News About Usopp
Chapter 5
"Pirates are coming!"
Villagers paused for a moment as Piiman, Ninjin and Tamanegi ran through the village, shouting that pirates were coming. Again.
"Are they still continuing that?" Joe sighed.
"Pirates are coming!"
"They have shouted that for two years now," Ross noted to Rose as he shook his head.
"Pirates are coming!"
"Stop that!" Brett shouted from the door of the shop and waved his broom in threatening manner.
"Yeah! What reason do you have to continue that?" Hugh snapped.
But the boys didn't listen them. They continued running until they stopped at the square of the village. Then they shouted so loudly that everybody would hear them: "Captain has returned!"
If their earlier shouting about pirates didn't get attention from everybody in the village, now they had got their undivided attention.
"Captain and his friends returned to Sabaody Archipelago alive!" Tamanegi shouted with smile as he flourished the today's newspaper in his hand.
Everybody in Syrup Village remembered the news about the Straw Hat Pirates disappearing after losing the fight against a member of the Seven Warlords, Bartholomew Kuma. The only member who was known to be alive after that fight was the captain, Straw Hat Luffy, who had visited in the Marineford to pay respect to the memory of the fallen of the Battle of Marineford before his disappearance. But nothing was known about the village's liar, Usopp. Some of villagers believed that he was dead but some of them, especially Piiman, Ninjin, Tamanegi, Kaya and Merry, believed that Usopp was still alive.
"Really?" Toby exclaimed. "May I see it?"
Tamanegi gave the newspaper to the cobbler with wide grin. Matthew, Rose and many others gathered around Toby to see the article.
"It really is Usopp," Toby said with a smile.
"Oh, thank goodness he's alright," Rose sighed in relief.
"Good. I miss his noisiness a little bit," Matthew grinned.
Toby gave the newspaper to Hugh who frowned as he read the article. "Why are they calling Usopp to Sogeking?"
"Maybe that Sogeking guy left the group and now they're mistakenly thinking that Usopp would be him," Matthew said with shrug.
Piiman, Ninjin and Tamanegi glanced at each others and rolled their eyes. It was not worth to try explain something that villagers stubbornly refused to believe.
"I knew it!" Brett exclaimed after Hugh had given the newspaper to him and he had read the article. "I knew this whole time that the brat was just hiding somewhere. He isn't that foolhardy that he would fight to death with the warlord."
"Stop pretending. I know that you were worried after you heard that Usopp had gone missing," Millie teased.
"Me? Worried about that brat? As if!" Brett exclaimed in annoyed tone but Millie just smiled knowingly.
"I'm relieved that Usopp is alive," Ross said after reading the article over the shopkeeper's shoulder, "but I had already designed an eulogy for him."
Brett gave the newspaper to Joe while he tried to insist to his wife that he had never been worried about Usopp.
"Looks like they managed to escape from local marines," Joe noted.
"Of course! They had no chance against Captain and his friends," Piiman said with proud expression.
"Captain has surely become much stronger!" Ninjin said eagerly.
"In other words, Usopp isn't planning to return home but instead he'll continue chasing after his stupid dream," Joe said as he gave the newspaper to mayor Mornin. The boys stared angrily at fisherman.
"Don't call Captain's dream stupid!" Piiman snapped.
"He seems to have grown up notably during these two years," Mornin remarked with a smile when he saw the photograph of Usopp. Then he turned to face the boys again. "Does Kaya-sama know about this? She was very worried about Usopp's disappearance after all."
"Yes, she knows. We told her about the news before we came here," Ninjin replied.
"She was so happy when she heard that Captain is alright," Tamanegi told.
"She even decided that we should celebrate this together in the mansion," Piiman said with a smile.
Mornin smiled. "I'm glad to hear that."
"Kaya-chan! You look so beautiful today!"
"Kaya-chan! I brought flowers for you!"
"Kaya-chan! Would you go to tea with me?"
"Kaya-sama is busy at the moment so I need ask you to leave, please," Merry announced sternly while Kaya was studying at the table. Normally Merry would had already kicked these pests out but he had decided to restrain himself because Kaya was very good mood today. But young men didn't pay any attention to Kaya's butler.
"Kaya-chan! Would you go to a walk with me?" one of suitors asked.
"That's ridiculous! Kaya-chan, would you like to go to a carriage ride with me?" the other asked.
"You miser! Kaya-chan! My family has a magnificent luxury vessel. It would be honor to offer you a boat ride," the third offered with charming smile which went unnoticed by Kaya.
Merry was starting to lose his temper to these young men. He had ask them to leave multiple times already but they still continued expressing their admiration and asking for dates although they clearly saw that Kaya was studying. Merry was almost ready to forget his earlier decision when suddenly he heard a book being closed behind him. Merry glanced over his shoulder and noticed Kaya standing up.
Kaya turned to face her suitors and addressed them politely: "I thank you for your offers, gentlemen. This is very important day for me because I have learned that my dear friend who went missing years ago had returned."
"In that case I'll offer you a dinner in the finest restaurant of this island!" the fourth suitor offered.
"Kaya-chan! My family is arranging a party this week! You can celebrate these news at the same time!" the fifth suggested.
"Those are great news, Kaya-chan!" the sixth suitor said in flattering manner.
"Yes, they are. I'm so happy that he's alright," Kaya replied with a smile.
With these words shocked expression spread among suitors.
"He?" they gasped in unision.
"That's right. Kaya-sama's missing friend is a young man," Merry confirmed with a casual smile, shocking suitors even more.
"I've decided that I'll celebrate these news here with my friends," Kaya told. "That's why I'm sorry but I have to refuse your offers. Merry, escort these gentlemen out, please."
"With pleasure, Kaya-sama," Merry answered with a smile and bowed. He gently pushed shocked young men out of Kaya's workroom and closed the door behind him, leaving his mistress alone in the room.
Kaya took the today's newspaper to her hands and stared at Usopp's photograph with a smile.
"Usopp-san," Kaya thought to herself. "I was so worried about you when you and your friends went missing two years ago. I already feared the worst but thankfully the boys and Merry encouraged me to maintain hope. You have already left to the New World and you'll surely face many dangerous enemies. I hope that you'll someday return back home alive and when that day comes, I'm ready to take care for all your wounds if you are injured. Because I have become stronger, thanks to you."
To be continue...
