"Back then, Princess Shirahoshi looked at me while I was crying beside the bed and only said three things."
Usopp took a deep breath, as if he had returned to that stormy night.
Without realizing it, he straightened his back and repeated those words from years ago in an extremely solemn tone:
"She said, 'I'll save your mother's life. I'll give you a chance to take revenge on that man. In exchange, you will sell me your life and everything you have.'"
These three simple sentences might not sound particularly impressive to the current Usopp, who had seen all kinds of things over the years. They even carried the tone of charity often used by those in power.
But to a seven-year-old orphan whose mother was dying and who had fallen into complete despair, the Shirahoshi standing before him at that moment was like a light breaking through endless darkness, completely illuminating a world that had already fallen apart.
Forget trading his worthless life for it, even if he had been asked to sign away himself forever and use his next life and the one after that as payment, he would have knelt down and thanked her without hesitation.
Of course, he did not have any romantic feelings toward Shirahoshi.
In his faith, a god and the master who had given him a new life were absolutely beyond such thoughts.
To desire her with worldly feelings was itself an unforgivable act of disrespect.
"So what happened after that? Shirahoshi cured your mother's illness?"
Sanji finally understood.
"Yes. But it wasn't that simple."
Usopp nodded, then shook his head sadly.
"Princess Shirahoshi kept her promise. She personally invited Lady Stella and Princess Sora to help. But they could only cure the physical damage and illness in my mother's body."
"They're gods, not miracle workers. They couldn't save the mental problems caused by years of waiting."
"Five years later, which was the year before last, my mother's condition got worse again because of her grief. Her mental state became very unstable. At one point, she even wanted to end her own life."
"This time, the two ladies proposed two permanent solutions."
Usopp paused before continuing.
"The first option was to use technology or special abilities to completely erase all memories and feelings related to that animal from my mother's mind. She would become a brand-new person without worries."
"The second option was to use the bond of blood. Use her concern for me as her son, and even her hopes for my future children, to gradually replace her longing for that animal. Then, over a long period of time, slowly correct her unhealthy way of thinking."
"So you chose the second option without hesitation?"
Kuina looked at him strangely.
"To save your mother, not only did you rush into marriage, but you even shamelessly invited Princess Shirahoshi to your hometown to act as your witness?"
Among the people of their generation who had been specially raised as core members, Usopp was indeed an odd one.
He was the first, and currently the only one, to get married.
In fact, most of the younger generation personally selected by Rosse from around the world back then were people around their age.
The majority of them had no interest in ordinary relationships and remained single.
As for the minority who were not single, their situations were much more complicated. Most of the attractive ones had already been taken care of internally by Rosse.
Only Usopp was different.
Not only was he not single, he had peacefully married his childhood sweetheart from his hometown.
Rosse naturally had no intention of interfering in something that seemed unrelated to work.
He even thought it was an interesting variable that could add more conflict to the script and was happy to see it happen.
It was said that Rosse had even brought Sora and Otohime to the wedding and joined the celebration for a while.
"Of course! Kaya's belly is already huge now. The baby is about to be born. Now that she has a grandchild to look forward to, my mom spends every day making baby clothes. She doesn't have time to think about that faithless bastard anymore."
Usopp grinned proudly, and his smile was full of contempt for that man.
"I want to use my own actions to slap that man in the face!"
"I want to tell my mother that a guy who abandons his family, runs around the sea, and calls it chasing romance as a pirate isn't a real man! He's a coward! A weakling! A scumbag running away from responsibility!"
"Someone like me, who has a successful career, works for the World Government, takes care of his family, and lets his mother enjoy her old age in peace, that's what a real man on this sea looks like."
"Your life story really has had a lot of twists and turns."
After listening, Sanji could not help letting out a complicated sigh and lit another cigarette.
Compared to the life-and-death struggles and harsh realities Usopp had gone through since childhood, he suddenly felt his own first half of life had been incredibly dull.
As a young master of the Jaygarcia family, he had been born according to the rules, educated with the best resources in the world, and trained according to the rules into a genius standing at the peak of power and strength.
When it came to life experience and understanding human nature, he felt he was not even as experienced as his older sister Reiju, who had grown up with a tragic childhood.
Back when Reiju was still young and innocent, she had at least accompanied their parents on a dangerous journey through the Grand Line.
"So..."
Usopp suddenly dropped all traces of a smile.
His eyes became colder and sharper than ever before.
"To repay Princess Shirahoshi for saving my life and giving me a new one! To let Saint Rosse witness the greatest pleasure possible in this grand play called the era! To protect the absolute rule of the World Government!"
"This time, when I face the Red Hair Pirates and that man... I'm going to put on a very good performance."
Usopp revealed a cold smile that was almost cruel.
He reached behind his back.
A dazzling blue light flashed, and a weapon shaped like a Barrett heavy sniper rifle formed within the glow.
This was not an ordinary firearm.
It was a gift Rosse had granted them after studying Quincy powers.
The gun was the result of years of Usopp's hard work, a spirit-particle sniper rifle made from highly compressed reishi.
Its principles and power were identical to the weapon once used by Lille Barro of the Sternritter in the Soul Society world.
Usopp raised the sniper rifle with both hands and aimed toward the direction where Luffy and the others had disappeared beyond the horizon.
Even though no ship could be seen with the naked eye anymore.
Even though they were already dozens of kilometers away.
Through Usopp's scope, he could still lock onto the Straw Hat Pirates' flag that had just been raised and was fluttering in the wind.
Pew!
The corner of Usopp's mouth lifted as he gently pulled the trigger.
There was no deafening gunshot.
Only a nearly invisible blue flash streaked through the air.
Dozens of kilometers away, out on the sea.
The mast that Zoro had just cut and installed at the bow, along with the skull-and-crossbones flag bearing a straw hat, was suddenly sliced apart by something like an invisible laser.
Without any warning, both fell neatly onto the deck.
Through the enhancement of Observation Haki, Usopp seemed able to hear the straw-hatted idiot yelling in shock over the vast distance because the flag had collapsed.
"Heh..."
Usopp slowly lowered the sniper rifle.
A chilling laugh escaped from his mouth.
'Yasopp. Yasopp. Back then, for the child of destiny your captain chose to bet on, and for your empty idea of romance, you abandoned the wife who loved you and the son who had not even been born yet.'
'So now...'
'When you personally witness the son you casually threw away standing at the peak of the world's power, and watch him become the judge who mercilessly destroys you and the dream your captain devoted everything to, when you can only watch your faith collapse while being powerless to stop it, maybe then you'll understand a tiny fraction of the pain my mother felt while waiting for death in despair.'
'No. That still isn't enough.'
'What that animal abandoned back then were living family members.'
'And all I'm going to do is personally crush his pathetic dream.'
'The punishment is too light.'
'Yasopp. This game has only just begun!'
———
A few days later...
[East Blue, Syrup Village]
The sea breeze gently brushed along the coast.
A seemingly worn but faintly dangerous-looking sailboat slowly arrived at the edge of the quiet village like a beast lying in wait.
"Yasopp, a few days ago, that kid Luffy already met Buggy."
Shanks sat casually on the rail, wearing a gentle smile as he shared the information he had gathered from an old friend.
"I heard the swordsman he recruited is pretty impressive. There's a good chance the World Government deliberately left him in the East Blue because they wanted to watch the show, but putting conspiracies aside, that kid really does have talent and backbone."
Shanks looked out at the calm sea.
He believed in the guidance of fate.
Or rather, after everything he had experienced and after witnessing the hopeless rule of the World Government, believing in that vague destiny was the only thing he still had left to rely on.
"Hahahaha! That green-haired swordsman kid does have some ability, but I, Yasopp, guarantee that the sniper I've prepared for Luffy this time won't be any worse."
Yasopp laughed.
He grabbed the musket leaning beside him and proudly puffed out his chest, his eyes full of confidence.
"Wow! Listen to that. Are you sure that son you've never even met can really do it?"
Lucky Roux teased while chewing on a piece of meat.
"You've never raised him a single day since he was born. And you, you bastard, have spent all these years eating and drinking out on the sea. It doesn't seem like you've ever gone back to see your wife and child even once."
"So what if I didn't go back? What's distance supposed to mean?"
Not only did Yasopp show no guilt after hearing that, he actually looked completely justified.
He slapped his chest hard.
His already somewhat unstable-looking face turned red from a nearly obsessive pride.
"That's my son! As long as my blood runs through his veins, he'll absolutely inherit the unmatched talent of me, Yasopp, the world's greatest sniper! Does something like that need teaching? It's instinct carved into the soul!"
Seeing Yasopp act as though he alone understood bloodline inheritance better than anyone else in the world, the other pirates on deck burst into laughter together.
Although the image of their companion dying at Shirahoshi's hands was still fresh in their minds.
Although the fact that they had survived only because Makino sacrificed herself remained like a poisonous thorn buried in their hearts, bringing shame and bitterness.
They were pirates.
Life still had to go on.
As outlaws who pursued freedom on this sea, they had seen too many sudden separations and deaths.
The voyage ahead was still long.
That distant dream was still far away.
If they collapsed after a single setback, what kind of men would they be?
They had to face the storms of the sea with laughter.
Just as everyone was using laughter to hide the gloom in their hearts,
Ben Beckman returned to the ship from the island, a cigar between his teeth.
His half-closed eyes held an indescribable mix of complexity and indifference.
"Vice Captain! What did you find out? Has my son already become the most outstanding man in the village?"
The moment Yasopp saw Beckman, he could no longer hold back his excitement and hurried over.
"Heh! The only time you remember to call me Vice Captain is when you need me to gather information. Usually, when you're drunk, you look like you want to shoot me and take the position yourself."
Beckman laughed helplessly and shook his head.
But he ignored Yasopp's eager expression and walked straight past him, looking toward Shanks sitting on the rail.
"Captain, my suggestion is to give up. Find another sniper for Luffy."
"Bullshit! Why not?"
The moment Yasopp heard that, he exploded like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.
He jumped in front of Beckman, spitting as he shouted.
"Are you saying my son is some useless coward who can't even hold a gun properly?"
"Calm down, Yasopp. What happened, Beckman?"
Shanks put away his smile and raised a hand to stop Yasopp.
He knew his vice captain very well.
Beckman was the brain of the Red Hair Pirates.
If he was suggesting a change in plans with such certainty, then something irreversible must have happened.
He would never joke about something as important as Luffy's future.
"I asked around at the village tavern and marketplace."
Beckman blew out a thick cloud of smoke.
His sharp eyes glanced coldly at the furious Yasopp.
His voice remained completely flat, "Ten years ago, your wife died from illness caused by years of grief and exhaustion."
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