"Ah? …Ah!"
Usopp snapped back to his senses and dropped the newspaper and bounty poster in fright.
At that moment, his face turned deathly pale, looking utterly awful—yet he still stubbornly forced out a line:
"Heh… heh-heh! Young people these days really love doing flashy things to steal the spotlight!"
But almost immediately, Usopp's mind began racing at high speed.
If that carrot-head kid could figure this much out, how could he not know?
And Usopp had thought even further ahead than the brat!
He'd noticed a detail in the article: someone had reportedly seen signs of this pirate crew in Orange Town on the Organ Islands!
The Organ Islands…
Wasn't that right next to the Moonlight Islands, where Syrup Village was located?!
That wasn't just "near" anymore!
You had to know—
If you extended the sailing route from the waters around Four-Leaf Island, where Marine Branch 153 was stationed, through the Organ Islands…
Their next stop might very well be Syrup Village!!!
Judging by the timing, it could be any day now!
Unless those pirates suddenly changed course and headed for another sea, Syrup Village was highly likely to become a target of pirate attack!
"This is bad—really bad!!!"
Thinking of this, Usopp hurriedly folded up the newspaper and said to the three kids beside him:
"Today's activities are temporarily canceled! We have something far more important to do!"
He pointed at the newspaper.
"These pirates are very likely to pass by Syrup Village. We have to let the villagers know and prepare in advance!"
"Huh?"
The three kids clearly didn't have Usopp's foresight, but being used to following his lead, they nodded without hesitation.
"Got it, Captain Usopp!"
They immediately sprang into action.
However, before they could return to the village, a voice suddenly called out from behind them.
"Hey!!! Are you people from this village?"
"Can you take us to a good restaurant?!"
"Huh?! I've got important business right now—no time for—" Preoccupied with worry, Usopp turned back irritably.
But just as he was about to refuse with false bravado, his expression froze completely.
In his field of vision, four figures were slowly walking up from the seaside slope.
An orange-haired, beautiful girl.
A man carrying three long swords at his waist.
A boy wearing a red baseball cap…
And another boy he had just seen on a bounty poster—
The Straw Hat brat!!!
"Th-that's Straw Hat!!! The big pirate with a bounty of fifty million Beli!"
Usopp's legs went weak, and he nearly fainted on the spot.
Meanwhile, the one asking—Luffy—walked up to him and said with a big grin:
"As long as you can take me to a tasty restaurant, I'll pay you!"
"Hey, Luffy! I didn't give you pocket money so you could waste it like this!!!"
Nami scolded him unhappily from beside him.
But Luffy laughed it off, completely unconcerned.
"What's the problem? Money's meant to be spent anyway!"
"You're exactly like this—that's why I don't want to give you pocket money!"
"Nope! Give it back to me! I'll decide how you spend it!"
Nami instantly regretted her decision, while Luffy refused to hand the money over.
The two of them immediately got into a heated argument over pocket money.
At this moment, Usopp finally snapped out of his shock.
He blankly raised the bounty poster in his hand and compared it several times. Combined with Nami calling out the name "Luffy" earlier…
Usopp could now be absolutely certain—
They really were that vicious pirate crew!!!
"Pi-pirates are here!!!"
Overwhelmed with fear, Usopp couldn't hold back anymore and shouted at the top of his lungs, arms raised high.
That single shout instantly drew everyone's attention to him.
"..."
Usopp realized he had just done something incredibly stupid.
Immediately afterward, he thought of the three kids beside him and hurriedly pulled them behind his back, his legs trembling as he spoke:
"Y-you three, run!!"
"Hurry and tell the villagers to escape! I'll handle things here!"
"Captain Usopp!"
The three kids, who had also recognized Luffy's identity, shouted anxiously.
But even though Usopp was terrified out of his mind, his resolve at this moment was firm:
"Go!!!"
Then he turned back and tried to intimidate Luffy and the others:
"Hey! You pirates! This village is my territory!"
"I'm the great and famous Captain Usopp, and I've got eighty million subordinates under my command!"
"You'd better be smart and leave right now!"
Usopp swiftly pulled out his slingshot, aiming his homemade lead pellets at Luffy's group.
I'm dead! I'm dead!
Why did I provoke them?!
Tears welled up in Usopp's eyes.
Daring to challenge a pirate with a fifty-million-Beli bounty—at that moment, he could practically see the three kids crying their hearts out over his corpse.
However, to his surprise, after he finished shouting all that…
Every pirate present wore a bewildered expression.
"Usopp?!"
Zoro looked at Red in astonishment and pointed with his finger.
"Red!? You mean… this is the guy you were talking about?"
During their earlier chats, Red had already told them about some potential future crewmates.
They knew that somewhere in the East Blue there was a skilled sniper named Usopp, a lecherous cook named Sanji, and also a really great ship.
This time, their reason for coming to Syrup Village was precisely to invite that sniper aboard—and to acquire the pirate ship Red claimed was destined for them.
But what Zoro and Nami hadn't expected was…
That the partner they were looking for would be a kid in suspenders holding a slingshot.
With that getup, it was honestly impossible to connect him with the word "sniper."
Yet Red looked at Usopp's ridiculous long nose and broke into a grin.
"If nothing unexpected happens… this should be the person we're looking for."
At that moment, Luffy suddenly exclaimed:
"Wait! Usopp… I think I've heard that name somewhere before!"
"…Ah! That's it!" Luffy's eyes widened as he stared at Usopp. "Is your father Yasopp?!"
"Huh?"
Usopp, who had been fully on edge, froze and blinked in confusion.
"Yasopp… that is my dad's name."
"But how do you know that?"
Ever since his mother passed away, Usopp couldn't remember how many years it had been since he'd last heard his father's name.
"So it really is you!" Light flickered in Luffy's eyes as he spoke with rare emotion.
"Yasopp used to talk about you all the time when he was with me!"
Recalling all those childhood memories of being pranked by Yasopp, Luffy felt both irritated and nostalgic at the same time.
At that point, Red clapped his hands and said with a smile:
"Alright, let's not stand around here."
"Let's find a restaurant and talk while we eat."
Red's suggestion was immediately met with enthusiastic approval from Luffy.
They took the utterly dumbfounded Usopp along and headed straight into the village.
Leaving the three kids standing there, completely stunned.
"Hey! Did you see that?! Captain Usopp actually knows such an incredible pirate!"
"Could it be… that Captain Usopp is really an amazing guy after all?!"
For a moment, the three kids began to seriously doubt whether the pirate make-believe games they'd played with Usopp were just games after all.
…
…
After a hearty meal and plenty of drinks.
Luffy told Usopp many stories about Yasopp.
And upon learning that his father had become a crewmate of one of the Four Emperors—Red-Haired Shanks—Usopp felt an indescribable sense of pride.
Seeing this, Red could only shake his head helplessly.
Even after transmigrating into the pirate world for over two years, he still couldn't understand the way some people in this world thought.
For example, he couldn't understand why Yasopp had stayed in Windmill Village for an entire year, yet never once thought to return home to see his wife and child.
Perhaps he was afraid that if he came back, he'd lose the courage to set out to sea again.
That was the only explanation Red could think of.
Seeing that everyone had more or less finished eating, Red interrupted Luffy and Usopp's reminiscing.
"Alright, Luffy, it's getting late. Don't forget why we came here."
"Oh, right~" Luffy slapped his palm as realization hit him. "If you hadn't said that, I really would've forgotten!"
Then he grinned widely at Usopp and said cheerfully:
"Usopp, become my partner and go out to sea with me!!!"
(End of Chapter)