Grand Line Mariner
Disclaimer= Oda owns One Piece and all characters within it, 'nuff said.
Summary = The best newspaper of the Grand Line that's about pirates, by pirates, for Pirates. There's none of the World Government's control here! Front page spread: Five year old boy confounds East Blue Pirates! A/U fic
Warnings= This is an AU fic, slight possibility of OOC. Certain events and ages have been altered. Some events won't happen while others will happen at different time/place than canon. You've been warned. ENJOY!
Youngest Pirate?
Little boy confounds East Blue Pirates!
On the third of the month, the Kuro Neko Pirates attacked the small hamlet of Syrup Village of Gecko Island, slaughtering most of the inhabitants. Among the dead is Banchina, a retired (and notorious) smuggler. Banchina was survived by husband Yasopp, sniper of the Roger Pirates and their son, Usopp, age five.
As Banchina fought the invaders, her son escaped with the young heiress, Lady Kaya (also age five) whose parents died last year in a mysterious accident, on the hot-air balloon, the Merry-Go. Three days after the youths' escape they were spotted by a cruise ship near a barren sea rock that rose 200 feet above the sea. They were seen lowering a ladder and a blond man and his son climbed up. The identity of the castaways is unknown. Nine days after leaving Gecko Island, Usopp and Kaya arrived at Shimotsuki village, only for it to be attacked the next day by a band of human-hating fishmen, the Arlong Pirates. These savage fishmen have been raiding human villages in the East Blue for the past three months.
Once again, young Usopp escaped, this time joined by several of the surviving youths that were students of the local dojo. The esteemed Master Koshiro, owner of the dojo, was seen to receive some grievous injuries as he fought to protect his students. Around 7-10 children were seen carrying Koshiro aboard a schooner named Celestial Mary, however, his survival is uncertain. Among the survivors are the two top students; Zoro and Kuina. Zoro, age 7, is so skilled with two swords that he has won matches against adults. Kuina, age 13, is daughter of Koshiro and is rumored to have won every match against Zoro.
As the son of Yasopp the Sure-Shot, "Captain" Usopp is a prodigy as well. The only known public sighting of father and son was at Water 7's last Marksman Exhibition, where Usopp (age 3) took 2nd place in the 'Little Shots' league, for ages under 10 category. He also earned a spot on the 'Legendary Shots' list performing a difficult trick shot of putting out a match with a bullet, striking the head without breaking the un burnt matchstick that was held by his father's toes!
An insider stated the Marines tracked the path of the young adventurers after they passed the base in Shell Town, hoping that they would continue in an expected route that would pass Organ Island. The residents of Orange Town were called and organized a party to help the children. Unfortunately, they never appeared. A retired pirate on the opposite side of Organ Island saw the Celestial Mary far on the horizon. It seems the children used the Galoan Pass on the northern edge of the island. They were last seen entering the Martola Region that lies on the west side of Organ Island, where there are five more islands before the open waters of Sector EB-C1.
The Marines are enroute to 'rescue' the wayward children. Many people have mixed feelings concerning the children. Are they innocents that are running due to fear? Or are they rascals that think they are on a grand adventure? Little Usopp has been seen wearing a bandana with a stylized Jolly Roger and during the attack on Syrup Village he was heard shouting "I'm proud to be the son of a pirate!"and "I'm gonna be a proud warrior of the sea!". While heartwarming to this piratitical journalist, my contact states the Marines are planning to use these statements to charge Usopp with piracy. (Likely in attempt to trap his father). Therefore, the so-called rescue attempt is for the other children and the injured Master Koshiro.
I urge any pirates (active or retired) to harass any Marines in the sectors of C1 and D1 and let's hope young 'Captain' Usopp doesn't become the youngest pirate arrested.
~fini~
AN= about the locations. Some are canon and some I created. I used a map of East Blue found at ..
Canon locations= Organ Island - Orange Town, Gecko Island - Syrup Village, Shimotsuki village
Created by me= Galoan Pass (Sector EB-D1), Martola Region (EB-C1)
If you look at that link to the map titled "World Navi East Blue Map", it is marked off into a grid; each block is what I call a sector. On the top sectors are listed as A through F, on the right side is 1-2-3. So the Martola Region EB-C1 is found on the map as East Blue, sector C-1 is the open area of waters on the west side of Commi Island (Nami's home Island).
I got the idea of the trick shot of 'blowing out the matchstick' when I was watching a program on History channel about snipers and marksmen, they showed a clip form 50-60 era of a marksman show and a little kid did that trick. I can't remember if the kid was 3 or 5.
About Kuina's age, we know that Zoro is 2 years older than Usopp and in the flashback where we learn about Kuina, she states her breasts have started to grow. Not all girls start puberty at same time, some 'early bloomers' have started at age 10 but some 'late bloomers' don't until 15. Ages 12-14 is the average so that's why I chose 13….I could have made her 11 since so many things happen in OP world at young ages LOL
This is an attempt to write an intro in a different style. Grand Line Mariner will be a series of one shots, set up as newspaper entries or characters reading the newspaper for pirates. This chapter, 'Youngest pirate?' will be continued as a regular story with the kids point of view instead of a journalist; working title is "Captain Usopp". I may do some related entries in GLM of other characters reading of young Usopp's adventure.