"There you go! Tell me, what do you think?"

Sanji had always had a creative and innovative mind when it came to food, and smoothies were no different. Considering Brynlee's love for them, he always put considerable effort into coming up with new mixes and recipes to please her, and Brynlee was always grateful and warmed by his efforts.

In her first life, she'd never had anyone go out of their way for her, least of all with the genuine intention of simply making her happy and asking for nothing in return.

"It's lacking a bit of sweetness," she admitted, carefully thinking it over as she took another sip. "But it's incredibly fresh. Did you add mint?"

"Half-a-leaf, yes. Too much?"

"Just right, I daresay. It doesn't overpower the fruity flavor but adds a little kick after each sip – truly delightful." She smiled. "The roasted oats add a nice crunch, too."

In their years of friendship, Brynlee had quickly learned that Sanji was more than just a talented cook – he was a skillful artist devoted to his craft. And as such, he wanted more than mindless praises, as much as he could earn them – he wanted critique. He wanted to improve, always, and Brynlee had always tried her best to respect his wishes, giving him her honest thoughts whenever he asked for them.

Sanji diligently jotted down a couple of notes in his recipe book. "Score?"

"Hmm…" She took another sip, lingering on it for a bit. "A solid 8.5, for sure. A bit sweeter and you'd get a full extra point."

He paused, shooting her a confused look. "And the missing 0.5?"

She grinned. "You forgot the tiny parasol."

He instantly rolled his eyes, flicking a strawberry stem at her head. She laughed, narrowly avoiding it, and took one more sip, sighing happily.

"You've outdone yourself again. Thank you, Sanji."

He smiled, visibly content. "Anytime, Bryn."

"Usopp, can we talk for a minute?"

"Err, sure? What's up?"

Brynlee gestured for Usopp to join her at the table, and after a moment of hesitation, the sniper did as told and settled down in front of her. It was obvious the unexpected confrontation was making him nervous, so she offered him a reassuring smile.

"Don't look so stressed out. I just wanted to address a couple of things."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, basically… You need to stop announcing yourself as Captain."

He looked about to protest, but the sudden sternness in her eyes immediately shut him up. After a few seconds of silence, and of Usopp nervously fidgeting in his seat, Brynlee decided to forge on.

"By agreeing to join this crew, you've agreed to Luffy becoming your Captain. And while we're all friends, and while we can mess around and even question Luffy's common sense, there is one thing we cannot forget: he is the man we've decided to follow. As such, we cannot undermine his authority when it comes down to it. That means no stepping up when another crew demands to see our Captain, and no tagging your jolly roger all around the ship when you think no one's looking, and no going around claiming to be the Captain anymore. Do you understand what I'm getting at?"

"I- I suppose…"

She reached out to squeeze his hand. "I'm not saying all this to make you feel bad, Usopp. But once we start making a name for ourselves, there cannot be any confusion regarding the basic hierarchy in our crew. Luffy is our Captain. And you, you're our skilled sniper and our Master Gunner."

"Master Gunner?" Usopp echoed, immediately perking up upon hearing the cool name.

"Well, of course. Who else but you is skilled enough to man the cannons and handle the ship's weaponry?"

He grinned proudly. "Eh, eh, I'm glad you noticed. Of course, only I am capable enough of such an important task!"

"You really are. None of us can fight as well as you when it comes down to long-range fighting. If we get attacked at sea, we'll be entirely reliant on you for defense and offense alike. While most of us are heavy-hitters, you're the only one specialized in long-distance combat – an undeniable asset to this crew."

Usopp's previous gusto and inflated pride slowly wilted away as he noticed just how serious Brynlee was. He was always eager to soak up praise, but a little voice in the back of his head always reminded him how most of it was naught but empty bravado. And yet there Brynlee was, undeniably one of the strongest in their crew, calling him an asset, and seemingly believing it, too.

He couldn't help but lower his eyes, unable to meet her gaze any longer.

"I'm… I'm not that strong…"

"You are," she insisted firmly. "You might not be strong in body – not yet, at the very least – but you are strong in heart. How many times have you already faced foes ten times stronger than you because it was the right thing to do? Because the lives of people you cared about laid on the line?"

"That's—I was just cornered—"

"And in circumstances where most would have broken down or given up, you didn't. You always did the right thing, the strong thing, when it came down to it." She patted his hand in a comforting manner. "Just keep on playing to your strengths, Usopp. If that means sniping down enemies while hiding in the crow's nest, then so be it. The rest of us will fight our foes head-on, so we'll be relying on you to cover our backs. Can you do that?"

Usopp seemed troubled, his hands even shaking a little, but he nodded firmly. "I- I can!"

"Good. We'll be counting on you, Master Gunner."

I love Usopp, he's incredibly funny and a very particular type of character, but him always publicly challenging Luffy's authority as Captain always kind of rubbed me the wrong way, even if it was only meant as comedic filler. Plus, Brynlee is obviously trying to avoid the Incident that happened on Water Seven, so forcing Usopp to accept his own strengths is the first step for it.

Anyway, I love writing moments between Brynlee and the other members of the crew. So, if you guys have ideas for any short moments between them (be it sweet fillers, amusing interactions or even slightly more angsty confrontations meant to ultimately bring them closer) feel free to share them! I'm already pretty set for ideas when it comes to the more canon events, but these Bonding chapters are still open!

Later!