I own Nothing

Here is part two of the Final of the Post Enis Lobby arc. See last chapter for end of Arc annocments.

As always please Review.

Franky picked up his bag and took his first steps towards the Thousand Sunny, knowing he would be leaving Water 7 behind. His friends, family all cheering him on, even if he could only barely hear it over the sounds of the rest of the citizens telling him to put his pants back on and that he should never come back. Franky couldn't help but smirk; he felt a weight off his chest, one that had been there since his mentor Tom had died. He passed by Ezio, who just gave him a small nod before boarding the ship.

Once he was on board, he quickly put his pants back on, at both Nami's and Robin's request. Once they were on, Robin released her hands from Connor's eyes, and the crew started to prepare the ship with Nami taking the helm. Ezio walked over to Iceberg.

"You and your men should get back to safety; if the Marines see you, they may assume you are aiding the pirates," Ezio advised.

Iceberg nodded and got Paulie, Kokoro, Chimney, and the rest of the Galley-La workers back onto the streets above the scrapyard. They pulled up the rope ladder so it looked like they were only there to witness the Marines battle pirates. Ezio, however, didn't follow; he had one more job to do before he returned to the city. He made his way along the coast until he found a spot with a roundish edge that was away from the citizens of Water 7; he stood there and waited, fully knowing that he'd be in full view of the Marines when they rounded the island. The final farewells could be heard from the Franky Family as they wished Franky one last goodbye and good luck.

On the Sunny, Franky showed them the mechanism that pulled up the anchor, the sails were unfolded, and the ship began to move. Luffy's voice could be heard ordering their departure, and Nami at the helm had the ship follow the same coast Ezio had, while also slowly turning the ship so it would go out to open sea before they ran into the edge of the island.

"Hey Luffy, should we really be leaving now?" Chopper asked. His voice trembling as he was on the verge of tears. "What about Usopp; he's not here yet."

"Long nose-bro isn't here?" Franky asked in surprise.

"Nope," Zoro said, "but everyone who is part of this crew is, so there is no need to stay."

"But are you sure you want to leave like this and not wait for the other dude?" Franky asked. He didn't want to question his new captain's motives, but he also had seen how close Usopp and Luffy were at Enies Lobby.

"The Marines are here; we have no time to wait," La Volpe stated

"Yep, its fine Franky," Luffy said with a forced smile "truth is we've been waiting for a while,"

"You have?" Franky asked.

Flashback

"So, is this why you and Zoro were all tense when we came back?" Sanji asked. "You thought Ezio had taken Connor already."

After La Volpe and Ezio had finished explaining the complexities of Connor's sight evolving and how it could affect him, the crew were left to think about their next move. Luffy had picked up his hat from the table and put it back on his head. He was relieved to have it back, and Zoro also retrieved the Wado and put it back in its place on his sash. The atmosphere was tense, and Robin was still holding onto Connor, trying to get the boy to calm down, but it wasn't working.

"Yeah," Luffy agreed.

"I did promise not to abduct or harm the boy," Ezio reminded. "I don't break my promises."

"You can't blame us for thinking that," Zoro shot back. "But why were you late, cook?"

"We got all our shopping done before the meetup time, but Chimney was hungry, and we stopped for lunch. Where we ate, the owner gave me a cooking challenge to find an ingredient, and when I did, we spent the rest of the day collecting it," Sanji explained. "I lost track of time, so it really is my fault."

"You could have sent a note or something," Nami added. "We were waiting on you."

"Sorry, oh, that reminds me. Usopp wants to come back," Sanji remembered. With the talk they had, he'd completely forgotten about seeing the sniper.

"Wait, really?" Luffy asked in shock.

"Yeah, Connor and I saw him on our way back here. It's pretty clear he wants to come back," Sanji claimed. "Sounded like he was practicing a big return speech."

"That's great," Chopper cheered.

"Yeah, I was worried about him. Let's go find him and bring him back right now," Luffy declared, his normal happy energy coming back.

"Hold on, Luffy, I'll come with you so you don't get lost," Nami said as Luffy, her, and Chopper turned and headed for the door.

"We're going to get our crewmate back, we're going to get our crewmate back," Luffy sang.

"HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!" Zoro suddenly shouted. Everyone in the room looked at him in shock at his sudden outburst. "JUST WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!"

The sudden shouts and noise frightened Connor, who let out a small whimper. He gripped Robin's shirt tighter, looking for comfort and protection. Robin wanted to glare at Zoro, but she knew his anger was not directed at the boy, and Connor was likely still frightened from the previous conversation involving his sight.

"I get that you want to see him again, but you can't bring him back here," Zoro said sternly. "You can't go to him, tell him you're happy to see him again, and bring him back. He's not welcome here."

"Why not?" Luffy asked, confused.

"Zoro, what the hell, you bully!" Chopper huffed.

"Yeah, I don't know what your problem is, but that's no way to talk about Usopp," Nami started.

"Shut up, all of you," Zoro shouted back angrily. He then glared at Nami. "You seriously don't know what my problem is? Are you serious right now?"

Zoro stormed up to Luffy and looked him dead in the eye. "I don't know or care what both of you were thinking when you started the argument back on the Merry, I don't care that tempers were high that day. But when two men agree to a duel, you respect the outcome no matter what it is," Zoro scolded. "Don't you get it, he quit, challenged you, Luffy, and lost. He left on his own accord."

"That's true, but…" Nami tried, trying to find fault with Zoro's logic. Fortunately, the conversation was broken by La Volpe.

"I'm sorry, but I'm confused. Who is this Usopp, and why is his return making you angry?" La Volpe asked.

"He's a sniper who was part of our crew, but he quit our crew the day we arrived on this island," Chopper explained.

"He didn't just leave; he challenged Luffy to a duel for captaincy and ownership of our ship, which we had been told couldn't sail anymore," Sanji filled the two assassins in. "We needed to change ships, and he took it personally, and things escalated."

"This ship is the one that we escaped Enies Lobby on?" Ezio asked.

"It was," Robin confirmed.

"I see…and now he wants to return," La Volpe said thoughtfully. He then looked at Sanji. "When you saw him, how did he sound, remorseful or filled with regret?"

Zoro looked over his shoulder at La Volpe, wondering if he understood that Zoro's anger was justified or not.

"No, he sounded all cheery and happy about coming back from what I heard," Sanji stated.

"Then I agree with the swordsman," La Volpe declared. "He has no place among you."

"Hey, you don't get to say that," Luffy shouted defensively.

"Am I not part of your crew? Do I not get a say in such matters?" La Volpe challenged, clearly not phased by Luffy's response.

"You just joined; this is a personal and ongoing matter," Nami claimed.

"No, he's right," Zoro said. He pulled out his sword but didn't unsheathe it. Instead, he tapped Luffy's hat with the hilt of his sword. "Luffy may be an idiot, but he is still our captain. We're better off without a crew member who can't respect their leader's decisions when things get tough. Any crew that doesn't respect their captain is destined to fall apart."

No one said anything as Zoro's words sank in. Suddenly, the swordsman grabbed Luffy's cheek and stretched it so the captain was facing him.

"I'M ONLY GOING TO SAY THIS ONCE. YOU NEED TO MAN UP AND NOT LET PEOPLE LIKE USOPP WALK ALL OVER YOU BECAUSE IF YOU DO THEN I WILL BE THE NEXT ONE TO QUIT!" Zoro declared.

"Zoro stop, you're making this more complicated than it needs to be," Nami tried.

Zoro let go of Luffy, and his face snapped back to normal.

"Don't get me wrong; it's fine if Usopp wants to come back, and it's fine if he joins the crew again," Zoro agreed. "But if he thinks he can just come back and pretend like that fight never happened, I won't accept it or him. Unless he apologizes and recognizes what he did wrong and means it. Then, like La Volpe says, he has no place among us." His tone got deadly serious. "In other words, we will leave the island without him and never look back."

"Wait, Zoro, that's going too far. It's true that Usopp is at fault, but we can settle all that after he joins us again," Nami tried.

"So the fact that he just quit means nothing to you!" Zoro said. "You grew up in a pirate crew; can you really say quitting is easy? Did Arlong let you come and go as you pleased? Because last I checked, you were loyal to Arlong right up until we came along and disbanded his crew."

"Hey, that's a low blow moss head," Sanji defended. "and that has nothing to do with what we're talking about."

"It has everything to do with what we're talking about. Face it, Nami was loyal to Arlong just as Connor was loyal to Alvida before Luffy disbanded those crews. They couldn't just come and go as they pleased. Even if their circumstances were unfortunate and regrettable…both Alvida and Arlong were captains and got the respect they demanded and deserved from those under them. Respect that Usopp is refusing to give and show Luffy," Zoro scolded. "The same goes for Robin and Crocodile. They were all loyal to their captains till the end."

"That's…not…" Nami started. She wanted to deny it, but she couldn't. How many pirates had she stolen from? She'd gained the trust of many people and even told Arlong all about it. Arlong let her do it, but now that she thought about it, had he told her no or even took issue with how Nami got her money for her village she would have found another way.

"Nami, I hate to say it, but Zoro is right," Sanji said sadly. "It may be harsh to hear, but he's got a point."

"Do you finally understand? If Usopp pulls a pointless stunt like this on a whim, then how are we supposed to trust him going forward?" Zoro asked.

Once more the room was silent, and no one had an answer for Zoro. La Volpe's eyes flickered to the side for a moment. He knew someone was outside, but the moment his eyes refocused on Zoro.

"We aren't kids playing Pirates; this isn't one of his stories or games," Zoro finished. Luffy glared at his first mate, and the look Zoro saw in his eyes told the swordsman that the captain finally understood what he was saying.

"Your right, this isn't a game," Luffy agreed. "It's been days, almost ten days since Enies Lobby. It's time we ended our relationship with Usopp. If he doesn't show up tomorrow when we leave, we'll know his answer; until then, let's wait for him to come to us."

Again, another silence befell the room as it became clear that the Straw Hats would likely say goodbye to a second friend on Water 7.

"Well, I think that is enough for one day," Robin said, standing up and looking down at Connor. "Perhaps we should all go to bed. We will need our rest for tomorrow."

Nami sighed and moved over to the window and pulled the curtain shut, Robin was right, this was enough for one night.

"Agreed," La Volpe said and walked past the crew towards the door.

"Hey, Where are you going?" Zoro asked as La Volpe approached him.

"Back to my room, I am staying at an inn in the city," La Volpe stated. "There is no bunk for me to sleep in here."

Zoro narrowed his eyes and moved aside, and La Volpe walked past him.

"I will be back in the morning," the thief promised.

"Hold on, I'll walk you out," Ezio said and followed after his friend.

End Flashback

"So you see, we've been waiting all this time and Usopp's still a no-show," Luffy claimed. "That means this is his answer. I'm sure we'll meet again, though. He didn't say he was going to quit being a pirate so…and I bet he'll have just as much fun as we will, so it's not a problem."

Luffy let out a forced and fake laugh, but everyone on board could tell that he was disappointed and upset that Usopp didn't return. Robin glanced over at Zoro; the swordsman was also keeping a brave face but had a firm grip on Wado, and the sword was shaking slightly. Suddenly, the ship rocked as two large cannonballs landed close to the Sunny. There was no damage to the ship as they were warning shots, but neither was there the sound of cannon firing.

"What was that?" Nami panicked.

"I believe that would be the marines Ezio warned us about," La Volpe stated.

Franky ran over to the starboard side of the ship, and sure enough, a Marine battleship with a dog figurehead rounded the island, approaching from the south—the same direction Ezio had warned them about.

"The Marines, they really did find us," Franky said in disbelief.

"Grandpa's really here? I guess Ezio was right," Luffy said and walked up to stand next to Franky.

"You would all do well to listen to warnings from Ezio and myself," La Volpe commented as he too moved next to the two. "Our sight never shows us falsehoods."

"Luffy!" Garp's voice echoed through the area as he called through a microphone. "I know you can hear me! I didn't want to have to do this, but apparently not catching you because you're my grandson didn't fly with Sengoku, so I'll have to send you, your friends, and your new ship to a watery grave!"

Sanji joined Franky, Luffy, and La Volpe; he narrowed his eyes and squinted to look on the deck of Garp's ship. "Odd, they're not loading the cannons. Why aren't they loading the cannons?"

He got his answer a second later as a cannonball faster than any the pirates had ever seen whizzed by just behind their new ship and hit the edge of the Island right near where Ezio was standing. The force of the explosion caused the Sunny to be pushed further away from the cape.

The crew's jaws dropped.

"That was…that was harder and faster than a normal cannon!" Sanji cried out. "Just what kind of monster is your grandfather?!"

"NAMI GET US OUT OF HERE!" Luffy panicked. "EVERYONE ELSE, DEFEND THE SHIP!"

Another volley raced toward the ship as Luffy sucked in air to inflate himself. He caught half a dozen cannonballs with his inflated form, but the sheer force of them being thrown from Garp was enough to push the rubber captain back. Robin sprouted many arms from the Sunny to catch and support Luffy; with that help, the rubber captain was able to deflect the cannonballs back.

Zoro and Sanji also defended the ship the only way they knew how. Zoro sliced incoming cannonballs that would explode in the air close or behind him, and Sanji did his best to kick some away and even back towards the marines. Nami was at the helm doing her best to keep the ship on a straight path and looking for any currents they could use to their advantage, and Chopper was helping out where he could. La Volpe stood off the side and threw some daggers in an attempt to disrupt the cannon fire. But he didn't have the tools to handle the incoming rapid fire.

Franky shot his gatling gun at the incoming fire.

"Damn it, I just finished building this ship, don't go destroying it on its maiden voyage," the Shipwright shouted annoyed.

Despite the crew's efforts, they were just coming in too hard and too fast. Connor was on deck panicking. The barrage of cannon fire was triggering him again, and he fell to his knees with his hands over his ears and started to shake. La Volpe noticed this and ran over, standing protectively in front of Connor to shield him from the cannon fire while also doing his best to disrupt the incoming fire.

"What's wrong with Connor?" La Volpe yelled.

"He's triggered by cannon fire," Sanji responded, shouting at La Volpe so he'd be heard over the cannon fire.

"Just don't let any of them hit him, there's more are headed this way!" Zoro yelled, cutting two cannonballs in half with a flying slash.

"Hey, Franky!" Luffy shouted, between bursts of inflation to redirect his own cannonballs. "You said this ship had an escape function?!"

"It sure does!" the cyborg called back with a smile, as his Weapons Left blew a trio of projectiles out of the air. "I'll need about 30 seconds to set it up!"

Franky stopped fighting and ran into the Sunny and down to the lower decks to get set up while the cannon fire continued to rain down on the pirate vessels.

On Garp's ship,

Garp was relentless; he had the marines bring out all the cannonballs they had, tossing them at Luffy's ship like they were simple toy balls. Aokiji was on the deck, sitting in a sun chair with an eye mask, attempting to take a nap. However, given all the cannon fire and the sounds of battle, he wasn't getting any sleep.

"Vice Admiral Garp, Admiral Aokiji," Helmeppo called in fear, pointing towards the shore.

"What is it?" Garp demanded, annoyed that he had been interrupted. Aokiji merely pulled up his mask with a bored expression.

"L…L….LOOOK!" Helmeppo cried out. Garp and Aokiji followed where Helmeppo was pointing, and Garps' eyes went wide. Standing on the edge of the cape with their arms folded was Ezio. He was focused solely on the fleeing Straw Hat ship. All the marines were now focused on Ezio, who made no move or indication that he had been spotted. But almost all of them had a look of pure terror on their faces.

Coby was one of the few who didn't and was confused, looking over the railing at Ezio. "What's everyone afraid for? Oh, Hey mister, get away from the cape; it's dangerous," Coby called out to Ezio, not recognizing him or the robes and worried he could be caught in the cannon fire.

Helmeppo, however, covered Coby's mouth, and Coby looked at his shaking friend.

"SHHHH! Don't talk to him, don't you know who that is?" Helmeppo panicked. Coby shook his head, and his eyes held confusion. "That's the Mentor of the Brotherhood," Helmeppo hissed. "If you get his attention, you're dead."

Ezio, hearing this, tilted his head slightly and looked up at Coby. Helmeppo fainted from fright, and Coby looked down at his friend and back at Ezio, still thoroughly confused as to who the man on the cape was. A smirk formed on Ezio's face, and he refocused on the fleeing Straw Hat ship.

"Well, that is different," Aokiji commented. "Oi Garp, are you going to deal with him?"

"Nope," Garp said, refocusing on the fleeing Straw Hat ship and threw another cannonball.

"What if I ordered you to?" Aokiji said in a serious tone.

"Sengoku ordered me to capture my grandson, and last I checked Fleet Admiral outranked regular Admiral," Garp pointed out. "If you want to take him out, do it yourself."

"Meh, I'm off duty at the moment," Aokiji shrugged lazily and repositioned the eye patch.

The streets of Water 7

Usopp ran through the streets of Water 7, a smile on his face and full of energy. He had finally decided to return to the others. The decision came after the two giants had approached him a second time about their offer to take him to Elbaf. Usopp realized he didn't want to part from the crew. Despite the fight with Luffy, the rubber captain was so easy-going that Usopp doubted Luffy remembered or cared.

"This is it, this is the day I go back. I can't wait to see how happy everyone is. I have a foolproof plan that is guaranteed to work 100%. The first thing I'll say is, 'You guys don't have to worry, Captain Usopp has come back to you all.' Then Luffy and the others will say, 'Oh Usopp, we missed you. We can't do anything without you and your guidance. Please never leave again.' And I'll respond humbly, 'It's alright, no need to fear. Luffy, you still have a lot to learn about being a captain, so I will allow you to be co-captain and take you under my wing if you promise to do everything I say.' And Luffy will be in tears and say, 'Oh, thank you, Captain Usopp. I'm not worthy of being your student.' And I'll finish off with, 'You are, you just don't know it yet. Let me show you the true meaning of being a pirate captain.' And then we'll embrace as friends, brothers, and everyone will cheer, 'Hooray for Captain Usopp!'" Usopp said as he was running, earning him a few odd looks from passing citizens.

Usopp knew about the ship that was being built for the Straw Hats by Franky and Iceberg, and he'd spent the time coming up with a return speech. He would need it, after all, as no doubt everyone would be waiting for his great and gallant return. After running through various scenarios, he had the perfect speech prepared. He headed towards Dock One to meet his friends, fully prepared for a tearful reunion. However, when he arrived, the residence was empty, save for the large sack that Ezio had been keeping and one or two other possessions that belonged to the Assassin.

"Huh? Where is everyone?" Usopp wondered. He walked out of the residence and spotted some shipwrights that were coming in for work and ran over to them.

"Hey, have you guys seen Luffy and the others?" Usopp asked.

"Oh, they're at the scrapyard with Iceberg. The ship's ready, so they went to go see it," the shipwright told Usopp.

Usopp beamed at the news. The new ship was ready; this was perfect, and the perfect time for him to return. He could come back. It would be humble and cool; he was the captain, after all, and it was only natural that he should greet the new ship with his crew.

"Thanks," Usopp said and ran off, jumping on his Yagara and headed towards the scrapyard at full speed. When he got as far as he could go by Yagara, he jumped off and ran the rest of the way. As he was approaching the broken stairs that led to the scrapyard, Usopp was surprised to see a large crowd had gathered.

"Eh? A crowd?" Usopp asked confused. Suddenly, he heard the sounds of large explosions coming from the sea. "What's going on?" the sniper wondered and pushed his way through the crowd. "Excuse me, pardon me…"

When Usopp emerged at the front of the crowd, he found himself standing next to Zambi and amongst the Franky Family. Usopp's eyes widened as he saw a ship with the Straw Hat mark on the sails already out to sea and moving away from the coast. The ship was being fired upon by a marine ship that Usopp remembered belonging to Luffy's grandfather. Iceberg and Paulie were nearby as well, and Zambi looked at him in shock.

"What… what's going on here?" Usopp asked in shock with a hint of fear. "Why are they…"

"Long Nose-bro, what are you doing here?" Zambi asked in surprise. "We thought you were on board."

"What's going on… why are they leaving?" Usopp repeated.

"The Marines showed up to capture Straw Hat," Paulie informed. "Once Franky was on board, they set off."

"Eh, Franky joined?" Usopp asked in surprise. He wasn't surprised that Franky had joined; after all, he'd built the ship, and he fully expected Luffy to offer him a place on the crew. However, he was more surprised that they'd left as soon as the shipwright was on board and not waited.

"So the Marines are attacking, so what… I'm still here… they can handle a few Marines easily… why did they leave?" Usopp asked himself, anger flaring up at being left behind. "Surely they all knew he wasn't on board… yet they still left,"

"Straw Hat claimed everyone was on board," Paulie stated.

"Not everyone," Iceberg said, and his eyes focused on the back of Ezio, who was standing at the edge of the coast.

"That's right… I'm… I'm still here, damn it," Usopp cried out, and he leapt off the edge of the steps, jumping down to the scrap yard.

"Hey stop, Long nose-bro, that's dangerous, the cannon fire is being redirected," Zambi called out.

Usopp, however, didn't listen and charged across the scrapyard, desperate to catch up.

"HEY! REJOICE FOR IT'S ME! I HAVE RETURNED!" Usopp shouted at the top of his lungs. He spotted Chopper rush over the railing and look at him with a happy face. However, none of the others reacted as they were too busy fending off the cannon fire. Usopp also spotted the same dark hooded figure he'd seen the previous night. The man was in front of a triggered Connor, protecting him with throwing knives.

"Isn't that the shady foe from last night? What's he doing on board… ah never mind, I need to get their attention," Usopp muttered to himself. "Hey Chopper, the weather is nice today, let's go fishing once the cannon fire stops! Oh right, I have something to tell you all. When I return, I will let Luffy be Co-Captain from now on. What do you think!"

However, the ship continued to sail without any acknowledgment other than Chopper looking back at Usopp.

"HEY LUFFY! I BET YOU'RE HAPPY TO SEE ME TOO, RIGHT? YOU FEEL THE SAME AS I DO AND ARE ABOUT TO CRY TEARS OF JOY… RIGHT?!"

Still no response from the ship or signs that it would slow down or come back to get him. Not even Ezio, who Usopp was running towards and closest to, turned to acknowledge him.

"HEY, SAY SOMETHING DAMN IT! RESPOND! HAVEN'T WE ALWAYS FACED EVERY CHALLENGE TOGETHER? WHY WON'T YOU ANSWER ME!" Usopp screamed in rage.

On the ship, Chopper had been ecstatic when he sensed Usopp's presence with his keen nose and sense of smell. However, he was the only one happy to see him and tried to get the others' attention.

"Everyone, Usopp is back, he's right there," Chopper cried happily.

"Can't see him," Sanji said as he kicked three balls away that were headed straight for Robin.

"Hey Zoro, Usopp's on the cape calling us," the doctor tried.

"Do you hear Usopp, Captain?" Zoro asked Luffy as he sliced several more cannonballs.

"Nope, not a thing," Luffy confirmed as he deflected more cannonfire.

"Liars, you can hear him just fine," Chopper called them out.

On the shore, Usopp had run out of land and was now standing just beside Ezio, panting and out of breath. The Assassin mentor hadn't glanced his way or given any indication that he knew Usopp was behind him.

"Hey…CUT IT OUT, YOU GUYS!" Usopp cried out. "THIS ISN'T FUNNY!"

When he got no response, Usopp grabbed Ezio's robes. "Oi, why are they leaving us behind, make them stop, do something," Usopp demanded desperately.

Ezio, however, raised an arm and shoved Usopp off him before tossing a small pouch at him; he then returned his arm to its original position. The shove had enough force behind it to throw Usopp off him and onto the ground, and the sniper looked up at Ezio in shock. The Assassin not once took his eyes off the fleeing ship.

"What are you doing? They're leaving without us," Usopp urged. "They left you behind too."

"They did not. I declined the offer to join," Ezio claimed. "Everyone who is part of the Straw Hat Pirates is already aboard that ship."

"Then what are you doing out here?" Usopp demanded angrily.

"I am showing my respect for Captain Luffy and his crew," Ezio said seriously, emphasizing the word respect. "What are you doing out here?"

Usopp froze at that and looked out to sea; the Sunny was now quite far from the coast, as were the Marines who were chasing them.

"I'm…rejoining them…aren't I?" Usopp asked now with uncertainty in his voice. "They knew I wasn't really leaving…didn't they…"

Ezio didn't respond or give any answer.

Usopp looked down as he remembered the fight, how he and Luffy parted, how he'd helped the crew at Enies Lobby but been too afraid in the aftermath to approach Luffy as himself, instead hiding behind the Sogeking persona he'd created. Then when they'd got back to Water 7, he'd been so focused on how he would return to the crew and what he would do but never actually going through with it.

He'd seen Ezio a few times, with the crew, smiling and looking like he was having fun. He'd spotted Connor and Chimney playing on the beach and looking for shells with Luffy and Kokoro keeping a watchful eye as the kids acted like kids; knowing it was rare for Connor to act his age and be a child, he had chosen not to approach Luffy at that time.

Then he'd seen Zoro help out some large family and…and…and he finally realized why the Straw Hats were leaving. They didn't know he wanted to come back; he'd not told them or approached any of them. But surely the others knew him better than that, right? Surely they didn't think he would leave forever…did they?

Yes, Usopp admitted that he and Luffy had fought and he'd challenged the rubber captain for ownership of the Merry. Merry was gone now; so that meant that the reason for the fight was also gone, and so was Usopp's reason to leave. It was all in the past, and they could all be friends and sail together again...right...right?

"So…so they really are leaving me behind? Is this really how we separate?" Usopp whispered as it dawned on him the reason why the crew didn't wait for him. Because he told them not to on that fateful day when everything went wrong, he severed his ties with Luffy, with everyone.

Usopp balled his fists and looked down in shame. He didn't realize that words had so much power and effect. Thinking back on it, he had been an idiot. He knew the Merry was doomed; he even admitted it to Franky but…he couldn't let go. His pride had caused him to lash out at Luffy and the others, and that same pride had prevented him from doing what needed to be done. Usopp began to shake; it was so simple and obvious now.

Even Ezio had mentioned it a few days ago when the man had approached him looking for a missing Yagura, but Usopp had waved it off, saying it was impossible. And because he was too stubborn and prideful to admit his mistake, that he was wrong…it had cost him everything and everyone he held dear.

"I see…so this is goodbye then…" Usopp said, his voice failing him. "If this is really goodbye then...then let me just say one thing. If you haven't heard anything I've said then please…please hear this."

He then took a deep breath and at the top of his lungs screamed two very important words.

"I'M SORRRRRYYYYYYYYYYYYY!" Usopp cried with tears in his eyes. He fell onto the ground with his head lowered in shame. "I'M REALLY SORRY! IT WAS MY BAD; EVERYTHING WAS MY FAULT! I COULDN'T SEE PAST MY OWN ANGER AND GRIEF AND TOOK IT OUT ON ALL OF YOU!"

On the ship, Luffy stopped fighting and turned to look back to Usopp. He took a few steps forward so he was at the bow of the ship and looking directly back at where the sniper was kneeling next to Ezio.

"I KNOW IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO BELIEVE, BUT I REALLY DIDN'T MEAN TO QUIT, AND EVEN THOUGH I HAVE NO RIGHT TO ASK, BUT IS IT TOO LATE TO TAKE IT ALL BACK?! CAN I…PLEASE?" Usopp cried hard and loud with remorse and regret for what his thoughtless actions had cost him. "I WANT TO SAIL WITH YOU ALL AGAIN! IF POSSIBLE, WILL YOU LET ME BE YOUR NAKAMA AGAIN!"

Ezio smirked under his hood and shifted his foot backward to make room. Luffy must have seen the subtle movement because a second later a long rubber arm was stretched out from the Sunny. Usopp looked at the outstretched hand in surprise.

"WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR, GRAB ON!" Luffy cried out, his face covered with his own tears of joy.

Usopp eagerly grabbed it and was pulled back over the ocean towards the ship. He held onto dear life, praying that no cannonfire would hit him, and after a few seconds, he collided with Luffy. Both fell onto the deck crying their eyes out. Despite the happy reunion, the cannonballs continued to rain down on the pirate vessel. The Straw Hats were keeping them at bay and kept up with Garp's steady stream of attacks. Seeing that Usopp was on board, Garp called for his ultimate attack, and a marine brought out a heavy chain connected to an iron ball even bigger than the Marine ship itself.

"Where the hell was he keeping that?!" Sanji panicked when he saw what Garp was preparing to throw.

"Can we go now?" La Volpe asked in a bored tone. Suspecting Luffy was waiting until the absolute last minute for Usopp to return and his command to defend the ship was a stalling tactic.

"Franky!" Chopper called down to the shipwright. "Usopp's on board!"

"We're ready!" the shipwright called as he ran up out of the lower deck and up to the helm. Nami moved aside. "Oi, bring in the sails and tie them tight!"

"Huh? The sails?" Nami asked.

"Trust me," Franky grinned.

"Zoro, Sanji, do it," Nami ordered.

"YES, NAMI-SWANNNNNN!" Sanji swooned.

"Don't order me around," Zoro complained but nonetheless did as Nami instructed.

As they were pulling in the sails, pink energy began to accumulate in a large vent at the back of the ship.

"This takes three barrels of Cola, but thanks to the durability of the Adam wood, Sunny will be able to withstand the pressure."

"What does?" Zoro demanded. "What are you talking about?"

"You'll see. Everyone hang on to something! Coup de Burst!" Franky pulled a lever, releasing all the energy that had built up. He wasn't a moment too soon, the ship shooting away into the air just before the shadow of Garp's ridiculously big weapon passed over it and splashed in the ocean mere seconds after the launch. They were flying.

"We're Flying, we're really flying!" Usopp screamed with tears of joy while hanging on for dear life.

"That's right," Franky began as the rest of the crew marvelled at the fact that they were flying once more, "Since it's powered by three barrels of Cola, it can fly a total of 1 Kilometer once launched. There is nothing your old ship the Going Merry could do that the Thousand Sunny can't. Everything was included. If it falls apart, I'll simply rebuild it. This ship is my super masterpiece and she'll be known as the greatest ship ever built!"

The ship splashed down a Kilometer away from Water 7. With both the city and the marines long out of sight or range, the crew could finally start to relax.

"That was amazing!" Chopper cried out in happiness.

"An impressive feat, to be sure," La Volpe agreed.

"You know what this calls for…A PARTY!" Luffy cheered. "SANJI, MEAT!"

"Yeah yeah, I know," Sanji said and walked off to the kitchen.

It took about an hour for Sanji to whip up some food and drink for everyone. The supplies he'd bought had been stored, and he was planning on making something larger and grander for dinner, but what he'd made would suffice for now. During that time, Connor had calmed down, and once the food was out, he joined the others.

Luffy raised a glass. "Here's to having Robin and Usopp back, to our two new crewmembers Franky and La Volpe, and to our new ship the Thousand Sunny! Cheers!"

"Cheers!" everyone chorused, their mugs coming together between them.