"Pirates! Pirates! Pirates are attacking! Run!"
It had been a peaceful morning in Syrup Village, the sun just rising on the horizon, the birds chirping melodiously, the warm air bringing a nice atmosphere to the town. But, like every morning, that calm was shattered by a familiar voice.
"Everybody run for your lives! Pirates! Pirates!"
Usopp ran through the town, crying at the top of his lungs, running down the familiar route he'd made hundreds of times before, his trusty slingshot by his side.
"The pirates are coming! The pirates are coming! Run if you want to live! They'll be here any minute now!"
Meanwhile, on a certain sailboat a little ways away, the recently named Straw Hat crew rested. Sabine was fiddling with her gadgets, making more bombs as well as tweaking with her gauntlets. Zoro was sleeping against the railing, his three swords by his side. Nami was going over a map by the helm, making sure they were on the right track. Shang-Chi sat on the yardarm, legs curled over the side to keep his balance as he did sit-ups. Emiko stood next to him, eyes on the horizon, feeling the breeze wash over her and feeling the excitement of adventure stir within her.
And Luffy…
"I'm finished!" he cried out suddenly, taking the crew by surprise with Sabine dropping her latest bomb and spilling green powder over the deck and Nami lost her hold on the map, barely able to catch the edge of it.
"Damn idiot!" she growled, marching over to see what the commotion was all about.
"735…could have done better," Shang-Chi said to himself before he flipped over and landed on the deck right next to Zoro.
"Gah!" the swordsman cried. "Watch it! You almos- GAH!" he cried even louder as Emiko came down on his other side.
"You're jittery today, aren't you?" she smirked.
"Shut up!"
"So what's going on Luffy?" Shang-Chi asked as the crew gathered around.
"Look, our pirate mark! With Emiko aboard now, we have six people. That's almost a whole crew! Plus, we have our own boat so I think it's about time we got our own flag."
The five crewmembers stared at the flag in wavering levels of emotion, all negative.
"Uh…Luffy?" Zoro asked, sweating a little. "Is that really going to be our mark?"
"What do you think?" Luffy asked, still grinning with glee. "Nice, huh?"
"Well, it's certainly unique," Shang-Chi commented. In all honesty, most of it wasn't too bad. The crossbones actually looked alright and the straw hat had clearly had the most effort put into it. The top of the skull also looked fine. But the bottom part was…
"Why the hell's the mouth so fucking big?" Emiko said. "It's like an old man put in his dentures, forgot he put them in, and then put in another pair without checking, and then died."
"That…actually, it does look like that," Shang-Chi agreed, giving it another look.
"Our mark should be scary," Zoro said. "It should strike fear into our enemies' hearts."
"If our enemies were terrified infants, then this would be perfect," Nami added.
"They can always laugh themselves to death," Emiko commented.
"Hmmm. The skull and crossbones usually fulfill the fear factor," Shang-Chi said. "As that shows our enemies that pirates are attacking. It's the personal mark that lets them know which pirates and in our case, that would be the straw hat."
"That's what we're going with?" Zoro asked.
"Well, we are the Straw Hat Pirates now, aren't we?"
"Yep!" Luffy nodded. "The Straw Hat Pirates. So it's gotta have the hat or else people won't know it's us."
Zoro sighed. "Well, once we become famous enough, I suppose our reputation will get the fear going if the mark won't."
"That's the spirit!"
Emiko sniffed. "That fear won't last long once my arrows get in their throats. But yeah, the mark itself doesn't really matter. I mean, Roy's old pirate crew just had the letter 'T' behind the skull to show they were the Titan Pirates and they're pretty huge now."
Shang-Chi blinked, looking up at her. "Roy was a member of the Titan Pirates?" he asked, eyes wide. "They're huge in the Grand Line. One of the biggest pirate crews outside the Warlords or Emperors."
Emiko nodded. "He left before they went into the Grand Line cause of Lian."
"Fascinating."
Nami honestly didn't care about the flag one way or another seeing as she wasn't planning on staying with the crew that much longer. She had her money now. She was all set to return home. But she needed to find the right time to leave. She figured she'd take the sailboat once the crew had their ship. That would probably be her best chance.
Still, she noticed that one crewmember was oddly silent about this whole flag thing. "Sabine?" she asked, tapping the girl on the shoulder. "You ok?"
The Mandalorian girl hadn't said a word, merely taking in Luffy's artwork. At Nami's prompting, she stepped forward and took hold of the flag, coming face-to-face with Luffy.
"Huh?" he asked, confused by the sudden invasion of space.
"Destroy this," she said firmly, eyes wide and promising violence. "Or I will."
"Uh…"
"I'll draw the flag. And don't ever draw anything ever again! It's like a tiny thousand knives in my gut every time I look at it."
She sat down, getting a piece of fabric out and grumbling to herself with the words 'hideous,' 'jawbone,' 'travesty,' 'punchable,' 'paintjob,' 'moron,' 'blue,' 'denture,' 'desecration,' and 'castration' thrown around. The rest of the crew decided silently and unanimously to leave her be, returning to their previous activities except Luffy who decided to take his position at the head of the ship.
"735 huh?" Shang-Chi said to himself, thinking about his count. "Hmmm…should I continue with that or start over? Hmmm…I think I'll start over."
As he placed himself back over the yardarm to continue his exercises, Emiko clambered up even higher than before, once again fixing her gaze to the horizon. After being stuck for years on Star Island with the same view, she couldn't get enough of the new sights. Granted, it was just of the sea but it was something else and beyond the sea promised crazy adventures like the stories from her childhood so she drank in everything she could, making sure she didn't miss a thing.
It was about an hour or so later that Sabine held up her finished work, grinning. "Alright, it's ready!" she announced.
"Yay!" Luffy cried, instantly rising up from his position and swallowing an apple from the barrel at his side. "I can't wait to see it! Our own pirate flag! Yayyy…" his voice trailed off as he reached Sabine and saw the flag she drew.
"That's not a good sign," Shang-Chi murmured, pausing his count. He was about to jump down again but there was no need. Even from up there he could make out the new flag clearly. Below him, Zoro opened an eye to take a look as well and then opened the other in shock at the sight. Emiko glanced down and couldn't help but snigger.
"Oh boy," Nami muttered, taking in their reactions and knowing it couldn't be good. She was proven right when she walked over and saw the flag herself, gasping a little. "That…that is…wow, that is very…"
"Colorful," Shang-Chi said.
"I know right!" Sabine grinned. "This is some of my best work!"
The new flag certainly had the skull and crossbones as well as a straw hat but that was it. Instead of a black background it had a kaleidoscope of colors that was mesmerizing to behold and made it impossible to tell which color was where, all of them looking like they were blending and shifting together. The lower crossbones were colored with green and blue stripes, each having the opposite style to the other while the upper bones were the same with orange and yellow. The skull itself was dyed different shades of red with pink polka-dots.
The straw hat had a navy blue line dividing the top from the bottom that was so dark it almost looked black. The bottom section was a sea-green color with no other additions. The top, however, had a deep purple center that morphed into lighter shapes such as violet, lilac, and indigo.
"So, what do you think?" Sabine asked, clearly pleased with herself.
At first, there was no response, the crew still taking it in.
"So many colors…" Nami murmured.
"With a flag like that," Emiko called down, "we should be called the Painter Pirates instead!"
"Ooh, that's a good one," Sabine nodded in agreement.
"I actually think I preferred the other one," Zoro said. "This one takes hideous to a whole new-"
Wham!
"Damn…woman…" Zoro growled, rubbing the spot on his head where Sabine kicked him.
"Is it very pretty," Shang-Chi said. "But it's not quite what we're going for to make a name for ourselves."
Sabine sighed. "I know. I was doing the other one originally but it was just so bland that I thought I'd add a little color and then the next thing I knew, this happened."
"Looks like a rainbow threw up on it," Emiko cackled.
"You want to get whammed too?" Sabine growled up at her.
"Just try it, paintcan!"
"Let's all just settle down an-" Shang-Chi tried.
"I love it."
Everyone stopped, turning to Luffy as he spoke. Their captain stepped forward, taking the flag gingerly in his hands. "Luffy?" Sabine asked carefully.
"It's so much better than I could have imagined," he said, holding it up.
Sabine felt a wide grin spread across her face. "Aw, thanks!" she said, rubbing the back of her head.
"But it's not a real pirate flag."
That wiped the grin away as Sabine looked at him again. "Oh…" she said, her happy feeling dying away. "So then…"
"What if we hang it under the other one?" Shang-Chi suggested. "If you can make us an official pirate flag to hang at the top mast, we can just hang this one below it as a secondary one. There are pirate ships that do that."
"Yeah!" Luffy grinned. "That's what we'll do! Our official secondary flag! But for now, hang this one proudly for all the world to see!"
Sabine felt her grin return. "Thanks captain! Ok, I'll get to work on the primary one right away."
"Make sure it's not as bad as that one," Zoro commented, already settling in to sleep again. Sabine glowered at him, already moving over to kick him again.
I think I will miss them, Nami thought to herself, watching Zoro dodge the kick and seeing the two of them begin to skirmish with one another while Shang-Chi carefully hung Sabine's extraordinarily colorful map atop the mast. What a strange, crazy crew.
"Land ho!"
As one, the crew whipped up to Emiko's perch where she was pointing ahead of them. They followed her finger and just managed to see the coastline in the distance.
"The Gecko Islands," Nami confirmed. "Syrup Village is just ahead. That's where we'll get our new ship."
"Yeah! A flag and a ship!" Luffy cheered. "This is going to be awesome! Nami, take us in!"
"Aye aye captain," she said, rolling her eyes though smiling a little at his enthusiasm. But this was it, she knew. Once the others were on the island, she was gone. She felt a slight pang at the thought but quickly buried it. She couldn't afford to have feelings like that. She had a job to do.
Above her, Emiko grinned as the island got closer. "Adventure here we come!" she said, licking her lips at the thought of whatever awaited her there.
"Wake me up when we-"
Wham!
"Ha! Gotcha!"
"Damn woman!"
Shang-Chi merely shook his head. What a crazy crew this was. What new adventure would this island bring, he wondered.
"Pirates! They're coming! The pirates are coming! Run!"
The yells echoed down the streets, reaching the ears of every citizen of Syrup Village and making them all twitch angrily.
Usopp came to a stop in the center of town, panting from his dash across the island. "We're…doomed…" he gasped out, breathing in hard. "The pirates…are…a lie!" he shouted, throwing his arms out and laughing. "Hahahahahahahah-"
Clang!
"Ow! That hurt!" he cried as the pot that struck him rolled off into the grass.
"You little liar! You're not going to get away this time!" one of the citizens yelled.
"We've had enough!" another added.
"This little game is over!"
More and more poured out from their homes, seething in rage at the boy's antics. Every day they'd had to endure his cries of pirates waking them up and annoying them and every day their ire grew.
Usopp just stared at them all with a wide grin. "Wait…wait…wait…now run!" he yelled, booking it as the mob chased him off, laughing all the while. "Just try and catch me!" he called behind him. "Come on slowpokes!"
The mob chased him throughout the island but Usopp, once again, proved too fast and nimble for them, able to avoid them with ease.
"Aw man, looks like he got away again!"
"Kid's a no good troublemaker."
"He better hope I never get ahold of him."
"Looks like nobody's getting ahold of him today."
The residents continued to grumble as they walked off, each thinking of what they'd do if they ever managed to get their hands on the boy.
In the treetops above them, Usopp giggled, watching them leave. "Ah, yet another job well done," he said, lying back on the branch. "It is my solemn duty to send the wind of excitement through this boring old village."
For a brief instant, he wondered if his mother was smiling down on him at his latest antics, but this thought was interrupted by a familiar cry. He looked down, smiling and greeting the fellow members of his self-proclaimed crew the Usopp Pirates: Pepper, with his purple hair sticking up like a pepper shaker, and Carrot, use green hair looked exactly like a carrot top.
"I bid you good morning, Captain Usopp!"
"Fear not, your loyal crew the Usopp Pirates have arrived!"
Usopp grinned as he hopped out of the tree, landing before them. Only one member missing.
As if on cue, the cries of Onion, whose round head with only small bun at the top, reached them over the hills as he came dashing their way at top speed. "They're here! They're here! They're here! They're gonna kill us all!"
"What's he freaking out about?" Carrot wondered.
"Pirates! Pirates are here! Run for your lives!"
Usopp frowned at his fellow crewmembers, all three wondering what he was going on about. Usopp had already done the bit so there was no need for Onion to continue it. "Stop playing," he said as Onion came to a stop in front of them, heaving from the exertion.
"I'm not playing," he gasped out.
"It's for real?" Usopp gulped, fear taking root at the thought of actual pirates here. Of course, the notion of his father finally returning also passed by but it was overshadowed by the images of nasty, bloodthirsty pirates rampaging through the village.
"Yes it's for real! Pirates are here!"
"Gah! Gotta go!" he cried, dashing off. "Time for me to have my snack."
"You chicken!" all three Usopp pirates cried in unison.
"Actually, I'm sick. Yeah, I have I'll-die-if-I-don't-eat-my-snack-iosis."
"You liar!" they cried again.
"You always told us you wanted to become a real pirate someday and now's our chance."
"Yeah, what's with you? What kind of pirate is afraid of other pirates?"
"And these are pirates seem really strange!" Onion informed them. "Their flag was really colorful, so much that I could see it before I saw anything else. It had the Jolly Roger but it was like someone threw a bunch of paint over it."
"Maybe they're the Colorful Pirates?" Carrot suggested.
"Ooh, or the Painter Pirates?"
"Who cares what they're called, I keep telling you they're coming here! Actual pirates are coming here!" Onion cried. "So what do we do, Captain? It's just one sailboat with only a few people on it."
As they had talked, Usopp had begun moving mechanically around to dash off as fast as possible, not really wanting to face the pirates. But when Onion said that last part, a tiny bit of courage sprang up and he whirled back around. "It's go time, brave Usopp Pirates!" he cried, raising his arms arm in a dramatic pose. "We do have a village to protect! Let's go men, move out!"
"Sir!" they cried, chasing after him as he dashed towards the cove.
The sailboat came a to a stop as it hit the beach. The first one off was Luffy, eagerly landing in the sand with a grin on his face, followed shortly by Emiko who was brimming with excitement. It had been so long since she left Star Island that she drank in the new island as much as she could.
They were in a small cove with cliffs surrounding them, trees and shrubbery covering the tops. There was a pathway through the cliffs just ahead that no doubt led to the island proper and the apparent Syrup Village.
"Feels good to be on dry land again," Zoro commented, stretching.
"It's only been a day, relax," Sabine replied.
"So where's this village?" Luffy asked. "There's meat there right? There's gotta be! There has to be a place to eat meat in this village!"
"Just forget about meat for a minute, would ya?" Nami complained, pushing Luffy's slobbering face off of her.
Shang-Chi had taken command of their food and water during their voyage and made sure Luffy didn't immediately put them out of stock of anything, making Luffy sulk several times as he had only been fed, in his opinion, small portions of the delicious meat on board. At least here, he could go all out.
At that moment, Emiko and Shang-Chi tensed up, hearing the rustle in the leaves that didn't match the slight breeze wafting down. Zoro was a step behind, having been stretching in that second, but his eyes swiftly landed on a specific bush and his hand immediately fell to his sword. Emiko was already gripping her bow, knowing she could launch an arrow in a heartbeat.
"Careful," Zoro warned, putting the others on edge. "We're being watched."
"Huh?" Luffy asked, looking around wildly. "By who? Where are they? Do they have meat?"
Emiko sensed it first. "Look out!" she cried right as several projectiles shot towards Luffy, making him jump back in surprise and then hop around as they kept going for his feet. Emiko followed the path, her arrow nocked and loosing as soon as her eyes landed on the source. The arrow shot up, landing in the bushes. There was a startled yelp that came from them but not of pain.
He dodged it, Emiko thought, surprised and a little impressed. But she didn't have time to think about it as suddenly as more than a dozen flags suddenly sprouted from the bushes each with a pirate flag on them.
"Whoa!" Luffy said, waving his arms up and down eagerly. "That's so cool!"
"That's odd, I don't recall any notable pirates in this area," Shang-Chi commented, scratching his head, while Nami muttered under her breath as she stared at the flags completely unimpressed.
"Hahahahahahaha!"
The laugh drew their attention, making them all look up to the top of the cliff where a young man in brown overalls and curly dark hair as well as goggles stood, arms crossed over his chest and the main pirate flag planted next to him.
"I am Usopp, leader of the invincible nation of pirates who reign over this island. You stand before a living legend, the most revered pirate who ever lived. I am the Great Captain Usopp!"
"I don't recall him at all," Shang-Chi muttered to himself, mentally shifting through all the big names in the East Blue but both the name and the face eluded him.
"Surely you know that plotting an attack on this island would mean certain death! My army of 80 million super-mean-pirate-soldiers would squash you like bugs!" At his cry, he revealed even more pirate flags around him, obviously indicating towards more men holding them.
"80 million?" Sabine questioned dubiously.
"AWESOME!" Luffy cried, completely taken in by the claim while Nami sighed behind him.
"Damn, with that kind of force you could take the whole East Blue, maybe even the world," Emiko sniggered. "Didn't really think it through, did he?"
"Hmmm?" Shang-Chi asked, still trying to think of who this apparently great Captain Usopp was.
"You expect us to believe that?" Nami asked
"Gah! She knows!" Usopp cried.
"Well now I know."
"How could I have been so dumb, I practically told her I was lying! I'm such an idiot! So stupid!"
"Oh," Shang-Chi said, feeling dumb now. "I see. He was lying the whole time."
"Ha!" Emiko laughed, pointing right at his face. "Can't believe you fell for that."
Shang-Chi sighed. Now that he was focusing, he could also sense that while there were plenty of flags, the number of people moving about were very few in number, only about 3 by his estimate.
"What? He was lying?" Luffy questioned.
"Of course he was lying Luffy, there's no way 80 million people would fit on an island this small. Not even if they were all crowded together," Sabine told him.
Damn, didn't think of that, Usopp thought. Better make it smaller instead. That should work better.
"Curse you, you crafty tactician! 80 million was a mistake on my part, never been good at math. It's actually 80 thousand, all under my control."
"Really?" Shang-Chi asked, growing more and more annoyed from his blunder. "I count 3."
"AAAHHHH!" the Usopp Pirates cried as they burst from the bushes. "He does know!" They instantly dropped their flags and took off in a panic despite Usopp's cries for them to come back.
Emiko kneeled down at where the projectiles had been fired, seeing the balls on the ground. She'd already noted the slingshot on the self-proclaimed pirate's side. An impressive shot from that distance with such a weapon. She knew she could do it and a few others but not many more.
"That's pretty cool!" Luffy laughed.
"Shut your mouth or I'll shut it for you! I'm a proud man and I won't stand for it!" Usopp cried, readying his slingshot for another attack. "This is your last warning or you'll get to see why they call me Proud Usopp and not Pushover Usopp."
"Actually, I think Usopp the Proud would work better," Shang-Chi suggested.
"Huh?" Usopp stopped for a second, mulling that over. "Hey yeah, I like that. Usopp the Proud. That's what they actually call me."
"But didn't he just say-"
"Just stop," Sabine said, sighing.
"Now you've already seen for yourself how good I am with this thing," Usopp continued, aiming directly at Luffy who stared back at him with a blank expression for a few seconds before lowering his hat. "So you know I can rival anyone carrying a pistol. Or a bow for that matter," he added, looking at Emiko.
"Oh you want to go, long nose?" Emiko snapped, drawing another arrow. "I'll shoot you right through that fucking misshapen limb of yours right into your fucking skull!"
WAH! SCARY! Usopp mentally cried, seeing her expression.
Before Emiko could do anything, Luffy held up a hand, making her pause. "Now that you've drawn your pistol, are you willing to use it?" he asked in a serious voice, making Usopp tremble at the complete and utter lack of fear in the man's eyes.
"Captain, he doesn't have a pistol," Shang-Chi pointed out. "He has a slingshot."
"Damn it Shangy, I know that! I was having a moment!"
"Oh, I'm sorry, please continue."
"Guns…weapons aren't for threats, they're for actions," Luffy continued, stumbling over the first word thanks to Shang-Chi. "Are you willing to risk your life?"
As he said that, Zoro couldn't help but smirk, his respect for Luffy going up. Emiko also nodded appreciatively, recalling when Roy had said something similar to Lian. Though her mood soured when she also recalled when Komodo said it to her.
"I can assure you, we're real pirates," Zoro called up. "Consider your next move very carefully."
"Once you fire that thing, I'll fire back," Emiko added. "And you already know firsthand what I can do."
Usopp did know, that arrow from before coming so close to striking him down. He wasn't sure he could do that a second time. He stared down at them all, trembling and sweating as he thought about the position he was in. He could fire, but that would give them reason to attack him. He could not fire, and lose his advantage, and there were pirates so there was no doubt they'd cause everyone in the village a lot of problems.
He wanted to attack, to prove his courage, but when he looked down at these pirates' eyes, all he saw was steely resolve. Especially from the boy in the Straw Hat whose gaze was so unyielding it was almost like he wasn't a person at all.
He just stood there for several seconds, his heart pounding wildly, sweat dripping down his face, trying to do anything, until he fumbled the slingshot, the stone projectile landing with a thump on the ground.
Usopp instantly slumped over. "Real pirates have a lot more punch to their words because they can't actually back them up," he moaned. "That's so cool."
Luffy grinned followed shortly by Zoro and Emiko before all three started laughing. Shang-Chi stared at them, not following, until Luffy spoke again. "I stole that," he told Usopp.
"Huh?"
"I stole those words from Red-Haired Shanks, a pirate I know," Luffy replied.
"Ah yes, that does make more sense," Shang-Chi commented. "They did seem a bit out of character for you."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Luffy complained.
"It means you're a dumbass but whatever," Sabine replied.
"Wait, what?" Usopp gasped. "You know Red-Haired Shanks? You really are a real pirate! Wait, you got to be lying, do you really know him?"
"Yep!" Luffy said. "I know your dad too. His name's Yasopp, right?"
"What?" Shang-Chi spluttered, looking back up at Usopp in surprise.
"WAHA!" Usopp cried in shock, stumbling over the ledge and down the cliff until he bounced off the ground with his face and landed on his back in front of them.
Once he'd heard the name, Luffy knew instantly who the wannabe pirate was. After all the stories Yasopp had told him back in Windmill Village, it would be impossible not for him to make the connection. Besides, Usopp definitely looked like Yasopp even if his nose was bigger. Like, a lot bigger.
"You're right," Usopp said, sitting up. "My old man's name is Yasopp. But how, uh…how in the world do you know him?"
"I'll tell you," Luffy said, his eyes sparkling slightly, "if you give us some food first."
The rest of the crew sighed collectively.
"Ahm!" Luffy groaned, ripping off a chunk of meat with his teeth and swallowing it down.
"This is good, huh?" Usopp asked. He had taken them back to his favorite restaurant and practically laid out a feast for them that they were diving into, Luffy especially.
"So I met your dad when I was just a little kid," Luffy said, still chewing.
"Hold on, does my old man really know Shanks?" Usopp asked.
Shang-Chi snorted. "Does he know him?" he asked rhetorically. "Your old man is one of the senior officers for the Red Hair Pirates, one of the greatest snipers in the world if not the greatest. He's a legend."
"Wow, so cool!" both Usopp and Emiko gushed.
"Yeah, when I met him he was already part of Shanks's crew," Luffy chimed in.
"I can't believe it! My old man's sailing the high seas with famous pirates."
"I can't believe Red-Hair Shanks has so many connections in the East Blue," Shang-Chi mumbled, shaking his head. "Am I going to find Benn Beckman's daughter around here or Lucky Roux's younger brother?"
"Just let it go man," Sabine said, digging into some bread and cheese. "Pirates all come from somewhere, makes sense they have connections left behind."
Usopp flinched slightly at that but did his best to shake it off.
"Greatest sniper, huh?" Luffy asked. "Yeah, he was a heck of a sharpshooter when I knew him so that makes sense. I'd definitely keep him on my crew." He thought back to the feats Yasopp had done. Some were simple, like blasting an apple from halfway across the village. Others were seriously cool, like literally blasting the wings off a fly across the street. But the memories that crowded his mind were all about Usopp. "He used to go on and on and on about his son, I think I heard enough about you to make my ears bleed. And let me tell you, he was a great pirate."
"Yeah, really?" Usopp grinned, eager to learn as much as he could. "I sure am proud of my old man. He leapt into a pirate's life on the endless sea and chose a life of real adventure." As he said that, he looked back at a painting of a ship on the wall, imagining his father on it, riding the waves.
Nami leaned forward, deciding to get them back on track. "Maybe you can help us," she said. "Do you know someone who can provide us with a decent ship? Or even anyone who knows how to sail for that matter?"
"Well, it's a pretty small village," Usopp replied, thinking it over.
"I thought Syrup Village had a shipyard?" Sabine asked.
"Oh it does, but see, it's kind of dried up over the last few years after the owners died," Usopp said, thinking about Kaya's parents. "But there are plans to get it started again soon. I think anyway." He rubbed his chin, thinking about the conversations he'd overheard. "But for now, sorry, I just don't think we'll be able to help you."
Before any of them could say anything, Zoro glanced out the window and pointed. "What about that huge mansion?" he asked, making Usopp gulp in surprise. "The one on top of that hill over there."
"Hey! Do you know them Usopp?" Nami asked. "With all that money surely they can help us get our boat."
"You stay away from there!" Usopp suddenly snapped, making the Straw Hats blink in surprise and the sniper in question gag in shock at what he'd just done. "I just remembered something that I really gotta do," he said, standing up. "Everybody knows me at this place so and stay and eat as much as you want! Well, uh, gotta go!"
With that, he dashed out the door and was soon gone from sight.
"What a weird person," Sabine commented. "And did you see that nose? I thought Buggy's was strange but man, that Usopp could give him a run for his money."
"Why, what was Buggy's nose like?" Emiko asked, not having met the clown pirate.
"Why was he in such a hurry to get out of here?" Nami questioned.
"He obviously does know about the people in the mansion," Shang-Chi replied, glancing at it through the window. Sure enough, he could make out Usopp's form heading right for it. "Most likely an old friend or perhaps just works there. Probably why he knew about the shipyard and that it might be coming back soon if my theory is correct and the people in the mansion do own the shipyard."
"Perceptive," Emiko complemented, ripping out some meat with gusto.
"Just observation," Shang-Chi replied distractedly.
"Still, your observations are usually on point," Nami added. "But he said the owners died, didn't he?"
"New owners then. Exchange of hands," Shang-Chi said.
"So why didn't he want us to go anywhere near there?" Sabine asked. "Is it because we're pirates?"
"But he seemed excited about that given who his dad is," Emiko chimed in.
"Who knows?" Zoro said, taking a drink. "Point is we need a boat so how are we going to get it?"
"You gonna eat that?" Luffy asked.
Sabine looked down at the sandwich currently in her hand and then back at her captain. "No, I'm holding it for you," she said, voice brimming with sarcasm.
"Cool, thanks," Luffy beamed, grabbing the sandwich and stuffing it his mouth before she could react.
She stared at her empty hand before sighing deeply. "Yeah, that one's on me," she muttered.
Shang-Chi took his own sandwich and split it in two, offering her the other half with a nod.
Kaya sighed deeply into her pillow. She wished she wasn't so sick all the time. Because of that, everyone treated her like she was some delicate flower that would crumble away from one touch. More than anything she wanted to leave this house, walk into the town, and just breathe in the nice, summer air. But Klahadore would never allow it. He took her parents' final wishes very seriously, ensuring she was safe in her room at all times. She loved how much he tried to protect her but it was so stifling in this room with only the staff for company.
That was why she loved the visits of a certain long-nosed boy even more because when he dropped by, her problems didn't feel so bad anymore. Klahadore might think his visits were detrimental in some ways, but Kaya always felt better when listening to his crazy stories and so, while she obeyed Klahadore in every other aspect, she refused to listen to him on this, continuing to see Usopp whenever he dropped by.
Knock, knock.
"Come in," she said, coughing a little.
The door opened up and Kaya smiled as the small figure of her maid appeared in the doorway carrying a tray of tea and sandwiches. "Here you are, Madame Kaya," her young maid said.
"Katooni," Kaya reprimanded. "I've told you before, you can just call me Kaya."
"But Mister Merry says that I must always address you as Madame Kaya as that is only proper," the girl replied, straightening her back in a perfect likeness of Merry's posture and making Kaya giggle.
Katooni was an orphan of a pirate raid who had washed up on shore several years ago. The village had taken her in and Kaya's father, who had been the one to find her, had later offered the position of house maid as he wanted someone to see to Kaya's needs as well as befriend her. Since then, Katooni had been a loyal and trusted friend and another bright spot in her otherwise dreary life.
The girl's dreadlocks twirled as she placed the tray carefully in front of Kaya. "I made sure to add the good cookies," she whispered to Kaya as she got close, making the older girl grin. But before she could say anything, there was clattering sound against the window that she recognized.
With a grin, Kaya threw open the window, spotting Usopp down below. "Usopp, you came!" she cried gratefully.
"Of course," he replied, grinning from his perch on the tree branch next to her bedroom window.
"I'll just see myself out then, Madama Kaya," Katooni said, bowing.
"I told you to stop with the Madame part."
"Hey there Katooni," Usopp waved. "How you been?"
"I don't hear Usopp's voice, that's just the wind," Katooni said, offering him a sneaky grin as she left the room. "I'll just close this door firmly behind me to give Madame Kaya and…the wind some time to…chat." She blinked for a second, stumbling over her words, before giving up and closing the door behind her.
"Wow, she really needs to learn how to lie better," Usopp said. "Cause that was just sad. Maybe I should take her under my wing, make her my apprentice. Bet that would look good on her business card. Apprenticed to the Great Captain Usopp, bravest warrior of the seas! That'll definitely open some doors for her.
Kaya couldn't help but laugh as Usopp went on. "Oh Usopp," she said, shaking her head.
"So how are you Kaya? You seem a little down?" he asked, turning his attention back to her.
"I guess I am. I'm tired of talking like this, I'd like to invite you in like a proper guest. But there's just no way Klahadore would ever allow that," she said, looking down. "He's not a bad person though," she quickly added.
"Don't sweat it. Remember, I'm a brave warrior of the sea who likes endless oceans and the open sky. Houses weren't made for rogues like me, I'd probably just feel cramped in there," Usopp said waving off her concerns. While maybe a part of him would like to come in, he didn't want her to feel bad in any way right now.
"So what adventure are you going to tell me about today?" Kaya asked eagerly.
"Hmmm," Usopp said, thinking it over. "Well let's see. Oh I know! What about the story of me fighting a giant goldfish at the South Pole when I was only 5 years old?"
After that, Usopp launched into a tale of the giant goldfish whose poop was so large that they formed islands, confusing a young Usopp into thinking he'd actually found land. That part of the story made both of them laugh out loud.
Kaya really did love Usopp's bizarre and wacky stories.
"So, getting back to my point," Zoro said. "How exactly are we going to get a ship if these shipyards are closed?"
"Yah, do dey efen haff any hips leff?" Sabine asked, her mouth full of sandwich. She was worried Luffy would eat hers again and had stuffed as much of it in as possible.
"Possibly," Shang-Chi said.
"You understood that?" Emiko and Zoro gasped.
"We'll need to check in on it ourselves, verify if there even are any ships here. If not, we'll have to move on. We can't stay here long, not after Star Island. Who knows when the Marines will come here looking for us."
"Ooh, ooh!" Luffy gasped in excitement. "Do you think I'll get a wanted poster soon?"
"Most likely," Shang-Chi nodded. "Like I said, taking down a notorious pirate like Dragon Richard as well as exposing Marine corruption like that is sure to draw attention. I wouldn't be surprised if by tomorrow a wanted poster of you appeared."
"Awesome!" Luffy gushed, stars in his eyes.
"Not awesome!" Nami refuted. The last thing she needed was attention like that. Damn it, this was supposed to be quick and easy but it was turning into a real mess. She really should just skedaddle with the boat and her treasure right now, strand these guys here. It actually would work out better for her if there weren't any ships available so they couldn't follow her.
Still, as she looked at them all, Luffy shoving as much food in his mouth as possible, Sabine shoving as much food in her mouth as possible to avoid Luffy, Emiko having an arm wrestling contest with Zoro, and Shang-Chi's eyes widened as he realized what he would have to pay for their meal. They were a good group and she…liked hanging out with them.
I'll leave, Nami promised herself. Just not yet.
"So the first thing we should do-"
"THE USOPP PIRATES HAVE ARRIVED!"
The Straw Hats turned, spotting three children standing in the restaurant doorway brandishing small wooden swords.
"Who are these kids?" Nami wondered, looking at them.
"They're with Usopp, from before," Emiko said as she looked them over, recognizing them from the beach.
"Oh right, those kids."
"Also the name kind of gave it away," Sabine added.
"Fess up you filthy pirates!" the one with green hair cried out, charging their table. "What have you done with our beloved captain? Tell us now!"
"Yeah, tell us now!" the others repeated.
"Ah!" Luffy said in satisfaction, rubbing his belly. "That meat sure was good."
"Uh…" the Usopp Pirates murmured, staring at Luffy's belly and then at Luffy himself in growing horror.
"What meat?" one asked.
"These pirates are cannibals!" the other declared.
"What have you done, you savages?"
Nami and Sabine snorted while Emiko just rolled her eyes. Shang-Chi just stared in confusion at them. "Cannibals?" he questioned, looking at the meat on his plate. "I was under the impression that this was beef. Was that not correct?"
"If you're looking for your captain, we ate him!" Zoro declared with a sinister look on his face.
"WAAHHH! CANNIBALS!" the kids all shrieked, staring right at Nami.
"What are you punks looking at me for?" Nami cried.
"Hahahaha!" Zoro laughed, taking another swig of sake. "Haha-"
WHAM!
"You lousy jerk!" Sabine said, fist still held over Zoro's head. "Don't scare them like that! What is wrong with you?"
"What is wrong with you?" Zoro growled. "Stop hitting me, you crazy woman!"
"I'll hit you as many times as I feel like!"
"We are not cannibals," Shang-Chi said to the kids, finally understanding what all the confusion was about. "Zoro here is just messing with you."
"B-b-b-but what about h-him?" the kid with the hat said nervously, pointing at Luffy who blinked in surprise. "Wh-wh-why is his belly s-so big?"
"Because he ate everything on the menu," Shang-Chi replied. "Especially the meat dishes."
"Yep!" Luffy affirmed. "And they sure were tasty!"
"Oh…" the Usopp Pirates said, realizing now.
"So you're not cannibals?" the blonde one asked, once again looking at Nami.
"Stop looking at me when you say that, you little brat!" she cried.
"Ah! Scary!"
"No, we are not cannibals," Shang-Chi repeated. "But we are pirates. And you are those children that were with Usopp before, aren't you? The ones at the beach."
"Uh…" the Usopp Pirates collectively said, not sure what to say. These people had just admitted they were pirates but they didn't seem so bad. Still, their captain was missing.
"Where's our captain?" Pepper demanded.
"Yeah, t-tell us now!" Onion cried, trembling a little.
"Or you'll pay!" Carrot added.
"Scram brats, you're getting annoying," Emiko said, rolling her eyes.
"What did you say?"
"He's not here, your captain I mean," Sabine said. "He took off a few minutes ago. Said he had some place to go."
"Some place to go?" Carrot questioned.
"Oh! I know! It's that time, isn't it?" Onion suddenly said.
"Oh, right! That makes sense."
"What time?" Nami asked curiously.
"What place?" Sabine asked at the same time.
"The mansion, obviously," Shang-Chi told her before turning to the Usopp Pirates. "Can you take us there? I'd like to learn more about all this if we're going to get a ship."
"Right!" Luffy nodded after patting his belly again. "Let's go!"
The Usopp Pirates hesitated and conferred for a minute before turning and nodding in agreement. These people, while appearing scary at first, actually didn't seem so bad. And they would like to get the whole story from Usopp himself.
It was a short walk from the restaurant, after Shang-Chi had paid of course, and through the village proper. It was a small village, all of them able to see the ends of it from where they were standing. Still, it looked peaceful enough. To Luffy, it reminded him a bit of Windmill Village while for Emiko it reminded her of some of the settlements in the jungle strip back on Star Island.
So calm, Nami thought, looking around. This village was about the size of Cocoyashi Village and walking through it reminded her of her days as a child, carefree and innocent and always getting into trouble.
But this village was nothing like her home. Cocoyashi Village was packed with despair and defeat, like the whole village was just holding its breath for that final blow. Nami prayed that this village never had to suffer what hers had gone through.
I'll get there soon, she promised herself.
"Zoro, stay close!" Shang-Chi snapped, again stopping the swordsman from walking away. "Just keep your eyes on the road."
"Why don't you mind your own business?"
"Fine, walk off a cliff! See if I care! Cause I won't!"
"Good!"
"Jeez, what did I sign up for?" Emiko muttered, watching the two bicker.
"So we are going to the mansion," Sabine commented as they got closer. "Usopp knows someone here? Damn."
"So how long have you known Usopp?" Shang-Chi asked curiously.
"The Captain? Practically our whole lives," Pepper replied.
"So how did three kids like you get roped into playing pirates?" Nami chimed in.
"Hey, who's playing?" Onion cried. "We are pirates! The Usopp Pirates!"
"Yeah! Believe it!"
"Ooh," Zoro suddenly said, shivering slightly. "That phrase felt wrong here somehow."
"And yet at the sight of actual pirates, you did your best to chase us off before running for the hills," Emiko pointed out. "Not very piratey of you."
The Usopp Pirates all glanced down as she said that. It was true, they had abandoned their captain when their little scheme had been found out. They had come running back to help him of course but if these pirates had been cannibals like they initially thought, Usopp would be dead now. It had all be in good fun up until now but when confronted with actual pirates, all their confidence had vanished.
It was a little surreal to be walking through the village with real pirates right now. They knew their captain while still afraid of them, also had a soft spot due to his father being one. And now they got to meet the kind of pirates like Usopp's dad, the not-evil kind.
"We'll do better next time!" Pepper declared.
"Yeah! We'll stay by our captain's side til the end!" Carrot cried out.
"No matter what!" Onion added.
"Though it's still cool to meet pirates like you guys," Pepper said. "I can't believe we thought you were cannibals."
"Yeah, that was crazy."
"You really had us going there."
"WOW!" Luffy gasped as they made it to the edge of the mansion, fully taking in its size and grandeur with an iron fence around it, gardens stretching all along the sides, and at least two storeys if not three that towered above them. "This place is huge!"
"I've seen bigger back in central Star Island," Emiko murmured, her eyes narrowing slightly. She never did like those rich snobs.
Sabine thought of her family home and how it was actually much bigger, though more isolated as well. Nami just rolled her eyes at the excessiveness.
"And if our captain ran off at this hour then this is the place he's gonna be," Onion informed them.
"Oh? What in the world does Usopp come here for?" Luffy asked curiously.
"He must know someone here," Shang-Chi said.
"He comes to lie," Pepper said.
"Ok, I wasn't expecting that."
"To lie?" Nami questioned. "That's terrible."
"He's not a bad guy," Carrot interjected. "He's great, isn't he?"
"Yeah! He's awesome!"
"How is a liar awesome?" Zoro asked dubiously.
"Depends on the lie," Emiko replied, thinking of how she had lied about her identity as the Green Arrow for all that time.
"Well, Kaya, the girl who lives there, has been in a terrible depression that's left her weak and in bed ever since her parents got sick and died a year ago," Carrot explained. "She's very rich but all that money couldn't help her recover from her sadness."
As one, all the Straw Hats thought of their own lost family members and the sadness that had come with those losses.
"So our captain tells her special made-up stories to make her laugh and cheer her up," Onion chimed in.
"Captain Usopp is the best at telling lies," Pepper said.
"Wow that really is pretty nice of him," Luffy said.
"Yeah!" all three said together.
"The best thing about him is his mischievous side, he's always up to something," Pepper said.
"I like him cause he's not afraid to be silly," Carrot said.
"And I like the captain's crazy lies," Onion said.
"Though I wouldn't call it lying exactly," Shang-Chi said. "He's just a storyteller, nothing wrong with that."
"He claims he did all the things in his stories."
"Ok never mind, that is bad. My respect for him has dropped once again."
"So when he tells her those stories, he makes her feel better?" Nami checked curiously, wondering how that worked.
"Yep, lots better."
"Great!" Luffy declared. "I think we should ask her for a ship after all."
"What does that have to do with anything?" Emiko muttered.
"We're not the ones who make her feel better, Usopp is," Zoro chimed in.
"Getting in is impossible, those guards at the gate don't let anyone through. Especially him," Onion, said, gesturing to the main gates where three guards stood at attention. The one in the center had a gray hood over his head and reddish-brown metal armor across his body, especially his chest and shoulders. It wasn't clear from where they were but Shang-Chi could just make out a helmet from the side. In his hands was a large staff with two curved blades at the end.
"Sabine," he said, looking over at her.
"Not Mandalorian," she declared.
"Really?" Zoro asked, looking closer. "How can you be sure?"
"That armor. It looks more cobbled together. No true Mandalorian would wear it. He's just a wannabe, trying to make himself look cool," Sabine said.
"That's Zeik," Pepper said, shivering slightly. "No one really likes him cause he's always pushing people out of his way and doing what he wants. But he protects the mansion and the village by extent so they tolerate him. He works directly under the head butler."
"Is that right?" Emiko murmured, taking in the warrior figure. Someone like that taking orders from a butler? What kind of butler was he, exactly?
"Wait, where's Luffy?" Shang-Chi suddenly said, noticing their captain was missing. It didn't take long to find him as the clanging sound behind them made them turn to see him clambering up the fence.
"What are you doing?" Sabine whisper-shouted at him while the others yelped in shock.
"I'm gonna go ask Kaya for a ship," he said like it was obvious.
"No, you're not gonna-" Zoro started but it was too late.
"Gum-Gum…" Luffy said, stretching himself out.
"AHHHH! His arms are all stretchy!" the Usopp Pirates cried out, hugging each other in terror at the bizarre sight.
"He's some kind of monster!"
"Pardon me for the intrusion," Luffy said, preparing to take off.
"No, no, no, no!"
They all rushed him, trying to hold him down and stop him from blasting his way into the mansion but it was no use, even with them holding him down. The only one who didn't make a move was Emiko who just started laughing at the whole situation.
"Rocket!"
"Damn it," Shang-Chi managed to say right before Luffy launched them all up into the air, sending them flying above the fence as well as the mansion itself.
"Hahahahaha!" Emiko laughed, holding her belly a little. "Oh wow. This is going to be a real riot, I can tell. Ooh. Alright, if Usopp comes here all the time to see his girlfriend, that means he has a secret way in," she said to herself, eyes scanning the area. "Now I just have to find it."
"So after that terrifying and traumatic little incident," Usopp continued, feeling a swell in his heart at Kaya's gaze, "we escaped into the sky riding a giant slingshot ball. Hahahahaha."
"What's that?" Kaya suddenly asked, looking up above him.
"Hm?" Usopp asked, glancing up.
"Yahoo!" Luffy cried as he came hurtling downwards, all the others right behind him.
"Waaahhh!" Usopp cried, watching in terror as the flying, screaming people hit the ground around him, nearly making him jump out of his skin. A large dust cloud billowed up into the air, Usopp and Kaya blinking in confusion as it slowly cleared up.
"That worked well," Luffy grunted from the small paved walkway he'd landed on facedown and cracked.
"Yeah, real well!" Nami practically snarled.
"I swear, I'm going to kill him," Sabine grunted.
"Not if I do it first," Zoro muttered next to her.
Shang-Chi, on the other hand, had landed on his feet and now stood up, brushing the dirt from his clothes with ease. "Looks like I do still have it," he said to himself.
"Oh my goodness, are you ok?" Kaya asked, looking down at them all with concern.
"Uh…don't mind them Kaya, this happens to me all the time," Usopp said hurriedly, not wanting it to be revealed he led actual pirates to Kaya's house. They may seem friendly, but that still wouldn't go over well with Klahadore. "That's just the price of being a famous adventurer. They're just new recruits who heard about me and came to join the Usopp Pirates."
"Nope, not me. I came here to see you," Luffy said, looking up at Kaya. "I wanted to ask you a favor."
"A favor? From me?"
"Uh huh. I was wondering if there was any way you could help us get a boa-"
"You there!"
At the voice, they all turned to see a sharply dressed man in fine suit with glossy black hair and glasses walking up to them.
"What do you think you're doing?" the man demanded. "Get out. I'll have you know this is criminal trespassing." As he said that, his hand came up to adjust his glasses though he used his palm rather than his fingers. Both Shang-Chi and Zoro couldn't help but frown slightly at the man's movements, something about him peeking their interest.
"Hey guys, who's he?" Luffy asked curiously while Usopp flinched above him, already aware of what was coming now.
"Uh, actually Klahadore," Kaya said from above, "these people are-"
"Not now Kaya," Klahadore interrupted. "You can tell me all about this riff-raff after they've left."
"His name is Klahadore?" Sabine muttered. "The hell kind of name is that?"
"Now get out, all of you," Klahadore said firmly. "Leave now unless you have some business with me."
"Alright," Luffy grinned. "Do you think you could help us get a ship?"
"Certainly not," Klahadore all but spat, making Luffy slump over in disappointment. The butler's eyes then traveled up to the tree where a familiar figure had been sitting in the branches but had now vanished, no doubt hiding on the other side. "Usopp!" he called, making the boy curse. "You have quite the reputation. You're very well known in the village."
"Heh, sure am," Usopp replied as he clambered back onto the branch.
"I hear you've been on many an adventure. Impressive for someone as young as you."
"Does he actually believe Usopp's tales or is he just taunting him?" Shang-Chi wondered.
"You seriously can't tell?" Nami asked, incredulous.
"Usually people who admire me so much call me Captain," Usopp replied, lost in his own fake bravado. "So it's Captain Usopp to you."
"Captain, huh?" Klahadore remarked dryly, chuckling to himself. "Your father also had something of a reputation."
"What?" Usopp snapped, angry now.
Kaya gasped, seeing Usopp's expression darken before turning back to her butler. "Klahadore, please just stop!"
"You'll never be anything more than the son of a filthy pirate!" Klahadore said sharply. As he said that, Luffy looked up, shadows forming over his eyes. Next to him, Shang-Chi just managed to repress a flinch. "Who knows what sort of trouble you're up to now?" Klahadore continued. "All I ask is that you and your kind leave this respectable young lady alone."
"A filthy pirate?" Usopp repeated, his anger rising fast inside him. There may have been times in his life where he resented his father or even cursed him but he still always respected him for following his dream and he would not stand for someone to insult him like that.
"You and she are from completely different worlds and you know it. Is it money you're after? How much do you want?"
"Cease this at once Klahadore!" Kaya cried, angry now too. "Apologize to him."
"Hey, calm down Kaya," Usopp said, surprised at her.
"I don't believe there's any-"
"Hey, what's all the commotion about?"
As one, everyone except for Luffy turned at the voice, seeing Emiko appear from the side of the yard, several leaves in her hair and across her clothes that she was wiping off.
"Who is she?" Usopp wondered.
"Great, another one," Klahadore growled angrily.
"Where did you come from?" Zoro asked.
"Back there. Since big nose comes here often, I figured he had his own secret entrance so I looked around and spotted the spot in the hedge where he'd cut a hole," Emiko said, gesturing. As she did, Usopp froze, sweat trickling down. Below him, Klahadore began to tremble with rage. "So I just climbed on through. Wasn't going to go flying like the rest of you idiots. So how's it going anyway? We have a ship or not?"
"Do you see now Miss Kaya," Klahadore said darkly. "Instead of coming in through the main gate like any civilized boy would, he has instead created an opening through the hedge like a common thief that now other riff-raff can use as well."
"Riff-raff?" Emiko repeated, trying to understand if she'd been insulted or not.
"He has led all these interlopers into this yard and doesn't seem the least bit ashamed for his actions," Klahadore continued. "You want me to apologize to this savage young man? I don't believe there is any reason why I should, my lady. My goal isn't to slander, I am merely stating the truth. I sympathize with your situation. You must hate your great idiot of a father for abandoning his family and his village because of his mindless lust for treasure."
"Klahadore, stop!" Kaya cried. She didn't know why Klahadore was doing this but she could tell it was hurting Usopp.
"Don't you dare insult my father ever again!" Usopp yelled, leaping from the tree branch and sliding down the grapple and rope to the ground below, ignoring Kaya's call to him. With a pull, he retracted the grapple into his pouch, making Sabine blink in surprise and a little awe. He then glared at Klahadore, his vision turning red.
"Why have you gotten so worked up, Usopp?" Klahadore asked mockingly. "It's times like these that you should do what you do best and lie. Tell me about how your father is really a traveling salesman or how you aren't really related by blood-"
"Enough!" Usopp cried, rushing forward and punching Klahadore across the face with all his strength, knocking the man to the ground.
"Idiot," Shang-Chi growled. "That's exactly what the bastard wanted."
"Captain!" the Usopp Pirates cried out while Kaya gasped in shock from her room.
"Case and point," Klahadore proclaimed as he rose up from the ground. "He resorts to violence. I guess the apple never falls far from the tree, does it?"
"Shut up!" Usopp yelled, making Klahadore flinch back in surprise. "My father listened to his heart and chose a life of risk and adventure. I am proud to say that my old man is a brave warrior of the sea. You're right, I have been known to exaggerate from time to time, but I will never lie about who my father is. I refuse to be ashamed of my heritage. I am the son of a pirate!" he cried loudly.
Wow Usopp, Shang-Chi thought. You are brave after all. Braver than I in some respects.
The others all watched with various emotions. Nami was honestly not too interested in the whole affair while Emiko watched with avid interest as well as Zoro. Sabine wasn't sure what to think of this and Luffy's gaze never wavered once.
Klahadore laughed as he sat up. "Pirates are brave warriors of the sea, are they? That's quite a twisted way of putting things. You don't seem to understand that you are living proof of his savage blood. You run around spouting lies and use violence when you don't get your way. To top it off, you cozy up to the lady of the house to steal her fortune."
"You're wrong!" Usopp protested. "I only-"
"Your father is filthy, no-good pirate!" Klahadore bellowed. "Treachery is in your blood! Of course you would have such an evil scheme!"
"You won't let up will you?" Usopp yelled, grabbing the man by the collar.
"Stop it Usopp, please!" Kaya cried, hating seeing her friend like this. At her cry, Usopp paused. "No more violence, I can't take it!" she continued and Usopp felt his grip slacken. "Klahadore isn't a bad person. He's just…he's just trying to do what he thinks is best for me and sometimes he goes too far."
"Way too far," Sabine muttered, wanting to punch the guy herself.
"Yeah, that was a little much," Nami admitted. While she would always hate pirates and she didn't like Usopp for being so proud of one, seeing Klahadore deliberately wind him up had been hard to watch.
At Kaya's words, Usopp finally released Klahadore who then slapped the boy's hand away from him sharply. "Leave this place," the man commanded. "You are never to come here again!"
"Yeah, I get it," Usopp growled, still glaring. "You don't have to tell me twice buddy. This is the last you'll ever see of me." With that said, he started running off.
"Usopp," Kaya whispered sadly, hating that this all happened.
"Hey, you butler jerk!" Pepper cried. "Our captain's not that kind of guy!"
"Stupid jerkface!" Carrot cried out.
"Jerkface!" Onion repeated.
"Jerkface!" Luffy roared.
"Shut up, you don't have a bone to pick with him," Zoro said, knocking his captain on the head.
"Really, that's the best you can do?" Emiko asked, giving them all a look. "Here's how you do it. Hey, you, grease-noodle!"
Klahadore shot her a withering look. "I will n-"
"You're a *BEEEEP* piece of *BEEEEP* with a *BEEEEP* shoved right up your *BEEEEP* and a stick of *BEEEEP* lodged in your *BEEEEP* and I hope your *BEEEEP* winds up cutting off your *BEEEEP* so that you'll *BEEEEP* all over yourself, you *BEEEEP* godforsaken *BEEEEP* gutter-licking *BEEEEP* colossal *BEEEEP* sheep-faced*BEEEEP* crab-infested *BEEEEP*!"
Emiko panted a bit but smiled, proud of herself. Next to her, all her crewmates stared at her in shock with Nami's and Sabine's mouths gaping open and Zoro and Shang-Chi's eyes bulging from their sockets. Luffy just stared, completely taken aback.
The Usopp Pirates all had their jaws hitting the ground and Kaya's hands were covering her mouth, not one of them ever hearing such language before. Klahadore's expression was one of outright shock and pure fury as he stared at the girl, very much wishing he could tear her apart.
"Wow," Sabine mumbled. "That was…something."
"I think my ears are bleeding," Nami murmured. "And I've heard plenty of colorful words from pirates before. But this…"
"I don't think I even know half of those words," Shang-Chi mumbled.
"Girl's got quite the mouth," Zoro smirked.
"Yeah!" Luffy proclaimed, turning back to Klahadore. "You're a…whatever she said! You jerkface!"
Klahadore adjusted his glasses again and the Usopp Pirates looked at him, trembling at the look in his eyes, before crying out and rushing off to cower behind the Nami and Sabine.
"What are you doing? Don't hide behind me!" Nami yelled at them.
"You little cowards!" Sabine cried.
Next to them, Zoro struggled to hold Luffy back, telling them this wasn't their fight while his captain did his best to break free so he could beat that 'butler guy' up.
"Put me down! Put me down! I'm gonna kick his ass!"
"You will all leave immediately!" Klahadore bellowed, spit flying from his mouth. "Your presence here is a disgrace to this household and to Mistress Kaya's person. If you are not gone in the next ten seconds, I will make you leave by force!"
Shang-Chi looked over at the main gate and saw the guards at the ready there. While he believed they would win this fight, it would only cause more problems.
"Captain, we should go," he said to Luffy.
"But I want to kick his ass!"
"Captain, this is not the time to fight. We won't get a ship this way. Let's wait for a better opportunity."
Luffy glanced his way, still gritting his teeth, before reluctantly stopping, letting Zoro release him. "Jerkface!" he repeated, sticking out his tongue towards Klahadore, before turning and leaving, his crew right behind him.
Later in the day, Klahadore found himself stepping out of Miss Kaya's room, letting out a long-suffering breath. How he hated calling her that. 'Miss' Kaya. It was so demeaning. But he still had a part to play and everything must go perfectly for his goal to succeed.
After what happened, he'd had to console the girl and remind her of their bond. It had been nauseating, going over those wretched memories. How he came to be in service at this damn house, forced to answer to this pathetic girl's every petty desire. But if he wanted her money and to live free, he had to stay on her good side. For now anyway.
But soon…yes, very soon, he would be rid of her. And then, finally, he wouldn't have to worry about anything anymore.
Still, those new arrivals presented a problem. The one in the straw hat was clearly an idiot and probably no threat but the one with the swords as well as the girl with the bow were clear threats. That other boy, the one who'd held straw hat back, also seemed like a fighter. And then, of course, the Mandalorian. Klahadore had never encountered one before but he'd heard the stories.
It would seem they'd have to prepare for a fight after all.
NOTE: I AM CLOSED TO ART COMMISSIONS.
And we're back. Happy Halloween!
Hope you enjoyed and leave a review if you can. However, I will add that I am no longer accepting character suggestions. I have plans for which characters I will use so do not need any suggestions. If I require assistance, I'll ask. I am grateful for the enthusiasm though.
Oh, and if you noticed those two extra Star Wars additions, nice work.