Fable

by SoCallMeLusopp

"It's mostly a lie, you know?" "huh?" "The stuff I said. About Ake and Im and what they did to the giants of Elbaf. It was a tale. I was just afraid to lose you." "You wouldn't lose me." "But I thought I would." His eyes tear up. "And I couldn't, so I hurt people." Luffy takes off his hat and firmly places it atop his curls. "Usopp would never lose me. I love him too much."

2. To Those I've Lost

To Those I've Lost

Wake up.

Usopp blinks into existence. His arms stretch before anything, searching idly for Kabuto. It's here. The man breaths in relief and calms down a little. And then the arms reach to the right. Luffy isn't here. Sniper eyes are best when they're cautious and Usopp is always cautious. He looks around the room. There in the corner with his arms crossed and his sleepy eyes lazy is Zoro, posted in the dark like an owl. Usopp frowns at the swordsman. "Why are you watching me like I'm a prisoner?"

"Danger," Zoro mumbles in reply.

Chichichi. He's sinking.

Admittedly, that hurts. If anything, Usopp was trying to keep everyone safe. They're in danger. All of them. The only problem is, he doesn't know if it's real or not. He doesn't know where the voice or the images or the thoughts come from. And he voices his hurt to Zoro although it looks feigned. "I'm actually very offended that you think I'm a danger to the crew."

"Not the crew. Yourself." Silence. Zoro looks up and stares at him intensely. "Why've you been acting all weird these past days?"

The sniper's brows furrow. "Weird?"

"Weird," the green haired man confirms. "First you cling to Brook like he'll disappear. Which was unusual because you don't do that with anyone unless it's Luffy, Nami, the cook, or me."

Usopp smiles. What Zoro says is very true. The first five Strawhats are unconsciously drawn to one another like magnets. They don't know why. It just happens. It's just natural. "Are you jealous?" He jokes.

"I'm serious."

"Sorry."

"And then you wake up in the middle of the night and keep checking the girl's room and scouring the ship like we're in danger."

There's a crushing blow to Usopp's stomach that feels a lot like embarrassment. "You know about that?" He whispers. It does explain why Zoro was so quick to indirectly defend him by attacking Sanji.

Zoro smiles at him. "I know everything that happens with this crew." They're silent in one another's presence before Zoro frowns and comes to an epiphany. "And yesterday. Falling from the crow's nest as someone with your physique shouldn't have hurt you like it did. But Chopper said…" it's not about that. Not falling and hurting himself. For Zoro, it was not being able to stop the fall. Not being able to save him. Just like Drum Kingdom.

He's sinking.

For a millisecond, Zoro's eyes blacken and foam comes from his mouth and his tongue turns blue. Usopp swallows thick saliva, looking away when his head spins. "Chopper said," he urges.

"You're malnourished or somethin'. Said you ain't eat in days. So what's the problem, huh? Why are you so scared?"

Usopp gets quiet and frowns. So they notice what happens, but they can't hear the voice. The voice is so loud and prominent in his mind that it doesn't surprise him anymore when he hears it. In fact, he waits for it.

Nothing is okay.

Yeah. There it is. Usopp turns on his side to look at his friend. "Not scared. Just tired."

Zoro smirks and to anyone else, it looks like a dangerous smirk. One that says 'I'll kill you when you aren't looking.' But the crew knows Zoro. This dangerous smirk is about as playful and mischievous as the swordsman can get. "You've slept enough by now."

"Yup." He smiles softly, popping the P. "So it's okay."

Liar.

Biting his lip, Usopp asks his friend. "What was that song you were singing yesterday?"

Zoro crosses his arms and relaxes in his chair. "I think it's called the Parting Glass. Or somethin' like it."

"Did you grow up with it or d-"

Zoro leans closer as if telling a secret. "No. Not at all. Before I met Luffy and before I turned myself into Morgan, I'd been going around with no purpose really. You know, I told you. Just trying to prove my name." Usopp nods and laughs softly. "I went to a lot of places and met a lot of different people. And it was good for me to pick up small cultures I found. That song. I heard it 80 miles from where Cocoyashi is."

The wounded smiles big and bright and it's infectious because Zoro smiles too. "Where Bellemere found Nami," he concludes.

Zoro nods. "Those people there, most of them look like her, from what I remember. So of course when I met her, I wanted to keep the song in my head. Just so I could understand her more."

"Can you sing the whole thing?"

"No." It's Zoro's answer without hesitation or emotion.

"Come on. You've got a good voice."

"No"

"I like it."

Zoro sighs. "Fine, but if you even think about say-"

"I won't say anything, Zoro. I promi-"

"Of all the money that I e'er had

I have spent it in good company
And all the harm that e'er I've done
Alas, it was to none but me

And all I've done for want of wit

To memory now I can't recall
So fill to me the parting glass
Good night and joy be with you all

Of all the comrades that e'er I've had
They are sorry for my going away
And all the sweethearts that e'er I've had
They would wish me one more day to stay"

The song is beautiful for what it truly is; a pirate's song. And Usopp can't help but to hum along while his friend sings. It fits Zoro. Truly. If it isn't swords or honor...if nothing else fits him, the song does.

"It fits you the most." Usopp stares in confusion. "You were speaking out of mind." His mouth forms an oh shape but Zoro dismisses it. "It does. It's a song about bravery and leadership. It's about knowing when to fight and when not to."

"Can I hear the rest?"

Zoro obliges and sings quietly in the room.

"But since it falls unto my lot
That I should rise and you should not
I'll gently rise and I'll softly call
Good night and joy be with you all

A man may drink and not be drunk
A man may fight and not be slain
A man may court a pretty girl
And perhaps be welcomed back again

But since it has so ought to be
By a time to rise and a time to fall
Come fill to me the parting glass
Good night and joy be with you all
Good night and joy be with you all."

Usopp knows when the song is over although he's never heard it before. And a warm feeling spreads through his chest like honey. He hasn't had many of those warm feelings in the past few days, so he cherishes it and savors it, pulling Luffy's cover over his mouth and inhaling deeply. And the honey spreads slowly, consuming every organ within.

"Where's Luffy?"

"In the kitchen." They sit in solitude for another moment, enjoying the other's company before Zoro mutters "he's okay, you know," as a matter of fact.

"Hm? Oh, I know."

Luffy's lost.

"Just telling you. He said….he said that you were afraid to lose him."

"I'm afraid to lose all of you."

"Yeah, but you love him."

Usopp actually laughs. There are things in life that are so beautiful, they hurt. Like loving people. "I love all of you. Like Sanji. I like when he smiles when he cooks because it's genuine. And when he wakes up to cook, but he peeks in on everyone to see if they're okay. I love that about him. Understand?" Zoro nods. "And you..." Zoro groans. "I like when you try to act tough but the smallest things make you smile. Like Luffy falling in the water or me acting a fool or Sanji sitting food in front of you when he thinks you're sleeping."

"Okay."

"And you get really happy when you carve your statues and you can sing. It's wonderful."

"I'll cut you."

Usopp laughs heartily. "Alright alright. But you see? I love you all. I'm just in love with Luffy."

Zoro frowns and messes with his hair. "Sometimes I think you love him too much."

Usopp snorts. "And you don't?"

"He's my captain."

"Mine too."

"Usopp, I'm serious. When I chose to sacrifice my life for Luffy, I thought about it. And I think about it all the time." He looks at his friend's hands. "You never think. And you best everyone at that. Thinking I mean. But anytime his life is on the line, you jump in front of him. You take his place without word, without warning. And sometimes, it's things that Luffy can take care of, you know? That's what bothers me. You throw yourself in front of him like some goddamn angel and you shouldn't."

He knows he shouldn't be, but Usopp is partially offended now. "And you should? Zoro, Luffy is my boyfriend. If anyone sh-"

"Exactly. So shouldn't you be taking care of yourself more? Wouldn't it hurt Luffy if you were here one day and then suddenly gone? And he knew it was because of him?"

"Zoro, that's why we're here. We have to do everything in our power to make sure he gets the One Piece and rules the seas. Not just to be free, not just to be famous, but so we can change the world."

"Usopp, listen to yourself. It's one thing to die for a man, but you're living for him."

"So are you."

Zoro puts a hand before himself as if trying to control his anger. Usopp's angry. In fact, he's livid. But it's not Zoro. Not even close. He doesn't want to fight. Not when something is threatening Zoro. Not when he could lose him. "Usopp, I try to let it go from time to time, but it's getting ridiculous. Ever since we entered the New World, you've been acting like your life means nothing. And I'm all for you being this brave god, but you can't live his life."

"His life is min-"

It happens in a flash. Zoro getting up. Zoro knocking the chair over. Zoro grabbing him by the shirt. Zoro slamming their foreheads together. "Fucking christ, look at your hands."

"Z-zoro. Stop. You're hurting me."

"Look at your hands. Not just your hands, Usopp. Look at your arms. Look at the black marks around every important organ you have. Do you have any idea how scared he was when he found out that Blackbeard could have killed you? How fucked up he was to know that you stayed behind for him? Do you have any idea how scared I was?"

Nothing's okay.

Usopp continues to stare stubbornly at the ground, all the while dangling in the air by the wrath of a protective Zoro. He hated this. He hated that this was the best way Zoro could show how much he cared; being brutally honest and cutting deep like his swords.

"Look at me." The raven looks up and now Zoro is staring him down. "I'm going to say this once and for all, Usopp. You're strong. The world knows God Usopp is strong. But dammit, Usopp, you're human. You're not Luffy. There are things he can handle that you just can't. That fear that you have of losing everyone. We all have it. But you have to understand that ever since we got in the New World, for you, Luffy's had it nonstop. He's worried about you. And you acting crazy isn't helping."

"Fine."

"Fine, what?"

The sniper yanks away half-heartedly. "Fine, I'll be careful. Fine, I'll talk about my feelings. Fine."

"Good." They sit in silence for another moment, both friends calming down from the heated debate.

Chichichi. He's sinking.

Usopp frowns. "I'm sorry," he admits. "I'm God Usopp, but I'm also human. I'll think next time, okay? Are we good?"

Zoro nods and repeats himself. "We're always good, idiot. We're Nakama. Now let's get something to eat."

Usopp smiles and bumps shoulders with the swordsman. "I was waiting on you to stop talking. I'm starving."

"Shut up." But it's half-hearted so Usopp doesn't.

On their way to the kitchen, Usopp can't help but stare around wearily. He's looking for small things out of place. Not Blackbeard, not the lost child, and not the swamp. He's looking for something far more sinister. Something that was on the ship, but not all at once. A living being.

So close, sniper.

The honey that was in his chest because of Zoro's voice and Luffy's smell has turned to mud, leaking into every corner of his heart. The closer they get to Elbaf, the more dangerous and present this feeling becomes. The more confident the voice gets. It's feeding off of him. The weakest in the bunch, growing stronger and stronger the more he gets scared.

Smart boy.

Usopp frowns. 'I won't let you win,' he tells it. 'I won't let you hurt my friends. You can't have them. You can't take them away from this world. They have dreams.' His friends have dreams and he would die before they even strayed from their paths. 'You can't have them.'

You fool! It's angry now, showing emotion that it hadn't since they met two days ago. I do not want them. God Usopp...God Usopp is all I seek. All I accept. All I will have.

"Hey." Their argument ends with Zoro calling him out of the spiritual world. He looks up at his friend with clouded eyes, dangerous and narrowed and on guard. "No crazy stuff, okay?"

Usopp blinks his tears away rapidly. He wishes they knew. God, he feels so alone and afraid. And he's fighting for them. Fighting something that's not even real. He wishes they saw the things he saw and heard the things he heard. He wishes they felt the darkness, air, and silence. But no one would believe him.

Liar.

The sniper nods. "No crazy stuff." The two walk into the kitchen and both are suddenly engulfed in loud cheers and claps. All for Usopp.

"Yeah. You're not sick anymore!"

"You're alive!"

The sniper laughs jovially and loudly. "Alright. Alright. You can all stop you're crying now. A little fall can't hurt me. I'm invincible."

Liar.

Usopp sits in the seat directly perpendicular to the captain's seat. Immediately after, the man yelps as a heavy weight is pressed down on his head. The God lifts the object and realizes he's staring from beneath the infamous straw hat. Luffy is staring at his plate with a stubborn look, his lips sucked in between bites. "Luffy," he whispers, more embarrassed by Luffy's public affection and favoritism.

"Shut up," the rubber man smiles and continues eating as if he gives the hat freely every day.

For the first time in two days, breakfast is a jovial thing; even before they all begin eating as Sanji serves them. Luffy is served before everyone on most occasions. And then served again. Despite Sanji being a lovesick dog and treating the girls better than most, Luffy was the cook's main priority. It was he who Sanji would discreetly look to when he wanted the crew to try a new dish. It was he who had accepted the All Blue just as quickly as Sanji had expressed his dream. It was Luffy who's acceptance Sanji would always seek. He was a simple cook. But when it came down to it, the prince served his king with grace.

When the eggs are passed around, Sanji is most pleased with himself. "I tried a Parsley recipe fathe- Zeff would cook for me all the time. Try it," he suggests. "It's good."

And he doesn't really have to suggest because...well, he's Sanji, the greatest cook on Grand Line and in the new world. He could take mud and make pies. Everyone digs in.

Usopp notices Chopper blanch. The reindeer gulps. "I don't really like parsley. I won't eat this."

Sanji's lips purse outward. Usopp knows it's coming. Either something along the lines of 'well why don't you eat my foot instead, you stuffed animal' or 'shove it, emergency food supply.' He gasps before any of that happens and deliberately ignores the way Zoro and Luffy look at him with intense eyes. He's not glass. He's not glass. He's not glass.

You'd break so easily.

"Chopper, did I hear you right? You said you won't eat the parsley?" The reindeer nods as if it's the most vile thing on the planet. "Really, Chop? After everything I went through just so people could have parsley? You know, I expected this from Luffy, but not you to be ungrateful."

Now Chopper's interested. The whole crew is actually. It's the start of one of Usopp's great tales and what better time to hear it other than when they're eating. "What? What did you do, Usopp?"

Usopp shrugs. "It's a long story, I doubt you wa-"

"I want to hear it!"

Luffy, Brook, and Chopper yell this at the same time and Usopp smirks down at the wood before him. "Well, long before I met the then straw hat trio, my village was plagued by a dark king by the name of Inphlu Mation."

"Inflammation?" Robin questions, half amused.

"No. Inphlu Mation. Anyway, Inphlu was a very odd man. And it wasn't just that he had 40 toes and seven eyes."

"Ill," Nami interjects. Chopper shushes her.

"And it wasn't because he slept upside down wrapped in string either. What was so odd about him was that he was simply too nice. He protected us from the outside world, laying his life on the line every night to make sure no foreign invaders would come in. He was a great healer, often spending his time in battle as a peacekeeper. Someone who wanted to expand the world, not take from it. Heck, he would even heal us when the children scraped their knees climbing trees and the adults cut their hands cooking." Between a mouthful, the sniper smiles. "Sure, his healing would sting but it healed nicely. For all that, he requested one thing from us. It was that we never eat parsley. He would heal, serve, and protect so long as we didn't eat the vegetable. Pretty simple."

"Wow, this Influ sounds like a pretty nice guy." Chopper is leaning on the table now, absentmindedly eating his food. Usopp's eyes go to the parsley on his plate. 'So close,' he thinks.

"Absolutely. But what did I tell you? If it looks too good to be true…"

"It probably is."

"Atta boy. So anyway, two years into King Influ Mation's reign, bad things start to happen. Horrible things. Terrible even. The people started to get sick. And not the sick that made you cough and sneeze. It was a sick that made you dead. Heart disease, arthritis, strokes, even Lupus!" Chopper gasped. "At a very young age, I was always good at finding cures and answers. So it was no surprise that the villagers sent me out.

And set out I did. I went everywhere, Chopper. To the snowy parts and the heated parts of Syrup village."

"I didn't know Syrup was that big," Luffy interrupts.

"It isn't. It's just a story," Nami tells him.

"It's not just a story, Nami. It's real."

Nami scowls at Chopper's statement.

"Anyway. I went everywhere. And yet, I couldn't find a cure. What was I to do? How could I save them? And then it hit me, Chopper. We had a king who could do anything...fix anything. And so I ventured into the center of the village and called upon King Inphlu. Immediately, he answered, as we saw him as a supportive leader. But, when I asked if he could cure the villagers of all the heart disease and strokes, the arthritis and lupus, he said he couldn't. The only thing that could was strictly forbidden. And so I asked why. Why was parsley so forbidden?"

Usopp frowns as he stares at the table. He wants Chopper to believe this fable. It's something so simple as eating a vegetable and keeping Sanji calm, but he knows it's for the greater good. A brave warrior should be able to move people above anything. And if he can't get Chopper to eat this parsley, then he isn't a brave warrior. He isn't a born leader.

"And immediately, he grows cold and distant. His eyes darken and he looks down. Instead of telling me why, Inphlu tells me I should stay in my place. I should enjoy my commoner life while I still have it. It's short and unworthy and shouldn't be wasted. I had never heard him speak like this. And as I left the castle, there an uneasy feeling stayed in the bottom of my stomach. I needed to find out what was so bad about parsley."

"Did you? Did you?"

"I did," he mumbles quietly, sadly. The Straw Hat crew go silent as they continue eating. "The information was so deeply buried, it took years for me to understand. And in those years, Syrup grew smaller and smaller. We lost people and we lost territory. That's why it's so small today. But I never gave up. I never gave up until I found out what was wrong with parsley."

"What was wrong with it?"

"Nothing." Chopper gasps. "That's right. Nothing was wrong with parsley. Except that it fought a little something named inflammation. Back in those times, it went by Inphlu." Robin giggles behind her hand. "Apparently, Inphlu was able to heal us, but in order for him to live longer, he needed to feed off our deaths. He needed the heart disease and strokes, the arthritis and lupus. And he requested that no one eat parsley so it wouldn't kill him early."

Chopper frowns. He's not much of a kid anymore. He's just turned 18, but he still believes in the stories. If nothing else, he believes in the stories. "But you're Usopp. You defeated him. No matter what you did and how long it took, you defeated him. I know you did." He sounds almost unsure of himself.

You could never.

Usopp grins. "Of course I did. It took years, though….and a lot of parsley. But the more and more people don't eat parsley, the stronger he grows in the shadows he's locked in. We can't fight him if we don't eat it."

"Aah! I'm gonna eat my parsley for sure then!" Chopper looks down at his now empty plate. And then he looks up at his captain with a look. "Luffy!"

Usopp smiles. "He didn't eat it, Chop. You did. I watched you."

And then the reindeer is elated. Apparently, he did and apparently, it wasn't so bad. He praises Usopp. They all do. Cheering in this automatic but sincere way. That's what kind of crew they are; they support one another's dreams. And by now, they know the fables aren't just stories anymore. They're things that are true; will happen and have happened. Things that gain followers. And yet all the while, while Usopp is being congratulated on his unique leadership Haki and how good he is with people following him, he can hear her in the back of his head. Right in the corner.

God Usopp is all I seek. All I accept. All I will have.

They disperse from the kitchen one by one. They each know what's coming up and getting ready is the only thing they have free reign to do on the Thousand Sunny. All that's left in the kitchen is all that should be left. The East Blue Crew. It's a tradition that Nami started; where she recaps their journey with her boys and they give their own opinions.

Zoro falls asleep at his seat. And Sanji knocking him over the head when he gathers his dishes doesn't wake him. Usopp quietly wonders how long in the night the swordsman just stared at his sleeping form, trying to protect him from whatever crazy shit was happening in his head.

Nami stays at her seat too, carving maps with the pen she keeps on her all the time. Zoro is going to wake up in approximately four minutes, so she has time to carve the tree of Elbaf before then.

Sanji stays at the counter, washing up the dishes. But even when he's done, he doesn't leave. The cook stalls by wiping the counter, waiting for one of them to speak.

Somehow, with a little sweet talk and tugging, Usopp has drifted into Luffy's lap, letting his captain smother him in love and coddling while they quietly fight for the Straw Hat. Luffy wants it just because….it's rightfully his. Usopp wants it because he wants to keep Luffy's attention….he's rightfully his.

The rubber man laughs quietly when Usopp pinches his side and grabs the hat. "Stop," he whispers to the sniper.

"You stop," he whispers back. Luffy manages to get the hat back though. And he stretches his neck away each time Usopp grabs for it. The sniper realizes that this means no more pinching and tickling for him. He sighs and crosses his arms. "Fine. I'll stop."

Luffy's coarse hands land on his thigh. "Good, now that you stopped, you can stay." He pulls the man in his lap even closer and just does what he does. It's ironic of Luffy. To have such hard hands as a Rubber man and to be so clueless on love, but can land whispers in an ear like an exploding star on a target.

"Usopp's pretty when he's angry. Usopp's mine." It continues on and the victim goes through a number of phases each time something is whispered. Blushing softly, giggling, shock when Luffy has the balls to whisper such vile things to him. And it could continue on. Usopp knows. It could continue on for hours until they crack. Until Usopp climbs on the table or Luffy bites his lip in frustration and throws him there. But someone fucks it up and clears their throat.

Usopp sighs through his nose, a clear indication of annoyance. Luffy sighs through his mouth, a clear sign of relief. He knows his limit and it's that he doesn't have one. Had they not been interrupted, the captain with no control would have slain Usopp on the table right in front of everyone. So he's glad for the moment.

Nami smiles innocently at the botanist and kicks Zoro under the table.

"What the he-"

"In three hours, we hit Elbaf, the land of the giants." They all go silent. Yes, they've spoken about this, but it never really sinks in until they're close. It never changes. Not for Fishman, not for Whole Cake, Not for Wano. It doesn't change. It's a significant place in their journeys, marked by days and the number of times Nami writes in her journal. Nami pulls a map from God knows where and puts it on the table.

"In old maps, I noticed that there was always a vacancy here. It's a port. We dock here. But we've never been here. I don't know what this grey line reaching to the sky is, but we'll know."

Sanji comes to sit at the table. He looks at the tree and the colors and remembers all over again how good the navigator is at painting the world. "Do you want to split up teams now or wait until we get there? Map out the kingdom and then figure out our tasks before the Log Pose resets?"

"Now is a good a time as any to split teams."

There's an uneasy feeling that passes through Usopp's heart and one of the cupboards crack quietly. He's the only one that notices and he stares at a spot near the counter for a very long time. Someone's there. Just not there.

"I think.." his voice cracks. He clears it. "I think we should stay together. Or at least try." It's beyond their control, but it's best to have a plan to stay together.

Nami goes to ask why.

Luffy shakes his head. "We stay together." It's blatant favoritism. It isn't what he really says. No. What he really says is 'what Usopp says, goes.' But no one really cares anymore. Even if Luffy hadn't said a word, the sniper's suggestion wouldn't have been taken lightly. He would simply be questioned and then approved. It happens with them all. But for Usopp, when Luffy says don't question him, no one usually does.

"Stay together it is then. Are we… are we all ready for Elbaf?"

The silence is an almost eerie one. Nami doesn't ask unless it truly matters.

Sanji smirks and goes to light a cigarette. "What the hell. I'm as ready as I can be. I'll be making us personal snack packs in the next three hours."

Zoro nods. "I'm always ready." And it's all he has to say. He's going to train in the crow's nest for the next three hours.

Luffy just smirks beneath his hat.

Usopp smiles. "Come on, N. It's Elbaf. I've been ready since Little Garden." He wants to protest. He wants to scream and shout and cry. He wants to let the snot run down his nose and his face to get red. He wants to tell them that everything that he's been seeing will be true. It's always like that for Usopp. His lies and the things he tells himself end up sitting in his face. He wants them to know that if they go to Elbaf, bad things will happen. If they go, they'll die. But he can't bring himself to it.

Nami smiles wide at everyone. "Then I know I'm ready too. With you four protecting me, I'll be safe."

He's hurting her.

Usopp stays in the kitchen by himself when everyone files out. He sits there and contemplates on how they'll go about this. How he can keep them safe and possibly how he can not go to Elbaf.

Elbaf, or rather the voice coming from it, whispers bad news in his ear, feeding off him night by night, moment by moment.

Chichic-

The man stands abruptly. "You heard me the first time. I won't repeat myself."

When he leaves the kitchen in a haste, he doesn't hear it whisper by the cupboards. He doesn't see it shimmer into existence for a millisecond, its face wretched and its eyes glowing. Just you.

It's the last time it speaks...for a long time.

Remembering Zoro's words, Usopp composes himself when he makes it out of the stuffy kitchen. The upper deck of the Thousand Sunny is quiet, the ship's crew doing their own activities before they reach shore. He smiles softly. Once again, they're still his crew. Still the Straw Hats.

"Alway- ooh." Before he can blink, the God is being dragged away from the main deck by his hair. "Ouch. Ouch." And then he lands softly. The suspect is staring down at him with a large grin on his face. "Luffy, you idiot."

"Shishishi. Usopp's always scared."

The other smiles softly, in a sad sort of way. In a way, he is. And sometimes he thinks, even when he becomes the bravest warrior of them all, he always will be. "Yeah," he mumbles as Luffy is distracted by a small sore on his arm. "Usopp's always scared."

Luffy finally looks back up at him, his large brown eyes the last innocent thing about him. It's the eyes, Usopp thinks. It was always the eyes that pulled him close. But then Luffy gives off a half grin that isn't really a smirk but has the same effect. He's a drug that only Usopp is hip to, intoxicating and addictive and life-threatening. Zoro was right. And now he wishes he knew how to quit Luffy.

"Always. But he's brave. Braver than me." They stay quiet for a moment watching each other. Luffy blinks. "Do you think of her?"

Her is very vague, but there's one her in Usopp's past that Luffy physically knows of. He's never debunked the theory that he had feelings for her. Then again, there was no theory.

"Seldom." The Monkey stares confused by the word and him being the idiot that he is makes Usopp fall in love all over again. "Sometimes, Luffy. Like when I fulfill my dream and I see everyone fulfill there's, I'd like to go back, if only for a moment to see what they think of me. But this is my family. I can't even imagine a life without the Straw Hat pirates."

For such an unromantic person, it's not the answer Luffy was looking for. But Usopp doesn't want to talk about Syrup Village and Kaya. There's no feeling but remembrance in his heart. "You might not have been my first love, but you were the love that made all the other loves irrelevant. You know that."

"Of course I know that."

"Well then, you should know that Monkey D. Luffy is my only thought. You're so stupid and funny and brave and selfless and-"

"Hush."

"Oddly smart and handsome. You're my favorite as much as I am yours."

"Hush," he says. And he kisses Usopp's eyelids, then his lips. And the kiss continues on past the point where he usually breaks off. Then, slowly, he pulls away.

Usopp grabbed his shoulder. "Luffy, please, please-"

And the captain was kissing him again, and slipping the overall straps down his shoulders. His strong and gentle hands began to stroke Usopp; his hands, his lips, his tongue.

That was their love affair. Wordless, blinkered, a nighttime thing, a dream thing. There were reasons on Usopp's side for this as well. Whatever it was that he wanted was best revealed slowly, in a flattering light. Which meant not much light at all. Besides, that's the way it went in adolescence, especially for the captain and his sniper; especially since they were 17. You try things out in the dark. You get drunk or stoned and extemporize. It's a kind of fugue state, anyway, early sex. Before the routine sets in, or the love. But the love came so fast for them as if it was always there.

Nearly three years into their relationship - with love as real as the sea - there were still inexperienced. Still fumbling and trying to understand how things worked.

Luffy climbs atop his boyfriend and like always, Usopp moves to accommodate him, spreading his legs and throwing an arm around his back. With the rubber man just staring down at him in half amusement half lust, hands fisted into the sheets on either side of his head, Usopp almost wakes up. He's awake, but he can almost wake up. He can swim up to the surface of consciousness before diving again. His eyelids flutter and responsiveness enters his body and he throws his head back to offer up his throat.

Luffy waits though. He always does. He wants Usopp to acknowledge exactly what they're doing, but he's scared; inexperienced. Usopp only glares. "Luffy come o-"

The captain presses against him. He takes the back of Usopp's thighs in his hands, adjusting his legs around his own waist. And then he reaches under the sniper, bringing him up so their chests kiss and whisper. And then his body, like a cathedral, breaks out into ringing.

And here, hours before Elbaf, Usopp doesn't mind being rocked and loved and simply endeared. Luffy is the only healthy drug there is, the one that puts his mind into a frenzy of sparks. The simple touch of his hand leads Usopp moving in ways he never learned but knows so well. The feelings rock his head backward as his neck is kissed and his body pushed into.

They engulf his senses and steal away his worries. In that moment, he's only alive in the present, all thoughts of past and future melted away. This medicine Luffy brings heals him; and though Usopp is addicted, he feels safe because Luffy is equally addicted as well.

---

Somewhere after, between the high of lust and the low of exhaustion, Usopp had fallen asleep and was awoken by Luffy shaking his shoulder.

He hummed as he unconsciously stared at the face before him. Luffy was smiling. Luffy was elated. "We reach Elbaf in twenty minutes, Nami says. Ain't you excited?"

There was no sad feeling in his core, just elation as well. "Mhm."

"Then come on….look what I got you."

The sniper takes time to sit up fully, rubbing his eyes as he wakes up. There on the floor of the captain's quarters is a bath bucket.

The tub was fashioned from tin and beaten into shape with a flat hammer. It was just big enough for a child to sit in and the water was never more than tepid. But they used it on the Going Merry a lot, especially for Luffy. "Remember Nami would force me in here?" Usopp does. He remembers when the condition of living in the jungle with his brothers was so instilled in Luffy, their captain hardly took baths. And he remembers days when he reeked so badly, Usopp found it hard to kiss him and Nami found it hard to tolerate him. But then, Nami started to make Usopp get Luffy in the bath. And that had turned into Luffy wanting to bathe the sniper. And the tradition stuck. After good loving, Luffy would give him a soft bath. And Usopp would feel cherished and happy and strong.

He's not wearing anything as he stands out of bed and stretches. He slides down into the water and groans at the temperature. "It feels good," he murmurs. Luffy only nods and crouches beside him, already lathering his hair with shampoo. His head is a tangle of curls and knots. But it's always clean and moisturized.

And when Luffy washes it, it feels like all the thoughts are being washed away. Usopp can't remember a thing from the prior two days; not the swamp or the hurt or the boy. He can't remember the feelings that came with anything. And most of all, he can't remember the voice, leaving him vulnerable and confused, wondering if there was a voice at all.

But the feelings of confusion aren't strong enough for the love Usopp is being smothered in. Usopp glances up at the captain, who's so focused on cleaning his shoulders, and then looks back down in shyness like a child. On a simple day, the other could simply care without thought. On his best days, Monkey D. Luffy could make even Boa Hancock feel less of a romantic. Usopp likes to believe that when Luffy loves him, he loves him without thought; without training; without hesitation. He likes to believe that it comes as natural as fighting for the captain.

Usopp blushes even deeper when the man's hands run over the dark veins over his heart, lungs and liver. The same ones on his hands. The same on Zoro's back. He tries not to notice the way the Monkey scrubs those places; hard and diligently as if the marks would go away. As if what Blackbeard did could be erased and Usopp simply wasn't scrubbing hard enough.

The sniper frowns when he thinks of Zoro's previous words.

Do you have any idea how scared he was when he found out that Blackbeard could have killed you?

Oh he had an idea alright. He isn't a fool. He knows that the love Luffy has for him specifically has changed over the years. It's a strong love, bordering on the edge of possessive. Right on the ledge of a fetish. A problem almost.

Usopp knows. When Luffy had refused to deny that the sniper was his favorite, when he had admitted with guilt his thoughts about just Usopp during their two years apart, he knew. Luffy was in love with his soul. And he loved the God like he was the last of his kind.

"Stop thinking." Luffy's firm voice breaks him of his thoughts and his arm is being pulled into a warm fluffy towel to dry. He's standing too although he can't remember when he stood. "I don't like when you think."

Oh yes. He's heard it before. Apparently, when he thinks, powerful things happen. It had developed into something tremendous over the years. How Usopp could blandly execute something the world never imagined all because he spent time thinking about it. He was supposed to be a thinker. He was supposed be observant because in all, a sniper's mind was his greatest asset. But sometimes, Sanji says, he thinks too much and too often. And most times, Sanji says, it scares him.

He can't fathom what they want from him. Sanji says he thinks too much. Luffy doesn't like him thinking at all. Zoro says he doesn't think enough about his own life.

"I'm not," he lies.

Luffy doesn't listen. "You promised Zoro you'd stop thinking."

The other tenses. Zoro told Luffy? About the- of course he would. He's a Bushido. Loyal to his captain first. But it doesn't stop the blood in those black veins of his heart to clog for a millisecond. They were talking about him…. about his behavior...behind his back. They probably thought he was crazy.

The sniper says nothing as he goes to slip on his overalls. His hair is damp, still dripping on the floor. But he doesn't care.

"We weren't talking about you like that."

He knows exactly what 'like that' means, and even though Luffy would never lie on his life, Usopp couldn't ignore that they were talking. How could they even? They didn't know what he saw or heard. What he felt or feared. "I didn't say that," he replies rigidly.

"But you're thinking it."

Usopp turns around in hostility. He's being penalized for something as simple as wondering what's said about him when he knows he's going batshit crazy. "Okay. So what if I am? My boyfriend and one of my best friends think I'm going crazy. But instead of talking to me about it, you have Zoro watching me like I'm a danger to myself and relaying information back to you like some spy."

He's bitter about it no doubt. But only because it's true. Zoro watching him? True. Telling Luffy? Admitted by the captain himself. Him going crazy? He knows. And being a danger to himself? Absolutely. Still, he thinks hard, it's the principle.

"You scoured the ship for an hour with Kabuto and your more deadly ammunition. Without alerting anyone." Well, when he put it that way-

"That was for our own good."

"From what? Don't you trust Franky's eyes when he has watch."

Usopp turns away. "I forgot he was up there."

"Liar." That stings. Like fire even if it is true. And Luffy knows that. "Usopp, I'm sor-"

"Leave it."

There are things Usopp would like everyone to know about his relationship with Luffy; he does not forgive easily. He is simply embarrassed for his captain, because he knows full well the other can't win. Not when Usopp gets upset and juts his bottom lip out and hisses like a child. Not then. And he can't stand to see his captain make a fool of himself. Despite wanting to stomp and throw things like Sanji does on occasion, he has no choice but to forgive Luffy.

"You're not really mad, are you?"

And really he isn't. Usopp's anger isn't anger at all; it's disappointment. And it's a stinging fire that only takes an apology to calm the flames, a smile to blow the fuse, and a kiss to clear the smoke. He rubs at his arm. "Not really. But I just wish you'd tell me your concerns instead of making me uncomfortable in my own skin. Like…" he pauses, feeling uncomfortable even now. "You can talk to me about what I'm thinking about."

It's a pure story. There's no way in hell Usopp could ever tell Luffy about the things that have happened. But reassuring him that he was willing to try was enough for the rubber man. And he smiled that stupid bright smile - the one where his eyes would clench shut and his lower lip was crooked - without a thought. "Okay!"

Usopp smiles at the way his captain could appear so innocent and naive. "You want to know what I was thinking about?"

"Yeah."

"How I forget sometimes… that you love me."

Luffy laughs. "Usopp can be stupid sometimes."

The darker man laughs.

After that small intervention - Usopp refuses to call it anything else - the two head up to the main deck where the rest of the crew is securing the sails and getting ready to dock. Nami spots them and Usopp waves as if she's further away and not right above them. She smiles and points ahead. And sure enough, those not doing a thing as they dock can stare ahead with the Thousand Sunny at the great tree of Elbaf. They'd seen it in the distance when they reached the New World, hovering over the region like a God.

And Usopp can't contain the excitement that goes through his veins. Robin smiles and repeats the name of the tree for those who forgot.

"Aschebaum, the tree of all things."

No one actually forgot. Not the East Blue Crew. Not Usopp. He'd studied Elbaf even during his training with Heracles, memorizing and soaking in all information like a den den mushi. He wanted to bathe in the essence of knowing what the Land of the Giants was all about. So that if he ever chose to stay - if they would have him - he would fit in. He'd be one of the warriors.

The ship comes to a slow stop and Usopp can barely hold in his excitement. Sanji is the first to speak and move, smoothly moving between the crew and handing them medium sized bags. He bows to Nami. "For you mademoiselle."

And then to Robin. "My dearest Robin. Your favorites."

And then he stops to look at Luffy, Chopper, Brook, and Franky, the only males still on the ship. He throws them each a pack, watching as they clumsily grab for them. "Here, you bastards. Don't eat too much of it now."

"Bro! You got my favorite burgers! Suuuu-per-"

"I said don't eat it now!"

The foot that somehow reaches Franky's head knocks softly against the metal. Franky groans in pain while Chopper tries to check for a concussion. Brook's just laughing.

There's a splash in the water and Luffy runs over to the edge of Sunny just in time to see Jinbe arise from the deep. "I'm going to place a sea barrier around the ship, captain." The captain nods.

The only two not participating in the upheaval of the Strawhat docking party are the only two who actually touched land.

Usopp, who had to be the first to step foot on Elbaf. It was an unspoken rule for everyone. And Zoro, who wants to protect them from every danger by trying to be a sacrifice.

They're quiet, serious but in awe of the land before them. In wonder, Usopp murmurs "it's Elbaf," almost as if it weren't.

"Yeah," Zoro agrees in quiet. Because despite the tales and legends and pirates, he can't believe it either.

The tree Aschebaum looks even bigger when they stand close to it. And now that they are close, there's a bridge leading up that tree, made of all colors of the rainbow, glistening in the light

"Huh…." Nami says from above, a soft smile adorning her face. "So that's what it is on the map."

Usopp, unsurprisingly, is the first to move forward. His brown hand strays away from his body and veers toward the bridge. It's intoxicating and so bright; inspiring and so unreal. He can't keep his eyes or hands away from it. And just as he's about to feel what heaven is like, there's a soft wind on his hand. Heat, he thinks with a grin. It's heat.

And he turns back to Zoro. "It's a burning bridge." And the statement makes the others jump down from the ship then, as if they needed to know it was safe.

"So how do we get up the tree?" Jinbe asks aloud. Usopp turns back to the bridge and stares at its glistening fire in seriousness. As if he knew the answers to all Elbaf's problems. It's a great question. And he wonders idly if this is how the giants kept away from the outside world.

"What about those?" Robin's pointing now, to their right. There are shoes a bit away. But they're covered in ice. Frost shoes.

Usopp turns to his captain, a mischievous grin on his face. "Race ya!" And he takes off before the challenge is accepted, Luffy hot on his tail.

The crew follow, shaking their heads in either amusement or shame. Usopp's chest burns as he runs and he remembers how much he hates just sitting around on the ship waiting for the next island. He'd rather get can't-go-to-an-island disease than be out of work. Luffy makes it first. He always does. He always cheats.

He's asking so many questions about the frost shoes that apparently don't feel cool or freezing in his hands.

"Are they mystery shoes? Do they fit? Can we skate in em? Usopp, are you listening?"

Barely, he wants to say. Usopp is too engrossed in the image beside them to actually care about shoes. He's more interested in wear and tear of the tree of Aschebaum.

It's bark was the epitome of wear and tear. Depreciation over the years do to use without proper care or maintenance. The bark is a deep brown. But some parts are darker, smudged and clipped; five large circles in a row recurring every now and then. The captain is still going on excitedly about the shoes so Usopp grabs him and squeezes his chin. "Luffy, look you idiot!"

And then they're all quiet.

"What do you think it is, Usopp-bro?"

Robin answers instead. "If I'm not mistaken, I believe the marks in the tree may be the prints of giants."

"Like, they were climbing up the tree?"

"Yes, Longnose. Something that would take a simple moment for them. Something that people of our size can't do."

Usopp can't help it when he squeals. He can just imagine Dorry and Broggy climbing so carelessly up Aschebaum like apes. "How cool is that, huh?"

---

The travel up the burning bridge is a thing Usopp will always remember. It's fun, no doubt. They skate and dance in the shoes. Even Zoro couldn't resist racing Sanji a little further ahead. Usopp can't help his grin when he sees the burning bridge spark beneath the older man's shoes.

"Usopp!" Chopper's excited cry fills the air and The sniper looks up just in time to see his small friend running for him. "Catch me!" With ease, the laughing reindeer is being held by his hands.

And Usopp is going to think about this. A few months later, on the occasional night, he's going to think about his actions that led up to this moment. It's going to hunt him and pull at his heart in a grotesque manner, tearing his mind down piece by piece.

How Chopper died because of him.

As time goes on, he'll never recall how it happens. He's spinning Chopper….and spinning him….and spinning him….and then he sees her.

A woman hovering off to the side of the bridge, watching them. No. Watching him. And there's so much hate there. As if she can't stand the sight of him. As if Usopp is made from something nasty. And Usopp freezes.

He'll never remember how it happens. How Chopper was spinning. And then how he wasn't. How he flew off the bridge more than 100 feet in the air. But he'll never forget how the doctor dies.

"Chopper!" Usopp screams, rushing over to the edge to see Chopper falling. The sight makes him drop to his knees, his hand sinking into the bridge. "No!"

And the sound comes a minute after Chopper hits the ground. Bones cracking with blood around them. Wet and scary and cringeworthy. Chopper dies on impact. But the crash hits Usopp.

His bones tear in half. And the pain is unbearable. And blood is seeping down his head and arms. And it hurts. God it hurts. And all he can do is scream.

"Aaaahhhh!"

"Usopp! Are you okay?"

It's Luffy. He's pulling on his arm. And dragging him up off the surface of the bridge. Nami is by his side and she's staring in horror at his burned hands. "You idiot," she whispers in sorrow.

"Usopp? Does it hurt?"

Of course it hurts. It burns. And his palms and fingers look like melted cheese. But Usopp can't speak. Not while the blood is gone. Not while Zoro is hovering close in a protective manner, leaning against an invisible barrier of the bridge. Not while Chopper is opening his pack and asking to see his hands. All he can do is cry and try not to cry and wonder who that was.

Chopper, who's supposed to be dead, sighs in sadness. "They can only be wrapped for now. And the numbing cream is just going to either burn them or infect the open wounds. Let's try to hurry up the bridge and see what we can find."

Usopp still remains silent, first staring at Chopper like he's not even real and then at everyone else. They're nonchalant. How could they have not seen the doctor fall? Not heard the cracks when he touched ground? How could they not have seen her?

She was grotesque; her face marred and abnormal. Unsymmetrical, her mouth strayed to the left side of her face and her nose was dented in. The only thing more hideous were her eyes, ugly things full of hatred. She was an abomination. She was a monster. She was him.

---

It takes the Strawhats another several hours to reach some form of civilization; a giant home leering off the side of a wooden gate. When they reached the top, Usopp was almost asleep on Zoro's back, sliding off the swordsman every now and then.

The swordsman stops by the gate and mutters. "I'm not gonna sit you down, but you should at least be awake."

Usopp groans in return, but opens his eyes nonetheless. His forearms are swollen now, clogged with blood that isn't reaching his healing hands. And the cloth around his hands are already moist with pus and blood. It feels disgusting. Looks disgusting even. And he doesn't even want to think about the pain to come when they're getting healed.

"Humans of Mithof," His voice was like the magma chamber of a volcano, deep, but filled entirely with the molten rock. It was powerful enough to make Usopp's bones feel like they were vibrating. When the voice spoke to them, everyone went quiet. It was powerful and commanding, shaking the ground like a storm. "Why have you traveled up the Bifrost?"

Because Usopp is on his back, Zoro unconsciously squeezes the back of his right thigh, a clear indication that his target was the swords.

"Ouch," Usopp mutters. The grip loosens, if only slightly, and Usopp swears to the Gods that if Zoro starts swinging him like Wado, he'll shoot a fire star in the eye he has left.

The bridge shakes. One by one, in a slow steady pace, it shakes. Boom….Boom….Boom….Boom. Footsteps, Usopp concludes. The door to the large cabin before them opens and it's all quiet. A large hand sprouts outward only to clamp down on the top of the door for support.

Now Usopp's shaking. Not in fear though. Just….he's about to see a giant. A real giant. One that never left Elbaf. He wiggles a little and it's enough for Zoro to let him down.

The big meaty fingers, smudged with grime and work tighten even more before a large head ducks enough to come out. The giant takes another step and Chopper bounces off the bridge from the small earthquake. Usopp's mouth opens wide and immediately he drops to a single knee, surprised that the bridge stops burning here.

The large giant looks down at them in a scrutinizing manner. Zoro, who's left hand is dangerously close to those swords, Sanji, who's leg is alit in flames, and Brook who stands cautiously. Luffy is just staring with his usual unreadable expression while Nami and Robin stand on guard beside him. Jinbe is before their captain, his arms crossed as he portrays a wall and Chopper is behind them all, confused but all the more impressed.

This giant, larger than the ones they've seen, stares at each of them as if he knows their natural nature. As if all humans are the same. And then his eyes stop on Usopp, who's still bowing low on a single knee, his head down and curls falling in his eyes.

"You, the kneeler" his voice booms. "State your purpose on Bifrost and why you have strayed from Mithof."

Usopp finally looks up but he doesn't stand. Not yet. He tries to be as serious as possible, but he can't help the crooked grin that comes when he addresses the giant.

"Mountain Beard Jarl, my crew and I came from the region for humans only to explore Elbaf. And I," He trails, wondering what to say. For years, it's always been a boast to who he was. Captain Usopp. Usoland. Usopp the great. But here, he feels like he can be just Usopp. "Usopp of the Straw Hats Pirates….well, after studying Elbaf for so long, I can say I came to see if the rumors were true."

Jarl, once a hero of Elbaf, crosses his arms over his long beard. And he's quiet for a long time. Just staring at Usopp and thinking something Usopp desperately wants to know about. He always thought that when he came to Elbaf, he would go crazy; act too excited and want to do everything at once. But he can't believe how calm he is now, bowing to one of the greatest giants of all time and taking the lead for his crew here. "And what of them, Usopp of the Straw Hat Pirates? What do you conclude from these rumors?"

63 years ago, after Big Mom killed his lifelong friend and co-captain of the giant warrior pirates, Jorl, Jarl had disappeared, his status even becoming unknown. He'd fallen off the face of the earth, a large feat for someone so mighty. There were rumors. Rumors that he had died. Rumors that he hid in the caves of Elbaf. But there was a rumor that Big Mom wasn't asleep when he went to kill the child. There was a rumor that Jarl had lost more than his friend during that festival. And now….Usopp can stare at Jarl's missing leg and the pink rubber scar that goes down his face and know for sure. Some rumors aren't rumors at all.

Usopp shakes his head in sadness and he wonders how people cope. Where do they put their bodies day by day and how do they cope inside them? Because there's a reason Mountain Beard Jarl, mighty hero of Elbaf, leader of giant pirates, disappeared from the face of the earth. And the sniper mutters in quiet, although everyone can hear him clearly.

"That all that glitters truly is not gold."

It's not meant to be an insult. People lose. Lose fights, lose each other, lose themselves. But Usopp knows that Jarl is a smart enough man to not take offense. He sighs in relief after a moment of silence when the huge giant crouches down as low as he can get to Usopp. And Usopp stands and pushes some of the giant's beard from his vision. "So you are that Usopp? Oimo and Kashi have told me great things."

And the composure that Usopp has worked on breaks. His smile is bright enough to conquer the bridge that hurt him. "They made it back safely."

Jarl nods although it wasn't a question. "They say it was you who told them the truth about Dorry and Broggy. And that you gave them purpose. It's a great and rare gift to move people. "

Usopp laughs softly. He always wondered about this too. How he would persuade the giants here how he was a really decent person. But, Oimo and Kashi have done it for him. "That was the truth, but among others I'm known as something entirely different."

When Jarl laughs all Usopp can do is stare up at the man in wonder. "Bojajajaja! Bojajaja! Well, Usopp of the Straw Hat Pirates, your reputation already precedes you here." And then he smiles at Usopp. "Speaking of liars who tell the truth, your great uncle, he's-"

"Yes," Usopp smiles. Jarl doesn't need to finish. It's the truth. That man was his uncle.

Jarl smiles in content. "He visited here before. An intelligent man and a master Botanist. Come to think of it, our first meeting was like this. 400 years ago, I was only seven. And he still bowed to me. Just like you. We don't get many brave warriors from your region."

Usopp can only smile because he's happy. Standing and trying to peer into huge gates of Elbaf, he can only think. Not bad, eh Noland? I found my city of Gold too.

Jarl hums and looks back at the other crew members who have long since let their guard down. "And these are the other Straw Hats? I don't very much look into the affairs of those who inhabit Mithof, but I've heard a great many things about this crew."

Luffy comes forward and the first thing he says to Mountain Beard Jarl - hero of Elbaf, captain of warriors - is "Your breath smells funny."

Usopp gapes and then cringes in utter embarrassment. That boy, the total idiot, is his.

"Bojajaja! A comrade of yours, Usopp?"

Usopp nods with a smile, embarrassment gone. He realized long ago that Luffy would always be Luffy. And that was the most beautiful thing about him. It was why Usopp had fallen in love. "He's my captain and-" he stops. He needs not say more. If Jarl knows about God Usopp, then he knows the Straw Hat Pirates. And there's no doubt he knows about Monkey D. Luffy, the man who's going to be King of the Pirates.

Jarl nods and stands at full. "Well, let's not stand here so long. Elbof nights last 72 hours and it snows no matter the season. Surely you're all hungry from your journey up Bifrost." He eyes the bloody bandages around Usopp's hands. "And we'll patch you up before you go into the villages."

Usopp thanks him graciously.

---

"The region we come from," Robin begins as she stirs the tea. It's a large bowl before her, steaming and sweet like honey, but to Jarl, it's just a wooden cup. "I can only assume it's called Mithof."

Jarl nods. "Why yes. All the oceans and the lands at the bottom of the Bifrost is what we call Mithof, or middle yard. It is the center of the cosmos and the land where humans inhabit." He frowns deeply at the large cup the Strawhats are dipping their hands in and drinking from. "Forgive my hospitality. Elbof hasn't had human visitors for seventy years."

Usopp briefly wonders at the way Elbaf sounds on the giant's tongue before letting the thought go. "It's alright." His hands have been cleaned in cool water and rubbed in healing ointment. While Chopper is wrapping them, Nami has her back against the sniper's shoulder, and she's writing and erasing things on that map of hers. Usopp notices that there is a new word at the bottom of the burning bridge where the Sunny is docked: Mithof. The sniper knows there's more she wants on the map. New names and words to complete it. "And then Bifrost?" He wonders out loud.

Jarl hums. "That trusted bridge has been here long before my time as well. Not many of us know how it came to be, but those of Elbof rely heavily upon it. Many humans believe the bridge is between Mithof and Aderhof. They think it ends in heaven, but it doesn't. The bridge ends in Elbof at my residence while I guard it from the humans."

There's no need for Usopp to ask Jarl what the giant has been doing for so many years off the radar. After Big Mom and the pirates, he simply became a protector of his village.

"But after such a journey and getting through the gates, you will find the great kingdom of Elbof, or as you humans so wrongly call it, Elbaf. It has many villages, including the village named after the kingdom and Warland village. Elbof village is the only way to reach heaven and Aderhof, the realm of the gods."

Chopper tightens the bandages around Usopp's hands. The God winces softly, but says nothing in regard to the pain. Instead, he asks about that river from Elba- Elbof village that Nami is tapping with her pen. The river that goes up. Like the knock up stream. "So if Bifrost ends here, how do you get to the realm of the Gods?"

Jarl smiles. "The giants travel up Grofluss, the river that separates us from Aderhof. However, no one has used the river in more than six decades . Prince Loki, one of the Gods up there, the God of giants, has not spoken in years."

Nami writes the word Grofluss on the large river and looks up. "You said Loki is the God of the giants. Are there other Gods?"

"There are." Jarl hums after a nostalgic thought. "There was. Odin, the god of all things. Frigg, the powerful goddess that could see the future. Ake, a mysterious God many have always wondered about. But….many of them are gone now. Odin is dead. The others are possibly hiding."

Usopp can feel a twist in his heart when he hears the word Odin and a drop in his stomach at the word Ake. It's like he's supposed to know exactly who those names belong to, but there's a sadness like forgetfulness. "Hiding?"

"Why yes. Hiding possibly from Zerstorung, the end of the world as Elbof Kingdom knows it. Zerstorung is a prophecy, but a war if nothing else. It is a series of events, including a great battle, foretold to lead to the deaths of a number of great figures, including mine and the Gods Odin and Loki, natural disasters and the submersion of the world in water. After these events, the world will resurface anew and fertile, the surviving and returning gods will meet and the world will be repopulated by two human survivors."

Usopp gapes. He's more surprised that the Gods of Elbof had gone into hiding. They were supposed to be brave warriors. At least, it was what he hoped. "But Zerstorung is just a prophecy right? Why would

They go into hiding?"

No one misses the way Jarl's eyes go to Usopp's burned hands. And Luffy tenses up like he knows something is going to be said. Like Usopp has something to do with anything happening on Elbof.

"Because so far, everything leading up to that prophecy has proved to be true. The top god dies. A warrior is killed by a mere child and another dies without dying. The Gods disappear. And then a human comes along and burns his hands on Bifrost."

Usopp frowns and the feeling comes back. Like something bad is going to happen. All because he came here to this island. He's just Usopp. Him burning his hands has nothing to do with the end of the world. It has nothing to do with Zerstorung. "But, it doesn't make sense," he argues. "I just burned my hands. That could have been anyone."

Jarl shakes his head. "No. Not just anyone. The bridge is simply a bridge with colors. I can guarantee if you all were to step on the bridge without the frost shoes, you would be the only one to get burned. For the sake of the prophecy, the bridge only burns for a single person. And we used the frost shoes to prevent it." Usopp shakes his head, but Jarl isn't finished. "The last person to get burned by the bridge was Odin, god of all things. Way before I was born. Before he became a God and before the first Zerstorung. When he was just a simple human. When he was just Montblanc Odin."

The silence that follows is an eerie one. No one can really comprehend what Jarl is saying although the words were as clear as day. Sanji is the first to speak and he slams his fist on the table, always easily angered. Angered now that some ancient giant is putting his friend into the business of something far larger than the Straw Hat Pirates. "So what are you saying Usopp-"

"I'm not saying anything. I am simply stating that Usopp of the Straw Hat Pirates is far braver than the world thinks. I'm not saying Zerstorung will happen and I'm not saying you all will have to play a part in it. It's only a theory."

Only a theory doesn't settle well in the pit of Usopp's stomach. He knew they shouldn't have come to Elbaf. He knew there was something off.

Jarl puts his tea down. "Forgive me for dimming the mood and spurting information not meant for your ears. I had hoped you'd want to learn everything about the kingdom before going inside those gates."

"We do!" Usopp clears his throat when he hears how desperate he sounds. "We do. We've waited for Elbaf for a long time. There's no way we'd give up learning more. The Strawhats never stop exploring the unknown. Right?"

He was staring at Luffy, but his eyes were watching God. And the sniper smiles in relief when one by one his crew smiles at his words, as if just realizing. They were the Strawhats dammit. Nothing scared them.

Usopp looks back at Jarl who's watching with a small look of pride. "We want to learn everything about Elbaf. About Odin and Ake and Zerstorung. Kingdoms and people live on in stories right?"

And Jarl smiles wide enough to make the 19 year old think about Dorry and Broggy and how happy and carefree they were. It makes him want to smile too. "It is the only way they live on, Usopp."

---

The Strawhats spend the next 72 hours in the home of Jarl, telling stories and bundling beneath big cloths as the winter air knocks against the window.

Usopp and Jarl spend the most time together and, during their last night, none of the other Strawhats miss that the warrior has taken a strong liking to their sniper.

Usopp waves his hand in the air as he exaggerates Arlong's defeat. "And after the entire park was knocked down, you could only see Luffy standing as proud as he could atop the rubble. And he screamed...so loud I'm sure Kaido heard it from Wano. 'Nami! You'll always be my friend!' And it was true. She would always be welcome with us."

Jarl nods. "In all my years, I haven't crossed many, but I can only hope not all Fishman are like Arlong. I hope most are like Jinbe."

Usopp glances over at the sleeping sea prince and nods vigorously. "They are. You know, Elbaf isn't the only place of warriors. Fishman island has all kinds of those."

"And what of your region?"

The younger halts for a second, confused and shocked. It's a question he was no doubt unready for. "Land?" Jarl nods. "I believe there are. Well, there are." And then he shrugs apologetically. "Honestly, we don't have many. And people don't claim to be anymore. Not even me."

"Bojajaja! Well of course not, lad. One never knows when they are a true warrior. I sure didn't know."

At this, the Strawhats' beloved sniper's eyes widen to comedic proportions and he stares at Jarl with surprise and wonder. Like Jarl is giving him the One Piece. "Really?"

Jarl laughs at the shock. "Yes. By the time one stops saying they are a great warrior, they've already become one. But, as far as I know, most brave warriors don't ever know. They never realize such. Not even after death."

The giant's words are thought about as Usopp bites his lip. He wants to know. If anything, he wants to know when he becomes a brave warrior. At least before he dies. But after a few moments of thinking about how beautifully sad that is, he accepts it. If not knowing was to be a part of the warrior's life, he'd go at it willingly. Still, he can't believe one would never know.

He looks up. "Wait, are you sure? Are you sure they'll never know?"

Jarl smirks wide and down, his eyes mulling over the black scars on the small man's body and the weapon he dearly cherishes. Usopp, the giant thinks wholeheartedly. God Usopp. "Usopp of the Straw Hat Pirates, I am sure as I am big." But he's not talking about himself anymore. And it's okay because Usopp doesn't know that.

A little bit away, the swordsman, cook, and navigator are having a drink at the table, watching the conversation and relationship unfold.

Sanji frowns deeply and stares down into his wine. "He sure has taken a liking to Usopp."

Nami smiles behind her hand. And Sanji sees the small love behind her honey eyes he's seen for years now; how their trusted navigator could be in love with them without having romantic feelings. "Most giants do. Most people do. He's Usopp." She argues. "He has that kind of power to make people follow him. Not in strength, but in words."

That they could agree on. They weren't sure where it came from, but they first saw it in little garden. Usopp's ability to start wars with words. Usopp's gift to make people of any kind follow his lead and life. Usopp's advantage of his mind over anyone else's. Zoro said it. Usopp bested anyone in thinking; even Robin. And despite the lady being one of the smartest, Sanji agreed.

And then the cook frowned even deeper because there was something worse than Jarl taking a liking to their friend. When he was just Montblanc Odin. "Do you think he's right about the prophecy? About that shitty Zerstorung or whatever the hell it is?"

Nami nods. Jarl knows Elbaf more than any of them. "Of course."

Sanji's stomach drops. "But, do you think he's right about Usopp?" He never said a thing about Usopp, but Odin was a Montblanc. Odin burned his hands. Odin died. "Do you think Usopp is a part of Zerstorung?"

"Even if it were true, we wouldn't let Usopp get anywhere near that. He's worried about him." Zoro interrupts before anyone confirms it. There's no question as to who he is and the three turn toward the strawhat covering Luffy's snoring face. "We wouldn't let him go through the pain."

Sanji sneers. This isn't the time for mosshead to worry about just Luffy. If the prophecy was true and Usopp was a part of that, then he could very well be in danger. Usopp could di- Sanji bites his lip hard. "How can you be so stupid? Did you hear a thing the giant said?"

"Course I did."

"You couldn't have. Because if you did, Luffy's happiness should be your second concern. Let me make it clear; Zerstorung is an apocalyptic prophecy otherwise proving true. One of the Gods that died share a shocking connection with Usopp. In fact, everything that happened to him, happened to Usopp. Montblanc...the bridge that only burns for one."

Zoro glares. "What are you trying to say?"

"If it is true, Usopp could die."

"Sanji!" Nami whispers in shock.

Zoro stares hard at the table. Sanji hums in thought. So Luffy being happy wasn't the biggest danger to the swordsman. He just didn't want to think about the real danger. "Don't say that. Don't even think that. Usopp wouldn't die here. I'd never let that happen. He'd never let it happen.."

Sanji stares at their captain. Luffy isn't so much a believer either. He wants to see something in living proof to call it real. "And why the hell is he worried? I know for a fact he doesn't believe any of that."

Nami shakes her head. "No. He doesn't believe it. He's worried that Usopp does. Say you won't let Usopp be a part of something all you want. But do you really think Usopp is going to let you guys stop him? When his back is against the wall, he's braver than most. And that's why Luffy's worried. He could care less about the prophecy and what it says. He's worried that Usopp does care."

After Nami's revelation, all three look toward Usopp and Jarl, who are again in another conversation about the Runic alphabet and how the cosmos is destroyed because of that. And they see it then. The lack of fear in Usopp's eyes just because he could be a part of something bigger than him. Zoro goes to stand, surely to knock Usopp over the head like he usually does and tell him to think about his life. But on both sides, Nami and Sanji grab hold of his arm. "Wait," they hiss, although Sanji is surprised it didn't take the idiot longer to see that Usopp was their main concern.

Zoro stares down the both of them with a menacing look. "You both see it? Well then-"

Nami yanks the swordsman down with the strength of a sea king. "We don't have to." And she points to the corner where Luffy was once asleep. The captain is staring with a stupid adorable frown in Usopp's direction. Usopp's hands are going everywhere at once while he speaks simultaneously entertaining and shocking Jarl. "But if the God Odin is associated with sacrifice, surely that was a way he could learn the alphabet. Right?"

Jarl laughs and his big finger rubs Usopp's bedtime curls. "Although it sounds most reasonable, I cannot know, Usopp. I was negative 300 years old."

Usopp sobers at that, but he's still adorning a mischievous smile. "Well, I think so." And the sniper yawns big enough to conquer the giants a moment after.

Zoro and the others watch Luffy bury himself deep in the covers and his deep voice sounds around the big cabin. "Usopp," he calls quietly. The sniper and Jarl both look over at Luffy. "C'mere," He commands.

Usopp sighs, but smiles nonetheless as he yawns again and stands. It's only then he sees it's nearing four AM. His eyes go to Sanji first thing and he smiles with his eyes closed. And there's a scary feeling in the pit of the cook's stomach. Like it's the last smile he'll ever see from the other. "You guys are still up too? That ancient Elbaf stuff sure is interesting." The sniper bids goodnight to Jarl and shuffles over to Luffy. Like water, he lands across the captain, his legs on either side, and buries his entire face into the right side of Luffy's scar.

"Did you hear all that about Odin, Luffy? Isn't he so cool? He's was a Montblanc. Like me."

"I did. Now sleep."

"But it's so-" Luffy shoves his hat right in the sniper's face.

"Sleep," he says again.

Usopp laughs and when he speaks, his words are muffled. "Fine. Fine. But you're listening to me tomorrow. All day too."

The rubber man doesn't hear it as that. He hears it as Usopp being in his line of sight all day so he can watch him. "Absolutely." And then he's snoring again.

Usopp laughs. "Stupid."

Nami sighs in relief. If anyone was actually good with getting Usopp back into reality, it was their captain. And since he had a plan to keep Usopp close, there's nothing to worry about.

The next morning, half of the Strawhats are groggy, irritable, and half asleep while they pack to head out. Nami is rushing everyone around like they don't have time, Zoro isn't waking up no matter the kicks to the head from Sanji's polished shoe, and Usopp and Luffy are arguing over the edible pop greens that are missing from the sniper's pack.

"For the love of God, can you just tell me if you ate them?"

"I didn't. You put them in my bag."

"So you ate them?"

"No, they're still there. See look."

Sanji grabs Luffy's bag on his way out. "Nami-swan says we need to leave or-" the cook stops abruptly and his fingers go to the back of his neck where a small bruise is forming. He looks back at Usopp and the small slingshot in his hands. "Usopp did you just?" It's ammo he doesn't use anymore because they're weaker, but they still sting like a bitch.

Usopp glares. "I need those pop greens."

A moment of silence as they stare at each other. Nami sighs and counts down. "Three, two, one." And then they're fighting, the sniper and cook, rolling and tussling everywhere in the room. Luffy's joined in, punching each of them like it's some sort of game and laughing. And somehow, they've rolled near Zoro. And now he's fighting without cause too.

"Zoro stop hitting me!" Usopp growls, punching the swordsman's shoulder.

Nami sighs and slumps to the ground. It'd take a lot more energy to hit all four and it'd be a lot faster for them to either tire out or laugh.

Usopp tires out first, not able to keep up with the monster trio and he sinks to the floor. Luffy takes it as an invitation to knock the wind out of him, landing on his torso with a grin.

Jarl comes in and the sight of the first four boys makes him hum in thought. "Well I guess you can stay another night if you aren't ready to go into the village."

Usopp sits up and Luffy flies off of him. The sniper jumps on Sanji's sagging shoulders and grins wide. "Are you kidding me? Of course we're ready. Just look at his smile of excitement." With that, he tugs at the corners of Sanji's mouth. And the victim, who still has Zoro's collar tight in his grip throws the swordsman upward. The first and fourth clash and crash against a nearby table and once more they're fighting again. Luffy confused, Sanji angry, Usopp laughing, and Zoro annoyed.

Jarl scratches his head and looks down at the orange haired woman in confusion. She doesn't know if he's asking a question or judging their sanity, but she just smiles. "Those boys are my boys."

---

The crew doesn't depart form Jarl's home until an hour goes by. By then, they're all ready for Elbaf, even the tired ones. Usopp fixes Chopper's pack against his own shoulder and goes to stand before Jarl. "I had a good time here."

"Bojajaja! Me too, small warrior. And I hope we meet again before you leave Elbof."

Usopp smiles at the nickname. "Me too. I don't ever want to leave here though."

"What you choose will always be up to you. And I hope, whatever you choose, it makes you happy."

Usopp only smiles big and closes his eyes. He sure hopes so.

"Usopp. Come on! My skin is burning in this heat. But then again, I don't have skin. Yohohoho!"

Usopp shakes his head at his skeletal friend, bids another reluctant goodbye to Jarl, and follows the musician in a haste.

"So long, Jarl. Don't forget me, okay? Because when I come back I'll be King of the snipers, the bravest warrior to touch land, sea, and sky."

Once more and after a long 63 years, Jarl, hero of the giants, stands alone, staring at the door as if it were never opened. He blinks before bowing his head and wiping a loose tear. Don't forget me, okay? As if he could ever be forgotten in the eyes of a giant. How could he?

And then after the sentiment, he clutches his belly and laughs, the sound alone causing volcanoes to erupt and plates to slide. "Noland," He calls higher than the heavens he's standing in. "Odin, you two. He's….he's just like you. The both of you."

The house is still for a moment before the giant laughs. "Agreed. A fool for not knowing, but a warrior no less."

---

"Guys, wait up!" Usopp yells to his stopped crew ahead. The forest they have to get through before they reach the village, Jarl says, is even trickier than that of Little Garden. So the crew has to be careful and stick together on their journey. "Remember that we have to stick together!"

Nami turns with a smile. "Well come on then! Look at this!"

The sniper halts behind them and looks to where they're all staring. There before the Strawhats is a large stone, possibly as ancient as it looks. There are words transcribed here, symbols that make each of them squint.

The only names Usopp can read is the name of Odin and a smudged 'oke' with its first letter smudged.

Usopp moves forward to put his hands on the stone. They tingle at contact. "This is the prophecy. The full one at least. But Jarl says no one can read it. Not even giants know the Runic alphabet."

Robin placed her hands on the stone too. "I can't either. I wish there were books to study, but I heard the giant say that it cannot be studied."

Luffy laughs heartily. "So it's a mystery stone."

"Jarl said Odin could read it. He said he learned it. Somehow, he learned it."

The Strawhats continue to stare at stone before Sanji speaks. "Alright. We can think about what this shitty stone says when we make it-"

Usopp can remember a time when he was younger. After his mother died and he would cry himself to sleep at night. And he would wake up thinking that the world had ended. The air would be still, the world would be quiet, and ma would disappear again. And it would happen over and over again until Usopp believed that he wasn't the only liar.

That stillness and quiet that happens when the world is ending, it happens here too. How Sanji just stops speaking. It's like he disappeared just like ma did. And Usopp's head snaps back to the cook. "Sanji," he calls at the man's back. He's just standing there, staring into some trees away from them. "What's wrong?"

The cook says nothing, only points ahead of them. Usopp squints. "I can't see anything."

"How can you not see it?" Sanji whispers. He sounds horrified. It's a first. And then he points. "She's right there. It burns."

Usopp tenses and his hands go up to pull at his goggles. Adjusting them, the sniper squints even more and his brows begin to sweat.

"It burns," Sanji says again. "God, it burns. I have to stop it, Usopp. I have to stop it."

Usopp freezes. She's back. The lady who made him kill Chopper. She's back. She's burning him. "Sanji," he warns. "Don't move a muscle."

"But it burns."

"It isn't real."

The black boy cautiously reaches upward to grab hold of Sanji's tailored suit. Sanji takes off into the forest. "I have to stop it!"

"Sanji!" After a desperate cry filled with air and hurt, Usopp goes after his friend. Sanji is fast through the forest, if his burning chest is anything to go by. "Sanji! Wait!"

And he keeps going after the blond, dangerously unaware of the screams of his crew and their calls to come back. Dangerously unaware of the crew's cook calling from behind Robin and Luffy for Usopp to stop.

Usopp falls over a branch deep in the forest and looks up and around. The lack of light is making him dizzy and there are whispers all around him.

He's out there.

He's hurting her.

He's sinking.

Luffy is lost.

Come here.

His hands tighten around the dirt on the ground. "Sanji!" Nothing. "Sanji please! Where are you?!"

Chichichi. It burns him.

Usopp slams his head against the ground and it becomes moist with tears. "Sanji!"

---

Through the forest and pass the quiet village of Elbaf, up the harsh current of Grofluss and in the region of the Gods, a castle sits in solitude.

The woman hums and turns toward her small chair. She bites her twisted lip in anticipation. "Chichichi." She laughs.

In the air, a small hologram of a figure falls to the forest floor and clenches the dirt. A fool he is. A fool she needs. He slams his head onto the ground and cries out for his friend. 'Sanji!'

"Chichichichi. The first to suggest they stay together is the first and only to leave." And it's the one she wants. How perfect could the prophecy be. "Let it rain fire, God Usopp."

---

And scene. :) I'm late and ashamed. woohoo! so Usopp has been separated from the crew. And it can only get worse.