Several days had passed since the crew had left Windmill Village. After the sensational report of Luffy's "kidnapping", the crew had expected a fleet to appear along the horizon at any moment, but so far their travels had been quiet. Despite this, Luffy was still excited. Any second he was allowed out of bed, he was either watching the pirates work or leaning on the rail, waiting for a beast to rise up over the waves.

Shanks had to admit that it was endearing...for a time.

"Do you think the next island will have a treasure map? Or maybe we'll have to fight giant sea turtles! Will I get to fire the canon? I bet I could knock down a mountain!"

Shanks groaned, clutching his pillow to his head. "Luffy, I already told you, we're stopping by Yasopp's home island. Syrup Village is a very quiet place. Once Yasopp is done visiting, we'll be sailing west."

Luffy frowned. "So we're not going on any new adventures? But Chris said I'll be healed enough to play soon."

Peeking out from under the pillow, Shanks glanced over at Luffy's cot and could see the disappointment in his eyes. He felt his heart tug, knowing how much his apprentice had looked forward to this trip. "Tell you what," Shanks started, "if Yasopp is okay with it, you can go ashore and meet his wife and son. Usopp is about your age, so you two could play for a while."

"Really?" Luffy perked up.

"Yep. It doesn't sound like there's many other kids. Usopp might appreciate a new friend. You'll have to ask Yasopp first though. It's his reunion. Understand?"

Luffy grinned and nodded. "Ask first. Got it! I'll do that in the morning. When do we reach his island?"

"Well, it's been more than a week since we left Windmill. Since we haven't made any detours, we should make landfall any day now." Stretching, Shanks rolled over. "For now, it's getting late. Let's get some rest."

There was a lengthy pause. "I wonder if Usopp knows of any cool places to explore, like a big forest or some sea caves. Can he shoot like Yasopp? Maybe he'll teach me! Do you think his mom can cook? I'm hungry!"

"Damn it, Luffy! Go to sleep!"

(The next morning)

"Land ho!"

An organized chaos had taken over the ship as men rushed from one place to the next, preparing to moor near the shallow waters of Gecko Island. Benn and Shanks kept a close eye on the whole operation, ensuring they could later depart just as smoothly. Meanwhile, Yasopp stood to the side. His hands twitched as he gazed out over the familiar surroundings. He could spot the cliff where he had met his future captain and in the distance was the tree where he'd proposed to his wife, Banchina. He was actually home.

A smaller hand touched his leg and he looked down at Luffy. "What's up?"

"Why aren't we bringing the ship to the dock? Is it broken?"

Yasopp pointed out to the island. "The people from my village don't get a lot of visitors. If we brought our whole crew and ship to their front door, everyone would go into a panic. It's best if you and I wade over to the shore and make a sneaky entrance."

"Cool! And then we'll meet Usopp, right?"

Yasopp froze, feeling his knees start to shake. "Yep! Usopp! We'll be seeing him soon!" He grinned wildly. "Any minute now!"

From behind, Shanks joined the two at the rail. "No need to worry, Yasopp. I'm sure he'll be happy to see you."

"Worry? Why would I be worried?" Yasopp laughed forcefully. "Of course he'll be happy to see me! Why wouldn't he be? I've only been gone the past five years! He probably doesn't even remember me leaving! Only his mother would! It'll be fine! Nothing to get nervous about! It's not like they could hate me or anything! I bet they haven't even noticed I'm gone!"

Shanks sighed. "Maybe you should get going. I have a feeling Banchina's the only one that could calm you down at this point."

"R-right..." Taking a deep breath, Yasopp leaned down, pulling Luffy onto his back. "Hang on tight, Anchor." With Luffy's arms snuggly wrapped around his neck, he lowered himself down the rope, to the waves.

On deck, Shanks watched them wade to the shore. As Yasopp climbed onto the beach, Shanks slumped against the rail. "Finally!"

"What's the matter, Boss?" one of the men asked. "You're usually such a morning person."

"I've usually slept." He yawned. "Benn?"

"Yes Captain?"

"Get a bed set up in the crew's quarters."

On the island, Luffy ran up the path, bouncing around excitedly. "Yasopp! Where's your house?"

"Settle down Luffy. We'll see it up ahead in a short time." Yasopp stuck his hands in his pockets as he walked. "My place is on a hill outside of town. It's not gonna be hard to find."

"Alright! To the hill! Onward!" Luffy giggled and sprinted harder. It felt so refreshing to move around again without restrictions. The grass brushing against his feet; the burning rush through his legs. All the while, he was marveling everything. This was the first time he'd seen an island apart from his hometown!

Thud!

"Ow!" Luffy stumbled backwards, landing on his rear. "What was that?" Pushing his hat back, he looked over at what he had hit. "Hey, you okay?"

Sprawled out on the dirt, another boy whined meekly. "Huh?" The boy pushed himself and wiped his long nose with his arm. "Yeah, of course I'm fine. Never better!" He sniffled.

"Luffy!" Yasopp jogged up to the boys. "Luffy, you've got to pay more attention. Watch where you're walking!" He glanced over at the boy. "Hey kid, you-" Yasopp's eyes bulged suddenly and his jaw dropped. "No way. U-Usopp? Is that really you?"

The boy blinked. "How do you know my name?" Usopp stared at Luffy until his eyes lit up and he grinned. "Wait, you're not from around here. Does that mean you're pirates?"

"Yep!" Luffy replied.

"Then that must mean..." Usopp beamed up at Yasopp. "You're my dad, right? I knew it! I knew you'd come back! Wait till Mom finds out! She's gonna be so happy!"

Yasopp fell to his knees. His hands resumed shaking as he reached out to hold his son's shoulders. "I don't believe it." He laughed weakly. "You've gotten so big! The last time I saw you, you were hardly walking yet." Wiping his eyes with his sleeve, Yasopp hugged Usopp. "How have you been, Champ?"

"I've been good! I've made sure to take care of Mom while you were sailing."

"That's my boy! How's she been managing without me?"

"She's missed you, even if she doesn't always say it, but I knew you'd come back someday! Now everything will be the way it's supposed to be!" Usopp pulled away and started to drag Yasopp up the hill. "Come on! Let's go see her!" He pointed at Luffy with his free hand. "You too! Mom doesn't get many visitors anymore, so she'll be really happy to meet a new face! Follow me!"

Leading the way, Usopp brought them to a small cottage that overlooked the whole town. Far in the distance, a mansion rose over the forest's edge. "Mom! Mom! Guess who I found!" Throwing the door open, he squeezed between a doctor and nurse that stood around the bed his mother lay in. "It's Dad! Dad's come home!"

"Usopp, you need to stop. Your mother needs her rest," the doctor scolded. "Besides, you know your father isn't coming home."

"Good to see you too, Doc."

"Yasopp!" The adults spun around, shocked.

"Yasopp?" From the bed, a frail woman turned her head, causing the washcloth on her forehead to fall to the floor.

"What's going on?" he asked.

The doctor straightened his posture. "Why should it be your concern? You have no business here."

"She's my wife!"

"Is that so? Then where, pray tell, have you been?"

"Doctor!" Both men stopped arguing, stunned by Banchina's interruption. "Thank you for your time. I'll make sure to take the medicines you've prescribed."

The doctor sighed, knowing he'd been dismissed. "Call me if there are any further complications." With a final passing glare at Yasopp, he and his nurse left.

Once the door shut, Yasopp rushed to Banchina's side, kneeling next to the bed. "Banchina, are you-" She held a finger to his lips.

"I'll explain," she promised, "but first..." She forced herself to sit up. "Usopp, I see you brought a new friend." With a small wave, she motioned for Luffy to join her family. From his spot along the wall, he stepped closer. "What's your name, dear?"

"I'm Monkey D. Luffy."

Banchina smiled. "That's a lovely name. It's a pleasure to meet you, Luffy. I'm Banchina." She leaned against the headboard. "What kind of hat do you have there?"

"It's a straw hat." Luffy adjusted it. "I got it from Shanks."

"I see. I thought it looked familiar. Does that mean you're part of his crew?"

"Uh-huh. I just joined. This is my first adventure!"

Banchina chuckled. "Well, that's quite exciting. Unfortunately, our island doesn't have a lot in the way of 'adventures', but hopefully you'll still have fun." She hummed in thought. "Usopp, why don't you go outside and show Luffy your slingshot? I think you still have some targets set up."

Yasopp grinned. "Hold on! You've gotten into shooting?"

"He wanted to learn after learning you were a sniper." Banchina pointed out the window. "One of the villagers made him a few practice targets. He uses them nearly every day."

"I even made my own slingshot! I took a stick and tied a rubber band to the ends!"

"Cool!" Luffy exclaimed. "I wanna see! Yasopp, can I go watch? Please!"

Yasopp gave a thumbs-up. "Fine with me! Just don't use all the ammo. I want to see too! My boy's following in my footsteps, after all!"

"Yes!" Luffy and Usopp cheered. They high-fived each other before running outside.

Suddenly, the cheery atmosphere faded into an exhausted silence. Banchina slid down until she was on her back again and Yasopp's shoulders sagged. Neither said anything for a moment.

"How bad?" Yasopp asked.

Banchina closed her eyes. "I've been bed-ridden for nearly a month. While my fever's manageable, I can hardly move without collapsing. The doctor told me that the disease is damaging my cells at a rapid rate, particularly in my lungs and heart."

"Did he give you a likely result? Are you going to be permanently bed-ridden?"

"Yasopp," Banchina opened her eyes, staring at him sadly as she shook her head, "my condition has advanced too rapidly. There's no way to repair the effects. The doctor has made it clear that I don't have much time left for this world."

A cold chill swept over Yasopp. His hands clenched into fists around the fabric of his pants and he grit his teeth. "This can't be happening!" His voice cracked. "You were fine when I left. This shouldn't be happening!" Yasopp bit his lip, trembling. "I should have stayed. I shouldn't have left you two alone. I could have done something."

"Like what?" Banchina touched his arm. "There's nothing anyone can do to change this. I would be sick whether you were a pirate or not. The only thing we can do is prepare for the near future, for when I'm gone."

"Don't say things like that! We'll figure out a way to heal you. What about a second opinion? I could get Chris to come over. Maybe it's not as bad as we think."

Another weak giggle bubbled out from Banchina. "Now you're starting to sound like Usopp." She shook her head. "I've accepted my death. While Chris is an intelligent man, I know I don't have long. I can feel it. Instead of creating false hopes, I want to enjoy what I have."

"Banchina..."

"I have Usopp and now I get to see you again. I'm grateful for that. I have everything I need." She frowned. "I only wish I could make Usopp understand. No matter how often I try to explain, he refuses to listen. He needs to grasp how this will affect him."

Yasopp's breath caught in his throat as realization sunk in. "He needs someone," he whispered. He ran a hand through his wavy hair. "I need to stay. If you're gone, Usopp will be alone."

"Yasopp, wait-"

"I'll need to find some kind of job."

"Yasopp-"

"I'm not sure what I could get, but there's got to be something."

"Yasopp!"

He jumped. "Y-yeah?"

Banchina moved her hand from his arm to his cheek. "I don't expect you to abandon your dream, Yasopp."

"My dream? Ban, I already left once and look where it left you! I can't go sailing off and leave our son to face all of this by himself. He's only seven for god's sake!" Tears found their way down his face. "I can hardly call myself his father at this point! If I leave now, I won't ever be able to face him!"

"Yasopp, you're being too hard on yourself," she said softly, "While you've been away, there hasn't been a single moment where we haven't been proud of you. I tell Usopp every morning what a brave man you are. He understand the importance of dreams. There's not a thing you could do to damage his admiration for you."

Yasopp sat, speechless.

Banchina giggled. "Silly, look at you. Is it so surprising? He loves you, just as I do." The serene smile she gave him made his heart skip, reminding Yasopp of the first time he had laid eyes on her. "Darling?"

"Yeah?" Yasopp leaned closer.

"I want you to do me a favor." Banchina motioned towards the door. "I want to speak with Shanks. Could you go get him?"

"Shanks?" He tipped his head. "Sure, I can bring him over. Why though?"

Banchina coughed. "There's something I'd like the three of us to discuss."