Sniper's Vow
Oneshot
It was early sunrise. A cold chill wafted though the air, as Kaya, Ninjin, Pilman, Tamanegi, and Merry waited on the sandy shores of Syrup Village. It had been two years since they last saw their friend in person, and they couldn't wait to see how he'd changed. Kaya dug her toes in the sand, pursing her lips. She tried to calm her ever-increasingly beating heart, as she had lots of questions to ask him. Had he acquired a serious injury? Was he still capable of lying? Did he forget them during his journey? Was he planning on staying? Had he found love on the way?
The Thousand Sunny appeared as a single dot in the horizon. As they watched with growing impatience, they spotted a small boat racing towards them. Merry flipped through the posters he was holding. It seemed that the speedy craft contained Nami and - Usopp! The three teenagers shouted for joy. Kaya however, noticed Usopp's arms around Nami's waist, and knew perfectly why. While it may have been nothing, she could not shake off the doubt.
Usopp landed clumsily at shore, laughing at himself in the process. All of the guys rushed towards their hero, tackling him where the waves crashed. Kaya stopped cold in her tracks, her feet wanting to run to her love, but her heart holding her back. Nami looked at the once-sickly doctor and understood everything. Noticing the Sunny docking a ways ahead, she motioned for Merry and the others to go with her for a moment, as Usopp stared at the blonde, time standing still for the both of them.
Kaya was about to speak when Usopp raised a hand. The liar then got out a piece of paper where he had written an elaborate confessional speech the night before, only to realize it was useless since he got wet when everyone tackled him. Losing his composure, he then resorted to the only thing that mattered to him at the moment.
He screamed his feelings. He screamed about how unworthy he was to the heavens, for loving such a beautiful maiden who didn't deserve an ugly guy. He screamed about how the lady before him deserved someone like Luffy, Zoro, or Sanji. He screamed about his promise to himself, that now that he was a brave man he would not lie and dilly-dally about the things he was serious about anymore. He screamed at the girl's feet, proclaiming his love, not daring to look at her face. He screamed with tears dripping from his eyes, with snot coming out his nose, that he already knew his feelings weren't gonna be accepted, and with that, could they still remain friends?
Her answer was a resounding no. With a look of shock, Usopp widened his eyes. A lump the size of a golf ball formed at his throat, fresh tears of disappointment threatening to form at his eyelashes. He had expected the answer, yet he didn't expect the pain. But as soon as he started to turn around, the woman behind him yelled at his back.
She yelled about how much she missed the sniper, how she realized that she took for granted the lies he had been forming for her sake. She yelled about how she went to school to become a doctor, so that she could treat her friend's injuries. She cried about how much she thought about him, night after night, praying for his safety and worrying for his well-being. She bawled about how much she was fearing this day would come, that the one guy she vowed to give her heart to would have come to love another. She broke down, crumpling to the white sand. As Usopp was at a loss on what to do, Merry suddenly screamed his encouragement.
He yelled about how the young mistress rejected suitors, rich and handsome, time and time again, waiting for the dashing outlaw who captured her heart a long time before pirates showed up.
Ninjin, Pilman, and Tamanegi yelled about how much Kaya honed her skills, practicing on them even when nighttime, determined to be able to cure anything bad on their former captain. At this point, the crew was on the beach, joining in.
Brook screamed about how Usopp was the most artistic among them, and how he discovered papers of a certain girl's face along with numerous written promises of love and protection, moving his heart even though he didn't have any, YOHOHOHO.
Franky cried about how Usopp was the most forgiving in the crew, since he once beat him up in the past, yet Usopp forgave him just like that, what a SUPER guy.
Robin screamed with joy about how Usopp gave her hope when she was in trouble back in the sea train, that he was responsible for planting the seeds that led to her eventual desire for living.
Chopper roared about how proud he was of Usopp, how much he looked up at the man. He roared about how much he considered him a hero, and that a hero deserved a girl in the end, even if they were pirates, dammit.
Sanji yelled about how much he came to respect Usopp, for the guy knew how to respect women more than anyone in their crew not including him, and that he respected his iron will for not succumbing to shitty whores whenever they landed.
Nami cried about how Usopp became her pillar of support, since they were the most human in the crew so to speak, and that she never forgot to thank the long nose everyday for her Clima Tact.
Zoro bellowed about how proud he became of Usopp's battling skills, and how much he had improved over the years.
Luffy then screamed to the heavens that Usopp was his best friend, and nothing could come between them, well of course maybe meat or One Piece.
Nami screamed about destroying the mood and kicked Luffy. The others joined in for good measure. Laughing, Kaya wiped her tears and looked up at the man now sporting a bigger body and a sexy goatee. She confirmed that her answer was no ... no to being friends, yes to being lovers. Usopp hugged her like he was never going to see her again.
But that night, something dire happened. Powerful bounty hunters from the New World were apparently tracking the Strawhats. As Usopp and Kaya were both alone on the cove, someone shot the sniper from behind. Locked in a hug, Kaya noticed them a second too late and turned her body towards the bullets. It turned out that the bounty hunters were masking their presence and that's why the pirates couldn't sense anything. Usopp broke down right then and there.
Usopp was now clutching Kaya's hand. Chopper had treated her wounds and was done for now. He told Usopp that she wasn't really safe yet, and that there was a chance her nervous system wouldn't work again. He then told the sniper that he was going to be leaving them to their privacy, and closed the door.
As the people outside waited, they couldn't help but shake off the uncertainty that Usopp wasn't going to let this thing go. The Strawhats suddenly became anxious; they couldn't sense anything. Barging into the room, they found an empty chair right beside a resting Kaya.
He was gone.
The bounty hunters were busy planning their next move on capturing the Pirate King dead or alive. What they didn't know was that Usopp was hiding in the bushes a few thousand meters away. At that range, it didn't matter for the Sniper King. Fury was coursing through his veins, and his fists were clenched in loathing and anger. He decided to wear his full battle uniform again, and a mask that hadn't seen the light of day after Thriller Bark. As he put it on, Sogeking talked to him.
"So what are you gonna do? Kill them? You know Luffy doesn't like that."
Usopp shook his head. "He's not here. I'm gonna kill them, make them pay."
"You're not supposed to be like this. Kaya will get angry when she finds out," admonished Sogeking.
"Thanks to them I don't know whether I'll be able to see Kaya again!" argued Usopp.
Sogeking could see where they were going, and could not help but give in. "Then the whole decision is up to you, but you have to choose."
"Choose what?" asked an irritated Usopp, flexing the bands of his Kuro Kabuto.
"It's either you become a protector of what remains, or an avenger of what is lost. You cannot be both, you know."
"I shall be both right now, but the ultimate decision is up to Kaya. If she lives I shall become a protector, if she dies I shall become an avenger. If she is stuck between the lines .. well, I shall become neither."
Sogeking gave him a look.
"You may choose neither, but then that would lead to isolation. No one ever survives isolation, especially an extrovert like you."
Usopp grimly set his mouth and wore his mask. He said two words before charging at the enemies on-par with the likes of the Supernovas.
"Watch me."
A/N: Pretty much no beta reader, and I stole some lines from Youtube comments. Also this is my first time doing angst ... if it can be considered angst. Written like, 3 days ago I guess?