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I'm looking for a Beta Reader! If you happen to feel as though you're qualified for the position, I'm mainly looking for someone who can help me organize ideas about the story structurally rather than someone looking to polish my grammar, although it wouldn't hurt to have someone with eyes on the chapter before it's published as well. I want to try and practice improving on that myself!
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Thank you for returning to Making the Grade! Especially after my super-long break! I wouldn't have been surprised if you thought I abandoned this story, especially considering how consistent my posts had been throughout 2023. I was actually attempting to release the entire Homecoming Saga before the end of 2023… but a cool writing opportunity came up! Now that I'm done with that though, and my schedule is pretty consistent, I'm back and ready to take on the Straw Hats yet again!
Last time, Luffy won over the competitors for Homecoming Court and Usopp lost his last chance to take on Kuro of a Thousand Plans on his own. Now, the lives of Kaya and the Straw Hats are at risk.
Hope you continue to enjoy my re-imagining!
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Nami was a bit too stubborn for her own good, she was beginning to realize.
Not that she needed any evidence that she wasn't stubborn, far from it. All her life, from making the few friends she did in the most inconvenient of ways, to focusing her efforts on growing up and towards an enriching adulthood despite the fact she had a lot of her youth left. When her mother revealed to her they'd be moving back to her hometown for the duration of her high school life, she just had to maintain high enough grades to get accepted into the one private school their family could barely afford, even with the benefits that getting in on grades alone offered.
There was just one problem; ever since she'd walked out on the Straw Hat group around a week or so ago, the notion of 'sticking to her guns' had been ever-so-slowly failing her.
It was incredibly frustrating that Luffy couldn't fathom that maybe someone else would've wanted to go to the dance with him. Or even that, going to a dance with someone else in general would be the intimate symbol of closeness that it is. And as though to cosmically prove his point, he accepted running for Homecoming Court with them, one of the most laborious and frustrating ways to spend a dance but done to showcase the intimacy between those running together.
And just when she thought he was being brash enough to finally have his friends' step in the way, and hopefully explain how insensitive he'd been, they sided with him over her. What a joke, she thought. If they really cared about how she'd been feeling in the situation, they would apologize to her the next day at school. She didn't even know if she wanted to talk to them after embarrassing herself in front of her dad like that, but groveling would be a helpful start.
That didn't happen, not in the slightest. As though the universe was just trying to rub in how maybe she could have handled the situation a bit better, things went on as though she hadn't been a part of their group at all. For a whole week, and some days. She was even part of a group chat with them, and they didn't bring up her lack of responses once.
Luffy and Robin had announced their running for Homecoming Court in the meantime, and Usopp had taken a surprising absence from communicating with the Straw Hats in general, but other than that, things were as they were on the first day of school; she didn't exist, and it sure felt like it.
Maybe... she just had to talk to Luffy about it. He wasn't exactly a master of conversation, but he was sometimes even better than her at getting to the heart of a problem. When school started, he didn't even bat an eye at inviting her into their group despite all the annoyances she put his way. She embarrassed him in front of their class with a rude note, and overall acted like an asshole towards him, but he still invited her anyway. Maybe she could just... work her way back into their group, without having to fully address the elephant in the room.
But during that day's lunch period, there wasn't a single elephant to speak of. The only one at the table they usually sat at was Koby, trying his best to take a nap on the wood-topped counter as best as one could under the circumstances of it being a hard material and being surrounded by sounds and conversations.
"Koby." Nami spoke nervously, glancing around to see if any of the others were just making their way to the table then. "Have you seen any of the other guys around? Maybe Luffy?"
"Huh?"
Koby lifted his head from his arms, dazed and exhausted. "Oh, hi Nami... nice to see you again..."
"The others. Have you seen them?" She asked, a bit irritated by his slow speaking.
"Sorry..." He began in his droning voice. "Tashigi had me doing drills all morning to catch up to the upperclassman in the Navy Club. The others..." Koby looked around, as though he weren't entirely sure where they all were himself. "Sanji took Luffy and Robin to their meeting on Homecoming votes... Usopp is just in the art room working on whatever he can... and Zoro and Tashigi are sparring in the gym... despite the fact I have no idea how Tashigi has the strength to do so..."
"Ah." Nami affirmed, confirming from her view of the cafeteria not a single one of them were in sight. "That explains it."
"I thought you were mad at them?" He asked, still tired but with as much sincerity as she could expect from his wavering figure.
"I am." She affirmed, although a crack in her tone almost made her doubt that she was one-hundred percent certain about it. "I just... I don't want a little spat to get in the way of anything. I need to talk to Luffy eventually, after all."
"That's good." Koby cracked a light smile. "Luffy's been worried sick about you since the fight."
"Really?" Nami was actually surprised. She assumed Luffy would've ran to talk to her right away if that was the case.
"Yeah, although the others thought you would've wanted some space. I wasn't there so I don't know, but they said you were so furious you just needed some time."
"Did they now?" Nami had some things to talk about with Zoro and Sanji after all. "Well... don't worry about that, alright?" She went around to his side of the table and patted his head, which immediately caused him to slump right back into a sleeping position. "Just get some rest, huh?"
And with that, Nami was off. Considering all this arguing was about Homecoming to begin with, maybe it was for the best that she gave their argument enough space until after Homecoming ended. At the very least, then she wouldn't have to hear another word about this 'Robin' character whom Luffy had spent so little time with.
Despite that clear rationale, all she could think about was wanting to apologize for that messed up moment. Luffy forgiving her was all she could ever hope for at this point.
If Usopp could just come up with the perfect trick to entertain the neighborhood kids, then maybe they just might forgive him.
Blowing them off for embarrassing him wasn't a great move on his part. Perspective put that fact very clear in his mind. But what else could he do to apologize other than impressing them? That's what he'd do in the past whenever he lost their attention while babysitting, so why not just do that again? That's how friends worked, right?
Hiding in the back of the Biology lab, Usopp messed around with several materials he'd brought from home, such as ping pong balls, aluminum foil, and even hot sauce. With the materials he had, plus some chemicals borrowed from the laboratory, he could make smoke bombs and spicy pellets to wage war with them after class one time. They would be too impressed with just smoke bombs on their own, and then BAM! Usopp would use his handy-dandy slingshot to get them to eat the pellets without them even noticing.
They'd played together like that since he could remember. Each time they set out to war, the trio would come up with a new plan to outsmart Usopp while he would come up with a new invention to use against them. Whoever gave up first would be the loser, and while Usopp didn't lose often, the three kids really did have great teamwork. He missed it now that they weren't talking to him…
"Hey. You're in my seat."
Usopp turned to see… the girl he'd noticed from across the hall.
In front of him.
Giving him an impatient glare.
"What?" Usopp gulped, what she'd said completely slipping from his mind due to the surprise of the situation.
"The bell rang." She bluntly spoke, her ponytails bouncing from just the lightest chin up on her end. "Your class ended like, a minute ago."
"Oh! Sorry!" Usopp crashed out of his seat, slamming onto the floor before scampering back up and beginning the process of cleaning up the mass amounts of chemicals and toys littering the table. Before he could get far though, she picked up a bottle of one of the chemicals, and began gazing at it curiously.
"You're trying to make… bombs?"
"S-smoke bombs." Usopp quickly clarified, picking up a few more chemicals and sliding them onto a rack nearby. "For my friends."
"Cool." She semi-sarcastically responded, before handing him a bottle to put away. "Can you change the color?"
"I… haven't thought of that."
"Because, you know- gray is a good surprise, but it'd be really fun if it was, I don't know, a charcoal black. -Or pink! That would be so much fun, wouldn't it?"
Usopp couldn't even respond with a full sentence, simply taking this surprise conversation in with big gulps of air to breathe.
"Usopp!" The teacher called from their desk in the front. "Get out already!"
"Right!" Without even considering what dangers could happen in his backpack, he simply tossed the rest of his stuff inside the innermost pouch before confidently zipping it up and slinging it over his back.
"Have fun, smoke-bomb guy." The girl sarcastically waved Usopp off, just in time for him to collide halfway between the open door frame and the wood rims on its right side. He tumbled around for a second, before giving her a thumbs-up and dashing off.
The rest of the day was a blur to him. But what she'd said last to him stuck.
'Have fun.'
First, he'd have to make up with his friends first. He was very nervous about talking to his crush (even when he didn't know her name), and he was very nervous about making up with the only real friends he had left. But if he could swallow his pride for just a second… then maybe things might just go back to normal.
Kaya was very nervous about Usopp.
How couldn't she be, after the sudden shift in his mood the last week or so? She thought he might get a little more nervous as Homecoming was coming up, but not to the extent where he seemed almost… afraid of her. Afraid of saying one wrong word, like a tape recorder that would be sent to the nearest police station as soon as they were done conversing.
Whether he was ready for it or not… she wanted answers.
Kaya lightly tapped her pencil against the wooden desk, looking up at the digital clock hanging next to the classroom's single door.
If it wasn't about his friends or her directly, then maybe she would find some answers at his home, she thought. But he took the bus, and she didn't know which one. And even after that, the whole journey might be a bit taxing for her. She would need some help.
Kuro was immediately out. He wasn't the most keen on her being friends with Usopp from the beginning, and she was even sure he might've been a little jealous of the idea that Usopp might ask her to Homecoming. They'd talked about it a long time ago, the two of them, and she admitted that if she hadn't made any friends at Grand Line High then she would've loved for him to take her to the dance. But at this point… she was getting just a little miffed with the butler who cared so much for her.
Nami was her next choice, as they'd had several pleasant conversations in a class period near the end of the day. But she also knew that she wasn't fully talking to all the Straw Hat's as of late, and didn't want to push the friend group into any uncomfortable corners. Especially when there might be something seriously wrong with Usopp.
Finally, she could think of no one else to help her get to Usopp but one Monkey D. Luffy. He was a wildcard, to be sure, but from what she'd seen, he was just as concerned about Usopp's distinct lack of cheer and fun as of late.
If there was someone who definitely had the stamina to help her break through with Usopp, it would be Luffy.
And so it surprised her all the more, after the final schoolbell for the day had run, and she had shuffled out with her parasol-cane to catch up with one of the most energetic students in the school, that he wasn't immediately on board.
"What? But Usopp's fine."
"He's not, though!" Kaya exclaimed. "He's been talking to me like the world might end… or worse. I don't know. It's frustrating, though. He's not the same goofy, fun guy that I got to meet on the first day at school."
"He has not been as fun lately…" Luffy pondered. "So you think that if we follow him home, we might find out why he's been such a bummer?"
"Yes." Kaya said confidently. "Or at the very least, we might get him alone long enough that he might be willing to talk about it."
"Mmm…" Luffy pondered some more. "But that… doesn't sound like any fun. And besides, Robin wants me back at school in a few hours to prepare for the Skyball game tonight. That's where we learn who's Homecoming King, I think."
"Well, we're not there to have fun, we're-" The realization hit her like concrete. If Usopp's been as reserved as he'd been with her the whole past week, then he might not even feel comfortable enough to talk to them. They had to play it smart: get him to relax around them, and then ask about what's been bothering him.
"You know what, you might be right."
"Of course I'm right! About what?"
"Let's just… try and get him to have some fun. If he's able to relax around us, figuring out what the problem is will be easy."
"Perfect!" Luffy cheered, forgetting about his responsibilities as his whims hit like a tidal wave. "Let's go and have fun with Usopp, and stop him from being a bummer!"
Before she could protest, Luffy grabbed her arm and pulled her into the crowd of students walking past them. She let out a quick yelp, which quickly transformed into adrenaline-fueled laughs as the two dashed between people trying to make their way out of school. She wasn't used to running around this much, or even at all, as Kuro would always try his best and coddle her about things that might get her to act up.
As Luffy and her made their way to the bus loop, a thrill shot through Kaya. She was sure that Usopp was going to have just as much fun as she was, right then. If he couldn't, with such an energetic presence and Luffy no less… then they might not be able to help him at all.
One Piece - Making the Grade
New World!
Homecoming Saga (2/6)
"No." Usopp brushed the two aside before they even had a chance to explain.
"Well why not?" Kaya questioned, trying to keep up with the teen as they all shuffled with a large crowd towards the Bus Loop.
"It'll be fun!" Luffy called out to him, fists pumped in the air.
"Exactly. We don't have to talk about…" Kaya hesitated. "Stuff. I just want to know more about where you live- oh! I've never met your parents!"
"I haven't met yours either."
"Fair point, but why let one missed greeting create another?"
"Because I said so." Usopp stomped on the ground in his next few steps as though to prove his firm stance on the situation.
"Alright then…" Kaya began in a teasing manner. "Then I guess we'll just have to stalk you."
"What?"
"Yeah. That's right. I guess we'll just have to follow you until you have fun."
"You-" Usopp faltered, itching his nose. "There's not enough room in the bus."
And so it was, the three students crowded together into a bus seat meant only for two people. Luffy sat on top of Usopp's lap when Usopp decided he wanted the window seat, which was perfect for him as he could get to see higher through the window than ever. Usopp, on the other hand…
"I'm not endorsing this." He spoke firmly, Kaya finally beginning to detect notes of frustration in his voice. "What- what does Kuro think of this?"
"I ditched him." Kaya said plainly.
.
.
.
Back at Grand Line High, Kuro impatiently waited by a set of stairs near the entrance.
"Something tells me…" He muttered to himself. "That she's not showing up."
.
.
.
"What?!" Usopp would have leapt out of his seat if Luffy wasn't on top of him. "That- why did you-?!"
"I can take care of myself- COUGH! Well… most of the time."
While the conversation was going on, the bus made its way out of the roads connecting it to the school and onto a main road filled with cars. They weren't stopping deep into a light, as though it were rush hour. It wasn't that time for the Grand Line yet, but cars were in the early stages of getting ready for mountains of cars making their commutes back to the suburbs surrounding them.
Nami hesitantly stood at her spot in the corner, watching as Luffy, Usopp and Kaya took off into the crowd.
She was planning to talk to Luffy about what had been going on between them, but before she could muster up the courage to walk up to him, Kaya had gotten in between them. It was a bit surprising, but if it had something to do with Usopp, then it could make sense. Nami hoped that she would be as close to the Straw Hats now that she'd been ignoring them, but now that she and Luffy were talking, that might actually become the case by Homecoming.
But this wasn't the only reason she was sticking around in the hallways after classes had ended. Just down the hall, where an open space stood between two sets of staircases, tables holding the ballots for Homecoming stood. They'd been there since all of the teams running for Homecoming Court had been announced, and since then Nami had tried to avoid it.
She just didn't want to think about Luffy and Robin running for Homecoming after the whole situation at Arlong Park. Despite her efforts, the ballots being accessible for the whole school made it a topic of discussion wherever she went. She'd been known for hanging out with Luffy and so had been constantly asked about whether she thought he had a shot against some of the more popular Seniors of the school. She also shared a gym class with the one and only Hancock Gorgon, running for both King and Queen. Nami hadn't noticed her being anything else than a downright asshole to anyone who'd tried to talk to her, but she also heard people talking about how her and Robin might be the two most attractive students running.
It didn't exactly help with her anxieties, to say the least.
She held the ballot in her hand, worn pencil in the other. All she had to do was bubble in the circle next to Luffy and Robin… and no one would know.
But she saw Robin's name again. And she couldn't.
Nami nearly snapped the pencil in half before putting it and the paper down, and walking away. She knew it was her fault… she knew it was her own damn fault! So why couldn't she just accept that Luffy was living his life without her?
She was already used to everyone else in their lives living their dreams without her… so why not one more?
"Woo!" Luffy cheered, the views passing them by.
"But- but what if you g-get in trouble?!" Usopp rambled on, his nerves spiking by the second. It was at that moment Kaya realized that Usopp's anxieties might be related to responsibility. There was clamminess in his hands, tension in his eyes. It was almost over-the-top, but his eyes spoke of real fears the kind Kaya was far too used to.
"Don't worry about school." She said, softening her tone before taking his hand. "Don't worry about anything else, all right?"
"But-!"
"Aren't we supposed to be having fun?" She whispered. "Don't worry about it."
Usopp stared into her eyes, trying to find any sense of fear to match his own. But he couldn't find it. Within a few seconds, without even realizing it, Usopp took her hand in turn. He closed his eyes, trying his best to contain the anxieties that were bottling up in his skin.
Before Usopp could fully let the moment sink in, Luffy thrust his elbow into his friends' gut.
"OW! What was that, Luffy?!"
"Snap out of it, alright?" Luffy spoke without ever looking away from the window. "You're being a bummer."
As though Luffy's words were some sort of magic spell, lifting Usopp from the curse of knowledge in his mind, he began to heartily laugh.
"Haha! Yeah, I guess I was being a bit of a butt."
Kaya smiled reassuringly, gripping his hand tighter. "A really big butt."
"The biggest!" Luffy heartily called out, loud enough for most of the students in the bus to hear.
Usopp winced. "Alright, alright! Just don't yell so loud! You're right next to my ear!"
"Deal!" Luffy yelled out even louder, causing Usopp to jolt into his seat and Kaya to burst into a fit of chuckles.
"It's not funny..." Usopp groaned. "It really hurts."
As he says that, the bus stops for its first stop of the route.
"So, Usopp…" Luffy began. "How many stops until we get back to your place?"
"My place? Well, it's… uh- OH NO!"
"What?!" The two looked towards their friend nervously, the shriek of his realization being sharp and horrified.
"I forgot I was watching the kids today!"
"Come on! Three more laps!" Tashigi called out to the group of students passing her by, glancing more so at the stopwatch on her phone than the wave of panting, sweating, out-of-breath teenagers sluggishly passing her by.
At the back of that pack trekking the school's running track were two first-years in particular; an absolutely exhausted lanky boy with strung-about blonde hair, and a determined Koby.
"I can do it! I can do it!" Koby muttered to himself, each syllable spitting out the sweat that was trickling down from his glasses.
"I can't do it! I can't do it!" Helmeppo sluggishly replied in turn, his thin arms wobbling in the effort.
"It's only a couple laps-!" Tashigi couldn't even finish her sentence before looking out to a collapsed Helmeppo on the ground. She rolled her eyes as anyone around them could make out the vague silhouette of his life leaving his body.
"Fine! Back on the bench, you sad embarrassment…" She looked around at her group, and let out another sigh. "Koby! You're out too!"
"What?!" Koby heaved out. "But I can do it!"
"I bet you can!" Koby hobbled up in front of her, revealing the exhausted, shambled mess he really was. Despite all the layers of fatigue on him, Tashigi could only be impressed at the smile he put on his own face. She certainly wouldn't be smiling with a body and stamina like his.
"Then what's up?"
"You look like a wreck, and I need you for tonight. We're gonna be carrying flags in front of the cars for tonight's Homecoming show."
"I'm carrying flags?!" Koby's eyes bulged in shivering nervousness.
Another lunch… another chance to find the kids.
They hadn't even wanted to see Usopp when he went over to their houses, so his only bet was to catch them sneaking off into the middle school's lunch break and confront them there.
And boy would they be surprised! He'd perfected the smoke bombs, and even found a newer, spicier hot sauce to use for his fake-out candies he'd give them. They'd be rolling in the sink within seconds of having one, desperately trying to get the feeling of spice out of their mouths.
But none of that mattered if he couldn't find them.
Which is why, after a few more seconds of checking out one particular hallway, Usopp was stunned to see them… and Butchie, his lumbering body crowding them into a corner. He quickly hid back behind the corner of the wall. Sweat began dripping down his face in nervousness, listening in for a few seconds before realizing that he hadn't been seen.
"If little brats like you are going to clog up my hallway space, then you gotta pay the fine!"
"We don't have nothin' to pay you with! We already ate our lunch!"
"Well, technically, Onion ate all our lunches."
"Did not!"
"Did too-"
"QUIET!" Butchie slammed his fist into the lockers behind the kids, a force so loud it startled Usopp from his great distance away. "If you're not going to give me what I'm worth, then…"
Usopp began searching his brain by that point, nearly checked out of the tension. He couldn't just jump in there, could he? He would certainly get beaten up, or worse. So… how would he deal with the kids once he was finally able to talk to them, all beaten up and bruised from his most formidable bully?
"That's why you shouldn't have come over to my side of the school." He would say. "Oh, it's okay! Let's get ice cream or something!"
That would cheer them up…
The lie barely stuck, as his whole body shook from fear. He was a coward, and he was going to let his friends get bullied just because he was too weak to stand up for himself. That's all he ever was… a coward.
"Usopp!" Before he could even finish unlocking the front door (which wasn't difficult because he hadn't locked the door on his way out that morning), the cheers of three children rang out from the other side.
"How many of them are there?" Kaya pondered, listening intently to the door.
"Three." Usopp quickly responded, making sure the door didn't hit anyone on its way open as three elementary school students poured out of the house, either tackling Usopp or giving him a hug (or for Pepper, doing something in between).
"Whoa!" Onion called out, his round blonde hair shimmering through thick, circular glasses. "Who are these guys?! Are you planning to ignore us today?"
"He wouldn't do that!" Pepper casually assured. "We have a game of Go to finish!"
"I didn't know Usopp was friends with a girl…" Carrot sized up Kaya, who gave him a bright smile in return.
"Oi!" Luffy yelled out to the three kids in a frustrated tone, causing them to shut up and look at him. "You're making Kaya uncomfortable! Give her some space!"
Onion gulped, and the other two shuddered before dashing into the house with a fearful skip in their hearts.
"Thank you, Luffy." Kaya gave him a nod of general approval. "Just please don't yell at the kids next time."
"No problem!" Luffy cheerily said, his mind putting more emphasis on the gratitude than the fear he put into children's hearts to get that result.
Once inside Usopp's living room, Luffy and Kaya were met with a smaller space set to a green paint on the walls and beige coating the ceiling. A couple pieces of furniture sat worn and comfortable in the room, a space that certainly held a family before Usopp's parents moved in, and would hold another long after they were gone.
As Luffy shuffled towards the couch, dumping his backpack onto the furthest-right seat, Carrot noticed the glint and jingle of a keychain on the bag.
"Is that a skull-and-crossbones?" He asked nervously, keeping his distance from the student who more-than-confidently chastised them before he even learned their names.
"Yeah." Luffy plainly responded. "You like pirates?"
"Like pirates? I LOVE THEM!" He cheered, pulling out a bag from behind the couch and reaching in to reveal a small toy dagger. "Give me all your money."
"Are you willing to risk your life?" Luffy asked, grin on his face as he cracked his knuckles.
"Men… attack!" Carrot called out, before the other two kids leapt out from behind the couch in what Luffy could only assume to be a pre-choreographed ambush.
"Bring it on!" Luffy proudly yelled, before rolling onto the carpeting to just barely miss the swing of toy swords.
"After him, men!" Carrot dashed after Luffy, the other two children not far behind. With not much space to run around in, Usopp pulled Kaya aside so that the playing children and Luffy could have the living room while they escaped to the kitchen.
Luffy noticed that one of the kids held a gun-like weapon, quickly knocking it out of his hand.
"Hey! Guns aren't honorable in a fight between pirates!" Luffy childishly let the frustration run through his whole body, before picking up a TV remote from the coffee table and holding it out like a dagger of his own. "This is how a real pirate fights!"
"Don't worry!" Usopp reassured his friend from the kitchen. "Pepper's dad just collects firearms. Most of them aren't even real, even if they look like it."
"He made up with them faster than I expected." Kaya whispered.
"Luffy's a kid at heart, so I didn't really expect anything less."
The duo watched the four play-fight for a few seconds longer, before a light clattering sound came from behind them.
"Usopp? Is that you?" A voice called out from a hallway adjacent to the kitchen.
"Oh!" Usopp leapt up in realization. "Give me one sec."
Before Kaya could interject, Usopp ran down the hallway, dashing into the first room on the right. Kaya looked around the small, porcelain-white kitchen for a few seconds, before using her parasol/cane to hobble down to the room Usopp had run into.
Inside… was Usopp's mother, lying in a bed. The room was cool and warm at the same time, a comfortable mother resting in a bed with thick blankets and large, comfortable pillows. Her hair bended and folded into the blanket, the length indicating to Kaya that it hadn't been cut in a very long time. Her face was pale, but her eyes were stars, lit up in excitement as Usopp gave her a confident, reassuring grin in return.
"Oh? Who's this?" Banchina looked over to Kaya, a warm smile on her face.
"I'm Kaya." She bowed slightly to the mother in her bed, giving her as much courtesy as she could possibly give. "It's great to finally meet you."
Usopp glanced between the two, a nervous bead of sweat beginning to form on his forehead. Before he could say anything though, his mother cut in.
"Well, I'm glad you introduced me at least. Banchina's my name, if you'd like to call me that. My son here hasn't been talking about his new friends at school, despite his loose lips. He'd much rather make up stories than tell me what's actually been going on in his life."
"That's not true! I told you about…" Usopp's nose pointed out as he tried to think of the last time he'd mentioned his personal life to her. "That one… homework… assignment…"
"I have another assignment for you, if you don't mind." His mother spoke sweetly. "Can you refill my water for me, please?"
"Yeah, of course." Usopp held his head up high, grabbing the jug of water on her bedside table and rushing out the room, taking the matter more seriously than Kaya had seen him focus on anything else… besides the dreaded topic that they'd been dancing around for the last week or so.
"I'm sorry if he rambles to you too much." His mother began to apologize with her soft voice. "He's always had this way with talking your ear off… but I just find it so endearing that I can't help but let him continue to weave his webs."
"That's how I feel too." Kaya spoke with a smile, leaning against her cane. Banchina noticed, Kaya could tell, but she wouldn't say anything about that.
"I'm glad to hear it. You're… a strong young girl. If you're able to handle him, that is."
"He's just-" Kaya began, taking a moment to fully figure out her words. "He's been distant lately."
"I've noticed." Banchina agreed. "I haven't asked him about it, though. I don't have much to offer him besides my emotional support, you know? Just… don't forget to remind him that people love him."
"I will." Kaya whispered, the clanking of footsteps from the kitchen beginning to get close enough that their conversation might be caught if they continued.
"Here's your water!" He dashed in, kneeling down next to her bedside and making sure she was comfortable before helping her drink from the jug. She smiled graciously, before waving him off.
"I need to rest my throat for a minute, after all this talking. Why don't you show your friend your room?"
"My room?" Usopp gulped nervously.
"Yes, Usopp." Kaya spoke to him with a teasing grin on her face. "I guess I haven't seen your room, you know? What kind of host doesn't give their guests the grand tour?"
"The 'Usopp' kind." He frustratingly muttered, before leaving the jug at his mother's bedside and escorting Kaya out of the room. As they began to walk out, Kaya noticed Banchina giving her another reassuring smile. Despite seeming to be mostly confined to that room, Usopp's mother held herself up a lot higher than Kaya could at times. It seemed they both struggled physically, and Banchina's strength gave Kaya some small semblance of courage to help Usopp out in the way that his mother could not.
"And… this is the King's Keep." Usopp dramatically showcased his room to her, a generally clean and bland affair of blue wallpaper, similar beige ceiling colors to the rest of the house, with the dramatic exception being a desk that looked more like an alchemist's study than a first-year's place of work.
"What's up with all this?" Kaya questioned with a smile on her face, picking up a bottle of some unknown chemical as Usopp reached over, snatched up a small notebook face-up on the desk, and tossed it into his closet.
"That- that's just something I was trying to come up with for the kids… smoke bombs, mostly, but also a hot sauce that would send them home crying, so be careful."
"Duly noted." Kaya responded, putting the unknown liquid down and wiping off any residue on her uniform's skirt.
As he began to ramble on about all of the knick-knacks of his room, Kaya realized that there was finally an air of relaxation about him. It was something she hadn't seen since their trip to the mall, to be completely honest to herself. A complete lack of worry about the world, despite his constant and unending fear about the things that resided inside it. That was always the magic of him, to her. He was always afraid… but that never stopped him from being fun, from being a storyteller, a truly kind soul.
And it wasn't until right then, as he explained about something she wasn't even paying attention to, that it hit her how much she missed that.
Her family was nice, her butlers nicer. But the weakness of her body always left them hovering over her. She was going to be a woman one day, she was sure of it. She had dreams, ambitions… a life to live. And despite how simple he might seem compared to his more eccentric friends, he was also living his life, not just alive and waiting for death. He told stories of far-away fantasies, and sometimes struggled to keep up with his reality in the process, but she'd much rather be someone with the courage to dream than a sickly young girl stuck in some room, accepting every word of love and affection… and pity, because that's all there is.
In Usopp's enjoyment of life… Kaya finally realized that she might not be enjoying her own. In Usopp's stories, she found a reality she wanted to run towards, even if they didn't actually exist.
And the idea that something was holding him back, bringing him down to Earth, brought her to tears.
"And so this little piece right here-"
'Sniff.'
Usopp halted his words in their tracks, turning slowly to reveal to his eyes that Kaya's front on his distance from her had all but completely broken down. A tear or two began to fall from her eyes as the generally-comfortable front she'd been putting up began to melt away in a wave of emotional anguish.
The two just locked eyes for a few seconds, the intimate quiet of his room surrounding them as she began a breakdown. It was just the two of them, a shiver of fear and guilt running down Usopp's back.
He wasn't entirely sure what she was about to say. He'd hoped that they might get through a bit more of his home before the pressure began to pile on about hiding something from her… from Luffy and the gang. But the genuine, exhausting tears streaming down her face forced him into an emotionally-frightening freeze where the only response would be to wait for what she was going to say. He wasn't even sure she was going to say anything, the waves of emotional distress consuming her to a point he wouldn't be surprised if she just took the time to calm down before speaking.
Yet soon enough, she began to whisper, "I don't know what I did to make you act like this… but is there any way you can just talk to me?"
Usopp gulped.
"I just… I thought everything was going so well. I haven't known you for too long, but everything with you and your friends was so much fun. Honestly… living like I have to, sucks. I constantly feel like I'm one bad walk away from being sent to the emergency room, and no one wants to put up with that. Even my parents…"
Her voice wavered. "I know everyone means well, but I just wanted one thing in my life where I felt like I had some semblance of control. And now you're acting like we've never met… like you weren't the person who cheered me up and brought me back to my feet at the mall that day. Like you weren't the person who saw all of my breaking, crumbling self, and just tried to make me feel lighter than air."
"So please, Usopp… tell me why it feels like I'm losing the only friend I've made in a long time. If you could just please be honest with me?"
"I'm sorry about how I've been treating you. It isn't fair. And no matter how I've been acting, there's no excuse for making you believe that any of this is your fault. It isn't… I'm just dealing with some stuff… you wouldn't believe."
"Try me." Kaya spoke, frustration only barely seeping out of her crackling throat.
There was no reason to tell her, Usopp knew. It would put him in a bad position, but to be fair the threats to end his life on Homecoming Night weren't exactly something revealing what he'd been going through could make worse. But he could make her worse. He knew her and Kuro were close enough, to a point that she would most likely choose siding with Kuro over himself if he didn't have any evidence… and he certainly didn't have any evidence.
Despite all the parts of his mind screaming at him to just continue to lie and hide away… she was asking him to be vulnerable, after she was able to do the same. They were both growing up… they would be adults one day. And until then, it was Usopp's responsibility to grow up. To stop running away from things. If telling her about Kuro wasn't going to drastically decrease his chances of surviving Homecoming Night… then he was just running away from having to deal with the consequences of not telling them sooner if he hid it from them any further.
Usopp had to be responsible for the results his actions had brought upon them: a girl crying, bawling to showcase just how emotionally frustrated she was at him. When put like that… he was ready to tell her.
"I don't ask you to believe me, then." Usopp whispered. "Just don't say I didn't tell you everything."
.
.
.
Slap!
Usopp expected the reaction, but his cheek stung all the same.
"Why would you-... why would you make up such a lie about Kuro?"
"Cause it's not a lie. It's what happened."
"I know he doesn't like you… but for you to-"
"I wish I had that creativity, Kaya. I wish I did all this, just to concoct some hilarious story! But he threatened my friend's lives. He threatened your wellbeing. And now he's threatened to kill me in the process." He turned around, not wanting to see the drying tears and swelling eyes of Kaya any longer. "I don't care if you don't believe me."
"I-" Kaya halted, taking her time to think despite the etchings of frustration rattling around in her skin. "I don't know if I believe you."
This genuinely surprised Usopp. "You don't know?"
"I don't know! I just- I don't have any reason to doubt Kuro or you… Kuro doesn't have a reputation for threatening to kill people, but he does always have things under control. Sometimes… I wondered how far ahead he had to plan to make sure things would go our way when life was chaotic. I wouldn't call it creepy, but- I don't know!"
"Kaya." Usopp took her shoulders, settling down the glances around his room Kaya was making. It was just the two of them. He wanted to make sure her head wasn't running around anywhere else. "You don't have to believe me."
"Then why did you tell me?! You could have just… I don't know, made up some lies!"
"Cause it's not a lie. And I'm gonna prove it… but I can't right now. So just go home. Call Merry to pick you up, get some rest. We don't need to talk about it. As long as he's more focused on me than you… you don't need to worry about any of this. It's me and him. Not you."
"But- of course it's about me. He sleeps by my house. He makes my breakfasts. He takes care of me…"
"And he'll keep doing that as long as he plans to kill me. I don't see any reason why he wouldn't. Go home."
She lifted her hand again, as though she were preparing to slap him again, before pulling back and turning around. Kaya didn't walk away at first, just standing with her back to Usopp. There was a lot on her mind, so he didn't blame her. The truth was frustrating, to be sure. He couldn't control if she believed him or Kuro, but he could control whether or not he was being honest with her. And he was, with not a single lie to litter the tale he told.
But eventually, as Kaya made her way out of Usopp's room… Luffy waited in the hallway.
His eyes focused solely on Usopp, an unbreaking tension which could have snapped like a twig in the grasp of Luffy's clenched fist. He breathed heavily through his mouth, as though just the unspoken realization between them brought enough fire in his spirit to push his body past any resting or rational state.
Luffy took a step forward towards Usopp.
"Look, Luffy… it was a very complicated situation, and I just didn't know if-"
He took another step forward.
"-There was any version of this where you didn't just go and beat Kuro up! What would have happened to Kaya if-"
Another step, fully in the room and only a few feet from his friend.
"-He found out I told somebody?! I don't know! And you're going to put the blame of all that on me-?!"
BAM!
Without hesitation, Luffy pulled his fist back and lurched it right through Usopp's jaw. Even at the end of his rationale, Usopp both halted in his tracks and flung forward in equal measure, landing back-first on his bed. The echo of the punch drilled into his cheek for seconds after Luffy's fist left his friends' cheek, stunning Usopp long enough to not get another word into Luffy before he could take center stage.
"Something interesting was going on! And you didn't tell me!"
"Is that what you're mad about?!" Usopp blurted, almost dumbfounded by the response.
"You knew that butler-guy was threatening to kill all of us, and you didn't say anything about it! That sounds pretty important to me!"
"He only threatened to kill you guys if I said anything!"
"Well that's stupid! Why didn't you just tell us?!"
"Because I didn't want you guys to die?!"
"What?" Luffy's temper began to slow, now that he had to really use his head in full conversation. "But if you told us, we could have just kicked his ass."
The realization hit Usopp harder than the still-stinging punch he'd just received. Of course Luffy wasn't mad at him for not telling him… he was mad because there isn't a shred of doubt in his mind that he would've seen to this threat as immediately as one could. Luffy took a deep breath before bending down on one knee. The sharp edges of his glare from before have softened to a near pillow comfort, and his grinding teeth have been replaced with a serious purse of his lips.
"What's going on? Really?"
Usopp met Luffy's gaze from his leaned-over position on the bed. "I…"
"Usopp." Luffy fought back on his indecisiveness, throwing a dash of confidence into an otherwise calming tone.
"I was just worried about you guys… Kaya, and you and Zoro and Sanji and even Nami. You're all such good people… so much better than me. I could have just let it go, and not risked everyone's lives. But I couldn't stop imagining what he had planned for Kaya if the 'insignificant little nobody' that is me warranted threatening my life, my friend's lives, and my family.
"And then… Instead of catching him like I planned, I failed to get any proof he's a bad guy and put everyone at risk! This guy… whom you all believe in so much, couldn't even take care of Kuro for you. So unless I pull a miracle before Homecoming, he's going to somehow kill me and get away with it! Which is just perfect because apparently he's one of the smartest tacticians to ever brave a high school! So lucky us!"
After a few seconds of pause, Usopp began to tear up. "I just… I wanted to prove you guys were right to believe in me. That I wasn't worthless. I knew you guys would help me in an instant if I asked, but what does that say about me? That I want to protect my friend, and I can't do anything about it without other people's help?!
"And… I can't understand why someone like him hasn't been caught already! I wanted to wipe the smug look off of that bastard's face!"
"Alright." Luffy whispered.
Usopp's tears slowed as he realized Luffy was smiling. It was a reassuring smile, the closest thing he'd received to a warm embrace since having to tackle all of Kuro's mind games. Kaya was an emotional wreck, and that left Usopp certain Kuro would attempt to kill him, but Luffy's reassuring voice planted a small seed in his heart that everything could be alright. Maybe things weren't as screwed as they could be.
"Let's go get the others." Luffy leapt into his usual energetic self, standing up above Usopp on the bed before reaching out his hand. "Maybe Nami or Koby might know what to do… or if worst comes to worst Zoro and Sanji can just beat him up anyways. And I'll certainly want a good punch on him too!"
"Why?" Usopp murmured, almost in disbelief. "Why me?"
"I don't know why that butler-guy hates you so much."
"Not him! You! Why are you so… cool about this? It's life-or-death, you don't need to step in if you don't want to. Especially on my account… I don't need your pity."
"What are you talking about? Pity? Who'd be such an idiot they'd risk their lives over pity?"
"Then why are you risking your life?"
"Because you're my friend." Luffy responded, his grin bigger than ever.
"Hey!" Before Usopp could even think about his actions, he was already in front of Butchie and the kids, slingshot in hand.
"Oh? What's this?" Butchie, who was holding up Onion by the collar of his shirt, dropped him into the other two before staggering over to Usopp. He lumbered over the boy with a grimace. "Seems like a little idiot wandered over into the deep end."
"And it seems you're m-m-messing with my friends. I only thought I should s-s-step in… and- you know-"
"What? Kick the crap out of me?"
"No… but I can do this-"
Usopp released his slingshot, right into Butchie's face. What had seemed to be a ranged weapon was instead used as a rubber band-like snap directly into the bully's face, causing him to stagger back in stinging pain.
"Go!" Usopp yelled at the kids, who dashed off in response. But, before Usopp could do the same, his right sleeve was ensnared by Butchie's beefy hands. Squinting through the pain, all the bully could do was attempt to keep his prey ensnared until the stinging wore off.
"You…" Butchie spat, face red and steaming.
"Hey!" Usopp turned to see someone else had made their way down the hallway, reacting in surprise to the events unfolding. But before he could get a clear picture of the kid, he ran up between them and punched Butchie square in the jaw.
"OW!" Butchie staggered back into the wall, just as teachers began running up behind them. Usopp just stood there in surprise, at first keeping his attention on the staggering giant before shifting that focus to the grinning kid in a Straw Hat.
"You alright?! That guy looked like serious business-"
"What is going on here?!" One of the teachers running up called to them, the other sneering in frustration.
"Oh- well-" Usopp attempted before being cut in.
"That guy seemed like a jerk, so I punched him!" The kid jumped in, still grinning.
~ X X X ~
After several hours of detention, Usopp and the kid were finally let out of the classroom. Usopp was out of the room first, hoping that the crazy kid that punched his way into a detention for the both of them wouldn't try to talk to him.
His hopes were severely misplaced.
"Yo." Usopp froze, turning to a semi-serious kid that he now knew was named Luffy.
"Yeah?"
"Want to go get some Ramen?"
"What?"
"You were pretty cool back there. I saw you defend your friends, even when you didn't stand a chance."
"You didn't have to phrase it like that…"
"So come on… Let's go! We're friends, aren't we?"
"What?"
If Kuro's whole purpose in taunting and threatening Usopp was to break his spirit and push him to keep walking alone… then Luffy was his antidote. A cure to any of the cynicism that he brought to the world, a reminder that he held much more value to the lives around him than the sum of his achievements. The world might call him a coward… but Luffy would always know just how much courage it took for him to live his life, free and happy.
Usopp was still on the bed. After a moment's hesitation, he took Luffy's hand, helping himself up. The two stood up, equal in height, and both shared a grin.
"Yeah…" Usopp agreed. "Let's figure out a way to kick his ass… without risking Kaya."
"Can we come too?"
Usopp leapt in surprise as the three kids peeked out from the side of the bedroom door.
"Nah!" Luffy picked on them before Usopp could even counter. "You're all too weak to help anyways!"
"No we're not!" Onion called out, flexing his wimpy muscles.
"We can help kick that guy's ass!" Pepper agreed.
"As much as it would be nice to have more help…" Usopp walked up to the three children, patting Pepper on the head in a reassuring manner. "I think it'd help all of us a lot more if we got some dinner out, right?"
"Well…" Carrot glanced at the other two with a slouch of guilt. "I am hungry…"
"We'll take you up on that, then." Pepper agreed. "But this conversation isn't over!"
"Yeah! We still got till five! That's plenty of time!" Onion agreed.
"I think I'm hungry too." Luffy commented, patting his stomach with a hearty smile. "If we're gonna gather everyone else, I think I'll need… five burgers!"
Despite being warned ahead of time, Nami still wasn't expecting to see Luffy, Zoro, Sanji and Usopp in a small booth in the back of The Spider's Cafe.
It was only an hour before the Homecoming Skyball Game when they were meeting up. Since Luffy had to be there with Robin, she knew that this wasn't simply some goof-off session. Maybe it was about her being a part of their group, but again, considering the timing, she doubted it.
By that point on the sunset-lit Friday night, there were a lot of customers in the diner. From an old couple sharing a sandwich, a man who didn't look like he had a home resting on the counter of the bar-like table wrapping around the front of the lobby, and a pale young adult dancing around on a 'Dancing! Dancing!' machine near the back, the place was a lot livelier than she'd ever seen it.
At their booth, a stand-alone wooden chair faced the main part of the table so one more person could fit into the conversation. And, despite her initial concerns, all four of the group members were snug in the booth.
"Nami!" Luffy leapt out of his booth seat, racing over to her before tackling her into a big hug.
"Luffy?!" Nami nearly staggered back in surprise. "Y-you wanted me to come?"
"Yeah, we need your help! And…" He looked away from her, his face contorting in a childish pout, as though he were being forced to eat broccoli or something.
"I'm sorry about what happened at your dad's restaurant. I shouldn't have pushed you. But this is big, Usopp's saying. So come on!"
Nami could tell that these words, especially the beginning apology, weren't entirely his. If it wasn't for the fact he'd rather die than apologize for caring about his friends, then it was Zoro and Sanji giving him a somewhat-pleading look of hope that implied they thought all that needed to happen was Luffy needed to apologize and suddenly things would be better.
She didn't agree with it… but she also didn't know if she was ready to apologize to Luffy. At least not fully. That could wait until whatever this conversation was over.
"Okay… Thank you. Now, what's up?"
Once they were all circled up at the booth, Usopp caught them up to speed.
"This is serious. I don't doubt that after telling Kaya, he'll be much more on guard. If he could see through some mind games I had days to plan, then there's no doubt he's planning for what each and every one of us will do at Homecoming."
"How do we know Kaya's ratted us out?" Sanji raised his hand to comment.
"She… probably didn't. But even if she didn't, and tries her best to hide how she's feeling from Kuro, I wouldn't be surprised if her suspicion of him is enough for him to catch on that I told her. Again, this guy prepares for everything, so I'm sure he's just been waiting for the first sign that something's wrong with her to deduce I had to be a part of it."
"But if we're going up against such a brainiac… then shouldn't we just beat the crap out of him?" Zoro questioned alongside the blonde-haired teenager. "If we wait, it might be too late to stop him."
"And that…" Usopp tried his best to put on a brave smile, failing miserably with a quivering lip and sharp eyes. "Is exactly what we're gonna play into. He thinks you guys won't be able to help yourselves. I remember the way he talked about you when he was threatening me. He sees each of us as chaos objects to his master plan of killing me and getting anyone else he can out of Kaya's life. So… we just have to pretend I haven't told you."
"But you did tell us?" Luffy thought about the statement, genuinely confused.
"We all go to Homecoming acting like nothing's wrong, then, right before he tries to kill me, we rush him."
"Isn't that dangerous?" Nami spoke fearfully. "What if we're too late?"
"I have that all planned out. I'll get him to a specific place in the school where no one will be at a specific time, and stall him just long enough for all you guys to show up and catch him in the act. I'll even have a back-up plan, but I'd be lying if I said I thought we really needed it."
"Nami's right. This is too risky." Zoro muttered. "We have no idea what kinds of distractions he could be planning for us. He might have manipulated our friends… our dates. Robin, Viola, Tashigi-"
"Tashigi?!" Sanji nearly jumped from his seat in frustration. "Why didn't you tell me you asked her to the dance?!"
"I didn't… she did."
"Huh… did you guys ask any of your dates to the dance?" Nami genuinely wondered. They all looked at each other, fearful in understanding; none of them asked their partners to the dance, only being asked. "Well, shit. He could have anyone at the dance in his pocket, and we don't fucking know?!"
"None of that matters." Usopp assured them. "If you guys are playing along at the beginning of the night, then Kuro might just think everything's going according to plan. But it won't be… cause I have you guys."
They all smiled at him, reassured in his faith in them.
"You're the chaos he's worried about. If you guys are ready to fight for my life, then this has turned from a '1 v 1' to a '5 v 1'. So… let's give Homecoming a little chaos, alright?"
"Yeah!" Luffy cheered. "Let's crash this party!"
"Miss Kaya?"
A light knock bumped at her door. Kaya, now only wearing her casual white dress and thin white socks, held tightly onto her pillow by the window of her room as she tried to wipe away the red fade surrounding her eyes.
"C-come in."
Kuro walked in first, which made her immediately turn back to the window. But after a few seconds, another set of footsteps made her turn around to check, and there was Merry, holding a plate of food.
"Kaya…" Merry hummed in a fretful tone. His eyes sank with sincere sorrow, while Kuro just continued to gaze at her inquisitively.
"Can't you two just leave me alone?"
"Well… me and Kuro were just talking about this situation that you're dealing with, now that Usopp doesn't want to be your friend anymore."
Kaya lightly winced at her own lie being thrown back at her, but she didn't want to talk more about what had actually happened when she followed Usopp home earlier.
"Great." She murmured under her breath, holding the pillow as close to her chest as she could.
"Kaya." Kuro began, lacing his voice with a sorrowful tone that he only reserved for his most vulnerable moments. "I just wanted you to know that you don't have to be alone in a time like this. I know it must be hard, not being able to grow new relationships… but you have Merry. And you have me."
Kuro took several steps into the room. It was only after getting close enough to her that Kaya noticed that he was hiding something decently-sized in the right of his suit's coat, something big enough that he had to continuously hold it with his hand.
"What's that?"
"I- well… I know Homecoming is just around the corner. Tomorrow, if I'm not mistaken. And while the last thing you might want is to go back to school when you don't need to, I thought you might enjoy a night out, for once."
He pulled out an encased flower from his coat before getting on one knee and holding it up to her. Kaya was decently stunned, both at the gesture itself and the concept that this is what she needed to cheer up from losing a friend like Usopp. From Merry's expression, she could easily tell that this was something Kuro just wanted to do, and Merry himself had no idea what would cheer her up besides some sort of sincere gesture by someone close to her.
It was easily the most tone-deaf Kuro had ever been around her, and yet he looked into her eyes with a confidence that suggested that he was a time traveler, already knowing the answer before she could even speak. His smile now took on an eerie tone, now that she had heard Usopp's perspective on dealing with Kuro. If he was truly despicable, threatening her friends behind her back and pretending nothing was wrong… it would make his odd acting make a lot more sense.
But that would put into question years of support she'd received from him. If in this one moment Kuro was being insincere, then when else? What about her birthdays, or day trips, or even just the average time she'd need him at school? Were those all inconveniences to him for some greater purpose, or was he madly obsessed with her? She couldn't know for certain.
And yet, she did know for certain one thing: Usopp was trying to get to the bottom of it. If Kuro was actually good, then having him close to her would be for the best. And if Kuro was lying… then having him close would give Usopp more time to find a way to prove his guilt. In either situation… a friend needed her. She wasn't as strong as many of the other kids her age, but if it meant doing something right, then she had no choice.
Just as Merry hoped, Kaya put on a smile to match Kuro's. But unlike his hope, her smile was forced. Unlike his hope, she did this to protect the people closest to her. Only when she was sure they were safe could she smile genuinely again.
"Kuro… I would enjoy nothing more."
BTS (Behind the Scenes) CH.9
Homecoming is here! And Luffy is ready to kick some ass!
Now, the original bit behind Supreme-King's 'Usopp's After-School Special' was that, in his version, Sadie, the sadist jailer from Impel Down, was essentially abusing Usopp for a good couple thousand words. I like cringe humor as much as the next guy, but overall the bit felt like a degradation of Usopp and Sadie by making Usopp unable to be clear and emotional, and Sadie being… sort of a gross creep disguised as a dominatrix. Even before I knew that I wanted to flesh out Kuro to this degree, I knew that I wanted to replace Usopp's lighthearted after-school special with a babysitting job that explores just what Usopp is all about.
If I got through to this part of the story, I promised myself that Usopp would be a much more nuanced character leading into his confrontation with Kuro. And I think he does show nuances! I mean, he's had to put so much on his back for the sake of his friends, which to me perfectly sums up his character; he's a coward on the outside, but where no one else notices, he's a real hero. In the manga's Syrup Village, Usopp makes the declaration that he'll fight for his hometown alone if he has to, and in this version I put himself up against a similar predicament.
But he isn't alone, isn't he? The Straw Hats might have given him confidence in himself that he simply didn't have before, but he can't just bring them into the line of fire. They're his friends! If he could carry the burden of Kuro without anyone having to worry about him, then he'd do it in a heartbeat (despite all the fear and false bravado he'd have going into it). But Usopp doesn't have to carry that burden alone! Unlike the original series, he has a consistent group of people whom he can rely on to do what he can't when things get rough from Kuro.
And now, the entire crew is back together to team up against Kuro! What's their plan? Are there going to be any hiccup's that they haven't accounted for, or will the combined chaos of Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, Usopp and Nami get them where they need to go? These are the questions I want the readers to have going into the next few chapters, which will take place before and during Homecoming.
Overall, I just hope the storyline is worth it. I've had to spend a lot of time thinking and re-thinking how the puzzle pieces that are the Straw Hats fit into the greater puzzle of Kuro's master plan. It's not perfect, but even if people just see this cool mash-up between a high school drama and Luffy's world-trotting adventure and think it works, then I've done my job.
Hope you're enjoying the Homecoming Saga so far!