"Huh?"
On the Red Force, a large, round man wearing a green bandana and small sunglasses lowered his binoculars slightly, grease still smeared across his hands and mouth from the meat he had been eating.
"Hey, Yasopp, isn't that your son?"
He turned and shouted toward the crow's nest, grinning widely.
"Hahaha, you two look exactly alike!"
Click!
The sharp sound of a rifle being cocked echoed across the ship.
Yasopp rose from the crow's nest, lifting his long sniper rifle and aiming toward the distant coastline of Elbaf.
"Lucky Roux, that's my son. What do you think, isn't he handsome?"
He smirked, one eye closed as he focused.
"That brat inherited my excellent genes."
Even from miles away, his sharp eyesight locked onto Usopp, who was desperately trying to slip away from Zoro and Sanji.
"My son, Usopp…"
This was not the first time Yasopp had seen him grown. Usopp's bounty poster had long been pinned to his room.
"As a father, I'm sorry… but I can't meet you like this."
His gaze softened for a moment, then sharpened again.
"Right now, I'm your enemy."
The barrel of the rifle steadied, aimed directly at Usopp's head.
"You chose this path, same as me. You understand that, don't you?"
Bang!!!
A bullet shot out, spinning through the air with terrifying speed.
Whoosh!!!
It cut through layers of mist, bending unnaturally as it traveled. Five seconds later, it descended at a strange angle toward Usopp's temple.
This shot had a name.
Father's Love.
"Huh!!!"
Two seconds before impact, Usopp felt it.
His entire body froze as a chilling sense of death rushed through him.
"Bullet!!!"
He saw it clearly, his pupils shrinking.
Move!
His body wanted to dodge, but his eyes caught Nami standing nearby.
If I move, she gets hit.
In a fraction of a second, he made his choice.
Damn you, whoever you are.
Usopp clenched his teeth and shut his eyes, reinforcing his head with the power of the Forest Forest Fruit, hardening it in advance.
Clang!
Whoosh!
…
No pain came.
"Uh…"
Usopp slowly opened his eyes.
Zoro stood beside him, calmly sheathing Yubashiri.
Sanji lowered his leg after kicking upward, exhaling a thin stream of smoke.
Clink.
A twisted half-bullet dropped to the ground in front of Usopp, rolling slightly before stopping.
…
On the Red Force.
"Not bad, Usopp."
Yasopp lowered his rifle, a satisfied smile spreading across his face.
"You've found yourself some good companions."
He showed no disappointment.
No frustration.
Only pride.
He had seen it clearly. Usopp sensed the attack with Observation Haki, yet chose not to dodge for the sake of his crewmate.
"Just like your mother… you're gentle."
A trace of guilt surfaced in his eyes as he looked up at the sky.
"I'm sorry, Banchina… I never thought that goodbye would be forever."
He tightened his grip on his rifle.
"You raised him well."
…
"You guys…"
Usopp stared blankly at Zoro and Sanji.
"What are you standing there for?" Sanji said, annoyed. "You think you were the only one who noticed that attack?"
He flicked away his cigarette and narrowed his eyes at the distant Red Hair Pirates.
"That was an enemy sniper. As our sniper, aren't you going to return the favor?"
"That's right!!!"
Usopp picked up the bullet fragment and slipped it into his pouch, his expression turning fierce.
"You think you can sneak attack the great Sniper King and get away with it?"
He glared into the distance.
"I'll show you what a real sniper can do!"
Even so, he didn't move.
Whoosh!!!
From deep within the forest, hundreds of dark objects suddenly shot into the sky.
"Huh?"
Zoro and Sanji both froze, watching the mass of projectiles disappear into the clouds.
"What did you just launch?" Zoro asked, surprised.
Usopp crossed his arms, a smug grin spreading across his face.
"That was my retaliation."
…
Above the Red Force.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!!!
A rain of dark objects pierced through the clouds, descending rapidly.
Their trajectory aligned perfectly with the Red Force's path, as if calculated in advance.
"Yasopp, your son's pretty good."
Shanks grinned as he looked up.
"That Observation Haki is sharp. Just like yours."
"Of course, Captain! That's my boy!"
Yasopp laughed proudly as he dropped down from the crow's nest.
The crew began firing at the incoming objects, laughing.
"Looks like you owe us a feast tonight, Yasopp!"
But then—
Bang!
Bang!!!
The projectiles exploded midair upon impact.
A thick yellowish-brown gas burst outward.
Bang! Bang! Bang!!!
Hundreds detonated at once, forming a dense cloud above the ship.
"What is this… ugh…!"
"I can't… ugh…!"
The moment the gas spread, chaos erupted.
Crew members rushed to the ship's edge, vomiting uncontrollably into the sea.
"It stinks!!!"
"This is unbearable! It's worse than anything I've ever smelled!"
Yasopp leaned over the railing, retching violently.
"You little brat!!!"
He clenched his teeth between breaths.
"You're really trying to kill your old man!!!"
Back on Elbaf, Usopp stood proudly, arms crossed.
This attack had a name.
Son's Filial Piety.