News About Usopp

Chapter 6

Kaya was on her way to meet a doctor whose apprentice she was. The morning was sunny and warm and it made her pleased. It felt very promising start for a new day.

"Kaya-san!"

Kaya stopped as she heard her name being called and then she saw Piiman, Ninjin and Tamanegi running towards her while holding some papers in their hands.

"Good morning, boys," Kaya greeted them with a smile as the boys stopped in front of her but the young woman couldn't help but feel a little bit worried. Something unusual must had happened because it seemed that the boys had run all the way to tell her about it.

"Kaya-san! Have you seen new wanted posters of the Straw Hat Pirates?" Tamanegi asked.

"New wanted posters?" Kaya repeated as she felt her heart began to beat a little bit faster. "Is Usopp-san...?"

"Yes! Look!" Piiman exclaimed and showed the paper in his hand to her.

Kaya gasped.

It really was Usopp's wanted poster! The poster promised 200 million berries from long nosed young man who had the nickname God Usopp.

"Captain... Captain has finally got the wanted poster he deserves! Isn't this great?" Ninjin asked proudly as tears ran over his face, Piiman and Tamanegi sharing the same expression.

"This is wonderful. I'm so happy for him," Kaya said with happy smile and patted Piiman on his head as he wiped his eyes. "Usopp-san has become a great pirate."

"Villagers must see this!" Tamanegi announced to his friends before he ran towards the village.

"Tamanegi's right! We have to tell them about this!" Ninjin confirmed before he also left to run toward the village.

"After this villagers can't underestimate our captain's skills!" Piiman noted to Kaya.

"Yes, you're absolutely right," Kaya agreed with a smile.

After Piiman had left too, Kaya stood still for a moment. Although she was happy to get news about her dear friend and see that he was courageously following his dream, Kaya was very worried after seeing the photograph of half dead looking Usopp. He really was going to need a good doctor.

"I promise you, Usopp-san. I will be a fully learned doctor next time we meet," Kaya thought to herself with determined expression before she continued her walking.


Piiman ran until he arrived to the shop. He then rushed inside and asked with loud voice: "Have you heard news about Captain?"

Liane and Millie, who were talking together while Millie was packing Liane's purchases into the paper bag, stared at Piiman with questioning expressions. Andrew, who was shopping just then, also glanced curiously at the boy. Only Brett, who was arranging products on the shelves, looked bored.

"What now?" Brett asked.

"Captain has got a new wanted poster!" Piiman said proudly.

"Oh, really?" Liane asked with tone which told that she didn't believe the boy.

"I'm serious! Look!" Piiman said and gave the paper to Brett.

Shopkeeper stared at the wanted poster for a while before he started reacting. First his eyes widened in shock and then he gaped wordlessly like a fish on dry land.

"Dear?" Millie asked cautiously as she walked to her husband.

Unable to say anything, Brett gave the wanted poster to his wife. She took the paper and studied it with Andrew and Liane. And then their eyes widened in shock too.

"Oh my goodness!" Liane gasped.

"Isn't this great? Captain really has surpassed himself!" Piiman said.

"Great?" Brett snapped after he had got over the shock. "What's great about this? That bounty is huge! What had Usopp done there? And that nickname! God? What cause did marines have for giving these nicknames?"

"Because Captain is amazing," Piiman suggested.

"Phooey! They should call him Nuisance. It would reflect him perfectly," Brett snorted as he ignored Piiman's offended expression.

"Usopp looks horrible. It's like he had hitted repeatedly into a tile wall," Andrew noted worriedly and Millie nodded.

"It's not over yet! Captain will gather more reputation and then he'll surely get a bigger bounty some day!" Piiman said eagerly.

"That's what I'm afraid of," Brett sighed.


Meanwhile Ninjin had arrived to the village's bar. Some of villagers just glanced at the door when Ninjin rushed inside but most of them just continued their drinking and talking without paying any attention to him.

"What is it, Ninjin?" Matthew asked while cleaning a glass. "Your shift will not start until after a couple of hours."

"Check this out!" Ninjin said and placed the paper on the counter. "It's our captain's wanted poster!"

Matthew placed the glass on the counter and took the paper in his hand. First his eyes widened from surprise but then he grinned.

"Well, look at this," Matthew said and walked from behind the counter to the table where Joe and Hugh were drinking.

Matthew placed the paper next to them and grinned at fisherman. "You owe me 500 bellies, Joe. Usopp's didn't get the nickname Window Breaker."

"What-?" Joe wondered before taking the wanted poster to his hand to study it. After reading it his jaw almost fell on the floor.

"What? Let me see it," Hugh demanded and took the paper from Joe's hands. He read the wanted poster and then he turned to face Matthew and Ninjin who were standing next to their table. "God Usopp?" Hugh asked with loud voice, earning other patrons' attention. "And 200 million bounty? What kind of lie he has made this time?"

"Apparently something very high flown," Matthew chuckled.

"I'm sure that Captain hasn't made any lies this time," Ninjin announced with determined expression as he took the paper from the woodcutter and gave it to another villager who was curious to see the wanted poster. "He surely had earned his nickname and bounty by his own actions."

"But... 200 million?" uttered dumbfounded Joe who had returned back to reality while Usopp's wanted poster was passed around and people reacted with sounds of surprise, amusement and disapproval. "What has he done?"

"Let me see..." Matthew said, looking suddenly quite serious, as he took today's newspaper from the nearest table and studied the front page. "Apparently Usopp and his friends overthrew Doflamingo, the king of Dressrosa, who also was a member of the Seven Warlords. Piracy, extremely dangerous tournaments, black markets... Scary guy."

Matthew gave the newspaper to Joe who frowned while reading the article. "I think that word 'scary' is too mild to reflect this man. After all he tried to kill everybody in Dressrosa," he remarked, then sighed. "And Usopp goes to pick a fight with men like this."

"I'm sure that Captain will be alright. He has become very strong," Ninjin commented with trusting smile.

"Let's hope so..." Hugh muttered as he exchanged unsure glances with Joe and Matthew.


When Tamanegi arrived to the post office, post officer Lucas was giving the package to pastor's wife Rose. Mayor Mornin and his wife Tawny were waiting their turn in order to send some letters.

"Oh, Tamanegi," Mornin greeted him as he noticed the boy entering into the post office. "Did your parents send you to get something?"

"No. I came to show this," Tamanegi informed cheerfully before he showed them Usopp's wanted poster.

Adults stared at the wanted poster with shocked expressions.

"Oh no! What kind of troubles that poor boy had encountered when he had end up in that condition?" Tawny wondered worriedly.

"He looks like he's dying," Rose fretted.

"And they gave him quite big bounty," Mornin remarked. "That boy really had taken a big step forward in piracy."

"Yeah! Captain is going forward in his dream to become a brave warrior of the sea," Tamanegi announced with proud expression and turned to face the post officer. "Can I put this on a bulletin board?"

Lucas stared at Tamanegi with serious expression. "You seem to be very proud of Usopp," he noted. "But do you have any idea from what reason he got that wanted poster?"

"Of course I know! Captain and his friends defeated the evil warlord," Tamanegi replied. "So, can I put this on the bulletin board?"

"Listen now," Lucas ordered impatiently. "According to the newspaper the defeated warlord was a bloodthirsty king who was involved in many black markets around the world. Guys like him have always friends who are as dangerous as them. Usopp is in dangerous waters now."

Mornin, Tawny and Rose looked very worried but Tamanegi just said: "I'm not worried about Captain. He is very strong and so are his friends."

"Hopefully they are but what about us?" Lucas asked. "If Usopp's reputation keep growing, then his enemies will search information about him and then the pirates and Marines will come here. Especially I'm worried about Kaya-sama. She'll be in trouble if somebody learns that Kaya-sama was Usopp's friend."

After hearing this Tamanegi stopped smiling.


Later on the same day the boys met each others at the village square.

"Villagers were really surprised when they saw Captain's wanted poster, weren't they?" Piiman asked from his friends.

"Yes, they were," Ninjin replied. "But they were also very worried because Captain and his friends defeated so dangerous guy."

"Yeah. Lucas-san said that that warlord may have dangerous friends," Tamanegi told.

"But they can survive against anybody, don't they?" Ninjin asked.

"Of course!" Piiman exclaimed.

"But Lucas-san also said that if Captain's enemies come here then Kaya-san will be in danger," Tamanegi noted with serious expression.

Piiman and Ninjin stared worriedly at Tamanegi for a moment before falling into their thoughts.

Who would protect Kaya if Usopp's enemies decide to target her? Merry has no problem to deal with her suitors but his chances against hostile pirates and Marines would be nonexistent if they decide to attack.

"We must protect Kaya-san," Piiman decided. Others nodded in agreement.

"But we can't beat guys like them in fight," Tamanegi remarked as he remembered how quickly they lost to that hypnotist who had threatened Kaya's life. "We can only help her to hide."

"But if we can't protect Kaya-san," Ninjin noted, "then Captain will surely come to rescue her. He would never let anything bad happen to us or Kaya-san."

Piiman and Tamanegi glanced at each others and then they smiled to Ninjin.

"You're right," Piiman agreed. "If somebody would hurt us or Kaya-san, Captain would defeat them."

Their mood rose quickly. They were sure that if something would happen to them or Kaya, Usopp would come to rescue them. The boys left with happy and trusting mind to the village's restaurant in order to celebrate their captain's achievement.

To be continue...