Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece.

Lunch

Usopp's stomach growled. He'd gone foraging for wild mushrooms in the woods on the outskirts of Syrup Village, but he knew he should save them for dinner; living on his own, rationing food was vital.

Coming to the edge of the woods, he found his feet had carried him into the backyard of the local mansion.

Common sense told him he should run away before the guards caught him, but his heart urged him to stay; everyone knew the owners had recently died, leaving their daughter orphaned. Sure, she lived a life of luxury, but he knew the pain of losing a parent. If anything, he felt like she had it worse—after all, his father was still alive.

So, taking a deep breath and quelling the instinctive shaking of his legs, he snuck over to the open window, planning to just peek in, only to find a pretty but frail-looking young lady staring back at him.

In sync, both of them jumped in surprise, though Usopp's was significantly higher.

"Who are you?" she asked, suspicious of the odd young man who'd shown up at her window.

Catching his breath, he thought, Get a hold of yourself, man! It's just a girl! Nothing to be afraid of!

Besides, if he didn't say something soon, she'd definitely call the guards. So, he did what he always did—lie.

Straightening up, he pointed at himself confidently. "Why, you don't know who I am? I'm the great Captain Usopp! Brave and gallant pirate!"

Ah. Kaya did know that name. The servants liked to gossip about the liar boy in the village who woke everyone up with claims that the pirates were coming. She should send him away.

But…he seemed friendly enough.

He noticed the lunch tray on her lap. "You should eat that," he said, pointing at the untouched sandwich and fruit. "If you're sick, eating a good meal is important! A wise medicine man told me that after I saved his village from horse-sized bees! I ended up taming the queen, so now they serve as mounts for the villagers! They're the West Blue's top producers of honey now!"

The wild image that sprung into her head made her let out a surprised laugh. Well, that was quite the ridiculous tale, wasn't it? "I'm sure he did, but rarely hungry lately. I know Klahadore and Merry make me delicious meals, but my stomach just never wants anything."

At that moment, Usopp's stomach growled, catching her attention. Embarrassed, he punched his gut and laughed. "Oh! That's the sound of the…the ferocious tiger that I ate last night!"

Her eyes widened and she immediately offered the sandwich to him. "Please, you're clearly hungry."

That was true, but looking at the heiress' thin face, he found it hard to accept. That and his pride. He was a coward, but not a beggar.

"I'll tell you what," he said, looking between her and the tray, "I'll eat half, but only if you eat the other half. A great pirate like me doesn't need charity, but there's nothing wrong with friends sharing a meal, right?"

Her eyes teared up a little at being called his friend. She'd never really had friends, at least not her own age. Certainly never boys, as her father was quite strict. "Ok. That sounds good."

Taking the larger half of the sandwich, Usopp gleefully bit into it, moaning a little at the taste.

"Delicious! Even better than that feast I shared with the princess of Alabasta!" he proclaimed around a hearty mouthful. He suddenly remembered the manners his mother taught him and quickly finished chewing and swallowing before saying, "Sorry. That was rude of me."

Kaya gave him a small smile, swallowing the tiny bite of ham she'd eaten. She was surprised when it didn't feel like a stone had dropped into her stomach. Perhaps the earlier laughter had loosened the perpetual knot of grief that seemed to twist it. "It's fine; with all the traveling you do, you must encounter different customs. I'm sure there are a few places where it's considered polite to talk with your mouth full," she said kindly.

"Absolutely!" he grinned, pleased with the excuse she gave him. He'd have to remember that.

"Tell me about the princess," she encouraged, taking another mouse-like bite. She doubted he'd really met any royalty, but she was curious, and it was nice to have company that wasn't the servants. It was especially nice to have someone who didn't look at her with pity or remind her of her parents.

Settling against the side of the window, Usopp whipped up a tale about saving the country from a giant alligator made of sand and preventing a civil war.

By the time he was done, the food was completely gone. The heiress, so entertained by his story, had unconsciously begun taking larger bites, eating faster at the particularly exciting bits. Before she knew it, she'd finished off her share of the fruit and dessert.

Hopping off her windowsill, Usopp decided it was probably time to go. He was sure a servant would check in on her soon, and he didn't want to push his luck. "Well, thank you for the meal, Miss Kaya, but I've got important business to attend to," he said with a grateful bow.

The heiress was sad to see him go, but she knew if Klahadore caught him, he'd be banned from the premises. And she definitely wanted to see this clever, funny boy again. "Captain Usopp," she said, feeling a little shy as she twiddled her thumbs, "will you…come back again and tell me more of your adventures? Maybe over lunch tomorrow?"

He grinned, blushing a little at the fact that a nice, pretty girl actually wanted to see him again. His stomach was full, someone besides the little kids wanted to listen to his stories, and her smile was beautiful, second only to his mother's. "Of course! I'll come back anytime you want! I've got hundreds of stories to tell! I'm the great Captain Usopp, after all! Brave warrior of the sea!"