"Big bro Sherwin, you must've seen a ton of interesting stuff during your travels at sea, right?"
After clearing up the misunderstanding, Usopp enthusiastically took the lead, guiding Sherwin and the others toward the village. Along the way, he kept chattering like a curious kid, asking questions left and right.
As for Onion Head and the other two little ones, their attention was mostly focused on the Felynes. They looked like they wanted to strike up a conversation but didn't dare to go through with it.
"Interesting things, huh… Yeah, there've been quite a few…" Sherwin replied half-heartedly.
"This ocean holds so many different sights. Even here in the remote East Blue, there are unique places like Loguetown, where journeys begin and end the floating restaurant Baratie; and Mirrorball Island, the pop culture broadcasting hub."
Hearing Sherwin talk about those places, Usopp eyes lit up with admiration and yearning.
"One day, I'll set sail too! I'll become a great pirate!" he declared passionately.
"Sherwin-nii, aren't pirates supposed to be bad guys, meow?" Klee Meow asked in confusion. "Why would anyone want to be a bad guy, meow?"
(=ω=)
Sherwin understood that Usopp was influenced by his father. But still, say what you will—Yasopp abandoning his wife and kid to chase his dreams, and Usopp not only not resenting him but even idolizing him—Sherwin simply couldn't wrap his head around it.
And then there was another thing…
"You guys were scared stiff of pirates just a moment ago, and now you're saying you want to become one. What going on in those heads of yours?" Sherwin asked, equally puzzled.
"The kind of pirate I want to be is a brave warrior of the sea who dares to face danger and adventures all over the ocean—not the kind that just robs helpless civilians!" Usopp puffed up indignantly.
"…Isn't what you're describing basically just an explorer?"
"Huh? Aren't explorers and pirates the same thing?" Usopp looked over with a dumb expression.
Speechless.
Sherwin had long understood just how vague the definition of "pirate" was in this world. It was a bit like how "detectives" were treated in the world of Conan—always singled out for special treatment. So Usopp giving that kind of answer… wasn't all that surprising.
And in a way, what Usopp said wasn't wrong. Many so-called explorers were essentially pirates with backing from allied nations. Compared to most pirates, they had state funding and didn't need to plunder civilians to survive—they only needed to compete over treasure.
For those without national support, while options like forming trade caravans or becoming bounty hunters existed, in the current climate, hoisting the pirate flag and becoming a "free and unbound" pirate was far more appealing to them.
Sherwin wasn't about to play life coach for anyone, so he changed the topic instead.
"Whether you want to be a pirate or an explorer, you're gonna need some real strength. And your courage... I honestly don't know whether to call you brave or a coward."
Thinking back to Usopp behavior earlier, Sherwin couldn't help but chuckle.
"D-Don't judge me by how I am now! Someday I'll become a great pirate!" Usopp shouted, his face flushed red. "I've got pirate blood running through my veins!"
Sherwin curled his lips, ready to mock him for that so-called "bloodline" logic—but then remembered this was the pirate world.
While bloodline didn't mean everything, it wasn't far off either. He immediately lost interest in arguing.
"Usopp-nii, what your papa name, meow?" Klee Meow asked curiously. "Is his bounty high, meow?"
Usopp blinked a few times, then replied with his usual dumb look: "My dad name is Yasopp. His bounty… I dunno."
"Yasopp? That name sounds familiar, meow." Huamei Meow suddenly chimed in, flicking Sherwin ear with her paw. "Admiral?"
Sherwin let out a sigh and turned to Usopp. "You keep saying you want to be a pirate, but you don't even know the most basic information. Don't you ever read the newspaper?"
Usopp shook his head, still looking clueless.
That part was just… speechless. Back when Usopp mom was still alive, she didn't seem to read the paper to follow her husband whereabouts either… Could it be that Morgans hadn't expanded his News Bird business to the East Blue back then?
"'Chaser' Yasopp. Sniper of the Red-Haired Pirates. Bounty: 500 million Berries. Definitely a big-name pirate." Sherwin pulled out Yasopp wanted poster and slapped it against Usopp chest.
"Waaahhhh! Captain Usopp dad is actually such a badass?!" Onion Head and the others gasped in shock.
Instead, Usopp was so shocked that his entire expression became a kind of wooden calm.
It was only after a long while that he shouted, "F-Five hundred million Berries?!"
"Sherwin, is this idiot really that guy Yasopp son, meow?" Sanji Meow tugged on Sherwin clothes, asking with full suspicion, "He doesn't seem to know anything about his dad, meow."
Sherwin shrugged. "There are too many people in this world who don't know their fathers. At least he knows the name…"
The future Pirate King and Sun God only learned his father name from his grandfather after reaching adulthood.
Because Sherwin had brought news about Usopp father, Usopp and his three little underlings became even more enthusiastic. They stuck close to Sherwin and gave him a full tour of the entire Syrup Village.
But Syrup Village wasn't very big to begin with, so under Usopp guidance, they soon finished touring the whole place, including the mansion where Kaya lived — they also walked a lap around it.
At this point, Usopp didn't know Kaya yet, so when introducing the place to Sherwin, he only said it was a wealthy merchant house, without mentioning Kaya at all… Come to think of it, by taking out Kuro, did I accidentally cut off Usopp red string of fate?
In the end, Sherwin and the Meows dined with Usopp and his three underlings at the village only restaurant before preparing to leave.
"Big Brother Sherwin, we'll definitely meet again at sea in the future!"
Before they parted ways, Usopp, being naturally outgoing, called out to Sherwin, who was already aboard the ship.
Sherwin thought for a moment, then smirked mischievously. "I forgot to tell you—normally, I make money by capturing pirates. So, when you go out to sea in the future, make sure you've got a high enough bounty before coming to find me."
After saying that, he waved at the dumbfounded Usopp and sailed away from Syrup Village.
…
Sherwin and the Meows had already been away from the Gecko Islands for some time. Along the way, they passed by a few other islands and encountered several groups of pirates.
However, neither the villages nor the pirates were anything special—none of it was even worth writing about as material.
It had to be said, the East Blue really was remote in every sense of the word.
Thankfully, the journey wasn't boring with the Meows accompanying him. Under Hua Mei Meow discipline, Klee Meow no longer shouted about doing experiments every time she got an idea.
Instead, she obediently waited until they reached an uninhabited island before going wild with her explosions.
"Hmm… the next island looks like it uninhabited. It doesn't even have a name marked."
Sherwin flipped through the nautical chart and muttered to himself.
"Really, meow?" Klee Meow, who was curled up and sleeping in the trophy she had won, immediately poked out her little head.
Her tiny paws gripped the edge of the cup as she stared at Sherwin with blazing eyes. "Then can Klee go do experiments there, meow?"
(=ω=)
The little plush doll had been holding back for a while now. Although blowing up pirates and fish had helped scratch her itch, she had built up plenty of inspiration and needed a proper experiment to turn those fun ideas in her head into reality.
"Mhm, if there really no one on the island, then of course it fine." Sherwin replied without hesitation.
However, Klee Meow still wasn't reassured and turned her gaze toward Hua Mei Meow, who was sunbathing on top of the ship cabin roof.
Sherwin: "…"
Although Hua Mei Meow presence had saved Sherwin a lot of trouble, he also realized that his authority and say in front of the Meows were steadily declining.
There was nothing he could do about it—he could never bring himself to be harsh with them. Sometimes, just one cute act from the Meows would instantly soften his heart. So it was only natural that the highly capable Hua Mei Meow had effectively "taken over."
"No problem, meow. As long as Klee makes sure not to blow up almost the entire island again like last time,"
Hua Mei Meow first granted permission for Klee Meow experiments but immediately added a warning:
"You told big sister before, didn't you? Most of your experiments don't actually require bombs with that much firepower to work, meow?"
"Meow-woo…" Klee Meow shrank her head down into the trophy, letting out a frustrated whimper.
"Wait! How come I never heard about this?!" Sherwin looked at Klee Meow in surprise.
At first, Klee Meow instinctively avoided his gaze, but soon the little plush stood up straight inside the trophy, put her tiny paws on her hips, and answered with her head held high: "Because Sherwin-oniichan never asked Klee Meow!"
That bold, matter-of-fact tone made Sherwin storm over, scoop the little one up, and give her a thorough head rub as punishment…
"Purr purr purr…"
Clearly, the little plush doll was very satisfied with Sherwin "service."
Amid laughter and playful bickering with the Meows, the ship soon docked at the uninhabited island.
The island vegetation was quite lush. Aside from the coastal areas that had been washed bare by seawater, just a short distance inland there was a vast forest.
To Sherwin, it felt a bit like the isolated island he had first arrived on after crossing over, though this one was much smaller in size.
Originally, Sherwin had planned to do what he usually did—circle around the island to "light it up" first, and then find a spot for Klee Meow to carry out her experiments.
But just as they entered the forest, a voice suddenly rang out in his ears—
"Stop moving forward! If you want to stay alive, get out of here now!"