Ch. 22- The Black Cat Prowls
One Piece © Oda
Blizzard, Monkey D. Aika, Kumi, Kovar, and Monkey D. Star © Me
Once Usopp was finished wallowing in his self-pity, the Straw Hats continued to watch the memory. The original trio of Luffy, Past Nami, and Past Zoro were still sitting in the restaurant that Past Usopp had taken them to. By now, Luffy had eaten a considerable amount...perhaps more so, given how distended his stomach looked, and Past Zoro and Past Nami had been finished by now.
"How long had you guys been in there, anyways?" asked Sanji.
"Ohh...nearly an hour," Nami answered.
"Why am I not surprised?" asked Usopp, incredulously.
Just then, they heard the door open, and soon the Li'l Veggies, Carrot, Pepper, and Onion came running in while holding wooden swords. The trio acknowledged the kids, but Luffy chose to ignore them while he sipped the last of his drink.
"All right, you pirates!" shouted Pepper. "Where's our captain?! Tell us now!"
"Yeah, tell us now!" added Carrot and Onion.
"Wait, they came looking for me?" Usopp asked.
"Yeah, they thought that we captured you," Nami answered.
"Huh," Usopp muttered before he smiled. "What do you know? They really do care!"
"Ahh~!" Luffy sighed in satisfaction as he patted his bloated stomach. "That meat sure was good!"
Hearing that made the Li'l Veggies yelp in fright as they embraced each other, watching in fear as Luffy just rubbed his belly.
"W-what meat?!" asked Carrot.
"These pirates are cannibals!" exclaimed Pepper.
Past Nami only giggled under her breath as she watched their reactions.
"Cannibals?" Aika asked as she tilted her head.
"Oh, boy, I remember what happens after this," Nami smirked while Zoro tried to stifle his snickering.
"What have you done, you savages?!" asked Onion.
"If you're looking for your captain," Past Zoro said with a malicious grin, "we ATE him."
"AAAAAAAAAAAHH!" the Li'l Veggies shrieked...surprisingly turning their eyes to Past Nami. "MOUNTAIN WITCH!"
"WHY THE HELL ARE YOU SCREAMING AT ME?!" Past Nami questioned, no longer finding the little prank funny.
"They seriously thought that Luffy ate Usopp?" Sanji asked.
"Wow, Zoro..." Usopp muttered as he looked to the swordsman. "You were such a troll, back then."
"Troll Zoro!" Aika and Kumi exclaimed as they pointed at Zoro, who showed absolutely no shame, whatsoever, but instead just grinned smugly.
Come to think of it, there was a time when Zoro used to act like such a mischeivous jokester, but after those two years, he started being more serious. He couldn't even take the slightest of Luffy and Usopp's pranks like he used to. He wondered why.
After a while, the Li'l Veggies calmed down and Past Nami explained to them what had really happened to Past Usopp.
"Oh!" Pepper exclaimed. "I guess he went to the mansion!"
"Yeah, the one where Kaya lives!" added Carrot.
"Kaya?" Past Nami repeated. "Who's Kaya?"
"She's this sick girl who Usopp goes to visit," said Onion.
"Wait, your girlfriend was sick?" Franky asked.
"Oh, Usopp, that's so nice," Robin smiled.
"She is NOT my girlfriend!" Usopp denied, though he was still blushing. "How many times do I gotta say this?!"
"Wait, Usopp," Chopper said. "What was wrong with Kaya?"
"...Well...a year before I met Luffy," Usopp began, "Kaya's parents passed away, and she was sick ever since. I don't know what it was, but...she just couldn't recover from it, no matter how much money her folks left her...so I started visiting her every day and told her my little tall tales, just to cheer her up." He then smiled, warmly. "You know...I look back on those days and...they had to one of the best days of my life."
"Aww, Usopp, that's so cute!" Aika exclaimed.
"It's like a fairy tale!" Kumi added.
"I guess Usopp's a regular casanova, too," Blizzard grinned.
"Okay, seriously!" Usopp barked, though his face was still red. "Kaya and I are FRIENDS! Nothing more than that!"
"Sure you are," Sanji quipped.
"WE ARE!" Usopp yelled.
"Huh..." Luffy muttered after hearing about Past Usopp's and Kaya's story. "So if Usopp goes to cheer her up, that must mean that the girl's spirits aren't too low, right?"
"Yeah, that's right," the Li'l Veggies answered.
"Well, that settles it, then!" Luffy exclaimed. "Let's go and ask the girl for a ship!"
"Are you kidding me, Luffy?!" Past Nami questioned. "I thought we decided we weren't gonna do that!"
Unfortunately, her words went unheeded. The memory shifted, and the Straw Hats found Luffy, Past Zoro, Past Nami, and the Li'l Veggies outside the gate of Kaya's mansion.
"Hey! Hello~!" Luffy called. "Can we have a ship, please?!"
"...He seriously thought that he'd get a ship by shouting?" Sanji asked. "And did he even think that there might be guards around?"
"That's Luffy," Nami replied. "Does things first, asks questions later."
As if to prove her point, Luffy soon jumped right over the guard, to Past Nami's exasperation.
"There he goes," she muttered.
"Guess we better go with him," said Past Zoro.
Soon, the group entered the mansion grounds and after making their way to the backyard, they found Past Usopp there, speaking with Kaya, telling her a story about how he found a giant goldfish and accidentally mistook its droppings for an island when he was a child, and then chopped it up to feed it to a land of little people.
"You know," Usopp began, "I can't believe that at least some of those lies came true."
"What do you mean?" asked Aika.
"You'll see later," Usopp replied. "Trust me, kiddo."
"...Okay," Aika shrugged. "Whatever you say, Usopp."
"Hey, Captain!" called Pepper, causing Past Usopp to gasp as he noticed Luffy, Past Nami, Past Zoro, and the Li'l Veggies.
"What the heck?!" he questioned. "What are you guys doing here?!"
"We brought this guy and his friends with us," said Pepper, pointing at Luffy.
"Who are these people?" asked Kaya.
"Hi!" Luffy greeted. "You must be that sick girl I heard about! Your name is Kaya, right?"
"Yes, that's me," Kaya replied.
"Uh...Kaya!" Past Usopp said as he went over to Luffy's side and put his arm around his shoulder. "These guys came here to seek me out! They're the new members of my crew, you see!"
"Yeah, we're...hey, wait a second!" Luffy shouted.
Despite this, Kaya giggled a bit. The Straw Hats could instantly tell that she knew that Usopp was lying, but she didn't seem upset at all.
"So that's Kaya, huh?" Sanji asked. "Not bad, Usopp."
"Yeah, you made one hell of a score!" Franky exclaimed.
"I wonder what kind of panties she wears," Brook added.
"DON'T EVEN GO THERE!" Usopp barked.
"So, listen," Luffy began, "I got a favor to ask ya, if you don't mind."
"A favor?" Kaya repeated, inquisitively.
"Yeah!" Luffy replied. "You see, we're looking a for a REALLY big, sturdy ship, and since you're the only rich person in town, we thought that-"
"What is going on here?!"
The group turned to see a man dressed in a fine, black suit and wearing a pair of glasses, which he was pushing up with just the bare palm of his hand.
"Who's that guy?" asked Aika.
"Kaya's butler, Klahadore," Usopp with great disdain in his voice, "but...his real name is Kuro."
"Huh?" Aika muttered.
"What do you mean, Usopp?" asked Chopper.
"Do you people realize that you are trespassing on private property?!" Klahadore, or really, Kuro questioned.
"Who's that guy?" asked Luffy.
"The butler...!" Past Usopp answered, although he tried not to make any eye contact.
"Klahadore, wait!" Kaya spoke. "Please, these people are just-"
"I don't need to hear your excuses, Miss Kaya," Kuro waved her off. "Now, all of you, leave at once! Unless you have some sort of business, here."
"Yeah, we're looking for a big, sturdy ship, mister," Luffy answered.
"I can't help you with that," Kuro answered while Past Zoro bopped Luffy on the head.
"Oh, boy," Sanji muttered. "That Luffy, always so blunt."
"Ah, what are you gonna do?" asked Usopp.
"Hmm?" the butler hummed as he noticed Past Usopp, who tried to walk away. "Hold on there...aren't you this 'Usopp' fellow I keep hearing about?"
"EEP!" Past Usopp squeaked. "Uh...y-yeah."
"Oh, no..." Kaya muttered, worriedly.
"I see," Kuro said. "Your reputation precedes you. The village speaks quite a lot about you, boy."
"Uh...y-yes, of course!" Past Usopp boasted. "Captain Usopp! That's me! But, uh...save your flattery, if you please."
"Oh, brother..." Blizzard muttered, rolling his eyes.
"The guards say they've seen you lurking around the estate," Kuro said, pushing up his glasses, again. "What business could you possible have here?"
"Me?" Past Usopp asked, nervously. "Well, I...err...I heard of a monstrous mole, lurking around the estate, so I came to try and capture it!"
"Why didn't you just tell him you were there to see Kaya?" Chopper asked.
"Because I'd be thrown out in an instant," Usopp replied. "Ever since Kaya's parents died, security there had been pretty tight. They would hardly let anybody in there! I only got lucky I was able to sneak in while the guards had their lunch break, but I didn't think they actually saw me!"
"It seems you have a gift for deceit," said Kuro, easily seeing through Past Usopp's lies.
"Huh?" Past Usopp muttered.
"I also heard about your father," Kuro spoke. "What was his name, again? Yasopp, I think...no matter." He then glared at Usopp while pushing his glasses up, again. "All I know is that you're the son of a filthy pirate. I wouldn't put anything passed you."
Hearing that caused the Straw Hats to gasp while Usopp, both past and present, tensed up.
"...Filthy...pirate...?" Past Usopp snarled.
"You and Miss Kaya are from completely different worlds," said Kuro. "Could it be you are only here for her money? How much do you want?"
Kaya gasped silently before she seethed in anger, while the Straw Hats gaped in disbelief. Even Past Nami seemed disgusted.
"That bastard!" Sanji cursed.
"How could he talk about Usopp, that way?!" Chopper questioned. "Usopp's a great guy!"
"KLAHADORE!" Kaya shouted. "YOU'RE GOING TOO FAR! YOU APOLOGIZE, RIGHT THIS INSTANT!"
"...Apologize?" asked Kuro. "To THIS trash? And just why would I do that, Miss Kaya? I'm only speaking the truth." He then looked toward Past Usopp, who had his hands balled into fists. "Although, I do feel sorry for you...your treasure-crazed idiot of a father up and abandoned you."
"KLAHADORE, STOP IT!" Kaya demanded.
Luffy just stood by, silently...while Past Usopp growled in anger.
"...How dare you...!" Past Usopp hissed. "Don't you dare badmouth my Dad!"
"What are you getting so mad about?" asked Kuro with a smug grin. "Why not just fabricate some of your outrageous lies about your damn father? Say he's really some merchant, or that he's not your real father, or maybe-"
BAP! Without a single warning, Past Usopp went and slugged Kuro across the face!
"SHUT THE HELL UP!" he shouted, causing everyone except Luffy, Nami, and Zoro, both past and present, to gasp. Luffy just kept standing there, silently.
"My word!" Brook shouted.
"Jerk had it coming to him!" Franky yelled.
"I...I can't believe he really said that!" Aika exclaimed.
"That was going way too far!" Kumi added.
"...Honestly...if that were Old Man Zeff he was talkin' about," Sanji began as he put his hand on Usopp's shoulder, "I would've done the same thing."
"...Thank you, Sanji," Usopp replied.
"No problem, pal," Sanji nodded.
As for Blizzard, he just stood there, quietly, yet his mouth opened slightly in disbelief. Hearing how Usopp was looked down up, just for who his father was...it reminded him of how no human would adopt him, just because his father was a wolf, and therefore everyone thought he was a vicious beast, as well. Seeing this...it only made him realize just how alike he and the sniper really were.
Kuro grunted as he sat up, pushing his glasses up, once again.
"See that?!" he asked. "His first instinct is violence! He really is a savage, just like his ne'er-do-well father!"
"SHUT YOUR MOUTH!" Past Usopp barked. "I'M PROUD THAT MY FATHER'S A PIRATE, A BRAVE WARRIOR OF THE SEA! AND I DON'T CARE WHAT PEOPLE SAY! IN FACT, I WANNA BE LIKE HIM, SOMEDAY!"
'...You tell him, Usopp...' The Straw Hats heard Luffy's inner monologue.
"You're right! I am a liar!" Past Usopp shouted. "But there's one thing that I will NEVER lie about, and that's my great pirate heritage! I'M THE PROUD SON OF A PIRATE, AND NO ONE'S GONNA TELL ME OTHERWISE!"
"...That's right...I'm proud of who I am," Usopp whispered, causing Chopper to take his hand into his tiny hoof, prompting the sniper to glance down at him. The little reindeer had these wide, admiring eyes and an endearing smile, like a little brother would look at his big brother. This prompted Usopp to smile down at him before he pat the doctor's head, causing him to giggle.
"Hmph!" Kuro scoffed as he pushed up his glasses, again. "'A brave warrior of the see', you say? That's a deceitful way to twist the truth. Regardless of what you say, your behavior is undeniable proof of your ruffian heritage. Lie all you want, but faced with difficulty, the first thing you resort to is violence!"
"That's not true!" Aika barked. "Usopp mostly runs away!"
"Oh, come on, Aika..." Usopp bemoaned.
"And I know you are only being kind to Miss Kaya because you want something from her," Kuro continued.
"I would never-" Past Usopp started.
"I'm onto you, boy!" Kuro shouted. "You are the son of a pirate, after all! Treachery is in your blood!"
Past Usopp growled before he grabbed Kuro by the color of his suit and raised his fist again.
"THAT DOES IT!" Past Usopp shouted. "I'LL TEACH YOU TO INSULT MY DAD TO MY FACE!"
"NO, USOPP!" Kaya cried. "DON'T DO IT! NO MORE VIOLENCE!"
Past Usopp gasped before he looked toward Kaya...who covered her face, looking like she was about to break down in tears.
"Please...no more," Kaya whimpered. "Klahadore's not a bad man...he's taken such good care of me! He's only looking out for me! It's just...he went too far, that's all!"
"...Kaya..." Past Usopp whispered.
"...Man...it's really heartbreaking when she finds out the truth," Usopp said with a sigh.
"What do you mean?" Chopper asked.
"Just keep watching," Usopp answered. "Trust me."
"...Leave this place," Kuro said as he slapped Past Usopp's hand away. "This is no place for some ne'er-do-well like you! Leave the estate and never come back again!"
"What?!" Kaya questioned. "Usopp, no! Please-"
"It's fine, Kaya," Past Usopp said. "I'll never come back here...again."
With that, he turned and walked out while everyone watched solemnly.
"...You know, I gotta ask," Franky began, "how come Luffy just stood there, doing nothing?"
"Because he wanted to see what Usopp would do when it comes to his honor," Zoro answered. "Sure, being the son of a pirate is one thing, but you can't just pretend that it means nothing to you. You're either proud of it or you're not."
"...Wow...I never really thought about that," Usopp said.
"You stupid, stinky butt-ler!" Carrot shouted. "How dare you insult Captain Usopp?!"
"Yeah, you big jerk!" Pepper barked.
"Numskull!" Onion yelled.
"Jackass!" Luffy cried.
"Seriously?" Past Zoro asked in disbelief as the Straw Hat Captain and the Li'l Veggies tried to charge at Kuro, only for Past Nami and Past Zoro to hold them back.
"Enough of this!" Kuro shouted. "Leave this place, right now!"
Then, the memory faded to black.
"Damn, man, you really can be brutal!" exclaimed Franky.
"Well, of course!" Usopp answered. "My Father's honor was at stake! I wasn't gonna sit there and let him insult him like that!"
"Usopp, you were so awesome!" Chopper exclaimed.
"Yeah!" Aika answered. "You went up and POW! Punched him right in the kisser!"
"Hehe..." Usopp smirked, wiping his finger under his nose. "Shucks. T'weren't nothin'! Why, I'd do it again, if I ever saw that bastard, again!"
"Looks like Luffy wouldn't take it lying down, either," Nami said. "He was actually prepared to fight that jerk for you and Yasopp, too."
"Yeah...but he didn't," Usopp answered. "I guess it's because he knew it was something that I had to handle."
Just then, another memory appeared before the Straw Hats, showing Past Usopp, sitting alone on a hill that overlooked the sea while leaning against a tree.
"Oh, yeah, I know this place," Usopp said. "I'd go here every now and then to cool my head."
Just then, Luffy appeared, hanging upside down from the tree and said "Hi!"
Needless to say, Past Usopp was quite shocked when he appeared.
"Don't do that!" he shouted. "What the hell's wrong with you?!"
"Sorry," Luffy apologized as he jumped down, landing on his hands before he sat down on his rump. "So...wanna talk?"
A pause...but then Past Usopp sighed.
"...I can't believe that damn butler," he cursed. "Insulting my old man like that."
"Yeah, I hate that guy, too," Luffy agreed. "No matter what anyone says, Yasopp was always a great pirate!"
"Yeah, really!" Past Usopp agreed. "I've always looked up to my old man, living out there and risking his life everyday on the open ocean! He made a brave choice and I admire him for that! But then that stupid, snotty butler went and stomped all over my pride! He's gonna pay for this!"
"Luffy's certainly in tune with the emotions of others," Robin smiled.
"Yeah...you gotta love the guy for that," Usopp smiled. "Stupid, he may be, he'll give you an ear to listen to when you need one."
"Amen," Nami agreed.
"By the way," Luffy said, "are you gonna go back to see Kaya, again?"
Past Usopp tensed up before he looked down at the ground.
"...I...I don't know," he answered. "I might decide to go back, that is if that stupid butler begs me."
"Ah," Luffy nodded before he looked down the hill...where he saw Kuro and some strange man in a blue jacket and heart-shaped sunglasses. "You mean him down there, talking to the weirdo in sunglasses?"
"Yeah, that's him- HUH?!" Past Usopp gaped when he noticed Kuro. "What the hell?! What is he doing down there?!"
"I dunno," Luffy answered.
"Quick, get down!" Past Usopp cried as he pulled Luffy to the ground in a crouching position.
"What's going on?" Aika asked.
"Remember when I said you'd find out about who this guy really is, Aika?" Usopp asked. "Well, keep your ears perked!"
"Jango, I thought I told you to keep a low profile," said Kuro. "What were you doing, sleeping in the middle of the village, like that?"
"Who's that weirdo with him?" asked Luffy.
"Can't say," Past Usopp answered. "Never saw the guy before."
"Have you prepared everything necessary to carry out the plan, Jango?" asked Kuro, pushing up his glasses again.
"Indeed," Jango answered. "Operation: Murder Miss Kaya is ready to go into effect at any time."
Hearing that caused Luffy, Past Usopp, as well as the current Straw Hats (sans Zoro, Nami, and the present Usopp) to gasp in horror.
"Did he say 'murder'?!" Sanji questioned.
"I don't understand!" Brook exclaimed. "Why would he want to kill her!"
"...Because HE was the one who was after Kaya's money," Usopp answered.
"What?!" Aika questioned. "But why?!"
"Maybe I should start at the beginning," Usopp said. "Kuro was a pirate, a long time ago...three years before Luffy and I met, there had been a rumor that he had been captured and executed by the Marines...but it was all part of his plan. He had been in hiding, here in my home village for three years, pretending to be Kaya's servant so that he could earn her trust."
"That's terrible!" Chopper cried.
"Now you remember how the plan is supposed to go," Kuro said. "First, hypnotize Kaya and have her write her will so that when she dies, all of her money goes to me. After that, you and the rest of those cutthroats can pillage and plunder the village as much as you like."
"Bastard...!" Sanji growled. "How dare he!"
"How could he think of hurting someone so pure like Miss Kaya?!" Brook asked.
"And remember," Kuro began, "it's supposed to look like an accident."
"Right," Jango nodded. "Leave it to us, Captain Kuro."
"And for god's sake," Kuro sneered, "don't call me that. I've wiped my hands of that name."
"Huh?" Blizzard asked. "What's he mean by that?"
"This is bad...really bad...!" Past Usopp whispered. "We've really stumbled upon something horrible, here!"
"Wait...what'd he say?" Luffy asked. "It sounded pretty mean."
"Didn't you hear him, you dolt?!" Past Usopp questioned. "They're gonna kill Kaya, as well as everyone else in the village!" He then glared down at Kuro and Jango. "That bastard...accusing me of going after Kaya's fortune when he was planning to take her money, all along, for three whole years! I can't believe that THE Captain Kuro's still alive...and I punched him!" He then gulped nervously. "Not only will he kill Kaya and everyone in the village...he'll probably kill me, too!"
A pause...but then Luffy stood up, to Past Usopp's shock.
"What are you doing?!" he questioned. "Get down, they'll see you!"
"...HEY, YOU JERKS!" Luffy called out. "DON'T YOU EVEN THINK ABOUT KILLING KAYA!"
"...Really?" asked Nami.
"The Master of Espionage," Sanji muttered, sarcastically. "What was Luffy thinking, just shouting it out like that?"
"You moron!" Past Usopp shouted as he grabbed Luffy's arm and tried to pull him away. "Now they've seen us! Quick, let's get outta here, or else we're dead meat!"
"Well, well...if it isn't Usopp," Kuro said with a cold, deadly glare.
"GAAAAAAAAAAHH!" Past Usopp shrieked. "I'M A DEAD MAN!"
"Heard anything...interesting?" Kuro asked.
"I-i-interesting?!" Past Usopp repeated. "N-no! Of course not! We just got here, so-"
"What are you talking about?" Luffy asked. "Of course we heard everything!"
"NO!" Past Usopp cried. "ARE YOU NUTS?!"
"...So they heard us after all," said Jango. "A pity." He then held up a metal ring that dangled by a string.
"What's that thing?" Kumi asked.
"Is that a chakram?" Robin inquired.
"Okay, boys," said Jango. "Look at this ring."
"Huh?" Luffy muttered as his eyes followed the chakram as it swung back and forth.
"Oh, no," Zoro, Usopp, and Nami muttered in annoyance.
"What?" Aika asked. "What's gonna happen?"
"Oh, crap, it's some kind of weapon!" Past Usopp cried. "He's gonna kill us!"
"When I say '1, 2, Jango', you will both fall asleep," Jango said. "1...2..."
"DUCK!" Past Usopp cried as he ducked down.
"JANGO!" Jango shouted...and instantly, Luffy's eyes closed before he fell off the hill and landed right on his head. Not long after...the Straw Hats heard snoring.
"Wait, what happened?!" Chopper questioned.
"Luffy fell asleep," Nami replied, bluntly.
"You've GOT to be kidding," Sanji said in disbelief. "I know he's susceptible to hypnotism, but this is ridiculous!"
"Luffy really does have the brain of a monkey," Blizzard muttered.
Just then, the memory changed again. This time, it was night, and Past Nami was treating a cut on Past Usopp's arm.
"There you go," she said.
"Wait...what happened?" Chopper asked.
"...I tried to warn everyone of what Kuro had planned," Usopp replied. "Instead, I got shot."
"Wait, what?" Sanji asked.
"They didn't believe me," Usopp answered, solemnly. "They just thought I was telling another lie...just like I always did." He then chuckled, mirthlessly. "...Pretty pathetic of me...huh?"
"You know, this reminds of that story, 'The Boy Who Cried Wolf'," said Robin. "There was a little shepherd boy who would lie about wolves attacking the flock of sheep he was guarding, and every time he did, the villagers would get angry...but when a real wolf appeared, the boy cried for help, but no one believed him."
"...Oh, yeah," Aika realized. "My Mommy told me that story, once, so she'd teach me not to tell lies."
"That reminds me," Zoro began, "Usopp, why did you lie about pirates coming to your village in the first place?"
"...You really wanna know?" asked Usopp, causing everyone to nod. "...It was a long time ago, back when I was a kid. Sometime after my Dad left, my Mom, Banchina, got really sick...so, I started lying about pirates coming to the village because I thought that maybe hearing that would lift her spirits and help her get well...but it didn't work."
"...Usopp..." Chopper whispered, sadly.
"Mom told me that she was happy that Dad left home to follow his dream," Usopp said, trying to fight off tears, "but I didn't want her to die...not until Dad came home at least. Eventually...she passed away...but I kept telling that lie, even though I no longer had a reason!" He then covered his eyes. "I guess...I wanted to cling to the hope that one day...my Dad would come back!" He then sniffled. "But it was foolish! Because of my idiocy, no one believed me when I was telling the truth! Everyone in the village could've been killed and it would've been my fault!"
"That's enough!" Nami shouted, taking Usopp by surprise. "...It's in the past now...and besides, you made everything right in the end. No one died that day."
"...Thanks, Nami," Usopp smiled.
"Sure," Nami smiled back.
"...Pirates are coming to this village, tomorrow morning," Past Usopp said. "They're coming...and everyone in the village will just think it's gonna be another normal day for them!" He then gritted his teeth before he stood up. "Well, I'm not gonna let it end that way! It's up to me to protect the village and fight off those pirates! Then I'll have a real tale to tell! I may be a liar, but this time, my story WILL be true!"
Luffy, Past Nami, and Past Zoro all blinked in surprise.
'...Way to go, Usopp. I bet Yasopp will be proud.'
"...Yeah," Usopp smiled upon hearing Luffy's thought. "I bet he would be, huh?"
"Definitely," Franky agreed while Blizzard nodded his head.
"Just like we're proud of you," the wolf-dog said.
"Sure...they can shoot me...!" Past Usopp said, holding his wounded arm. "They can chase me off with brooms, pitchforks, and throw food at me...but this village is still my home! I love this village and everyone in it! I've got to protect them!" He then sniffled and covered his eyes, trying to hide his tears. "There's not much time to make a plan...but I can't just stand by and let everyone get slaughtered like a bunch of lambs!"
Luffy, Past Zoro, and Past Nami glanced at each other, and right away, they all nodded and grinned.
"You've got a noble heart, there," Past Zoro said. "You sent your cronies away so you can fight these pirates on your own."
"Just so you know," Past Nami said as she held up the "OK" sign, "I got dibs on their treasure, got that?"
"So do you want our help or what?" Luffy asked, gripping his shoulder.
"Y...you're really gonna help me...?" Past Usopp asked with tears in his eyes.
"Well, you're hopelessly outnumbered, right?" Luffy asked.
"And you look pretty scared to me," Past Zoro pointed out.
"S-Scared?!" Past Usopp questioned. "D-d-don't make me laugh! I don't care if I'm outnumbered or not! I'm Captain Usopp the Brave!"
Despite what he said, his legs began to shake.
"Oh, crap, not now!" he cursed as he hit his knees. "Okay, fine! I am scared, but what do you expect?! I'm going up against Captain Kuro's goons! These guys mean business! And don't freaking pity me!"
"Who the hell said we pitied you?" asked Past Zoro. "We're impressed, and that's why we're gonna help, right Luffy?"
"Hell yeah!" Luffy answered. "Who'd go and risk their lives out of pity?!"
"...You guys...!" Past Usopp whimpered.
"You really did make an impression, Usopp," Nami said.
"Luffy was impressed with you to start with," Zoro added, "but it took this to convince him completely to help you."
"And I'll never forget that," Usopp said. "I'm grateful to Luffy and you two for what you did for me, that day. I was scared...I was weak...but you guys still helped me protect the village I called home."
A bit later, the quartet in the memory stood at the beach, looking up at hill leading to the forest. Past Usopp speculated that the Black Cat Pirates would be attacking from this very spot, but they had to head up the pass in order to reach the village, while every other place had sheer cliffs. They estimated that as long as they defended that path, then the village would be safe without even knowing about the pirates.
"You always were a bit of a strategist," Sanji smirked.
"Well...I try," Usopp chuckled.
"Heh!" Luffy smirked. "This'll be a piece of cake!"
'...Ah, dammit. I mentioned cake and now I'm hungry...I hope my tummy holds out.'
"That Luffy, always thinking about food," Blizzard muttered.
"Don't take this lightly!" Past Usopp said. "We could practically be fighting an army, tomorrow morning! We're gonna need a lot of skill to take these guys down! So, what do you guys do?"
"I cut," Past Zoro said.
"I stretch!" Luffy exclaimed, holding up his fist.
"I steal," Past Nami boasted.
"I hide," Past Usopp squeaked before Luffy grabbed him in a choke-hold.
"WELL THIS TIME, YOU'RE GONNA FIGHT!" they shouted.
'You know, I almost wanna take back what I said, now...nope, not gonna!'
"Thank god," Usopp whispered.
"Just makin' a funny!" Past Usopp cried. "Come on, calm down!"
"Wow..." Franky muttered.
"Yes, yes, I know, I was not the best person back then," Usopp muttered. "Sheesh!"
"So, uh...now that we have a plan," Luffy began, "can we maybe, I dunno...get a snack?"
Past Zoro, Past Nami, and Past Usopp all glared at him, incredulously.
"What?!" Luffy asked as he rubbed his stomach. "I can't fight good when I'm hungry, and I haven't eaten in hours!"
"...Oh, boy..." Past Usopp muttered.
TO BE CONTINUED...
Next time on One Piece: The Fire Within!
Past Usopp: CRAP! WE'RE ON THE WRONG BEACH!
Zoro: Hold it! I remember this! Nami, you left me in that oil slick!
Nami: Hehehe...sorry...?
Luffy: Wait a minute! How'd I get to the village?! He said north, so I just went where it was colder!
Blizzard: ...Really?
Usopp: Yes, really...
Past Usopp: *in tears* I gotta...protect the village...! I gotta protect Kaya!
Black Cat Pirates: Look! He's crying! *laughs*
Luffy: *throws a boulder at them* WHAT'S SO FUNNY?! *seethes*
Next time: A True Pirate
Sorry I took so long updating this. I've been busy, what with the holidays coming up.
Review, please!