The pirate ship of the red haired pirates was very noisy that evening, a lot of men was yelling and cheering. And right in the centre of it between all of the pirates were two men, a very young man and a older man.. arm wrestling.
"COME ON KID YOU CAN DO IT!" the bushy bearded pirate yelled.
"COME ON YASOPP! DON'T LET THE KID GET THE BETTER OF YOU!" Dennis yelled.
And then suddenly, Usopp's arm gave in and fell down on the table to much yell from all of the pirates.
"DAMN!" Usopp hissed. "RE-MATCH!" he demanded.
Yasopp lifted an eye-brow. "Again?" he asked. "I know ten times is supposed to be your lucky time, but why not just admit it when you are beaten?" he asked in a grin pulling down in Usopp's hat, the same way he had started doing when-ever he was teasing.
Usopp hissed annoyed.
"Don't take it to bad kid." The bushy bearded pirate laughed as he clasped Usopp's shoulder. "Almost no one is able to beat our Yasopp in arm wrestling, he is the champion on this ship!" all the other pirates nodded in agreement, all of them had come, deeply curious to see Yasopp's son with their own eyes. And now all were there just having a good time while observing their guest with deep interest.
"Well! So I am I!" Usopp exclaimed. "Arm wrestling champion of the straw-hats!" he stated.
"It's a lie." Yasopp told immidately.
Usopp gaped. "How did you know!?" he asked.
"Oh so it is a lie." Yasopp commented.
"ARGH!" Usopp exclaimed. "He found out!" and then every-body laughed loudly as Usopp blushed deeply looking down on the board as the people laughed.
Yasopp chuckled as he wiped away a tear from his eye. "Not that I am really that surprised, you have Rorona Zoro on your ship. No offence, but he ought to be stronger than this."
Usopp hissed as he crossed his arms and looked away, looking as embarrassed as ever.
"Don't feel so bad kid." Dennis chuckled. "We all like you, take some sake." He offered giving Usopp a healthy mug of the beverage they were all drinking.
"Hey!" Yasopp exclaimed taking the sake away just before Usopp could accept. "What are you doing? Don't give my son sake." He demanded.
"Urh dad." Usopp blinked at him. "I'm an adult, I've been a pirate for over two years, I've drunken plenty of Sake all-ready."
Yasopp blinked as he looked wide-eyed at Usopp, then shook his head. "Right right, sorry." He mumbled very slowly handing the Sake back. "I forget, afraid I missed a lot." He mumbled.
"Don't worry about it." Usopp shrugged drinking up from his Sake.
"So why all the lies kid?" A blond pirate asked. "People see through them any-way you know."
"I don't know." Usopp admitted in a shrug. "When I was a kid, my mother always used to tell me all sorts of stories that weren't true, but I really liked them any-way. Then when she got ill, I managed by telling her a lot of stories that weren't true, and you could see on her face how much she loved it. Then I started telling stories to a lot of people, they seemed to all enjoy it as we ran around as kids, pretending to be a big dangerous pirate crew with 8,000 followers. Then I suppose it just became a habit." He shrugged taking a big drink of Sake. "But don't laugh! It's really useful out there!" he told falling into his storyteller voice. "Ones we infiltrated a marine base, and I managed to convince all of them that I was in fact a Marine inspector not a pirate." He told.
"Is it a lie?" Dennis asked.
"IT'S NOT A LIE!" Usopp exclaimed making Yasopp laugh.
"And now you can tell is the truth." Yasopp laughed hardly so you can hear it all over the boat before he took a big drink from his own sake.
"All though.. my cover sort of blew after five minutes." Usopp admitted in a deep blush making all of the pirates laugh loudly. "I WAS RATTED OUT!" Usopp exclaimed. "It wasn't my fault! I had the situation under control at that point! Later it was my planning that helped us get the ship back from the marine base." He told in a proud smirk.
Every-body laughed whole-heartedly of Usopp's anthics, though Yasopp more than most of them. "Didn't I tell you guys? My son is amazing! The great Sniper king Sogeking." He exclaimed.
"Oh boy here we go." A pirate with a horsetail rolled his eyes.
"What?" Usopp asked looking wide-eyed at the pirates around him.
"Well you see." Dennis sighed. "When-ever Yasopp have a bit to much to drink, he just wont shut up!"
"Good, I want to hear as much as I can!" Usopp exclaimed.
"You don't understand." The bushy bearded pirate snorted. "He wont ever shut up about his son Usopp, the son whom will surely become a great man one day. And now you are here giving him a whole new range of ammunition, thanks kid, real thanks." He snorted sarcastically.
"I told ya, didn't I!? I told ya!" Yasopp exclaimed as he drank his Sake. "My son is a hero of the seas!" he told making Usopp blush deeply. No one had ever really praised Usopp like that before, and right up front in front of an audience, but Yasopp didn't seem to mind as he just went on. "He is the next great Sniper king."
"Oi, I thought I all-ready were Sniper king." Usopp snorted.
"In your dreams boy." Yasopp responded in a roll of his eyes. "But don't worry, you are getting the hang of it all-ready!"
"Is that another challenge?" Usopp asked as he squinted his eyes.
"A snipers challenge?" Yasopp asked. "Pff, careful boy, I have never missed a single target in my life."
"Neither have I." Usopp told in a challenging voice.
"Wouldn't that be an excellent reason not to do it?" a new voice entered and every-body turned around to be faced with the red-haired captain of the ship. "I mean, then we would just end up being up all night, in a worst case scenario the duel would just go on for eternity." Shanks pointed out reaching for some Sake for himself.
Yasopp smiled lightly. "I suppose so, it has to wait for another day, it'll be a legendary sniper contest. What do you say Usopp?" he asked.
"It sounds like a promise." Usopp smiled to his father.
Yasopp smiled at Usopp, then got a little quiet as he turned away.
"So Usopp." Shanks took over. "I understand you are a part of Luffy's crew." He told. "How's your relationship with the captain?" he asked.
Usopp smiled. "Luffy is my best friend." He flat out told.
"So you always get along famously?" Shanks asked.
"Oh hell no." Usopp rolled his eyes. "We fight all the time, he wants to go into what is obviously a trap, I don't. He steals my food, I get annoyed. But then we are just fooling around really." He told shaking his head. "Just ones we had a real fight, we actually ended up duelling. It was a tie." He told.. a slight lie maybe, but not as unbelievable as if he had said that he won, then people would have called him out on it at ones. "But we are also have a great time together." He laughed. "We are family, we stick together to the end. That's why I must get to Citrus island as fast as possible. I all-ready know they are all looking for me, they must be worried sick."
"You're that sure?" Shanks asked.
Usopp nodded. "I know it." He told.
"Well, glad to hear it." Shanks smiled. "Luffy turned out great after-all! Can't wait till I see him again."
"I hope that'll be soon." Usopp told. "I would love to spend more time with all of you." He admitted, then turned his head back and discovered that Yasopp was gone. Usopp blinked. "Where's Yasopp?" he asked confused.
The bearded pirate shrugged. "He said he went to get some fresh air." He told.
Usopp blinked. "We are all-ready out-side." He pointed out, only for the pirate to shrug. "Excuse me." Usopp asked as he stood. "I'm.. just going to go for a walk." He told and raised up, to squuesh himself through all of the pirates, whom all wanted to clap him on the shoulder, and say how glad they were to see that he was real after all.
Finally he got away from the party, and stood on the dark deck, looking up on a starry sky. Silently Usopp walked around, looking around, before he finally saw a lonely figure by the end of the ship, leaning over the reiling looking towards the sea as the wind blew in his blond hair.
Silently Usopp walked over to the other man. "Yasopp?" he asked very carefully. "Dad.." he then tried.
Yasopp sighed deeply. "Hallo Usopp." He told.
Usopp took that as an invitation and took position beside his father, looking to the sea. Him and Yasopp, they really were the same in so many ways. They had the same height, same darker than normal skin colour. Usopp was a little more lean than the older man, but then again, only two years ago Usopp had been down-right scrawny because he had just been a teenagers, and now he had put on a lot of extra muscle. "Beautiful weather." Usopp at last commented.
"Tch." Yasopp snorted. "Weather talk? Couldn't you figure some-thing else out?" he asked.
"I don't know!" Usopp exclaimed. "What am I then supposed to say?" he asked.
Yasopp shrugged. "Dunno." He admitted. "Weather was probably the safest bet, so tell me, the tiger. How did you see it?" he asked turning to Usopp.
"I didn't." Usopp told. "Not the tiger itself at least, I just saw how they grass was moving and could estimate where the animals was." He told.
"The coin?" Yasopp asked.
"Of cause I didn't see it, I just saw the way Shanks threw it, what ankle it was going at, how quick it was going. Then I estimated." Usopp told.
"Ah, I see." Yasopp blinked. "Good! For a moment there I thought you had better eye-sight than me. But that should be impossible! I can still see an ants leg while it's 20 meters away, and I can shoot off that leg." He snorted. "And when-ever I can see my target, I will hit it. I never miss a shot." He told.
Usopp grinned. "That's what mom always said." He told.
Yasopp sighed. "Usopp, do my a favour and be careful about what you promise." He asked.
Usopp blinked. "Why?" he asked. "Aren't they my promises to make?"
"You are at sea now, things are different out here, or havn't you figured yet?" Yasopp asked. "I'm sure every-one in your crew made some kind of a promise, but how many of them have been able to full-fill that promise?" he asked.
Usopp blinked. "None." He then admitted.
"I promised your mother to come back." Yasopp told. "And until today, I really thought I was going to keep that promise." He sighed. "Good thing I ran into you, I can't imagine what it would have been like to come back to Syrup, only to find a grave and a empty house." He muttered.
"I'm… sorry." Usopp tried.
"Don't be, it was my decision." Yasopp told in a shrug. "Tell me, that girl that gets the honour of being the first thing to see in your sketch book. Did you make a promise to her?" he asked.
Usopp halted a bit, then sighed deeply as he looked towards the sea. "I did." He admitted. "I promised I would come back and tell her stories about all of the adventures I would have." He told. "But nothing else." He then stated.
Yasopp shrugged going back to looking at the water.
"Now I ask you a question." Usopp told. "I know you are all awfully strong on this crew, so how the hell did the marines get you?" he asked.
Yasopp rolled his eyes. "They cheated." He muttered annoyed. "They used tear gas and gas-masks to render us temporarily defenceless." He mumbled.
"Ah, I see." Usopp nodded. "Even Luffy could be a victim to that." He noted. "And certainly Zoro." He commented. "It isn't cheating though, you just have to fight with what you got!"
"Yeah, but it's easier to face defeat when you claim the other part was cheating." Yasopp smirked.
"So lie?" Usopp asked.
"I suppose you could call it that." Yasopp admitted. "You know, I could drink some more Sake, why don't we go back to the rest?" he asked.
"Sounds good to me." Usopp nodded as the two returned.
"OI USOPP!" a pirate yelled immediately by the sight of them. "Come on boy! Tell us about enies lobby, what madness made your crew declare war on the entire world government!"
Usopp grinned as Yasopp gave Usopp's shoulder an encouraging clap. "Well come on, tell us boy, tell us!" he demanded.
Usopp grinned as he sat down again and reached for a huge mug of Sake. "Well that is quite a story." He told. "It involves hurt, tears, bravery, an example of how much the strawhat values each and every-one of their members, cause we are all nakama. And of cause, it was the birth of a hero, Sogeking the king of snipers." Usopp grinned proudly as he began telling while every-one laughed and listened by his peculiar way of presenting the story, even Shanks were listening in with a smile while drinking his own sake, though the one yelling and laughing the loudest, that was Yasopp, and as far as Usopp was concerned, it was like the best evening ever. He felt so good that he could even admit to have been clinging hopelessly to Zoro's arm when the two had been cuffed together, though in Usopp's version.. he had not broken a sweat and been incredible cool about it!
"You're not holding it probably!" Yasopp exclaimed.
"Yes I am!" Usopp responded, it was the next morning, the sun was up, the sky was blue. And Usopp was holding Yasopp's gun, aiming at a target board.
"No! Just listen to me!" Yasopp hissed. "And do as I tell you!" he demanded.
"I can use any sniper weapon and I have never missed a target." Usopp exclaimed back as he finally pulled the trigger… and the next thing Usopp knew he was thrown backwards due to the sheer force of the gun shoot, before he at last landed on his back, almost hammering his head into the mast. Wide-eyed Usopp sat up and looked with wide eyes at the target.. well.. his record of never having missed a shot still held up, he had hit the target square Centrum.. and there was a big black mark to proof it. The massive power of the gun had just been stronger than Usopp and threw him back.
"That's what I tried to tell you." Yasopp sighed. "You were doing it wrong." He told taking the gun away from Usopp then made a shot himself, without moving as much as an inch.
"Now try again." Yasopp demanded throwing the gun back at Usopp. "And just do as I instruct." He asked.
Usopp how-ever, seemed far more interested in the gun itself than firing with it as he started to exanimate it. "This is not an ordinary gun." He commented. "It's far to powerful, not a lot of people would be able to use it without getting hurt themselves." He stated.
"I didn't build it myself, but I had it costum made." Yasopp smirked.
"I see." Usopp nodded turning it around in his hands, examining every inch of it.
"Your father is a machine in battle." A new man told as he entered, it was Shanks. "I've seen him gun down hundreds of men coming towards him, and then when he ran out of armo, he would just hit them so they laid unconscious."
Yasopp laughed loudly. "Yeah that's true." He grinned.
"Wow." Usopp told looking wide-eyed at them.
"You should feel honoured, I have never seen Yasopp let any one else as much as touch his gun." Shanks commented.
"And I guess it's for the better." Yasopp sighed taking his gun back. "This is my weapon, it's not really meant for other people."
"But It thought you were going to try my Kabuto now." Usopp muttered disappointed.
"Not on your life." Yasopp laughed. "Beside that's your weapon."
"And your boat is ready for you Usopp." Shanks told.
"What!?" Both Yasopp and Usopp surprised turned to Shanks as they blinked.
"Your boat." Shanks told Usopp. "So you can get to Citrus island, afraid we are going in the opposite direction, and I was counting on setting sails in a few hours." He told. "You wanted to be going as fast as possible right?" he asked.
"Erh.. right!" Usopp exclaimed. "Of cause, thank you very much." He told.
"Then pack your things, the boat is waiting for you right over there." Shanks pointed to the left a boat was hanging from the side of the ship, ready to be hoisted down in the waters.
"Thank you." Usopp repeated again. "It'll help a lot, I'll tell Luffy of how great you have all been." He told.
"Give him my best wishes." Shanks asked in a smile, and then left Usopp alone with Yasopp.
The two men was left in silence, then blinked a bit before they looked at each other. "Well you don't have to go right away." Yasopp pointed out. "You heard the captain, you could wait another few hours." He told.
"No, better not." Usopp sighed closing his bag. "Every extra hour I spend out here is an extra hour where my crew has to worry for no reason." He told. "I can't do that to them." He stated putting his bag over his shoulder. "It has to be now." He told turning around just about to take a step towards the boat.
"Usopp wait!" Yasopp exclaimed as he grabbed his arm.
Surprised Usopp turned around.
"Dammit." Yasopp hissed. "I've just met you again after all of this time and now you're just leaving! Don't you have any respect boy?" he asked.
"I'm afraid that's how it is with children." Usopp told in a smile as he shook his head. "They grow up and get a life on their own." He told looking up at Yasopp. "I all-ready know this is the sea, and any-thing could happen, as far as we know we aint going to meet again. But hey." Usopp grinned. "I got to meet you now and show off what I had learned." He laughed. "I made two promises to my mother, I promised that I would become a great man of the sea, and I promised I would go and find you. And now I have! Promises well spend don't you think?" he asked in a wink.
Yasopp looked at Usopp then shook his head as he let go of Usopp's wrist, but then instead dragged Usopp into a hug. "You're right, you're right I'm sorry. I am just being foolish." Yasopp told as he hugged Usopp. "And I'm afraid I have difficultly seeing you as a man at all, I mean I know that you are, it's just."
"Don't worry dad." Usopp then smiled as they let go, and Usopp in stretched arms held Yasopp's shoulders. "I'm pretty sure we'll meet again, all of the red haired pirates and all of the straw-hats, we'll meet up. And it wont be long!" he stated in a grin. "Then we'll party, and have enough time to tell every-thing about our lives to each other." He told before he let go and turned to get to the promised boat. "Oh and one last thing!" Usopp turned around to look at Yasopp. "Mom, she never blamed you, she always spoke very highly of you in every turn, and when she did she smiled." He told as he as well smiled. "It seems to me she knew you better than you think, seems to me that she all-ready knew you belonged on the ocean, not settled down, she all-ready know she had ended up picking a man whom couldn't possible settle down for a long time, but she was at peace with that. Some-thing I even think that she knew, some-day I would go as well and never settle." Usopp pondered. "But she didn't mind, you know mom, all that really mattered to her, was our happiness. I am quite sure she would be very happy now was she alive."
"Dammit boy, don't say stuff like that! Yasopp exclaimed as tears started to form in his eyes and he desperately tried to wipe them away with his arms. "And stop crying it's not manly!" he exclaimed.
Tears really had formed in Usopp's eyes and he was wiping them away. "I'm not crying you're the one crying!" he exclaimed.
"Don't rebuke your father boy!" Yasopp exclaimed, though instead of making Usopp retort again as he usually would, he ended up laughing. Laughing loudly and wholly.
"I would love to stay for another fight dad, but I really need to get going." Usopp commented in a smile.
Yasopp shook his head as he sighed. "All-right, lets get going." He commented grabbing Usopp's shoulder, as they both walked the short distance to the little row-boat they had promised Usopp. Where all of the other red-haired pirates all-ready stood ready to wish the peculiar boy farewell.
With ease Usopp jumped into the boat and started to untie the ropes.
"Why the rush boy?" A pirate finally asked. "You could stay for another day, we would love to hear more about the strawhats."
"Sorry." Usopp mumbled. "Every hours I spend here is an hour where my crew has to worry, and a hour where I delay their journey." He commented in a smile untyding the ropes.
"Oi, don't forget this!" a pirate yelled throwing some-thing at Usopp which Usopp grabbed, to light up as he saw it.
"A compass needle!" Usopp grinned.
"And it points directly to citrus island, so you just have to follow that."
"Thank you so much!" Usopp laughed going back to the ropes, and was nearly done untying them so he could lower his boat.
Yasopp exhaled. "You know Usopp, it's not very safe to row a row boat alone in the new world." He commented. "You could stay at this crew we would welcome you." He pointed out.
"huh?" Usopp looked up.
"We'll run into the straw-hats eventually as you said, then you can rejoin them." Yasopp pointed out. " We could use a good extra Sniper." He told.
Usopp grinned, then shook his head. "Sorry dad, this crew all-ready has one excellent sniper, and I need to be the best, beside the straw-hats would just be lost without me." Usopp grinned. "Luffy aint going to be pirate king on his own, he needs my help." He stated. "So I better get to Citrus island before they set sail to their next destination."
"All-right." Shanks replied to Usopp. "Though Usopp, if you don't make it, our next destination is lemon island, Yasopp is right, we could use an extra sniper, but I only take the best so we have been running into a problem when it comes to that. You are always welcome in our crew." he told.
"Thanks, but I wont need it." Usopp told. "I'll make it to the straw-hats, you'll see. Well guys, it's been fun! I'm looking so much forward to see all of you again in a near future." He laughed as he lowered the boat, and it finally hit the water beneath them. "Luffy is sure going to be jalouse that I spend time with the great Shanks." He snickered.
"Oi what about me?" Yasopp asked.
"You're my dad, what can I say to that?" Usopp asked as he threw away the line so his boat was free to go. "I'm just so happy I got to meet you, you're cool." He grinned giving his dad a thumbs up as he sailed away.
"Oh that's my boy." Yasopp sniffed whisking away a tear. "Look him sail away like that, that's a real man." He hiccupped. "And my boy! Isn't he cool!?" he asked.
"Meh, seems like a bit of a whimp to me." Dennis commented beside him, only to receive a fist right in the head.
"Oi! Shut up! Are you blind?" Yasopp asked in a sneer.
"Okay, okay I get it!" Dennis hissed. "Your son is amazing, just as you always said, jesh!" he hissed.
"Good." Yasopp smiled tightening his fist. "Is it ready?" he asked.
"Yeah." Dennish nodded.
Yasopp nodded as he looked to the sea, where Usopp was all-ready pretty far out. "OI USOPP!" he yelled making Usopp look up. Yasopp nodded at Dennis, whom pulled out an old fashioned sling-shot and a two berri coin, Yasopp took the items from him and with accuracy aimed up in the air with the slingshot. Then he shot, and the two berri coin hurled up in the air, far higher than what any-one could ever throw it, far out of sight and ear, then Yasopp pulled a revolver, and he shot in the same direction.
Usopp blinked as he looked up in the air, where the coin and the shot had disappeared to, then some-thing glistening came back down, but in his direction. Usopp only had to hold out his hands, and suddenly a tiny little object landed in his palms. Usopp looked down at it, and saw, it was the two berri coin, but now with a smoking hole right in the middle. Usopp looked up at the red haired pirate ship, where Yasopp was laughing loudly. That shut had exceeded Usopp's master shot, no doubt about it.
Usopp grinned as he looked at his coin, then he stuffed a hand in his saddle and soon found a string, which he put through the still warm hole of the two berri coin, before he tied the coin to his own neck as if it was a necklace and Usopp grinned. As he stood up facing his father.
This was a promise! A promise about a sniper contest unlike what any-one had ever seen! A sniper contest of sheer legend, that was to come in the future, but not to far!