Hey you, RDA here. I feel like I should be thanking you. This is my first story ever, and all of you made me feel so happy with your reviews and views. I really appreciate it. Also, I apologize for any OOC-ness you might find in this story. And my chapters just keep getting longer, see? I will be updating every Sunday, if you care to look.

"Wake up, wake up, wake up!"

What was going on?

Usopp squinted his eyes. Why was it so hot? Why was the room so breezy? Then he remembered where he had last been. His eyes shot open. Yep, he was still on the side of the ship. The sun was already high in the sky. To his surprise, Yasopp was still there. And he was kicking him in the gut multiple times.

"Wake up kid! It's already past breakfast!"

Usopp groaned. "I'm coming! I'm coming! Stop kicking me! That's my bad arm! Watch it!"

Yasopp continued kicking him, this time with a smile. "Why do you still have that mask on, kid? Usopp just mumbled and covered his stomach.

"Funny," Yasopp said. "I don't remember sleeping here. Then again, that happens a lot."

Usopp rolled his eyes as he flopped to his feet. "Do remember anything about last night at all?"

Yasopp shook his head. Usopp felt a little angry. He knew he had no right to be, but it still hurt. He decided to prod some more. "C'mon, anything at all?"

Yasopp continued kicking. "I probably talked about my son."

Usopp's stomach rolled. That was a bad idea. "That you did."

Yasopp stopped kicking. "Just forget what I said. It doesn't matter."

Usopp's anger was back. "What do you mean? Your son doesn't matter?"

Yasopp glared at Usopp and started walking away. "I just don't want to talk about it. My head hurts. Follow me. I'm going to go talk to Shanks."

Usopp shrugged off his anger. It wasn't Yasopp's fault. He straightened up and followed him.

Yasopp was headed to the dining hall. As soon as they entered you could smell the stench of- never mind. It was just pure nasty in its natural state. Shanks was slumped over in a chair. Clearly he still hadn't worked it off. Yasopp shook his shoulder. Shanks grumbled as he was rudely awakened.

"Hey, Captain." Yasopp whispered. "Can we go drop this kid back of somewhere?"

Usopp huffed in the background. Shanks did not look like he wanted to function. He just mumbled some words and went back to sweet unconsciousness. Yasopp looked a little to the left of Usopp.

"Stand back and cover your ears."

Usopp sensed what was going to happen and obliged. Yasopp took a deep breath.

"HEY CAPTAIN, CAN YOU FIND A WAY TO GET THIS KID OFF THE SHIP?"

Shanks jumped up. He groaned and put his hands over his head.

"Not now!" Yasopp fidgeted. "Why not?" "Because- ah."

Shanks looked at Usopp with semi blurry eyes. No no no no no! Usopp silently pleaded. Come on Shanks! You promised you wouldn't tell.

"Because- why?" Yasopp demanded. "Why not?"

Shanks eyes cleared up. "Because I want him to stay. We'll find his ship eventually."

Yasopp groaned. "Hey!" Usopp complained. "Why are you so upset?! Do I just annoy you or something? Or are you just sore that I am just as good a shooter as you?"

Yasopp whirled towards him. "Why would I be upset over something like that?! You're just a little brat!"

BRAT? BRAT?! Who are you calling a BRAT?!"

"You!"

Shanks started laughing. "You two argue so well together, someone might think that you're related!"

Usopp and Yasopp both choked on their next breath.

"Related? No way!" they said in unison. Yasopp said it sincerely; Usopp said it with a heavy heart.

Shanks looked at them. "Sorry. That wasn't called for. I know that there's no way that Usopp here could possibly be your long lost son! Then again, you can't tell behind that mask!"

Usopp was fuming. If he could murder Shanks, he would. Instead, he clenched his fists and walked away. He could hear Shanks and Yasopp exchanging heated words behind him. Usopp kept walking until he was at the stern of the ship. He just stood their and watched the big blue sea until he started to calm down. After an hour or two, he could hear someone walk up behind him. Usopp could already tell that it was Yasopp. A heavy hand landed on his shoulder. Usopp flinched. He didn't want to talk to his father of all people right now. He just wanted to be alone.

"Hey," Yasopp said quietly. "Have you spotted your ship yet?"

Usopp shook his head slowly. If he had spotted the Sunny, he'd have already been off this ship and onto it. They stood there in silence for a few minutes. Yasopp spoke up first.

"You know," he started. "Shanks told me why you're so touchy about family."

Usopp's heart dropped out of his chest and started flopping on the deck.

"He- did?" Usopp choked out. So much for trusting him. He'd been found out!

Yasopp started speaking again. "I'm sorry."

Usopp stared at the sky. What was he supposed to say? Yasopp continued.

"I know it must've been hard, growing up on your own."

Usopp couldn't talk. What should he say?

Yasopp just kept talking. "I can't believe that you didn't have anyone after your father left and your mother died."

Wait, what?! What was Yasopp talking about? The shock must've shown on Usopp's face, because Yasopp explained.

"Shanks told me about why you don't like talking about your family. Your stupid father left you and your mother alone to go to sea, and your mother died not long after that."

Usopp couldn't believe it. Was his father seriously this dense?

Yasopp started to talk faster. "You were left alone. Who would leave their child just like that? Your father is a serious jerkwad, kid. If I ever see him, I'll make sure to pummel him and make him sorry for what he did!"

Usopp smiled weakly. "You might want to tell him that his wife is dead, first. That would- gulp- totally destroy him. He loved my mother a lot." Yasopp snorted.

"Enough to leave her alone with a small kid?" Usopp shook his head.

"I don't think that it was like that." "Then what would it be like?" Yasopp snapped. "I can't stand the thought of another man leaving his family behind to chase after a foolish dream."

Now it was Usopp's turn to get irritated. "I said, it wasn't like that! You left your family only because you felt you had to, right? I can understand that. If I -had met my father before I became a pirate, I wouldn't have understood. Now that I've been on the high seas, had a taste of adventure- I can't think of another life."

Yasopp stared into the great blue expanse of water for a long time. "Do you think- that my son understands? Why I left, that is?"

Usopp grinned, facing away from Yasopp. "I'm sure that he gets it now. After all, when the pirate flag calls, you gotta listen."

Yasopp glanced sharply at Usopp. "What did you say?" Usopp's grin faded.

Yasopp looked at him hard. Then his face burst into a big grin. "Well, whatdaya know. The kid gets it!"

Usopp rolled his eyes. What was with this man? "Of course! I'm a pirate, and don't you forget it!"

Yasopp slung his arm around Usopp's shoulders. "You can't forget it on a pirate ship!" Usopp laughed. Maybe Yasopp was a better man than he had figured.

They walked back to the front of the ship, whistling as they went. Shanks was already fully up and about by the time they got there. Shanks looked somewhat guiltily at Usopp. "Sorry, kid."

Usopp shrugged. "I guess it worked."

Yasopp glanced quickly at the two men. "What worked?"

Usopp and Shanks both groaned. Not again. Shanks slowly replied. "Telling you about Usopp's past."

He quickly changed the subject. Well, sort of. "Yasopp, I'm sorry for mentioning your son."

Yasopp replied with a smile. "Eh, it doesn't matter. This idiot- what was your name, again?"

Shanks grinned. "Co-"

Usopp jumped in. "CO-mpletely irrelevant to the situation."

Yasopp looked at him strangely. Usopp continued. "That is, I don't think- that- um…"

Yasopp broke out in a grin again. "Don't worry, pipsqueak. It really doesn't matter. Besides, there's no way that this could be my son."

Shanks and Usopp made a quick glance at each other.

"After all, my kid would only be- um- ah. I think that he would be- ten- twelve-" Usopp felt like facepalming. "Uh, fourteen, maybe. Yeah, fourteen at the most. What year is it?"

Usopp told him with a grimace. Yasopp started counting in his head, staring up at the sky and mouthing the words. He frowned. "No, that can't be right." He murmured. He recounted. "Wait, what? He would be- SEVENTEEN? But I didn't leave that long ago!"

Yasopp sputtered on his words. "But it was only a few years ago! He can't be seventeen!"

Shanks smirked. "It's been over ten years."

Yasopp looked shocked. He had no idea that he'd been gone that long. If- when he saw his son, he'd have a lot of explaining to do. He'd have to apologize for been gone for so long. In fact his son would be about the same age as- "Hey, kid. How old are you again?"

"Seventeen." Usopp answered quietly.

Yasopp stumbled over his words. "That means that you are the same age as my son!"

Usopp nodded. "I guess so."

"But my son is just a little kid!" he protested.

"Not anymore," Usopp replied. "He's grown up and doing his own thing now."

Yasopp looked more and more upset. How had he been away for so long? It was only a few years at most. His son- poor Usopp. He and Banchina must be so lonely waiting for him back at Syrup village. He would have to go back soon.

Usopp and Shanks noticed Yasopp's expression.

"Hey," Shanks said. "Don't worry about it. Everything will work out."

"I would like to believe that," Yasopp muttered. "But it doesn't seem possible."

Usopp nodded his head at him. "Don't worry. Remember what I said? I think he gets it now."

Yasopp didn't look satisfied. "But that's only if he became a pirate. What if he didn't go it sea at all? Even worse, what if he's a marine? I could've killed my own son!"

For goodness sake, he's worse than Luffy. Usopp thought. Then he said out loud, "Do you really think that any son of yours would not be a pirate?"

Yasopp calmed down and smiled. "You're right. Maybe I'll meet up with him on the sea one of these days. Nice one, masked brat."

Usopp didn't react to the playful insults anymore. Shanks just shook his head.

"Yep," he said, a little too loudly. "It would be amazing if we somehow managed to find your son on the entire grand line."

Usopp mouthed words angrily behind Yasopp's head. For a famous pirate captain, he just couldn't resist telling a secret, could he?

Just then, one of the men from Shanks' crew came running up, out of breath.

"Captain," he said, panting heavily. "We've spotted a ship off the starboard side."

"Well," Shanks said. "Is it marines looking for a fight?"

Usopp wilted down to the deck. Not the marines! The man, thankfully, shook his head.

"No sir!" he exclaimed. "It's flying a Jolly Roger!"

Usopp fell back down. More pirates! Even worse! Yasopp nudged him with his foot.

"Hey, hey kid. Get up. What are you doing? Did the heat make you faint? Usopp didn't answer. "Maybe the mask affected his breathing." He mused. "I better take it off." Just as he reached for the mask, Usopp jumped up.

"No thanks! I'm alright!"

Shanks started laughing. "Well," he said with a chortle. "Can you make out which flag it is?"

The man shook his head again. "No, sir. Not close enough. We'll be in range soon."

"Well, inform me what it is when you see it." "Yes, Captain!" The man went back to his work.

Shanks turned to Usopp. Maybe it's your crew. They have missed you, correct?"

Usopp shrugged. "They probably forgot me. How would they find me, anyway?"

Just as he finished speaking, the man came running back.

"Sir!" he said. "The flag has been identified as the Jolly Roger of the Straw Hat Pirates, captained by Monkey D. Luffy!"

Shanks smiled. "I guess your friends came after all, Us-kid."

Usopp ignored the slip up. He was to busy celebrating to notice, anyway. "They came for me, they came for me!" he chanted, swinging around the main mast. Yasopp looked at Usopp in shock.

"You really were telling the truth!" Usopp froze.

"YOU STILL DIDN'T BELIEVE ME?!"

Yasopp put his hands up. "Sorry, brat. Just wasn't sure."

The Sunny was coming closer and closer. Usopp could hardly wait. He missed being home. But… Yasopp still didn't know who he was. Should he tell him? Usopp straighten up proudly. Nah, Yasopp could figure that out for himself. And at the rate things were going, Shanks would probably tell him before the day was up. He grinned up at Shanks.

"Thanks for having me aboard, Shanks."

Shanks smiled back. "Always a pleasure. Come back soon with the rest of your crew! Then we can party!"

Usopp was confused. "But won't you see them now?" he asked.

Shanks smile grew even wider. "If I know Luffy, he's about to-"

All of a sudden, something shot at the ship from the Sunny. Usopp's eyes widened. He knew what was going to happen.

"Wahahahahhhhh!" he screamed, trying to get away, but soon enough, a rubbery hand made it's way around Usopp's torso and held him tight.

He, along with most of Shanks' crew, screamed in terror.

"Good bye!" Usopp said to Shanks and Yasopp. "It was fun! See you soon!"

Yasopp smiled. "It was a nice time, kiddo! Thanks for talking."

Usopp waved and grinned. As he was pulled back, a voice came from the Sunny. It was Luffy's voice, and he was shouting at the top of his lungs.

"FOUND YOU!" Usopp was getting yanked off the ship's deck. He nodded to the men as he was dragged backwards. Luffy continued shouting. "I'M GLAD WE FOUND YOU…" Here he took a deep breath. USOPP!" All Usopp could see was Yasopp's frozen face as he was pulled violently back to the Sunny.