Aya walked as she thought about what the fortune teller had told her, still disturbed and confused by it all. She also couldn't help but think about the old woman and the two men and how strange that they were. They seemed so out of place in a town like this. Suddenly, she heard someone calling out to her and looked up to see Nami, carrying several bags in her arms.
"Hey, Nami!" She called out to her, walking over to the navigator.
"So, how did it go with the fortune teller? What did she tell you?" Nami asked her. Aya bit her lip, thinking then looked at Nami with a serious look in her eyes.
"She's definitely not a hack. She told me the usual stuff, about me, who I'm going to love, my future. But most of it kind of had some troubling news as well."
"What is it?" Nami frowned, wanting to know.
"She told me that there's going to be a traitor among us, and she gave me a warning, for all of us, about staying away from plant people, whoever they are."
"That does sound bad. But plant people? I've never heard of such a thing." Nami murmured to herself.
"That's what I've said." Aya replied. Then Nami tossed Aya a bag into her chest. She managed to catch it in time, almost dropping it.
"What's this?" She asked.
"I got you some new clothes for the trip. Now, you won't be waltzing around with the same outfit every day. Consider it a thank you." Nami told her.
"Thanks, Nami." Aya thanked her.
"How about we go shopping some more?" Nami asked her.
"Okay." Aya nodded.
Back at the Marine base, Smoker was filling out some paperwork at his desk, his soldier was standing next to him.
"Captain Smoker! If this Luffy guy is somewhere on the island, then we need to blockade the port immediately!" The soldier said. "And if Aya's with him then we should be searching for her as well!"
"There's no need to worry." Smoker replied.
"And why is that?" The soldier questioned.
"You can't go in there! The captain's in a meeting!" One of the soldiers shouted from outside of the room. The door slammed opened, and a tall man stepped inside, heading over to the Marine captain and stopped by his desk. He had large sideburns, mustache, and bearded goatee, dressed in a gunner's outfit, cowboy hat, wearing a cloak, and finger-less gloves.
"How are you doing, Smoker?" He asked the Marine.
"Well, if it isn't Daddy." Smoker said.
"Here's two pistol Pete and killer police Riley brothers." The bounty hunter dropped the three men on the floor, who were unconscious.
"And all three have bounties?" Smoker questioned.
"No, all four. I dropped a brother off at the morgue. If you wouldn't mind signing for them, I'd be sure appreciated." Daddy said as he handed over the papers so that Smoker can sign them off.
"A million for four guys? Times are tough."
"The world may be cheap, but it's steady. I'm fine bringing in the fish that moves through these waters. I'm not really interested in signatures that has one big catch." The bounty hunter answered.
"The Marines best sniper reduced to being a common street cleaner, it's sad." Smoker retorted.
"I don't want to risk my life anymore." Daddy replied.
"Because if you died that daughter of yours will end up on the streets, right?" Smoker asked. The bounty hunter began to leave as he headed towards the door.
"Tell Carol I said hi." Smoker called out.
"Sure, I'll tell her uncle Smokey said hello." The bounty hunter replied as he left Smoker's office.
"That was Daddy Masters from the bounty hunters." The Marine soldier commented.
"Yeah, we enlisted at the same time. He was one of the elites, a natural with a gun. I was sure that he was bound for great things." Smoker told him.
"Then why is he just a bounty hunter?"
"A cursed sword. Interesting." Zoro thought to himself as he held the sword high in the air, admiring it. Luffy suddenly appeared in front of the swordsman's face, startling him.
"Hey!" Luffy grinned at him. "That's a really cool sword!"
"Don't sneak up on me!" Zoro shouted.
"So, why are you just sitting here, Zoro?" Luffy asked him.
"I'm bored, you?' Zoro replied.
"Me? Yeah, I'm completely lost." The straw hat captain answered.
"That's a good thing?" Zoro said.
"It's okay. Hey, do you know where the execution platform is?" Luffy asked Zoro. However, the swordsman didn't answer him. His eyes were focused ahead of him and Luffy as he spotted a small crowd.
"What's up?' Luffy asked him and looked over to where Zoro was looking at. It was the bounty hunter, Daddy, and he was also surround by a couple of men.
"Bastard! You sold out our friends to the highest bidder! It's time for you to pay!" One of the men shouted at the bounty hunter.
"Now die!" One of the men shouted. All three lunged at the bounty hunter, attacking him. Several gunshots were heard and all the men fell to the ground in one fell swoop as the bounty hunter shot them all. One of the survivors crawled by away from the man, with a look of terror on his face.
"Why don't you run on home, kid, and see if your mom got's supper ready?" The bounty hunter told him and walked away. Luffy stared in amazement.
"Whoa, Zoro, that guy's totally awesome!" He shouted in awe.
"I think that's...yep. Daddy the Father, bounty hunter." Zoro murmured, concerned.
"I got everything that I need!" Usopp grinned as he walked down the street carrying a huge back on his back that was full of souvenirs and weapons from the shop that he had bought from.
"I'm completely prepared for whatever the sea throws at me! There isn't anything Usopp, brave warrior can't face now! Wait a minute, I think I'm forgetting something important. That's it. A first class sniper like myself should really have a top pair of goggles to look through. I'm going to get the best pair that I can find. I don't care what they cost if it's more than I can afford. Super goggles here I come!"
"These are the ones! They're perfect." He grinned as he tested them out.
"Those are brand new. They're the top of the line model from North Blue company. Oh and the internship that comes here only stops at the port once a year. Hey, don't you have any money? What's wrong with you? I can't just give these away." The shopkeeper said.
"No, I-That's right! My backpack!" As Usopp ran to get the money from his backpack and little girl skipped past him and picked up the goggles. She had blond hair tied up in bows, wearing a green and white frilly dress.
"I'll take those!" Usopp tripped over his feet, falling on the ground.
"Oh, excellent choice, from a cute little girl. I happen know that these are the only goggles of their kind on the whole island." The woman said.
"Those are my goggles! Drop 'em!" Usopp shouted. The little girl quickly turned around, startling Usopp as he fell back.
"You snooze you lose, grandpa!" She grinned.
"Grandpa?" Usopp sputtered. He saw the girl leave the store and quickly chased after her, stopping her. "Little girl, stop right there! There's no way that you can possibly think that I'm an old man. I'm old enough to be your brother."
"Well, you smell like an old man." The girl replied.
"I"m not old! Just give me back those goggles. I found them first! They're mine!" Usopp shouted.
"Yeah? You better watch your mouth cause I'm friends with the Marines and I'll get them to beat you up!" She shouted at him.
"T-The Marines?" Usopp eyes widen, nervously. The little girl smirked.
"That's right and their captain is a close personal friend to my family. He's kind of like my uncle!"
"Why you little-Ha! I'm a good captain, too! Arlong Park was destroyed by these two hands. I was surrounded by hundreds of fishmen and the last that they ever saw was Captain Usopp the incredible! Don't such amazing and terrible things! They were glad to quickly meet their end. And I have a bounty of $30 million belis on my head so the Marines don't scare me!" The sniper exclaimed.
"Oh, $30 million belis, huh?" The girl questioned, not believing him.
"That's right!" Usopp said.
"Papa!" The girl called out as she waved.
"Don't call me papa! I'm not your daddy!" He looked behind him, confused, to see the little girl run over to a man dressed in a cloak and a cowboy hat.
"I got a present for you! Happy birthday, papa!" She smiled as she handed the goggles out to show him.
"Oh, my girl. Carol, you are absolutely the most angelic little girl a father could ask for!" He cried as he hugged her.
"I love you so much, papa!"
Usopp stared in disbelief. "What's with that girl?!" He thought to himself. The girl narrowed her eyes at him before turning back to her father.
"Papa, that silly old man over there was being mean and tried to steal your present!" She told him. Usopp made a nervous squeak as he saw the man, glaring at him as well.
"Are you the gentleman that's been bothering my adorable little daughter?" He asked the sniper.
"N-No, I just, uh..." Usopp stammered at a loss of words. The girl smirked as she handed the wanted poster of Luffy to her father.
"Here's something else!"
"Oh, a bounty worth $30 million, huh?" The man took out the wanted posters that he received looking Luffy's poster seeing Usopp behind him. "Let's take a look."
"Are those the new bad guys?" His daughter asked. Taking a chance, while they were distract, Usopp tried to sneak away.
"Yeah, I just picked them up today. $30 million for Monkey D. Luffy, for a first bounty that's impressive." The man looked up, seeing the sniper trying to get away. "Where are you going?" Usopp made a small squeak as he stopped dead in his tracks. He turned around and walked back to them.
"Okay, that's not me. I'm not the guy in the poster! I was just pretending to be a bad guy! Bye bye now!" He told them and waved as he started to walk away again.
"That's you, isn't it?" The bounty hunter pointed at Usopp's head in Luffy's picture. The sniper stopped in his tracks.
"Okay, you caught me again. But, just try to lay a hand on me and you'll see what happens. My captain Luffy won't sit idly by and watch one of his crew mates in danger! He's a cold blooded, soulless, monster from the very pits of hell itself. You can't even imagine the pain that he can inflict. You got your daughter to worry about, why risk your life over it?" Usopp told him.
"Your right, it's not worth it. Anyone with $30 million belis on his head is no ordinary man, that's for sure." The man replied.
"Papa you can beat him! You're the strongest man ever and your not afraid of anyone!" His daughter insisted.
"Darling, I don't have to prove anything. I just need just get by with enough to keep us happy. So long as you think that I'm the greatest that's all that matters to me, understand?" He told her. Usopp stared at him in disbelief as well as confused.
"I scared him off just like that? I guess I don't know how truly terrifying I am!" He made a smug smirk. "I'm glad that you came to your senses, fool. Now give me my goggles and just maybe I'll let you escape with your life!"
"Huh?" The girl glared at him.
"Don't worry, I'm going to pay for them. I'm a killer not a thief. Now give 'em here!" Usopp demanded.
"He's letting you go, old man! If I were you, I'd be running for my life-Papa?" Her father stopped her as he looked at Usopp.
"Okay, fine. If that's how you want it. Then let's settle this dispute like gentlemen." He tossed over a gun to Usopp. He caught it, looking at it confused.
"Gentlemen?" He asked. If it's a shooting challenge, he can definitely handle something like this. Those goggles are as good as his! "A duel? I think I can manage that!" Usopp smirked.
"If you win, then the goggles are yours." The man pulled back his cloak revealing multiple guns strapped on him. Usopp's eyes widen in shock as he tried to count them.
"One, two, three, four, five, six...T-THIRTY PISTOLS?! THAT'S THE SAME NUMBER OF GUNS AS DADDY THE FATHER!" He exclaimed fearfully, realizing who the man truly was now.
"Yeah, that's me."
As Nami, who was carrying more bags filled with clothes and surveying tools that she bought, and Aya were walking in the streets. They watched in confusion as they saw several people run past them as they headed up to a hill, which lead to a graveyard.
"There's going to be a duel!" A village shouted. Aya's eyes widen.
"It's Daddy the father!" Another one shouted.
"I wonder what's going on." Nami murmured, confusion. "Daddy the Father?"
"Let's go see." Aya told her. "I have a bad feeling about this." The two girls followed the villagers and they saw a large crowd in front of them as they were cheering. Aya and Nami pushed past them to see who the bounty hunter was fighting against.
"Everybody knows that Daddy the father is the greatest bounty hunter around. Not to mention the he's never lost a duel before. Only an idiot would go up against him." Nami said. Aya placed a hand her shoulder, getting her attention.
"You spoke to soon, Nami. Look." She pointed out. Standing back-to-back to each other, was the bounty hunter Daddy the Father and Usopp, who was trembling, completely terrified. Nami's eye's widen in shock.
"It's our idiot."
"Good luck, long nose! We dug a hole for ya already, so relax!" A man from the crowd laughed as he shouted at Usopp.
"What the hell just happened?! Why am I dueling this guy!?" Usopp panicked, trying to think of a way out of this.
"Simple rules, walk ten paces and fire." Usopp tensed up as he heard the bounty hunter explain the rules to him.
"O-Okay..." The sniper sputtered.
"What the hell are you doing?!" Usopp glanced over at the crowd to see Nami and Aya.
"Nami!" He cried out to them, looking at them for help. "Aya!"
"It's looks like your facing Daddy the father in a duel! ARE YOU NUTS?!" Nami exclaimed, furiously at him.
"YOU'RE NOT HELPING! YOU NEVER HAVE ANYTHING NICE TO SAY!" Usopp shouted back at her.
"You get one shot. Are you ready?" The little girl called out, getting ready. Usopp grew even more tenser.
"Usopp, listen to me. I only see two ways of getting out of this: One, you face this guy like a man and duel him-" Aya called out to him.
"I don't stand a chance!" Usopp shouted back at her.
"Then take the second option: Just aim the pistol in the sky. It'll put an end to whole thing. Don't throw your life away!"
"One..." The little girl began to count down. Usopp and the bounty hunter started to take paces. Usopp started to see his entire life flash before his eyes.
"Maybe, I should. I want to live."
"Two..."
"But, what if he fires before I get the chance to!"
"Three..."
"Run! I should run! I'll throw a smoke star!"
"Four...Five."
"What was I thinking?! This sucks. There's no way I can beat him!"
"Six.."
"I'm going to die, now. This can't be happening!"
"Seven..."
"My adventure is just beginning and I'm already going to die!"
"Eight..." Usopp quickly threw down and smoke star on the ground and ran. The bounty hunter quickly turned around and fired his pistol.
"Usopp!" Aya cried out. As the smoke cleared, she saw Usopp trembling on his knees as he stared at the ground. The gun was knocked out of his hand a few feet away from him.
"Papa that was awesome! You're the best!" The daughter cheered happily as she ran over to her father. The crowd walked away disappointed.
"That was just pathetic." One of the villagers said.
"I don't think I've ever seen such a cowardly move." Another one replied as well.
"I just shot the coward's gun away." The bounty hunter explained. Usopp gritted his teeth as he shut his eyes ashamed.
"What were you thinking!? Have you no shame! Cheating during a duel! You should be ashamed of yourself, it's pathetic!" The little girl shouted at him, angrily. Usopp turned around and crawled towards them, facing the two.
"I'm so sorry, forgive me! I just really too scared to die this young! Killing me would be too easy for you, right? So please don't shoot me! You could just let me go, could you?" He asked. The bounty hunter raised his pistol, pointing at the sniper. Nami and Aya quickly ran over blocking him from getting to Usopp.
"Whoa, hold it!" Nami shouted.
"Nami! If you want money, my friend has tons she could give you!" Usopp said. Nami stared at him in disbelief.
"Usopp! What the hell?! I'm not going to do that!" She exclaimed.
"Come on, help me out a little!" Usopp pleaded to her. Aya stepped towards the bounty hunter.
"Listen, if you want to duel someone then duel against me."
Usopp's and Nami's eyes widen. "Aya, what the hell!? What are you do-"
"Pathetic, you would let a woman fight your own battles instead of your own." The bounty hunter cut Nami off before he looked over Aya once more. Usopp clenched his fists, worried. The bounty hunter's eyes widen a little, recognizing Aya. "Wait a minute, you're the wanted girl."
Usopp stood up and quickly pushed Aya behind him to Nami, facing the bounty hunter. "Leave her out of this. This is between you and me! This is all on me. I'm the one who got myself into this situation. Please, just leave Aya out of this..."
The bounty hunter at him then glancing back over towards Aya, recalling what she had shouted. "Wait a minute, what she said earlier "Usopp." Did she just call you Usopp?"
"Yes." Usopp blinked, confused. The bounty hunter looked at him in shock.
"It can't be. You wouldn't by any chance know a man by the name of Yasopp, of the Red-Haired Pirates, would you?" He asked the sniper.
"Yasopp!? That's my dad's name! Wait, are you saying that you and my father are friends?!" Usopp asked him, surprised as well. Aya looked at him surprised as well. How did he know Yasopp?
"So, then you are his son..." The bounty hunter sighed. "I met your dad and I've never spoken a single word to anyone about that fateful day until now that is."
"We met on a hot and dry port every much like today."
Daddy the Father and Yasopp faced against each other at the docks. Their guns aimed at each other while the Red-haired pirates and Shanks watched, cheering Yasopp on.
"One, two, three!" One of the crew members shouted. The two men both fired their pistols at once. Daddy the father fell to the ground on his back. Yasopp clenched his teeth, painfully, as he gripped his right arm. The bullet had only grazed his arm.
"He won!" One of the red-haired crew members cheered.
"Yasopp won!" One shouted.
"He beat the best sniper the Marines had!" One crew member shouted out.
"You da man, Yasopp!" Another one cheered. Yasopp smiled.
"Yeah."
"Alright, finish him." A crew member told Yasopp.
"Killing the loser let's you die with dignity and respect. It's the right thing to do, Yasopp." One said to him as well. Yasopp walked over and raised his pistol at the fallen Marine lying on the ground.
"Please, finish me off. There's no reason for me to live anymore." The bounty hunter said to Yasopp. Yasopp smirked.
"Yeah, you lost after all." But he lowered his pistol when he noticed something hanging around the Marine's neck and ran over, pulling it off him. It was chain pendant.
"What are you doing?!" The bounty hunter exclaimed as he tried to get it back. Yasopp opened it up, seeing the picture of the Marine's daughter inside of it.
"Your daughter?" He asked.
"Give it!" The bounty hunter shouted at him. Yasopp chuckled.
"I wouldn't expect a bloody Marine like yourself to be treasuring something like this. Guess she must be someone really special." He replied.
"And what would a dirty pirate know about that?" The bounty hunter asked him.
"Not much. Yasopp tossed the pendant back to him and got up and walked over to his crew taking a seat on a crate.
"You were awesome! Yasopp!" One of them cheered.
"No I wasn't. I wounded him instead of killing him. I still need more practice." The sniper said.
"Maybe, but the rest of us would've been killed. You took on Daddy Masterson and lived!" Shanks tossed Yasopp a bottle of rum and the pirate caught it, taking a drink.
"Thanks boss, I'm glad that you let me duel him and instead of killing him on sight." Yasopp replied. "That hits the spot. Hey, you want some, Marine?" He glanced over at the bounty hunter, still lying on the ground, injured. "Family, huh? I could never wrap my mind around that job."
"Is that so?" He asked Yasopp.
"You know, I got a son. His name is Usopp. Haven't seen him in years though. I left him for the sea just when he started walking." Yasopp told him.
"Why? Didn't you love him?" The bounty hunter asked him.
"It wasn't that. I loved him plenty. It's just that I loved something else more. The sea was calling for me. Now then, it's too late for me to do anything for my son and I truly regret that. But you, your daughter, she deserves to have a parent with her by her side. Never let her go when you have the chance. Not that I'm the one to talk." He got up, leaving with Shanks and the other crew members as they walked towards their ship.
"I lost our duel, Yasopp! You can't leave me here like this! You owe that much to me!" Daddy shouted at Yasopp.
"You Marines may have to follow the rules and do everything by the book but the best thing about being a pirate is having to do whatever I want whenever I want. Later."
"That is so cool." Aya commented as the bounty hunter finished his story. "You really knew Yasopp? That's amazing!"
"So that's why you left the Marines to become a bounty hunter. It all makes sense now." Nami replied.
"Papa, no! A pirate didn't spare your life! Tell me it's not true! Tell me you killed him, right!?" His daughter cried, looking at him, hoping that it wasn't true.
"Usopp, your father must have been amazing! He beat Daddy the father! And he hasn't forgotten you either. Even now as he's traveling somewhere in the sea, he has an image of his little toddler boy that he left behind." Nami told Usopp. She stopped when she saw him, crying. "Usopp? It's okay, we understand." Aya stared at him, concerned.
Usopp shook his head. "There's no way that you could. That's not why I'm crying. There's more to it! I get it. I understand why you told me that story about my father. You told me that so I could 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! A coward would never do what you just did!" He looked over at the bounty hunter's daughter.
"Carol, your dad is the bravest man alive. But, the ones who put their honor on the line for others are one in a million! 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. Give me another chance. I have to prove to myself that I am not a coward! A life or death fight!" He asked the bounty hunter.
"Usopp, are you sure that you want to do this?" Aya asked him worried.
"I have to." Usopp told her. The bounty hunter nodded.
"Alright, choose the weapon you feel most comfortable with. This will be our final duel." He told Usopp. The sniper pulled out his slingshot, showing it to him. The bounty hunter looked around for a target before he spotted a weather vane far off in the distance.
"Good, now, let's see. You must hit that weather vane." He pointed out. Usopp's eyes widen as he stared at it, nervously. Nami and Aya watched nervously as well.
"What, that?"
"If you miss..." The bounty hunter pulled out his gun, aiming at Usopp.
"Right, you'll shoot me through the heart." The sniper replied.
"Usopp." Aya whispered underneath her breath, worried, silently praying. Please, let him hit it. Please, please, let him hit it!
"So this shot determines whether I live or die with honor." Usopp said.
"He can't there's no way he can shoot that far with a slingshot!" The little girl shouted. Usopp held out his slingshot as he tried to aim at the weather vane.
"Relax, concentrate. It's just another shot. Like a hundred before." Then he fired the pellet.
"He missed." Nami said, worried.
"Please, don't kill him, papa! Please no!" The little girl ran over to her father, begging him not to shoot. The bounty hunter stared in shock before he closed his eyes.
"I can't because he shot right through the crown." He said. Everyone's eyes widen in shock as well and Nami took out a telescope, looking through it to see that Usopp's had shot right through the jewel part of the crown of the weather vane.
"You did it, Usopp! He's right!" She grinned.
"Good shot!" The little girl congratulated him as well.
Aya crushed Usopp in a hug as she wrapped her arms around him. "That's our sniper! I knew that you could do it!" She cheered, kissing Usopp on the cheek, making him blush.
"You're as good a shot as your old man and a brave one as well. Your father would be proud. Go to the Grand Line, you'll find him there. He deserves to see what his son has become." The bounty hunter told Usopp. The little girl ran over to Usopp, handing him the goggles. "You're a pretty good shot, old man!"
"Thanks." Usopp said as he took them from her. She ran back over to her father and the two walked away leaving the three.
"Later! Wait, Papa!" She called out.
"Now, Carol, don't say "later" it's bad manners." The bounty hunter scolded her. The three watched them as they left.
"And people say that Daddy the father was a disgraced Marine. But we know the real story." Nami said.
"My father will see me as a true warrior someday, you'll see! I'll be as brave as Daddy the Father! And I will make my father proud. I know it." Usopp said.
