Author's Note: Hello, everyone. Here I am with the latest installment of Captain Harley Quinn. Hope you all enjoy it. Any and all comments are welcome.
After introducing themselves, Luffy, Harley, Nami, and Zoro were lead by Usopp to the village tavern where they continued to talk while being served.
"I still can't believe that you know my dad." Usopp said.
"Oh, yeah. He's the best sharpshooter I know." Luffy said. "And I knew you were his son because he always talked about you."
Usopp gasped. "Wait. He talked about me?"
"Yeah. I had to hear about you from him about a thousand times."
"Well, what does he say?"
"Let's see. Well, he always said that he regretted leaving you and your mom, but he had no choice. The pirate's spirit of adventure kept calling out to him."
"I see." Usopp said with a soft smile.
"Wait. You're not upset about that?" Harley asked.
"Not really." Usopp shook his head. "Actually, I respect that. He's out there sailing the boundless sea, risking his life and limb doing something that he's proud of. How can I be mad at him?"
"Wow. That's kinda unexpected." Zoro said.
"Yeah." Nami said. "Normally, people would get upset how their dads abandoned them."
"Not me. I'm proud of my dad." Usopp said. "But enough about that. Tell me. What were you four doing on a Buggy Pirates ship? When I heard that was coming, I thought I'd scare evil pirates away."
"Oh, that." Harley chuckled nervously. "The truth is, we stole it from Buggy. We're preparing for an adventure to the Grand Line, but we're a little short on… everything."
"We were hoping that this place would at least have a couple of ships to spare, or even some new crewmates." Nami said.
"I see. Well, I'm afraid you won't get any fancy ships on this island. But hey, if it's a crewmate you're looking for, I'm happy to volunteer. Just as long as I'm the captain."
"No way! I'm the captain!" Luffy shouted.
"So am I!" Harley added.
"Ha! Might as well!" A voice caught their attention. Everyone turned their attention to a group of people around their age. Their leader had a silver boomerang tucked in his belt. "You wouldn't want this long-nosed fibber on your crew."
Usopp growled and shot himself up to his feet. "You wanna start something, Owen?"
"What if I am?" the leader of the opposing gang said with his friends groaning in annoyance.
"There they go again."
"Oh, brother."
"Of all the places to hang out."
"Uh, excuse me," Nami said, "But who are these guys?"
"This is Owen Mercer and his friends." Usopp said with discontent. "Don't pay him any mind. His best friend is a boomerang."
"At least I don't drive all my friends away with constant lies." Owen snarked.
"I have friends!"
"Preschool kids don't count!"
"They're the mighty crew of the Usopp Pirates!"
"Ugh! You're still on that?"
"I'LL KICK YOUR ASS!" both Usopp and Owen shouted before the restaurant owner walked up to them and smacked them both on the head.
"CAN IT, YOU TWO!" he shouted. "All you two ever do together is fight! Isn't it time that you grew up?"
"I will if he will." Owen said.
"Oh, yeah. Real mature." Usopp said.
The owner groaned. "Just keep the bickering to a minimum at least. Everyone's tired of it." He walked away leaving everyone to grumble in peace. Usopp and Owen growled one last time at each other before separating and returning to their friends.
"Sorry you had to see that." Usopp said.
"What was that about?" Harley asked.
"Nothing much. Owen and I just can't stand each other. We're always trying to one-up each other on various stuff around the island. Honestly, I find him to be a real nuisance sometimes."
"He really made it sound like you were the nuisance." Zoro said.
"Yeah. What's all that stuff about constant lying?" Nami asked.
Usopp sighed. "Okay. I… may have this daily routine. Every morning, I run out into the village saying 'The pirates are coming! The pirates are coming!' But it's really just a joke. The villagers get so mad, they chase me until they lose me." He snickered wickedly.
"They fall for that every day?" Harley asked.
"Well, at first, they did. But they've gotten used to me lying all the time. Really, it livens up this boring village." Usopp suddenly gasped before standing up. "That's right! I gotta go!" He immediately ran out of the restaurant door.
"What's his deal?" Luffy asked.
Nearby, Owen sighed and joined in. "It's that time of the day again."
"What time?" Nami asked curiously.
"This is the time when Usopp's lies actually come in useful." Owen said. "I can tell you lot are new in town, but did you notice a big mansion up the hill?"
"Come to think of it," Harley noticed, "That did catch my eye."
"That estate belongs to a young girl named Kaya. About a year ago, her parents died of a sickness and left everything over to her. Since then, she's gotten so depressed, it's ailing her too. Being the cheerful liar he is, Usopp made it his mission to sneak to her mansion and tell her all sorts of outlandish stories that make her laugh. It's really the only joy she gets these days."
"Wow. Sounds like he's got a full day planned out." Harley said. "Lying to the village for his own fun. Lying to that rich girl to cheer her up."
"So her spirit's not too low, right?" Luffy asked.
"I guess. Why?" Owen asked.
"Because I'm going to ask her for a ship!" Luffy declared.
"Hold on! I call first dibs!" Harley yelled out.
"What?!" Owen asked nearly falling out of his seat. "Hold on! You can't just go talk to her! Her butler is very strict and very protective of her! You'll never get near…"
His words fell on deaf ears. Already, Luffy and Harley raced out the door and headed up the hill. Nami and Zoro followed them. Owen and his friends watched shocked.
"They're mad, aren't they?" he asked. He sat back down to his friends.
"Wow, Owen. Now, that was mature of you."
"Hmm?" Owen asked confused. "I don't follow."
"Well, for someone who hates Usopp, you seem to have held him in high regard."
"I never said I hated the guy." Owen said. "There's just… something about him. Some part of him that I actually respect. I can't place my finger on it though. Still though, I have a bad feeling about what's going to happen."
Up the hill, Nami and Zoro had caught up with Harley and Luffy, who had been scaling up the fence that surrounded the large, white mansion. Once they were over, Harley and Luffy immediately began racing across the yard.
"Back off, rubber boy! I called dibs on the first ship available!" Harley yelled trying to outrun Luffy.
"So what? I'm a pirate! We don't follow dibs!" Luffy argued. "Just try to stop me!"
"Okay then! Hold this!" Harley said passing her bat to Luffy. But the moment the kid touched the Sea Prism Stone that it was made off, he collapsed weakly leaving Harley to snicker. "Sucker!"
Harley turned the corner and smiled as she caught Usopp looking up at a girl resting at an open window. It was a young, beautiful girl with white hair who smiled with the pathological liar.
"Oh, hey, Usopp!" Harley greeted loudly as she approached.
"Hey, Harley." Usopp replied. "Anyway, back to the giant goldfish story, the locals all… WAIT, HARLEY! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!"
Kaya looked over at Harley and the others who caught up. Along the way, Nami had taken the bat from Luffy's grip and threw it back to Harley.
"Usopp, do you know these guys?" Kaya asked.
"Uh… Yes. They're the newest members of my crew." Usopp said.
"In your dreams, buster." Harley said. "Are you the mistress of this house?"
"Uh, huh." Kaya nodded.
"Great. I'd like a ship." Harley said.
"NO!" Luffy jumped in front of Harley. "Give me a ship first! A big one!"
"WHAT'S THE MEANING OF THIS?!" a new voice yelled out. Everyone looked and saw a fancy-suited man wearing a pair of glasses. He used the bottom edge of his hands to adjust his glasses. "You people are trespassing."
"Klahadore!" Kaya gasped. "These people are just…"
"Save your excuses Ms. Kaya." Klahadore said before turning to the pirates. "As for you, you better have a good reason for trespassing on this estate. If not, you can get out."
"We're just asking for a couple of ships." Luffy said.
Klahadore ignored the Straw Hat and turned his attention at a certain individual. "You're Usopp, aren't you?"
"Oh. Uh, yes, I certainly am. But you can call me Captain Usopp. Sorry for the intrusion, but I saw a legendary mole and I just had to chase after him."
Klahadore chuckled in a mocking tone. "I admit, you're awfully gifted in telling your wild stories. But I've also heard stories about your father too, the filthy pirate."
The tone on Usopp's face changed from carefree to a growing anger. "What did you just say?"
"I'll be honest, I do feel sorry for you." Klahadore said. "After all, that treasure-crazed bastard did abandon you."
"Stop talking about my father like that." Usopp gritted his teeth.
"Klahadore, stop!" Kaya demanded. "You owe Usopp an apology!"
"An apology? Why? I'm only speaking the truth." Klahadore said. "Listen, boy, since you have a penchant for lying, you can probably save face by making up some story about your father. Maybe say he's really a merchant or that he's not your real father. It's certainly a lot better than…"
"SHUT UUUUUUUUP!" Usopp yelled from the top of his lungs. Everyone fell silent when Usopp finally lost it. "Listen very carefully, butler man! I am not going to lie about my father, because I'm proud that he's a pirate! He's a brave warrior of the sea! It's true, I lie a lot, but I would never, ever lie about my pirate heritage! I AM THE SON OF A PIRATE!"
After that outburst, everyone stared as Usopp let out his deep breaths.
"That was intense to watch." Harley said.
"That's Yasopp's son, all right." Luffy said.
"A brave warrior of the sea?" Klahadore asked. "That's a real deceitful way to twist the truth. Lie all you want, but the fact that you blatantly admit you're a pirate's son already tells me a lot of your true intentions. You're only kind to Ms. Kaya because you're after her and her money. I'm onto you and your… GAH!"
The strong impact at the back of his head shut him up. Everyone looked and saw that hit him. It was a boomerang and flew away from where it hit and returned to its owner, Owen, who stood just outside of an open gate.
"Owen?" Usopp asked confused.
"Hey, it's that guy from the restaurant." Nami said.
"Oh, yeah. The weird boomerang guy." Luffy said.
Klahadore growled clutching onto his head. He turned to Owen with resentment. "You! That had better be an accident!"
"Sorry, but I'm not a good of a liar as Usopp." Owen said. "You went way too far before, Jeeves. But I will not have you disrespecting pirate blood, especially blood that Usopp is very proud of."
"Did he just praise me?" Usopp asked. "Owen's never done that before."
"Why do you care?" Klahadore asked angrily. "This is none of your business!"
"Now, listen here! You made it my business when you disrespected pirate legacy!" Owen said. "Let me tell you something. There are many ways to live as a pirate. Sure, they seek mountains of treasure, but they also seek adventure and freedom. And they're proud of it. And sometimes, it's a pride so great, they get passed down to the next generation. Usopp, you and I may fight over everything, but I only just realized the one thing I respect you for: your pride in your pirate blood. Always hold onto that." With that, he turned and walked away.
"Is it just me, or did he sound like he was speaking from experience?" Harley asked.
Usopp kept staring baffled at Owen's speech. He nodded and turned to Kaya. "Sorry about all that, Kaya. I'll leave at once."
"You better." Klahadore warned before turning away. "Pirate pride…"
"Does this mean we're not getting a ship?" Luffy asked before getting smacked by Nami.
After leaving the mansion, Owen sang quietly to himself while walking along the road across the grassy plains.
"Gather up all of the crew. It's time to ship out Binks' brew. Sea wind blows. To where? Who knows? The waves will be our guide…"
"HEY! OWEN!"
Owen stopped to turn around. He wasn't much surprised to see Usopp chasing after him. The rest of the pirates followed behind him.
"Oh. It's Usopp." Owen muttered dryly.
"You don't have to sound so blank." Usopp said. "Not after how you just stood up for me back there."
"Yeah. It was honestly kinda awesome." Harley said.
"That talk about pirate pride! Wow!" Luffy cheered.
"Don't get a big head about it." Owen said. "Like I said, it's the only part of Usopp I actually respect."
"Well, you can't just expect me to not at least say thank you." Usopp said.
"Hey, I have a question." Harley said. "By any chance, are you the son of a pirate too?"
Owen's eyes widened catching Usopp's attention. "Huh? Wait, is that true? You never said that."
Owen sighed. "Follow me."
"What are we doing at the beach?" Nami asked observing the shores around them.
"It's actually kinda nice." Zoro said. "I could see myself dozing here."
"You doze, you die." Nami warned.
"Come here. Let me show you all something." Owen said. He lead the group across the sand until they stopped. There was a pile of sand higher than most of the others. And erect from the furthest edge of the sand was a stick.
"What's this?" Zoro asked. "Some kind of failed sandcastle."
"No, you dolt." Owen said. "What you all see before is my father… resting in his grave."
Everyone gasped silently looking at the grave.
"Your dad's down there?" Usopp asked.
"Yep. His name was Digger Harkness, or as he was called all over the East Blue, Captain Boomerang. With his signature boomerang, he lead his pirate crew to heaps of adventures they could be proud of. But after he died, I buried him right here."
"I'm sorry to hear that." Usopp said.
"Don't be." Owen said. "Because like you, I'm proud to be the son of a pirate. And one day, I hope to have my own adventures and build a legacy for all to know."
Everyone joined him in a moment of silence. After it was done, Harley finally broke it. "Hey. I know you got your fancy boomerang, but do you have any other skills?"
"Huh?" Owen asked. "Uh, sure. I do fancy myself a bit of a navigator."
"Perfect." Harley said. "If you want to be a pirate, how's about you join my crew?"
Everyone turned their surprised faces at Harley. "WHAAAAT?!"
"No fair! I wanted him on my crew!" Luffy whined.
"What for? You already got a navigator!" Harley argued.
"So what? I think boomerangs are cool!"
"Really? When did you ever say that?"
"Hold it, hold it!" Owen interrupted. "You're really asking me to join your crew?"
"Yeah." Harley said. "So what do you say?"
Owen rubbed the back of his head. "Well, I…"
Suddenly, a distant voice interrupted their talk. They looked toward a turn around a cliff and followed the voice. They peeked around and saw two men there.
One of the men was Klahadore. The other was a strange man in a black hat and heart-shaped sunglasses.
"It's the butler." Harley said. "But who's the other guy?"
"Dunno." Owen said. "Never seen him before."
"Be quiet. I wanna hear what they're saying." Nami said. Everyone leaned in to listen in.
"Django, why did I catch you sleeping on the street?" Klahadore asked the heart sunglasses man. "You're supposed to keep a low profile."
"Oh, don't be a worry-wart. Nobody was suspicious of me." Replied the man called Django.
"So is everything ready?" Klahadore asked. "The plan is all set?"
"Yep. Good old Operation: Murder Rich Girl."
From their hiding places, the pirates gasped silently at the sound of the awful plan.
"Did they say 'Murder Rich Girl'?" Harley asked.
"Are they… Are they going to kill Kaya?" Usopp asked the most worried of them all.