One Piece One Shots: Title Art Chapter 526, round two

Summary: Grand Jipangu. Unlikely inspiration and Usopp's surprising skill.

Author's Note: While writing the tail end of the previous chapter, this scene came to mind. I invite you to watch the One Piece TV Special 4 and the Historical Arc episodes with Luffy Oyabun. I will be using more Japanese then I usually do in English writing, but I will also try to translate it along the way.

Unused Talent

Summer had just reached its peak and the little shop called the Pinwheel was just bordering on sweltering. Onami-san, the proprietor of the restaurant, was complaining about the weather driving all their customers away. It didn't matter that there were currently two men sitting in her shop right then and there. One never paid and the other ended up with the bill. With these two regulars, Sanji could understand why his lovely Onami-san refused to consider them customers.

"Don't you have anything better to do, Oyabun," Onami-san glowered at the messy-haired detective who sat devouring anything in his incredibly long rubbery reach.

"But it's hot outside," Luffy whined. "No one's doing anything because it's so hot."

"I don't care what is going on with the weather. You've been here since breakfast!" Onami swiped the remaining empty dishes from the table. "I refuse to believe there is no crime what so ever. Right, Usopp-san."

The fellow detective did not even glance up from the thick roll of leather he was studying. "As Oyabun said, it's too hot."

Sanji leaned over Usopp's shoulder out of curiosity. "What are you looking at?"

Usopp squeaked in surprised and immediately started to roll up the paper. "No-nothing… Nothing important. Just some ideas on how to improve my jutte-slingshot. That's all…" Usopp's slight stutter and the pitch of his voice clued everyone in on how this was obviously a lie. As Usopp tried to put the leather scroll into his pouch, Luffy's rubber arm extended in an inhuman angle to grab the item.

"Come on, let's see!" Mugiwara Oyabun immediately opened the scroll and dozens of papers fluttered free, covering the table and floor around the straw-hat detective. Scribbles of all sorts filled the pages. "Cool! I didn't know you could draw!" Luffy exclaimed in excitement as he learned something new about his partner.

Sanji leaned over to pluck a leaf of the thin rice paper from the table. His slender pipe fell to the floor with a clatter as he recognized the image. "Is this Onami-san?" Sanji cooed in delight as he eyed the picture of Onami-san posing almost seductively with her kimono revealing a tantalizing amount of legs. Lost in the thoughts of his Onami-san dressed in a beautiful and alluring kimono, Sanji did not notice as a couple of other sketches were picked up for viewing before Usopp could shove them back into his bag.

"Wait! You're not supposed to see those! Come on, give them back." Usopp was trying to gather his papers as quickly as possible, but to no avail.

Luffy was laughing at one image in his hands. It was a man sitting away from the artist but looking back with an annoyed and ever-suffering face. "I know this man. It's that Buddhist Priest that's always hanging around. Why do you have a picture of him?"

"Well, you see…." Usopp began, but he was rudely interrupted by Sanji.

"Wait a minute. Why do you have a picture of Onami-san?"

"Same reason I have one of that Bonze," Usopp grabbed at the drawings in exasperation. "I wasn't supposed to show these to anyone."

"You had better have a good reason," Sanji warned.

Onami-san held out a sketch of the rubber detective, stretched in the oddest of angles. "I suspect it is the same reason he has one of Oyabun."

The young member of the Okappiki glanced nervously between the three faces staring at him. From the righteous anger of the Pinwheel's cook, to the awed and curious eyes of his rubber partner, and to the annoyed but inquisitive gaze of the Pinwheel's owner. They all wanted answers and the young police officer could not provide them. "Well… you see… It's not really important… really… It's just that Princess Vivi mentioned how she wanted something to remember the people who helped save her from the Clown Family."

"Vivi-chan!" Sanji's face glowed at the mention of his princess. "Vivi-chan is such a darling getting portraits of her friends." The cook was immediately collecting all the scattered papers in search of other sketches of the townspeople Vivi had befriended. His determination grew as all he saw were drawings of the same three people in different poises as if the artist could not decide on what was the best form.

"That's just the thing…. Vivi-sama only asked me for those three," Usopp nervously admitted. "She asked me for a portrait of the three who helped her…"

"I helped her! I was there for her!" Sanji protested violently.

"Yeah… but what did you actually do?" Usopp bravely asked. A moment later his head smashed through the table where he sat and Sanji's foot hovered in the air as he glared down at the long-nosed police. Usopp moaned in pain. "Sorry…"

"But why do you think Vivi would have a painting done of us?" Onami-san asked, flipping through the collected sketches. "You know these are quite good. What other talents are you keeping hidden from us, Usopp? For that matter why are you part of the Okappiki, working with that rubber Oyabun?"

"It's not very easy to be an artist. But if Vivi likes my painting maybe I can do more," Usopp had a contained look of hope on his face as he thought about having a royal patron. Though everyone knew he loved his job catching criminals too much to quit.

"And when are you giving the painting to Vivi?" Onami-san continued her line of questioning.

Usopp cringed under Onami-san's intense stare. "Actually, I already gave it to her. Vivi-sama is having an opening viewing of the painting tomorrow. I'm sure she's sent you invitations."

It was as if the conversation brought the princess herself to the small diner. The entry bells chimed softly in the extensive heat of the day and the small group looked up to see Vivi standing there in a nice yet simple kimono. She cradled a leather tube and bore a huge grin on her face as she called out, "Good afternoon, everyone. I wanted to share this with you and give you invitations to the party tomorrow."

"Vivi-chan!" Sanji immediately flew to the door and relieved her of the package while escorting her to the table where the others cheerfully called out their own greetings. Shortly after Sanji was place a cool sweet beverage before the princess. "For you, Vivi-chan, to relieve the stress of this oppressive heat."

The young blue haired princess smiled politely at the Pinwheel's cook as she accepted the drink. "Thank you very much. Here can you find a place to spread this out. It's a way I wanted to say thank you for everything you have done."

Sanji joyfully took the leather and carefully unfurled the contents to reveal a gorgeous painting of the three saviors. Luffy in the center taming a giant tiger and impressive dragon. Onami-san lounging in the foreground eyeing a frog with something between adoration and contempt. And nestled in the middle was the three sword wielding priest, crouched over and grumpy as he tries to enjoy a cup of sake. Needless to say all were in awe at Usopp's talents.