One Piece: My Version
Chapter 7: The Syrup Village Liar: Usopp and The Enigmatic Magician: Basil Hawkins!
(Two days later out after Orange Town)
Luffy smiled at himself for finding a both a swordsman and a navigator in 3 days. Nami was a bit frightened when she saw Ryoku, but how many pirates can say that they have a pet Sea-King? After a second meeting, Ryoku took a liking to her and showed his appreciation by with a lick.
He thought back to moment after he defeated Buggy with ease. After he sent the pirate-clown flying, the mayor thanked them all for all they've done for liberating their village. Luffy asked Nami to join his crew again, to which she replied "I told you I hate pirates! But if I stick with you two, I can get more treasure. So we'll be partners for a common goal."
But Luffy being single-minded in some cases, took that as a yes. Nami was happy because of the treasure she swiped from Buggy. Luffy gave his share to the mayor so that the townspeople could rebuild and the trio immediately set sail with the stolen Buggy dinghy and connected it with their own.
Zoro was a bit skeptical of the navigator/thief. He definitely had to keep a close eye on her or she would rob them blind.
Speaking of which, Nami stood up and put on the best serious face she could muster.
"Listen up! If we're going to the Grand Line, we can't work with this miserable excuse for a boat! In short, we need a ship!"
Luffy peered ahead as he saw a land mass. "Hey! There's an island over there! Maybe there might be a village there! And when there's a village… There's meat!" he yelled, emphasizing his hunger with a trail of drool at the corner of his mouth.
Nami slapped herself upon her forehead over Luffy's stupidity. Zoro was just laid back as calm as the waves. "Yeah, you get used to that, 'cause apparently the captain's an idiot full of surprises."
Said captain had his back turned, because he was currently in possession of the black ankle ring he pried off of that pelican before making his 'entrance' in Orange Towm.
'I should probably hold off on decoding the message, until later.' he thought.
Eventually, they reached the shallows of the island and settled their ships. Ryoku tossed over the reigns as his master ordered him to stay submerged in the water.
As they examined the area, they were immediately on guard when they heard a rustling in the bushes along the cliff face. All of a sudden, small pirate flags emerged and small projectiles were fired against the sand near Luffy's feet, making him dance. Then out of nowhere, a young man about Luffy's age appeared at an outcropping halfway down the cliff. His bushy black hair was slightly tamed by a green, cross-lined bandana. He wore brown overalls, yellowish boots, and had a bag slung over one shoulder. His most prominent feature was his thin, three-inch nose.
"Let all pirates who come to my home, beware of the great and powerful Captain Usopp of the Usopp Pirates, a fearless adventurer with an army of 8,000 at my disposal!"
Luffy laughed, he liked this guy. Nami on the other hand, decided to end this nonsense. "8,000 you say? Or is it just three?" she said with confident smirk.
Three kids with vegetable-shaped hairstyles popped out of the bushes and ran, leaving their "captain", who was now as nervous wreck contrary to his bravery act from before.
(Later at the local restaurant.)
"So… you guys aren't here to ransack the town?" asked Usopp.
Luffy was too busy eating to answer, so Zoro answered for him. "We're just here to see if we can get any good ships for sale."
As soon as Luffy finished off a piece of meat, he spoke up. "You said your name was Usopp right?" The long-nose nodded. "You wouldn't happen to know someone named Yasopp would you?"
Usopp's eyes widened. "Y-You know my dad?"
Luffy looked surprised. "Oh, so you're the same 'Usopp' he kept mentioning non-stop… You know aside from the nose, you a lot like him!" he added in his usual cheerfulness. Usopp looked proud and happy for a moment that his father would continue to mention him. Most pirates with bastard children couldn't care less whether they lived or died.
"Of course that was 10 years ago when he stopped by my hometown in Fuschia Village. Hard to say where he is now."
All of a sudden, the same vegetable-headed kids came bursting through the double-doors looking like they just seen a ghost.
"Captain! There's a guy out on the pathway!" screamed the pepper-haired kid named Piman.
"He's got these weird tattoos and a scary face!" shouted the carrot-haired kid named Ninjin.
"And…And he's… Floating!" added the onion-haired kid with frames named Tamanegi.
Usopp stared quizzically at the trio of veggies before heading out to find this "floating man". Luffy trailed after them, while Nami and Zoro begrudgingly followed.
As the teens followed the kids, they wondered what compelled them to tell such an obvious fib. However when they got there, they were shocked, surprised and amazed (Luffy was mostly amazed) that they were actually telling the truth, for underneath a small, but shady tree, the man was indeed there.
He was a relatively tall man, reaching up to at least 8'4. He had long, flowing blonde hair reaching down to the back. And just as the veggie kids were pointing out, he had a medieval-styled cross at the base of the throat at the front of his neck, and triangle symbols completely covering his eyebrows. His attire comprised of a long, white coat with a ruffled neckline and sleeves, purple trousers, black gloves and pointed shoes, an armor-like armlet covering his shoulder and upper arm completely, and finally a light purple sash below the waistline, tying around a long-sword with an intricate design resembling a voodoo doll. He had his eyes closed due to the fact that he was deep in meditation, which would explain why he was sitting cross-legged in mid-air.
Luffy had stars in his eyes. "Sugei! He's really floating!" he exclaimed.
That outburst alone caused the man to open his eyes, revealing the sclera to be red.
"Can I help you with something…?" he spoke in a monotone voice with no emotion on his face.
"Hi, my name's Monkey D. Luffy! What's yours?"
…
"Basil Hawkins…" the enigmatic man replied.
Luffy took a moment to stare at him before speaking. "Wanna join my crew?"
Usopp and the veggie kids jaw-dropped, while Zoro and Nami whacked him behind the head.
"DON'T JUST RECRUIT PEOPLE OUT OF NOWHERE!" the shouted in unison.
Luffy rubbed the sore spot. "Why not? I can tell he's strong!"
"We need to know more about this guy, not just his name!" argued Zoro.
As the three argued, Hawkins was deep in thought. Though he didn't show it, but there was something that had been bothering him for the past hour and at that time, he was already meditating. However, he felt something powerful land on the shores of the island itself that disrupted his mantra. And now, the source of that power came from this boy.
'I sense something emanating from him. His will is immensely strong and his spirit is wild, but his mind is placid… and they are all in perfect harmony.'
He extended his hands, causing the bickering to cease, and tarot cards magically appeared out of his sleeve and ended up floating into a small circle.
'Repercussions- 0%, Probability of Death-…0%?'
His eyes turned back to the pirates as his cards flew back into his sleeves. "Surprisingly, there are no factors which show my demise… So I accept your offer to join your crew."
…
"EHHH?" Nami, Zoro and the Usopp pirates gaped at the mystic.
"Yatta, I have a fortune teller in my crew!" Luffy jumped into the air.
"I'm not a fortune teller, I'm a seer… I read the fates of others as well as the probability of outcomes. For example, you with the long nose…" he pointed to a now shaking Usopp who was hiding behind the kids.
"I-I-I'm t-the almighty Captain Usopp…!"
"HE KNOWS YOU'RE LYING, BAKA!" Zoro yelled.
Hawkins pulled out a single card and took a quick glance at it, then turned back to Usopp.
"You're going to discover a horrible secret about someone inconspicuous. The demon will unsheathe its claws once again and attempt to take the life of someone precious to you."
The long-nosed scaredy-cat now looked a bit taken aback.
"But the shadow of Death does not loom over anyone…today."
Nami looked a bit skeptical. "I don't believe you can see into the future."
Hawkins merely gave her a blank expression. "I never said I could see into the future. I can only see premonitions of things to come, though within a limited range of a week."
This time, Zoro spoke up. "Alright, but then what's with the card trick?"
Hawkins raised his arm slightly and pointed it at the swordsman. Instantly, Zoro was lifted off the ground and was levitated into the air. Everyone around looked astonished, while the stars in Luffy's eyes grew.
"N-Nani?"
"I also have the power of telekinesis, but I can only lift objects and people no bigger than a Sea-King… That is my limit."
"Sugei! Now I'm really glad that you're in my crew!" Luffy grinned.
Meanwhile the swordsman was still airborne. "Yeah, that's all well and good now… GET ME DOWN FROM HERE!"
Just as Hawkins released his power, Zoro fell down to the ground with a 'thud'. He dusted himself off, and turned to face Usopp.
"Look, do you know if we can buy a ship here?"
Usopp blinked before answering with a grin. "Oh, that's right… you guys are looking for a ship. I know someone who can help with that."
Usopp led the way to a huge, gated mansion, the veggie kids trailing behind him, as well as Luffy, Zoro, Nami and the newest addition, Basil Hawkins, following closely behind them. But instead of heading through the front, Usopp showed a blind-spot where they all could get through the fence without detection.
Usopp climbed up a nearby tree close to the second floor window and carefully positioned himself on a sturdy branch. He quickly searched his pockets and pulled out a couple of small rocks. He tossed them at the window, causing a *clink* until a shape opened the window.
"Usopp-kun, you're here!" a soft, feminine voice called out from the windowsill. It was a thin, pale blonde girl with brown eyes wearing a simple white dress.
Usopp grinned like an idiot. "Hi Kaya! How are you feeling?" the girl smiled back. "I'm feeling better today, and your stories always put me in good spirits. Speaking of which… what story will you tell me today?" she asked. Usopp blushed a bit at the compliment. "Before I tell you, I kinda need a favor from you." he gestured to Luffy and the gang down at the base of the tree.
Now Kaya was an excellent judge of character, especially when it came to new people. She looked down from her windowsill to see the people below her.
The one with the straw hat had fire in his eyes, the one with green hair and three swords may be intimidating, but had a calm nature about him as well. The red-haired girl had a confident aura around her, and the tall, blonde man… unreadable.
Still… 3 out of 4 ain't bad.
"Alright, I-"
"Halt!" an eloquent, masculine voice cut her off.
All heads turned in the direction of a man approaching and it turned out to be butler-looking type of guy. He had a relatively slim build with simple glasses and slicked green-black hair wearing a standard butler outfit with the exception of his oddly-striped gray shoes. Luffy and Hawkins took note of his sharp eyes that showed an intimidating aura around him, while his facial expression contradicted that.
"Please vacate the premises before I call the guards." he continued to speak in his usual condescending tone when dealing with strangers.
Kaya spoke up. "Kurahadol they're Usopp-kun's friends, they just wanted-" the butler cut her off again.
"I know exactly what they wanted… your wealth. Forgive me, Kaya-ojousama, but your too trusting of these ruffians. They would sooner rob you blind when your back is turned."
The butler tilted his head up to face the frightened sniper. "So, you are this 'Usopp-kun' that Kaya-ojousama keeps mentioning…?"
Usopp put on his usual brave act. "Aa! They call me-"
"I know what the villagers call you… Usopp The Liar, Usopp The Nuisance… Shall I go on?"
Kaya was about to interject, when she noticed Usopp merely scratching his cheek, as if the insult did nothing to him.
"Heh… did the villagers really call me that, or are you just making this up on the spot?" he joked.
"I fail to see the humor in you making the villagers' lives difficult enough with your constant ramblings of pirates invading."
Usopp shrugged and raised a nonchalant eyebrow. "You know, I get the feeling you don't like me."
"You constantly badger Kaya-ojousama with your nonsense." Kurahadol pointed out.
The long-nosed sniper pretended to look hurt just to mock him. "Oh, that's cold… I bet if you really got to know me…" he flashed a thumbs-up at the butler. "We could be buddies!" he grinned.
Kaya giggled at the playful banter Usopp countered against Kurahadol's cynicism.
The caretaker smirked as he adjusted his glasses with no use from his fingers. "No thank you… I don't associate myself with bastard children of lowlife pirates."
That struck a nerve in Usopp's core as his cheerfulness quickly dissipated and a flash of anger crossed his features.
"What did you say…?" the tone of anger in his voice matching his said features. He quickly used a hook in his bag to latch on to the branch he was on as he descended safely to the ground.
Kaya looked offended that her caretaker would insinuate such slander against Usopp.
Kurahadol merely fixed a glare of disgust at Usopp. "Why do you look so surprised? Your father abandoned you and your mother when you were but a child. And then once your mother died, you had no one to teach you to be civil or truthful. And finally, the reason why you always cry 'pirate' is because you grasp on to this pathetic desire of your father actually returning, when in reality, you know it's merely just a sad desperation attempt at gaining attention."
Usopp was like a bull seeing the color red, but the butler continued on. "And it shows that you share some of his rat-like qualities: sneaking your way into Kaya-ojousama's life, gaining her trust, then once you had accomplished that… you could take advantage of the ailing girl and swipe her wealth while she would turn a blind eye to your 'true nature' just like you are doing now If I had not arrived and stopped-"
*BAM!*
They all saw it coming, even Kaya with a shocked look etched onto her face. "Usopp-kun!" she cried.
Kurahadol was down on the ground clutching his sore cheek, but his glare was still fixated on Usopp. "You see? He knows that I know the truth and lashed out at me in anger to keep my mouth shut! He shouldn't be allowed near you Ka-"
"SHUT UP!" Usopp yelled back at the caretaker. Luffy and Hawkins took note of that small, but noticeable flicker of power in his yell. "You don't know shit about who my father is; you don't know shit about my mother, and you don't know shit about ME!"
'He's tapping into this unknown power that Luffy has…' thought Hawkins.
'Haki… it's small, but I didn't think he would have a high enough ambition for someone like him.' Luffy smirked to himself. 'Looks like he's more than just a coward after all…'
Usopp continued his tirade, and even went as far as grabbing the butler by the scruff of his suit and threatening to punch him again if he insulted his father again.
"Yamete kudasai, Usopp-kun!" Kaya pleaded for him to stop the violence.
It was because of her that Usopp didn't hit her caretaker as he hated seeing her worry or cry more than anyone who would slander his family name.
"I don't care if you insult me, Kurahadol! But don't ever let me catch you talk about my father like he's some disease! He's a great man and pirate and I'm proud as hell to be the son of that great pirate and I hope to be a great adventurer like him and more!" he finished yelling, and a silence filled the air.
Then a single person was clapping. All heads turned to Luffy who seemed to keep his monkey-like grin while applauding Usopp's assertiveness and ambition. "Well said, Usopp. But I wonder, do you have the guts to back up your words?" The tall-tale teller looked confused as to where Luffy was going with this.
"C'mon Usopp, join my crew! I already know that your sniper skills are just as good as Yasopp's and you just tapped into your Haki. If you join us, you can live out your dream as true adventurer of the sea!"
"No." Usopp said in finality. Ever since they left the estate, Luffy had been asking the long-nose sniper to join his crew, to which every answer the straw-hat captain would get would N-O, NO. When Luffy asked why, he just tossed a small smoke-bomb and used that diversion to run away, leaving the veggie kids and Luffy's crew.
"That guy sure can run…" commented Zoro.
"He has mixed feeling about your offer, captain." Hawkins stated.
"Are you sure you want him in your crew?" inquired Nami.
Luff said nothing at first, and then turned to the veggies. "Do you know where he went?"
"He probably went to the south cliffside, it's usually where he thinks about stuff." said Piman, while the other two nodded in confirmation.
Luffy adjusted his hat and piece of wheat in his mouth before heading off in the direction Usopp ran in. "You guys stay here… I'm gonna have a little chat with Usopp."
"What are we supposed to do until then?" inquired Zoro. Luffy turned to grin at the three.
"You guys are my nakama… get to know each other!" he replied before running off to find the sniper.
Zoro and Nami sweatdropped while Hawkins remained stoic. Luffy was definitely the most unpredictable person they had ever met.
Part 1 end.