Usopp hated to admit it, but he was struggling pushing the large cards filled with stone… He was not as weak as he had been. Usopp had managed to build a pretty good upper body strength while traveling… How ever brute strength wasn't his specialty in the least.

When fighting Usopp relied on his speed, precision, creativity, traps and dumb luck… None of which helped him much in this particular situation where he needed to work or guards would crack a whip over his back. And if he showed any sign of weakness the other slaves would come and beat him up.

Avoiding their attacks the first time had been easy, but now that Usopp had spend several hours pushing cards and felt the exhaustion overwhelm him, fending off the other brutes a second time wouldn't be nearly as easy. He was tired all right, he could fee his entire body aching.

And as the sun was gone down and the guards blew the whistle indicating it was time for lunch… Brutus and the others were unto Usopp as a pack of hungry wolfs.

Suddenly they were right there surrounding Usopp whom could barely stand up, grinning as they cracked their knuckles.

"Now then pipsqueck." Brutus grinned. "I believe we have some business to finish. You need to tell me who is the boss around here."

Usopp hissed, though he felt his prior courage leaving him.

Then a fist came flying and Usopp managed to make a roll fall then jump up on his legs.

"Slippery little one aren't you?" Brutus asked. "Ready to cry yet?" he asked.

Usopp gasped as he stood there. "The… there's nothing wrong about crying." he stated as he gasped. "It's okay to cry… As long as you stand up and fight afterwards… As long as you keep on fighting!" and he launched forward a fist which did indeed hit impact, but it barely even moved Brutus whom returned the first and send Usopp flying backwards and he landed harshly on the ground.

He couldn't help it, that's when the tears pressed on behind his eye lids and a sob escaped his throat as he sat back.

"Hah, I knew it." Brutus grinned. "Now it's time to beg! You need to remember who's the boss!"

And Usopp hissed, then whipped his eyes with his arm. "If you think… I'm ever going to follow someone like you. You must have eaten nails." he stated as he pushed himself back up, wobbling just a bit but found his balance at last. "I faced people way stronger than you! You're nothing in comparison to the sort of people I fought!"

"Oh really?" Brutus asked. "Haha, you're a bad liar." he commented.

"Yeah, I am." Usopp admitted. "BUT THAT WASN'T A LIE!" he shouted as he attacked again, it ended though very similar as Usopp was thrust backwards and he hissed as he attacked again.

"You must be some kind of idiot." Brutus commented as he held Usopp down for a third time. "Why do you keep fighting?"

"Because i'm a straw hat!" Usopp seethed. "Even if my enemy is way stronger than me, even if I am sure to loose I… I will always fight! To my last breath!" he stated as he cried and then thrusted up his head banging his own head into Brutus's jar making the bigger man fall backwards and Usopp landed on the ground gasping for air.

Brutus though was quick to find his footing. "You little brat!" he seethed.

"Seriously?" Suddenly Eustace was there stepping in from the shadows and the entire group gasped by the sight of him. "Why can't you leave the damn kid alone."

"Stay out of this old man!" Brutus seethed.

"You really want to do this?" Eustace asked. "You know how this ends."

And the gang swallowed then backed away. Brutus though send a last glaring look at Usopp. "you wont be able to hide behind that marine scum forever you know!" he commented. "We'll be back for you, pipsqueeck." he stated and they ran off.

Usopp groaned deeply as he fell back on the ground and Eustace walked towards him, looking down as Usopp could see his blue eyes behind the bushy hair and beard. "You okay there kid?"

"Yeah… Thanks." Usopp gasped.

"No worries, those bastards seriously need to be taught a lesson." Eustace commented. "Then again, they are just low time criminals."

Usopp sighed as he sat up. "They really respect you." he commented.

"Njah, they just ended up being beat up every time they tried to attack me." Eustace commented.

"Wow." Usopp blinked. "You must be… really strong." he commented.

Eustace shrugged. "I can hold my own in battle." he commented.

"They called you… Marine scum." Usopp commented and Eustace looked away. "Are you… a marine?" he asked.

At that Eustace smirked grimly amused. "That was a while ago." he stated. "Going to hold that against me pirate?" he asked.

"No." Usopp shook his head. "I don't really mind people who are marines."

"That's a pretty unusual to say for a pirate." Eustace had to admit.

Usopp shrugged. "Marines are just like pirates, some are good and some are bad, they are just people. I don't really mind marines or mind people whom just happen to be marines." he stated. "I mean yes, professionally we are enemies but really we are all just people."

"Huh, that's a surprisingly mature way to look at it." Eustace had to admit. "Come on then, lets get some grub. And if you don't want to be beaten up doing the night you better stick close to me." he stated.

Usopp nodded as he finally stood up, wobbling a bit but found his footing then looked up. "Seriously thanks for helping." he said. "I mean… You don't actually have to."

"I just don't like bullies." Eustace stated. "I hate bullies." he muttered, sounding genuinely annoyed.

"Me to." Usopp admitted. "Strong people whom just pick on weak people for the sake of it… My captain hates that kind of people to. And Nami…"

Eustace glanced at him. "That's an unusual view point for a pirate." he commented.

Usopp smirked amused. "The straw hats aren't exactly ordinary pirates." he commented then looked up.


The food that was served was just beyond boring, it was the most bland porridge in the world which really made Usopp long for Sanji's food and then just one piece of incredible dry bread… At least there were allowed all the water they wanted.

The sleeping areas were nothing more than glorified sheds and the only thing they had to lay on were worn out blankets.
Some had been creative and hung up the blankets like hammocks, but that was really the extent of their comfort.
Usopp had decided to take Eustace up on his advice and found a sleeping spot in the same shed as Eustace pretty close to the other man.

Not that there was much of a choice, they were a whole bunch of sweaty half naked men laying back to back in the little shed. It was pretty disgusting and Usopp had thought that the mens sleeping area back at Merry had been crowded…. That had been nothing, at least there he wouldn't have to lay back to back with a sweaty stranger.


When Usopp woke up again it wasn't morning just yet, but there was no way he could sleep anymore and as such Usopp walked outside to see that the sun had begun to slowly rise…

Like before he could hear the waves not far from him, crashing against the cliff side…. They were so close to the ocean.

Usopp turned to the massive mansion and looked up, speculating if Nami was up there somewhere, if she could see the ocean to… how close they were. Except if they tried to jump… Usopp lifted his hand touching the slave collar firmly locked in place around his neck. If they left the mension this thing would explode taking their heads with it.

Usopp swallowed by the scary thought, yet still he couldn't stop himself from walking to the cliff with the grand view of the ocean where he sat down to look at the horizon… His nakama was out there… They were looking for him and Nami, that much he was sure of.

Usopp didn't know how long he had been sitting there before he was joined by a certain blond muscular older man whom sat down next to him.

"How come I just knew you would be here?" Eustace asked as he pulled out a pack off cigarettes then pulled one out. "Glad to see you haven't jumped." he commented.

"Yeah that's not going to happen, i'm going to get off this island alive, just you wait." Usopp stated. "And Nami to!"

"Uhu." Eustace nodded lightning his cigarette then offered the package to Usopp. "Smoke?" he asked.

"I don't smoke." Usopp admitted but looked curiously at the package. "Is it good?" he asked.

Eustace smirked. "For poor fools like me whom has become addicted it's heaven." he stated. "How-ever, smoking is bad for ya, so don't start." he said retrieving his package.

"Yeah Chopper says that to… he's our ships doctor!" Usopp informed. "Sanji though smokes all the time, he's our cook. Brook only smokes ones in a while… I guess it doesn't matter to him since he's dead."

That made Eustace lift an eyebrow.

Usopp smirked amused as he looked at the ocean.

Finally Eustace shook his head seemingly deciding to not pursue this topic any further.

"They are going to come for us." Usopp stated. "But I would honestly prefer to get Nami out of here as soon as possible regardless. She has already been a slave ones before… She should never have to be a slave again."

"Well, you got your work cut out for you then." Eustace commented. "All the female slaves are kept inside of the mansion itself. I hear though they are treated really well. We are talking silk pillows, all the grapes, fruits and wines they could possible want, all they have to do is looking pretty."

Usopp hissed. "I'm not an idiot! I know what female slaves are usually for!" he stated then he swallowed. "And it's much worse than this." he commented as he grew pale. Then he hissed as he squinted his eyes. "And all of this, just because who-ever lives in there was bored!" he exclaimed. "Thinking that other people are just toys for his own pleasure, this is the kind of person my captain hates the most! A big fat bully!"

"You sure seem to love your captain." Eustace commented as he sucked on his cigarette then exhaled. "Heh, a pirates whom hates bullies. Careful you don't turn into bullies yourself."

"No that wont happen." Usopp stated.

"And what makes you so sure of that?" Eustace asked.

"Easy! Let me tell you about Nami!" Usopp asked.

At that Eustace lifted an eyebrow.

"Nami… I told you she has been a slave ones before. The people whom held her as a slave, they were all fishmen. From fishman island." Usopp informed. "They did horrible things to her! They killed her mother right in front of her eyes, they chained her up and forced her to work on maps day and night, they used her entire village as hostages to make her do what they wanted! Then finally… My captain managed to put a stop to it, we freed her from these fishmen whom had terrorized that village and caused so much suffering." he informed. "Then… a few years after, we crossed into the new world and we went through fishman island. The home of these people whom had been so awful to Nami and you know what she did?" he asked.

"I got no clue." Eustace admitted.

"She didn't blame any of the fishman whom just happened to live there, not a single one." Usopp informed. "She even helped protecting them… We also met one of the people whom had genuinely held her captured, he apologized to her, very sincerely… And she forgave him. We are friends now." he stated. "That thing I said about marines and pirates just being people… Nami taught me that, she's the one able to see that! That a person is more than his or her title… We are people! A person is a person! That's the kind of person she is!" he stated. "And Luffy… Luffy don't care about titles or ranks, he wont care if you're pirate or marine, he only cares about what kind of person you are! If you are the kind of person willing to stand up for yourself he will help you! But if you're a bully he will beat you up, it doesn't matter where you come from or what you claim to be… It's who you are. That's the kind of person my captain is, and that's why he's the only one I could ever call Captain!"

That made Eustace look honestly stunned as he looked at Usopp, then he frowned. "How could pirates like that ever make it to the new world?" he had to ask. "How would you survive?"

"By being strong." Usopp stated. "Strong enough to protect our nakama, I didn't get strong to be some kind of hero or nothing… I just wanted to make sure I didn't hold my nakama back, that I could protect them to when needed that's all. And i'm sure all the other feel the same way." he stated. "We trust and protect each other, we'll fight for each other and become really strong for each other. That's how."

"Huh, you really are a strange one Usopp." Eustace commented. "If the rest of that crew is anything like you at all, you must be a mad bunch that's for sure."

"Oh you got no idea." Usopp stated. "In comparison to the rest, i'm the sane one."

"Now i'm slightly scared." Eustace smirked amused. "A shame, I would like to meet such a strange bunch for myself." he admitted in a exhale.

"You will." Usopp stated. "And they'll help you, you're my friend now so Luffy will do what-ever he can to set you free to, especially when he hears what you have done for me."

"Heh, I wish I could be as naive and optimistic as you." Eustace commented. "As big of a dumb fool."

Usopp smirked. "I can't wait to see the look on your face when they all show up, it's going to be hilarious."

"So you say." Eustace commented. "Well then, let's see who's right." he commented glancing towards the rising sun rising above the ocean surface.

"You don't know my crew." Usopp stated. "They are crazy as shit, crazy enough to come here."