DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING, EXCEPT RAGNAR AND ALL VIKINGS AND OCs IN THIS STORY! ONE PIECE BELONGS TO EICHIRO ODA, VIZ MANGA, TOEI ANIMATION AND FUNIMATION ENTERTAINMENT/CRUNCHYROLL LLC
Chapter 48: Usopp vs. Daddy the Father! Showdown at High Noon!
While Luffy was out and about in Loguetown hoping to find the execution platform, back at Marine HQ, Tashigi was finally brought up to speed on the situation with Buggy the Clown, and she was not happy about it.
"Captain Smoker! How can you be so relaxed at a time like this!?" She asked, incredulously, "If Buggy the Clown is still somewhere on the island, we have to blockade the ports immediately!"
"Just calm down, Tashigi," Smoker replied as he read the local newspaper, "There's no need to worry about it yet."
"And just why is that, exactly?" Tashigi asked, but from outside came a certain sound of shouting.
"Stop! You can't go in there!"
"The Captain's in a meeting!"
At that moment, the door suddenly burst open, and a rather averagely tall man with a seemingly lean build, large sideburns, mustache, and goatee style beard entered the door. This intimidating figure of a man wore a signature bucket wide-brimmed hat and appears similar to a gunslinger. He also wore fingerless gloves and donned a cloak that hid most of his body. In his arms were three unconscious criminals all slung over his shoulders like freshly hunted deer carcasses. The very sight of him caused Smoker to lift his gaze from the newspaper.
"How ya doin' Smoker?" The man asked.
"Well, if it isn't Daddy," Smoker muttered to himself, having obviously known the man. Daddy dropped down all three men in front of him.
"Here's two-pistol Pete and the cop killin' Riley Brothers," said Daddy as he approached the desk with a clipboard.
"I see. And all three of them have bounties?" Smoker asked, knowing exactly what this was about.
"No, all four," Daddy clarified, "I dropped a brother off at the morgue. If you wouldn't mind signing off on them, I'd appreciate it."
"A million berries for four guys," Smoker muttered as he looked at the clipboard, "Times are tough it seems."
"The work may be cheap, but it's definitely steady," said Daddy, who obviously had no problem with this kind of bounty hunting, "I'm fine with bringing in the little fish that swim through these waters. I'm not really keen on going out to sea to chase that one big catch." He only waited patiently as Smoker signed off on the bounty list, then returned the clipboard back to him.
"The Marines' best sniper reduced to being a common street cleaner," Smoker lamented, "It's truly a sad sight to behold."
"I don't wanna risk my life anymore," Daddy replied as he turned to take his leave.
"Because if you die, that daughter of yours will end up on the street, right?" Smoker asked, but the bounty hunter only raised his hand to wave farewell, "Tell Carol I said hi."
"Sure. I'll tell her that Uncle Smokey said hello," Daddy replied, then made his way out, leaving Tashigi only stunned by the man she just laid eyes upon.
"That was Daddy Masterson, the bounty hunter, wasn't he?" She asked, "Captain, you seriously know him?"
"Yeah. We enlisted at the same time," Smoker revealed, "He was one of the elites, a real natural with a musket. I was certain that he was destined for greatness. But evidently, I was wrong."
"Then why is he just a bounty hunter?" Tashigi asked, but even Smoker remained silent on that question. It seemed that Daddy Masterson was hiding something.
Back in the middle of town, Zoro and Ragnar were both inspecting the former's new swords. Zoro particularly was inspecting the flame-patterned hamon of Kitetsu III. He couldn't help but imagine the thought of owning a cursed blade until now. It was something that was both terrifying yet thrilling at the same time.
"A cursed sword, huh?" Zoro asked, smiling at the quality of the blade's craftsmanship, "Interesting."
"Very interesting, indeed," Ragnar muttered, "Perhaps Kitetsu III can be reclaimed now that you wield her. Not as a symbol to be feared, but as a sword to inspire hope, to place a curse upon those who would dare stand against us! Whaddya think? A bit too much?"
"Hmm? Oh, nah, it was actually perfect," Zoro replied to his Viking friend, "To curse our opponents. I like the sound of it, actually."
"Hey guys!" A familiar voice chimed in, and both Zoro and Ragnar saw Luffy standing right in front of them, startling them both. "That's a pretty cool sword!"
"Don't sneak up on us like that!" Zoro told his captain, sheathing the sword in its scabbard.
"Luffy! Fancy running into you here," said Ragnar, enthused that they managed to run into their captain.
"So, why are you guys just sitting here?" Luffy asked, hands on his hips, though just as happy to run into his shipmates.
"Well, Ragnar and I are just going over our gains we made today," Zoro explained, "What about you, Luffy?"
"Actually, I'm completely lost," Luffy explained nonchalantly, "I tried finding the execution platform, but I ran into this Marine guy…I think Smokey was his name. He wanted me to answer a few questions, then challenged me to a fight."
"You met Captain Smoker!?" Ragnar asked stunned, "I take it that if he challenged you to a fight, he was testing your fighting potential. In his eyes, if a Viking or pirate can stand up to him, then they can stand up to the challenges that await them on the Grand Line."
"And that's a good thing?" Zoro asked, slightly shocked that Smoker was just testing Luffy.
"Meh, it's okay," Luffy said with a shrug, not worried too much about his earlier fight. "Hey, do you guys know where the execution platform is?" Yet before either could answer, the sound of yelling got their attention.
"Hey! There he is!"
"It's him! End of the line, Daddy!"
"Uh, Luffy? I think that something else warrants our attention," said Ragnar as the three of them looked on at the sight. Daddy Masterson was walking straight into a setup, as five thugs surrounded him, three armed with flintlock pistols, one with a chain and the other with a saber.
"Bastard! You sold out our friends to the highest bidder!" One of the men yelled, "It's time for you to pay! So, go ahead and DIE!" Yet as the thugs tried to gang up on their victim, the sound of gunfire rang throughout the square, and four of the attackers fell to the ground, much to the three Straw Hats' amazement. The last one, the redhead armed with the chain fell right on his ass. Given his youthful appearance and frightened expression, he was little more than a boy. The cloaked man in the wide-brimmed hat only walked up to the kid and took a cigarette out of his waistcoat pocket, stamping it down on the ground with his boot.
"Why don't you run on home, kid?" Daddy asked with a grim expression on his face, "Your mom certainly must have lunch ready by now." Daddy's serious demeanor frightened the boy so much, that he ran off like a scared kitten. Yet from afar, the same could not be said for Luffy.
"WHOA! ZORO! RAGNAR! THAT GUY'S TOTALLY AWESOME!" Luffy exclaimed.
"I think that's…yep," said Zoro, instantly recognizing the man, "It's Daddy the Father – bounty hunter."
"A friend of yours from when you were with Johnny and Yosaku?" Ragnar asked.
"Hardly," said Zoro, shaking his head, "I only know his reputation. Apparently, he was once the best musketeer the Marines had to offer, but for some reason, he resigned once his tour of duty ended. Nobody knows why."
Meanwhile, on the other side of town, Usopp was dragging his massively loaded backpack as if he were a turtle with an overgrown shell. Apparently, despite being made the victim of a con artist's schemes, he didn't mind carrying a load of useless junk. As long as he was able to tinker with it, he could turn it into something useful.
"I've got everything I need!" He muttered happily to himself, "I'm completely prepared for anything the sea can throw at me! There isn't anything that Usopp: Brave Warrior of the Sea can't face now!" All at once, however, his smile left his face as a thought struck him, "Wait a minute…I may actually be forgetting something important. A first class archer like myself should definitely have a top-tier pair of goggles to look through and protect his eyes. I'm gonna get the best pair I can find! Unless it's more than I can afford." Then he set off at a run, shouting, "Super-goggles, here I come!"
Before long, Usopp came across an interesting shop that sold trinkets of all kinds. Yet the item that caught his attention the most was an interesting pair of sniper goggles that acted as a helmet and with extendable lenses that had built-in polarized sunglasses. Usopp was thrilled by these optics, and even gave a test draw of his bow with them on. They fit perfectly!
"Are the goggles to your liking, sir?" the shopkeeper asked.
"Yep! These are them!" Usopp told her, "These are the ones! They're perfect!"
"I'm glad you like them," the shopkeeper replied, "Those are brand new! They're a top of the line model from the North Blue. Oh, and the import ship I get them from only comes here once a year!"
"Once a year?!" Usopp asked, only remembering that he didn't have his money on him, having left it with his belongings outside. "Wait here! I'll be right back!" Yet as he ran outside, a young little girl made her way into the store and looked at the goggles.
"I'll take those~," she said in an innocent tone, causing Usopp to trip over his own feet as soon as he heard what she said. How could she dare steal his goggles!?
"Oh, an excellent choice!" The shopkeeper told the child, "And what a cute little girl you are. I happen to know that these goggles are the only make in the world."
"No! Hold it right there!" Usopp growled as he stood up, "THOSE ARE MY GOGGLES! DROP 'EM THIS INSTANT!" Yet the little girl only paid for the goggles and made her way up to the archer.
"Ya snooze, ya lose, grandpa!" She told Usopp, then skipped out the door, leaving the poor long-nosed archer shocked. As she skipped out down the street, she knew that Usopp was coming after her.
"Little girl! Stop right there!" Usopp yelled, standing in front of her, "There's no way you can possibly think I'm an old man. I'm more like an older brother, right?"
"Well…ya certainly smell like an old man," the child retorted.
"I AM NOT OLD! I'M SEVENTEEN!" Usopp yelled, "PLEASE, JUST GIVE ME BACK THOSE GOGGLES! I WAS GONNA BUY THEM MYSELF!"
"Oh yeah?" The girl replied, putting her foot down as she glared at Usopp, "You better watch your mouth! I'm friends with the Marines, and I'll get them to beat you up!"
"You know the Marines?!" Usopp asked, shocked that this girl would go to such lengths.
"That's right. And their captain's a close personal friend of my family's," she explained, "He's kinda like my uncle."
"Why you little…" Usopp growled, but then instantly came up with his own theatrics, "Ha! I'm a great captain too! Arlong Park was destroyed by these two hands! I was there leading the Marines of Branch 77, The Vikings and the Sun Pirates against a horde of fish-men, and the last thing they ever saw was Captain Usopp the incredible doing such amazing and terrible things with a bow! They were glad to quickly meet their end! They were also lucky. If the Marines hadn't helped that day, then I'd have a bounty of thirty million berries! The newspapers have the entire story!"
"Oh…thirty million berries, huh?" The girl asked, then noticed someone waiting for her: Daddy Masterson. She only smiled and waved as she ran over to him, "Papa! I'm back!" She exclaimed, handing him the goggles, "I got a present for you. Happy birthday, Papa!"
"Oh, my little girl…" Daddy uttered out, his face soon curling up into a smile as he felt so proud of his daughter, "Carol, you are absolutely the most angelic girl a father could ask for!"
"I love you so much, Papa!" Carol happily replied, while Usopp looked on flabbergasted. What was with this little girl!? Yet then, Carol only glanced back at the archer with a glare, then turned back to her father, "But Papa, that silly long nosed guy was being mean and tried to jack your present!"
"Now, now, don't say 'jacked,' dear. That's not polite for a proper young girl," said Daddy, trying to calm his daughter down, but then he shot a menacing glare at Usopp, who felt a twinge of fear go down his spine. "Are you the gentleman who's been bothering my adorable little daughter?"
"Wha…!? No, I just…!" Usopp stuttered out, unable to find the words he was looking for.
"There's something else," said Carol as she tugged on her father's cloak, then very carefully whispered in his ear, "Apparently, he's been mentioned in the newspaper."
"Hmm? So, you managed to make a name for yourself, huh?" Daddy asked, having believed Usopp's lies that he told Carol. The archer only panicked as soon as he realized his lies were backfiring on him. "Lemme take a look," said Daddy as he then got out the newspaper he purchased that morning, and saw the front page article with Luffy's picture on the cover story. "Huh. A speculated bounty of thirty million…Monkey D. Luffy. For a speculated bounty, that's impressive." Usopp only tried to walk away in fear, but Daddy glanced up at him and asked, "Where do you think you're going?"
"Okay, look! That's not me! I'm not the guy in the newspaper," said Usopp, trying to clear his name, "I was just trying to pretend to be a bad guy! Buh-bye now! I'm outta here! See ya! Crap!" Yet as he turned to leave, Daddy noticed the back of Usopp's head in the lower left-hand corner of the photo.
"That's you, isn't it?" He asked, causing Usopp to freeze right where he stood.
"Okay, ya caught me again!" the archer declared, walking back towards father and daughter, "But just try to lay a finger on me, and you'll see what happens! My captain Luffy won't sit idly by while his crew is in danger! He's a soulless cold-blooded demon from the very pits of Hell itself! You can't even imagine the pain he can inflict! Besides, you've got your daughter to worry about. Why risk it?"
"You're right, it's not worth it," the bounty hunter replied, "Anyone worth thirty million berries on his head is no ordinary man, that's for sure."
"But Papa! You can beat him!" Carol insisted, "You're the strongest man ever, and you're not afraid of anyone!"
"Now, darling, I don't have to prove anything," Daddy told his daughter, "I just have to get by with enough to keep us happy. So long as you think I'm the greatest, that's all that matters to me, understand?" Usopp only looked on at the situation. He could win this easily.
'I scared him off just like that!? I guess I don't know how truly terrifying I can really be!' He thought, only smiling as he got another idiotic idea in his head, 'Well, looks like it's time to flex!' Now, he decided to go in for the metaphorical kill. "I'm glad you came to your senses, fool!" He boasted, "Now, just give me the goggles and we'll call it even. Don't worry, I'll pay for them. I'm an archer, not a thief. Now, give 'em here!"
"He's letting you go, old man!" Carol hissed at Usopp, "If I were you, I'd be running for my life…!" Yet Daddy only held his arm out, indicating that this was now personal.
"Okay, fine. If that's how you want it, then let's settle this dispute like gentlemen," the bounty hunter declared, "Catch!" And then he threw Usopp a flintlock pistol. Usopp caught the pistol in his right hand.
"Settle this like gentlemen? As in a duel?" Usopp asked, confirming what his opponent's intentions were, "Okay, fine. I can manage that."
"If you win, the goggles are yours," Daddy told his foe, then threw back his cloak, and revealed a multitude of holsters, all loaded with flintlock pistols. Some were on his baldric, his hips, his legs, and even on his cloak and torso!
"Two, three, four, six…THIRTY PISTOLS!?" Usopp screamed in fear after having counted them all. Instantly, he knew who he was facing now, "BUT…THAT'S THE SAME NUMBER OF GUNS AS… DADDY THE FATHER!"
"Yep, that's me," the bounty hunter replied. Now it was on: a duel to the death, and Daddy the Father was the challenger! Usopp was at a grave disadvantage now!
News of the duel spread like wildfire across Loguetown. Everyone ran towards the cemetery at the top of the nearest hill to get a close sight of the action. This was going to be the duel of the whole sixteenth century, and they were not going to miss it, not by a longshot!
"It's Daddy the Father!"
"There's gonna be a duel!"
"Who would be that stupid!?"
As the crowd rushed towards the duel site, Nami couldn't help but hear the shouts of those eager to witness the sight of history being made before their very eyes. Instantly, she couldn't help but wonder as well, as she knew exactly who was involved.
"No way…Daddy the Father?!" She muttered to herself, "Everybody knows that Daddy the Father is the greatest pistoleer in bounty hunter history! Not to mention the fact that he's never lost a duel before!" Nami too also ran towards the dueling site, bags of clothes in tow. She was definitely NOT going to miss out on this piece of action. "Just what kinda idiot would…?" she didn't finish. As she passed through the crowd to the front, she only saw Usopp trembling in his boots. "…Oh, that kind," she muttered, not even wanting to listen to the jeers and heckling that the crowd was giving her shipmate.
"Good luck, long-nose!"
"We got a hole dug for ya already, so just relax!"
'What the Hell just happened!? Why am I dueling this guy!?' Usopp thought, wondering how he even got into this mess. All this, just because Carol nabbed the goggles he wanted?!
"Simple rules," Daddy explained, "Walk ten paces and fire."
"Okay…" Usopp nervously uttered out, barely holding the pistol in his hand.
"What the hell are you doing!?" Nami yelled at Usopp, who noticed her in the crowd, "It looks like you're facing Daddy the Father in a duel! ARE YOU NUTS!?"
"YOU'RE NOT HELPING, NAMI!" Usopp yelled back, "YOU NEVER HAVE ANYTHING NICE TO SAY!"
"You both get one shot," Carol explained, "Are you gents ready?" Daddy only gave a stern and determined look, while Usopp only feared his time had come. All the crowd looked on, a hush having fallen over them as they were eager to see how this duel would end. It was then, that Carol started counting one number after another, slowly. Both men took their paces away from each other. Every step Usopp took felt heavier than the last.
'What am I doing!? This sucks!' He thought, mentally kicking himself for having made a boast. All he did was light fuel on his funeral pyre, 'I'm such an idiotic doofus! There's no way I can beat him with a pistol! I'm gonna die for sure! This can't be happening! I can't believe it! My adventure is just beginning and I'm already gonna die before it even kicks into high gear! Who'd have thought it would come to this!?' Usopp and Daddy only continued walking further away from one another. Then came the seventh step, and the eighth…it was at that moment which Usopp threw down a smoke bomb and sprinted for dear life. "Ciao!" He cried out, but then the sound of gunfire ripped through the air, as the archer suddenly felt the pistol flying out of his hands. When the smoke cleared…Usopp was still alive, but dropped to his knees in utter shame.
"Papa that was awesome!" Carol exclaimed as she ran towards her father, "You're the best!" Yet the reaction was different for the rest of the crowd that gathered. They came to see a duel, not cowardice. Disappointed by the outcome, most of the crowd walked away, and went back to their business.
"That was just pathetic."
"What a loser."
"I don't think I've ever seen such a cowardly move in my life."
While the crowd walked away, Usopp couldn't help but feel like dying. His own idiocy got in the way of things, and he botched everything up. This was worse than the lies he told back in Syrup Village.
"I just shot the coward's gun away," Daddy explained to his daughter, who was also disappointed in the long-nosed guy's antics.
"What were you thinking!?" Carol asked, angered by that spectacle, "Have you no shame!? Cheating during a duel! You should be so ashamed of yourself, it's pathetic!"
"I'm so sorry! Forgive me!" Usopp pleaded, profusely apologizing to his opponent, "I'm just really too scared to die this young! Killing me would be too easy for you, right? So, please don't shoot me!" The archer only hoped that by telling his side of things, that it could all be forgiven, "You could just let me go, couldn't you!?" Yet at that moment, Daddy only drew his pistol again, having reloaded behind his cloak.
"No, wait!" Nami shouted, as she ran in front of Usopp, readying her shield and spear to protect her comrade, "This is all a big misunderstanding. You don't have to kill him!"
"Nami…!" Usopp muttered, as then another hair-brained idea struck him, "If you want money, my friend here has tons she can give you!" He idiotically told his opponent, much to Nami's shock, "Please spare me, I'm begging you sir!"
"What the Hell!?" The navigator asked, not appreciating being thrown under the wagon like this.
"So, now you're cowering behind a woman, are you?" Daddy asked, further despising Usopp's cowardice. Without intention, those words cut deep. Usopp knew he was a coward, that he was always fearing for his life in dire circumstances, and he hated himself for it.
"Listen…" Nami began, but Usopp stopped her.
"No, leave her out of this!" He declared as he rose to his feet, pushing her aside, "She has nothing to do with this! I'm the one who got myself into this situation, and nobody can get me out of this! It's all on me!"
"Usopp…" Nami muttered.
"Please, just leave Nami out of this," the archer pleaded, hoping that Daddy would spare them both for this, but was unaware just how much hearing the boy's name had any effect on the bounty hunter.
"Usopp?!" Daddy asked, eyes widened as he heard that name, "Did she just call you, Usopp?"
"Yeah, what's that got to do with this?" Usopp asked.
"Can't be," Daddy muttered, as he then looked toward the boy. He knew that name before, and he just had to know if there was any connection to that man. He stared at Usopp and asked, "Tell me, by any chance you wouldn't know a man named Yasopp, of the Red-Haired Pirates. Would you?"
"Yasopp?! That's my dad's name!" Usopp revealed, shocked by this revelation. Daddy the Father knew his old man!? He looked in shock and asked, "Wait! Are you saying that you and my father are friends!?"
"So, then, you are his son," Daddy muttered, having finally confirmed the truth. He had to let this boy know about that encounter he had with Yasopp, "I met your dad once, and I've never spoken a single word to anyone about that fateful day, until now, that is. We met in a hot, dry, port of calm on a day very much like today…"
Daddy then remembered that day, when he was still a Marine ensign, and that duel which changed everything, years ago…
"C'mon, Ensign Masterson!" Yasopp declared, "One shot each!" Both he and Yasopp took three steps away from each other and then fired. When the sound of gunfire faded out of earshot, Daddy Masterson fell to the deck on his back, while Yasopp only suffered a grazed shoulder.
"He won!"
"Yasopp won!"
"He defeated the best pistoleer the Marines have!"
"Boy, that was a close one!"
"You the man, Yasopp!"
"Alright, now finish him off!"
"Killing the loser lets him die with dignity and respect," reasoned one of the pirates, "It's the right thing to do, Yasopp."
Yasopp only reloaded his pistol and took aim right at Masterson, glaring at him. He had to do this, for the honor of the Red-Haired Pirates, and so that Masterson could die with dignity and valor.
"Please, just finish me!" Masterson declared, "There's no reason for me to keep on living anymore!" Yet at that moment, Yasopp noticed a locket hanging around his beaten opponent's neck. He went over, and grabbed it, opening it to reveal a picture of a little girl smiling, "What are you doing!?" Masterson asked, "Give that back! That's private!"
"Is that your daughter?" Yasopp asked, only to smile as he remembered his own little boy, "I wouldn't expect a cold-blooded Marine like yourself to be treasuring something like this. I guess she must be something really special."
"And just what would a dirty pirate know anything about family!?" Masterson asked.
"Not much," Yasopp chuckled as he doused the priming pan of the pistol with some water, and pulled the trigger, causing the pistol to click harmlessly without any projectile firing or thunderous boom, then he placed it down right on Ensign Masterson's chest, and walked back towards the rest of his crewmates.
"You were awesome, Yasopp!" One of them exclaimed, but Yasopp had other opinions.
"No, I wasn't," the sniper replied, "I wounded him instead of killing him. Proof that I still need more practice."
"Maybe, but the rest of would've been killed!" Another countered, "I mean, you took on Daddy Masterson and lived to tell the tale!"
The outcome of the duel was decided: Daddy Masterson would be spared death, and that was the end of it. Satisfied with the outcome, Shanks smiled and threw Yasopp a bottle of rum, which he caught.
"Thanks, boss! By the way, I'm glad you let me duel him instead of just killing him on sight!" Yasopp called out, at which Shanks only smiled, stood from the crate he sat on, and walked back with a raised hand, leaving Yasopp and the rest of his crew to celebrate the victory. Yasopp only took a good swig of rum in celebration, then turned to Ensign Masterson, "Hey! You want some, Marine?" He asked, but Daddy Masterson gave no response, only glaring at the man who defeated him in a duel. Though, after seeing the portrait of Carol, Yasopp had a pretty good idea as to why his opponent was dejected. "Family, huh? I could never wrap my head around that job," he only said plainly.
"Is that so?" Masterson asked, "And why are you telling me this?"
"Because I understand how precious having children can be," Yasopp explained, "Y'see, I have a son. His name is Usopp; I haven't seen him in years, though. I left him to go to sea just when he started learning how to walk."
"Why? Didn't you love him?" Masterson asked with a pained groan.
"Nah, it's not that. I love that boy of mine as any father would," Yasopp chuckled, "It's just that I love something else more: the sea was calling for me!" With that, the rest of the Red-Haired Pirates gave a cheer in agreement. Yasopp only then got up and threw the locket back to his defeated opponent, "Now, then, it may be too late for me to do anything for my son, and I deeply regret that," Yasopp began, turning back at his foe with a smile, "But you? Your daughter deserves to have a parent with her by her side. Don't you ever let her go when you have the chance, not that I'm one to talk." And with a chuckle, Yasopp and the other pirates began to walk back towards their ship. Still, though, the defeated Ensign would never be able to face his peers and commanding officers as he was now, if he returned with the shame of defeat hanging over him.
"I lost our duel, Yasopp!" He bellowed as he sat up, "You can't leave me here like this! You owe me that much at least!"
"You Marines may have to adhere to your own code of conduct and do everything by the book," Yasopp replied with a smile, "But the best part about being a pirate is that I get to do whatever I want whenever I want! Later!"
As he lay there, injured, Daddy Masterson felt further shame, but deep down, he also knew that Yasopp was right. Carol deserved to have her father at her side to watch her grow into a fine young woman.
After all these years, that fateful encounter changed Daddy Masterson's life forever. Now, here he was, a bounty hunter, doing all he could to ensure his daughter had a happy childhood. Carol, Usopp and Nami were all stunned as they heard that tale. Yasopp spared that bounty hunter's life, and was responsible for his career change.
"So, that was why you left the Marines to become a bounty hunter!" Nami surmised, having finally made the connections, "It all makes sense now."
"Papa, no!" Carol pleaded, "A pirate didn't spare your life! Tell me it's not true! Tell me you killed him, right?" The poor little girl couldn't accept the fact that her father was defeated and spared by a mere pirate. It would break the image she had of him. However, her father only shook his head. All of it was definitely true.
"Usopp, wow! Your father must've been amazing!" Nami exclaimed to her archer shipmate, "He took on and beat Daddy the Father! He hasn't forgotten about you either. Even now, as he's traveling somewhere on the sea, he still has an image of his little toddler boy that he left behind…" She did not finish. Usopp only raised his arm out, tears beginning to form on his eyes as the shame he felt was too unbearable. "Usopp, it's okay. We understand," said Nami, trying to calm her friend down."
"There's…no way that you could!" Usopp replied, "That's not why I'm crying! There's more to it!" Then he turned back to his opponent, "I…I get it! I understand why you'd tell me that story about my father. You told me that so that I'd try to be more like him! You embarrassed yourself for me, you put yourself beneath me so I would know what type of man my father was! I'll never forget that! Most people would just bury that story and never tell it to anyone! But you…you're not afraid of anything, even shame. A coward like me would never do what you just did!" Then he turned to Carol, eyes filled with fiery determination, "Carol, your dad is the bravest man alive in the East Blue! Men who are brave and strong like that aren't that easy to find, but the ones who put their honor on the line are one in a million!" Carol couldn't help but look at her father, then back at the long-nosed boy who argued with her earlier as he wiped the tears from his eyes, "I can't…if I accept your dad's mercy, it'll only bring him more shame! I have one choice and that is to face my death!" Then he turned once more to Daddy the Father and pleaded, "Please, give me another chance! I have to prove to myself that I'm not a coward! A duel to the death!"
"Very well. In that case, choose the weapon that you feel most comfortable with," said Daddy, accepting the offer for Usopp to redeem himself, "This will be our final duel." Hearing those words, Usopp only took out his longbow and strung it. "Good, now, let me see…" Daddy muttered as he looked across town, and spotted a weathervane in the shape of a crowned whale sitting on the steeple of a nearby temple. "You must hit that weathervane."
"What!? That!?" Usopp asked, in complete disbelief that he had to shoot an arrow through that piece of metal. It would be too far away for him to shoot at or even hit! Yet then, he heard the sound of a pistol's flintlock clicking to full cocked.
"If you miss…" Daddy reminded him.
"Right…you'll shoot me through the heart," Usopp replied, turning to face the weathervane, "So, this arrow determines whether I live or die with honor!" Usopp only took a good long look at his target, nocked an arrow onto the bowstring and drew it back towards his ear.
"He can't!" Carol muttered, looking on with concern, "There's no way he can shoot that far with a bow and arrow!" Yet still, Usopp was determined to live up to his father's perception of him. Everyone only watched as he steadied himself, preparing for the fateful shot that would make or break his destiny to be a great warrior of the sea.
'Relax…concentrate…it's just another arrow…like a hundred before…' He thought, recalling his time with the Usopp Pirates, Kaya, his mother and even his father's perception of him…and with one relaxed breath, he let the arrow fly from his great bow, watching as it flew far…and struck the weathervane, only to land harmlessly…yet the décor still only spun harmlessly in the wind as if nothing happened. It seemed that it was all over for the Straw Hats' archer…
"Please, don't kill him, Papa! Please, don't!" Carol pleaded as she hugged her father tightly, but Daddy the Father only stood in awe.
"I can't shoot him…" Daddy explained, "I can't shoot him because he shot right through the crown!" Nami only looked with a spyglass and noticed a much larger hole in the center jewel piece of the crown! The arrow made its mark!
"You did it, Usopp! He's right!" She exclaimed happily, relieved that her friend and shipmate was going to be spared this day. Usopp himself only dropped to his knees, a wave of relief washing over him. He was going to live after all, and he lived up to his father's perception of him at that.
"You're as good a shot as Yasopp, and a brave one as well," Daddy Masterson declared, smiling at the long-nosed boy, "Your father would be proud! Go to the Grand Line; you'll find him there. He deserves to see the proud young man his son has become." At that moment. Carol rushed over with the goggles, and handed them over to Usopp.
"You're a pretty good archer, old man!" She exclaimed, smiling at him, then left with a smile, "Later!" She exclaimed, then ran towards her father's side.
"Now, Carol, don't say 'later' like that. It's bad manners," Daddy Masterson replied, hoping that his daughter would become a polite young woman.
"Sorry Papa," Carol giggled, "I'm gonna try and be a nice little girl from now on!" And with that the two only walked on home, happily together. Nami and Usopp only looked on, as they saw father and daughter depart.
"When people say Daddy the Father is a disgraced Marine, at least we'll know the true story," said Nami, unable to help herself but admire the brave and honorable man that bounty hunter was. In a way, he was much like Zoro in that they were both men of honor.
"My father will see me as a true warrior someday! You'll see!" Usopp declared proudly, as he switched out his old goggles for his new ones, which he proudly displayed atop his head. "I'll be as brave as Daddy the Father, and I will make my father proud! I know it!" All in all, for Usopp, it was truly a momentous day for him in Loguetown. He'd finally gotten his start towards his ultimate dream: becoming a great warrior of the sea. And while he was on the Grand Line, he would be able to tell Kaya all about his wild adventures he would face there on that sea!
A/N: And so, here we go! Usopp's duel against Daddy the Father! I decided that I wanted to include this filler story because it added to Usopp's past and with that of his family. As for the type of bow he uses, I forgot to mention that Usopp does use a longbow, because it was the type of bow commonly used by the Vikings, so that means it is time for more Viking historical lore, this time concerning weapons and armor.
Among the Vikings, bows were definitely attested to in art and literature from the Viking Age, but did not play a major role in warfare as we like to imagine. They were definitely used as weapons for skirmishing, or as support in main battlefield engagements, but were never fielded and organized enough in a way that would have a significant impact on the battlefield. Rather, the Vikings used bows as pieces of hunting equipment which they would carry along on campaign as a means to obtain food. Archaeological evidence from across Scandinavia indicates that the types of bows used in the region from prehistory through the Viking Age were longbows, despite the fact that very few bows from the Viking Age have survived. Those that were uncovered in Denmark have a characteristic longbow shape and some dated back to the Paleolithic Era and even the Bronze Age. One such bow, for instance, found on the Danish island of Sjealand, has been dated to approximately 2800 BCE, while others found at Viborg were dated between 2000 and 1500 BCE.
How is this possible? Well, according to archaeological finds, it was common custom among the Germanic tribes that after a victory over their enemies, they would sometimes throw weapons into sacred groves or bogs as offerings to the Gods. Sometimes, though, they would've been used for funerary purposes as well. Archaeological finds across Scandinavia have unearthed treasure troves of weapons dating to what archaeologists have dubbed as the "Roman Iron Age" which spans between the first through fifth centuries CE, and refers to the point of contact that the Germanic tribes had with the Roman Empire.
Now, one of these offerings was actually a ship that was filled with weapons and sunk in a swamp as offerings to the Gods that was unearthed in Nydam, at the very southern end of the Jutland Peninsula, in Denmark. It provides a rich context for archery in Scandinavia, as it contained a total of thirty-six partial and completely preserved bows. These bows were classically proportioned longbows, which were up to six feet tall, and made from different woods, including yew. In fact, some of the limbs were fastened with sharpened iron nocks at the end, so that the bow could be used as a polearm if an enemy got too close.
Another find for Viking longbows can be found in Hedeby, in Denmark, was sufficiently well preserved to allow estimation, from its size and proportions, that it was a hundred lbs. draw weight.
We also have literary evidence that the Vikings practiced archery, both from the Norse Sagas and from other Medieval chronicles that detailed the Vikings. Frankish accounts of the Siege of Paris that lasted between 885 and 886 CE indicate that not only did the Vikings using sophisticated siege techniques - something they were not normally capable of - but that they also used mass numbers of archers to attack the Frankish defenders up on the ramparts of Ile de la Cite.
We also have evidence of archery in the Norse sagas. Njáls saga is perhaps one of the most famed sources, as Gunnar Hámundarson is reported to have defended his home from an intruder with just a bow and arrows. According to the Saga of Olav Trygvesson, bows were more often than not the primary weapon of naval battles. Once engaged, the warriors aboard each ship would shoot their arrows at one another, using their shields mounted aboard their ships for protection.
It wasn't also just the older generation of Vikings that used archers, other Norse sub-groups, such as the Normans, also picked up on archery. The Bayeux Tapestry shows that the Normans used vast numbers of archers to pick apart the Anglo-Saxon shield wall at the Battle of Hastings, and importantly that King Harold was struck with an arrow in the eye, although there is some debate as to whether that arrow actually killed him, as we have other sources stating that he was killed in a particularly gruesome manner.
Another thing you may have noticed is that when Daddy the Father challenged Usopp to a duel, I mentioned that Usopp was at a grave disadvantage. This is because from the 16th through the 19th centuries in Europe and even here in America, it was often the challenger who had the choice of weapons, which could often have somewhat lethal consequences. For instance, in 16th century France, a duel broke out during the reign of King Henri II of France in 1547. The challenger was Guy Chabot de Jarnac, and his opponent was Francois de Vivonne, Comte de de la Châtaigneraie, who accused Jarnac of sleeping with his own mother-in-law. La Châtaigneraie was the best swordsman in all of France at the time, but Jarnac had the advantage in that he had the choice of weapons. So, on the agreed upon day, the two combatants met with sword and shield, and Jarnac ended up being the victor. Jarnac fooled La Châtaigneraie with a feint and hit him with a slash to the hamstrings. His dignity offended, La Châtaigneraie refused medical aid, and bled to death.
As for pistol duels, one of the most famous duels in American history was the duel between Vice President Andrew Burr, and former secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton, on July 11th 1804. If you've seen the musical Hamilton, you'll know what I am referring to. Lastly, I want to mention that Yasopp poured water into the priming pan of his pistol. Often with flintlock and matchlock firearms, if your gunpowder in the priming pan was wet, then when you pulled the trigger, nothing would happen. This was something that most musketeers and pistoleers hoped to avoid, but sometimes, especially when at sea or during a rainstorm, it was somewhat unavoidable.
With that, another Straw Hat adventure in Loguetown is done! Stay tuned for the next chapter, as we see what happens to our favorite chef, Sanji!