Usopp sneezed, frowning as he shivered. The sunny had been sailing through a patch of winter for what felt like weeks, but was probably only days. After his time in the tropical and humid deadly paradise of the Boin Archipelago, Usopp really couldn't stand the cold. It felt like it delved into his bones, taking root and shaking him, causing the violent shivers that he couldn't seem to control.
Geez, but after all these years he still seemed to be messing up.
Despite his vow to be a brave warrior, Usopp couldn't stop his brain from whispering its dark teasings, the truths of who and what he really is. The mess ups, the weakness, the uncontrollable fear that no matter what all he will be in the end is a stepping stone for Luffy's fall.
Hell, the fact that his own negligence, his own ignorance, was what led to Merry's destruction still tugged on his conscience.
Shaking his head, the young man tugged the grungy blanket around him.
Dwelling on the fears and insecurities of his past wouldn't help anything or anyone.
Usopp sighed, grinning ruefully, he never changed, not truly.
Looking over the crowsnest walls, the young man admired the lapping waves, reflecting the stars and moon, the fog gently rolling next to the sunny, almost making it seem like they were back in Skypiea, floating on the clouds.
It was beautiful. If only it wasn't cold as satan of course.
The night was peaceful, never ending, the cold a biting presence on his nose.
The beauty and pain overlapping, and creating a dichotomy in his mind. Was the peace worth the discomfort?
Usopp didn't know, in some ways, chaos felt more like peace, the night unusual without Luffy's noise, without the gentle crooning of Brooks violin, without Snaji and Zoro yelling insults and challenges.
But at the same time, the gentle lapping, the majesty and the never ending sky, it was addicting.
It must be, for his own doubts to start to float away, like the small snowflakes that melt before touching his skin.
The more he lost himself to the deceptive night, the silky promise of adventures beyond his wildest dreams, of a never ending journey through the stars, the more Usopp felt almost invincible. Here, beneath a cold winter sky, stars exploding up above as far as the eye could see, he almost felt like he could conquer the world, or at the very least, himself.