeve, pulling it closer to him as he tried to still his hyperventilation. There were words on his lips, but his tongue was twisting and turning in his mouth. "Can you hold it together for a little longer? We'll go home soon."

Usopp wanted to say that, no, he could not, but instead he drew in a breath so deeply that he thought his lungs would pop and then let it out as slowly as he could until he had reset his breathing into a semi-regular cycle.

It was with a hazy mind that the rest of the festival pasted by Usopp. He didn't let himself think, too afraid of the panic that edged around his thoughts. He was escorted off the stage, his body moving on autopilot as he climbed back into the palanquin. The brush of hands against his feet and legs didn't even register in his mind, but he still felt the inklings of nausea, though he didn't know if what he felt was from the skin contact or the effort he was putting into not having a panic attack.

He was in such a daze, that he stepped off the palanquin before the boys could scatter their flowers, the only warning he got was a surprised exclamation from Tamanegi before he was grabbed around the waist and held above the ground. He turned dazedly, half expecting the same man from the morning, but found an older man with long grey hair and a beard and mustache to match.

The older man looked like he didn't know what to do with himself (or rather, what to do with the god in his grasp), and he held Usopp away from his body as much as he could while still keeping himself balanced with dead weight in his hands, but Usopp could still feel the press of a thick thigh against him and in his fuddled mind he couldn't help but think that the old man was a fighter.

Usopp then thought about being mad after realizing that this was second time he was manhandled that day, but he just felt tired.

He was set back on his feet after the three boys hurriedly sprinkled their flowers and he stayed up for a solid three seconds before he tilted, his body feeling heavy and distant. Mornin and Ninjin were at his side, holding him up and leading him back into the temple. Usopp was surprised to see there was still a sizable crowd outside the temple doors as he was dragged in.

The doors were closed to the shouts of worshipers, some calling out in worry, others in frenzy, and quite a few simply screaming his name.

"Can someone help carry him?"

Usopp was aware that he was leaning further and further towards the floor as the old priest and boy struggled to hold him up. With the thought of how nice the flowers looked against the floor, his feet were swept out from under him and he was cradled in someone's arms.

It took Usopp a moment to realize that he had been, in fact, picked up off the ground. He clicked his tongue in annoyance, looking up at the person holding him to find a man with long red hair and an undercut, the left side of his face partially obscured by his long hair. Without thinking, Usopp raised one of his hands and pushed the hair away, watching with a detached interest as the man's eyes widened before turning to the call of Mornin's voice as the old man urged him to follow.

Usopp gave in to his exhaustion, head falling against the man's shoulder guard.