"One Piece:The True Codex"East Blue, Syrup Village.
The chill of autumn was no match for the villagers' enthusiasm. On a clearing at the edge of the village, the usual tranquility had been replaced by a lively atmosphere. The local residents crowded around a large competition arena, their cheers and whistles echoing through the air. It had been a long time since this remote village had seen such excitement.
The event was a shooting competition, though it had essentially turned into a one-man show.
On a makeshift platform on the eastern side of the shooting range, William stood draped in a dark red cloak. Behind him were Edmond, Dampier, and Sherlock, all watching the scene unfold with rapt attention.
In the arena, the other contestants had already lowered their guns in resignation, their faces tinged with helplessness. All eyes were on a slender man with thick lips and wild, curly hair. He had just put down an old-fashioned flintlock pistol and was now accepting a revolver handed to him by one of the judges.
Meanwhile, a few other judges were busy removing the targets in front of the man, all of which had been hit dead center.
One judge took a moment to explain the structure of the revolver—a weapon still quite rare in the East Blue—to the thick-lipped man. However, the man, reeking of alcohol and exuding a lazy demeanor, didn't seem to be paying much attention. After taking the revolver, he casually walked to the edge of the arena, where he grabbed a bottle of beer from a woman with a headscarf and gave her an exuberant kiss.
The villagers whistled and cheered as the woman, blushing, gently pushed the man away. Grinning, he sauntered back to the shooting range.
Dampier, who had come to collect data on the new weapon, frowned at the man's behavior. "What a disgrace," he muttered coldly.
"Yasopp is indeed a bit... unrestrained," Sherlock said with a chuckle, adjusting his glasses. "But his marksmanship is renowned far and wide. I've heard of him for a long time, which is why I recommended him to William."
As the two spoke, Yasopp raised the revolver and aimed at the newly placed targets. After taking a swig of beer, he suddenly pulled the trigger.
Bang!
The shot rang out, but the target remained untouched.
"Pfft!" Edmond couldn't help but snicker at the anticlimactic miss, especially after Yasopp had drawn so much attention to himself.
But before Edmond's laughter had fully subsided, Yasopp's finger moved rapidly, firing five more shots in quick succession. In the blink of an eye, the revolver was empty—and all five bullets had landed dead center on the target. The spacing between the bullet holes was less than half a centimeter.
William clapped softly.
He was no longer the white-collar worker from his previous life who had barely touched a gun. While he couldn't yet claim to be an expert marksman, he had learned enough to understand that shooting accuracy wasn't solely about the shooter's skill. Variations in the manufacturing of guns and bullets, as well as environmental factors, could all affect the outcome. Even identical models of firearms wouldn't produce the same trajectory under identical conditions.
And yet, Yasopp, using an unfamiliar prototype revolver, had managed to adjust for its trajectory after just one test shot. This wasn't merely a matter of experience—it was raw talent.
This shooting competition had been organized under the name of the trading company run by Sherlock, which William had named Four Seas Trading Company.
The event was held in this remote village partly to test whether Sherlock's recommendation of Yasopp was as impressive as claimed. The other reason was to gather experimental data for the prototype revolver developed by Dampier's workshop after months of research and to promote this new weapon in the East Blue.
Judging by the results, the first goal had been achieved. The competition had started with contestants using old-fashioned flintlock pistols before switching to the new revolvers, highlighting the advantages of the latter. However, Yasopp's overwhelming skill in the first round had quickly discouraged the other competitors, turning the event into a one-man show.
William had taken time out of his busy schedule to personally visit this remote village, and it seemed the trip had been worth it.
William, along with Edmond, Sherlock, and Dampier, visited Yasopp's home under the pretext of delivering the competition prizes.
Yasopp's house was no different from the other residences in the village. It was a modest single-story home on a small hillside, surrounded by a low fence that enclosed a tiny flower garden. A pile of chopped firewood was stacked on one side of the house.
Yasopp's personality was as bold and carefree as his behavior at the competition. Just as he had openly drunk and kissed in front of the crowd, he welcomed William and the others into his home without a hint of caution, despite rumors in the village that the competition's organizer was a notorious pirate.
He introduced them to his wife, Banchina, and his five-year-old son, Usopp, and even invited them to stay for dinner as the evening grew darker.
Banchina was a gracious hostess. She shooed Yasopp out of the kitchen when he tried to help and continued bustling about even after William and the others had taken their seats at the dining table. She poured everyone beer before finally sitting down at the end of the table with Usopp in her arms, helping him eat while he curiously studied their guests.
Banchina was a beautiful woman, distinguished by her long nose—a feature Usopp had clearly inherited, giving him an oddly comical appearance.
While William, Sherlock, and Dampier were seasoned enough to politely avert their gazes, Edmond couldn't help but glance at Banchina and Usopp's noses a couple of times. This made Yasopp frown.
William patted Edmond on the shoulder, prompting him to realize his faux pas and look away. Smiling apologetically, William raised his glass to Yasopp in a silent gesture of reconciliation.
Yasopp's expression softened. He nodded and took a large swig of beer before casually gesturing toward the living room with his chin.
From their seats, the group could see a suitcase lying on the living room floor. It contained the prize money from the competition, yet Yasopp had tossed it aside carelessly.
"Honestly, I don't care much about the money," Yasopp said. "Could you give me that revolver as the prize instead? I'll forgo the cash."
"That's a bit tricky," Sherlock replied, glancing at William before smiling. "The revolver is still a prototype. It was brought here to collect data for future improvements, so we can't give it away as a prize."
Yasopp's face fell. Compared to the old flintlock pistols, the revolver's advantages were not limited to its higher ammunition capacity. Its improved firing mechanism and bullet design represented a comprehensive upgrade over older firearms.
As a naturally gifted marksman, Yasopp had immediately recognized the revolver's exceptional quality after using it just once.
Of course, Sherlock wasn't entirely truthful. The revolver wasn't nearly as critical as he made it out to be. He was merely playing hard to get under William's instructions.
"With all due respect, Yasopp," William said, seizing the opportunity as he noticed Yasopp's disappointment. "Staying in a village like this as a farmer is a waste of your shooting talent. I'd like to invite you to join my crew. You deserve a bigger stage to showcase your skills."
(Details about Yasopp's timeline with the Red-Haired Pirates will be uploaded in the related works section later, and a visual version will be available on the official WeChat account "Author Dezho." To summarize: in the prologue of the Strong World movie tie-in, Shanks invited Yasopp to join his crew, but Yasopp didn't accept at the time, as Usopp hadn't been born yet. When Usopp and Luffy first mentioned their fathers, Usopp seemed surprised that Yasopp had joined the Red-Haired Pirates, suggesting neither he nor Banchina had met Shanks. Considering that Banchina was said to have passed away shortly after Yasopp left, and that Usopp was already old enough to understand her death, it's likely Yasopp had already ventured into the Grand Line
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