When the Dragon Wolf arrived at Syrup Village, the sight of the pirate ship immediately sparked fear among the locals. It had been a long time since pirates last appeared here, and ever since Roger's words had spread across the world, the number of pirate crews on the seas had multiplied.
"Bang!"
Before the Dragon Wolf could even dock, a gunshot rang out, drawing Fang Yi and his crew's attention.
"Pirates ahead! I don't care why you came here! But as long as I, the sharpshooter Yasopp, am here, you'd better turn around and leave. Otherwise… bear the consequences!"
On the shore stood a man with wavy hair, holding a pistol aimed directly at them, his voice carrying strong confidence.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk… this guy… don't tell me he's the one we came for?" Tiffany shook her head with a sympathetic look.
Before they arrived, Fang Yi, Shanks, and Barrett had already agreed on a way to test this man. Only if he passed all the trials could he qualify to join their crew.
Tiffany couldn't help feeling relieved. If Fang Yi and the others had tested her the same way when she first joined, she wasn't sure she could have passed. That was why she now felt some sympathy for Yasopp.
"Looks like it's him! Guess I'll go first." Fang Yi smirked, slung the Sun-Shooting Bow off his back, and put on a fierce expression. "So you're the sharpshooter Yasopp, huh? I am Fang Yi, captain of the Dragon Wolf Pirates—also a sniper! I've heard of your name, so I came here to challenge you. If you win, I'll turn the ship around immediately. But… if you lose… I'll slaughter this entire island."
"Wow, Captain playing the villain—it's just like his true nature, no acting needed!" Tiffany chuckled mischievously.
Fang Yi glared at her. "If I'm the villain, then what does that make you? The saint?"
Tiffany shrugged innocently, plastering a pitiful look on her face. Fang Yi couldn't help but think bitterly: This crew looks more like a troupe of actors than a pirate crew.
"Dragon Wolf Pirates? Never heard of you…" Yasopp shot back with a light grin. "But don't blame me if you lose your life here—I did warn you."
"Good. Then take my arrow!" Fang Yi grinned, loosed his bowstring, and the arrow shot forward like lightning.
"Whoosh!"
The arrow streaked toward Yasopp at terrifying speed.
Yasopp's expression changed. As a sharpshooter, he immediately sensed the extraordinary skill behind the shot—the arrow's speed and accuracy were no joke.
"Bang!"
Without hesitation, Yasopp fired his pistol. His aim looked casual, almost without lining up the sights, yet the bullet met the arrow midair.
"Boom!"
The collision produced an explosive crack, destroying both projectiles.
Since Fang Yi had fired first, Yasopp's feat of hitting the arrow in flight was remarkable—most people couldn't pull that off at all.
"Hah! You—ugh…" Yasopp started to gloat, but suddenly felt a sharp pain in his shoulder. Staring down, he saw blood. He quickly glanced toward the sea, where the arrow fragments sank. Yasopp was sure—he had destroyed Fang Yi's shot. So how had it still struck him?
"How… is that possible?" Yasopp clutched his shoulder in disbelief.
"Heh… you felt it, didn't you? Now tell me—do you still think you can take my life?" Fang Yi's lips curled. He didn't even need to check the system; he knew his Precision Skill had triggered.
At max level, the skill had a terrifying 50% chance to ensure his attacks landed—an edge that could sway entire battles. Even a glancing blow aimed at Yasopp's shoulder could throw off his rhythm. If Fang Yi had aimed at a vital spot, Yasopp's combat ability might have been crippled outright.
"What a bizarre ability! But this… isn't real sniping!" Yasopp steadied himself, his grin fading into a serious expression.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
He quickly fired three consecutive shots in Fang Yi's direction.
"Now it's getting interesting." Fang Yi smiled, moving swiftly. His figure flickered, vanishing from where he stood.
"What the—?!" Yasopp's eyes widened. Though he tracked Fang Yi's movement almost immediately, the captain was already nocking another arrow, releasing it in an instant.
The arrow whistled toward Yasopp. Remembering his earlier mistake, Yasopp didn't try to shoot it down this time—he dodged. But the moment he avoided it, he felt that strange sensation again. His leg buckled as if struck, and he dropped to one knee.
"Even dodging doesn't work? Then I'll have to make sure you can't fire at all!" Yasopp gritted his teeth, glaring at the arrow embedded in the ground. Fang Yi stood poised on the dragon ''' s-head prow of the ship, watching calmly, not pressing the attack.
The reason Fang Yi held back was Shanks' warning—if he kept going, Yasopp might not even get a chance to fight back.
Shanks knew Fang Yi's strength all too well. If Fang Yi unleashed his full firepower, even Barrett treated it with caution.
Barrett himself was watching closely. Unlike Tiffany, Yasopp was being recruited as a combatant under his command. Barrett had no intention of tolerating any weaklings.
But Yasopp surprised him. The man quickly adapted, realizing that the only way to win was to suppress Fang Yi with sheer firepower. He shifted to an all-out offensive, abandoning defense.
Barrett's brow rose in satisfaction. "Sharp instincts… better than expected."
In just a few exchanges, Yasopp had pinpointed the critical factor for victory. That was enough for Barrett to silently signal Fang Yi to stop holding back.
But Fang Yi was already struggling. By deliberately restraining himself, he'd given Yasopp the opening he needed—and the man wasn't letting go.
If this keeps up, I'll lose at this rate! Fang Yi realized, his gaze sharpening. He dodged a bullet and countered with a swift arrow.
Yasopp stared at the arrow planted in the dirt beside him and chuckled bitterly, lowering his pistol. "So that's it. You've been holding back this whole time."
His pride wouldn't allow him to keep going. If his opponent wasn't fighting seriously, then continuing was meaningless.
"As expected, you're no ordinary pirate. And you're not the kind who'd massacre an island, are you?" Yasopp said calmly.
"…Why stop now?" Fang Yi asked curiously.
"Because I can't win. Why drag it out?" Yasopp shrugged, surprisingly at ease.
"And you're not worried I'll still slaughter this island? We are pirates." Fang Yi scowled theatrically.
Before Yasopp could reply, Barrett turned his head aside in disgust at Fang Yi's acting.
Yasopp laughed softly and pointed at Barrett. "Your companion's expression already gave you away."
"Pff—hahaha!" Tiffany burst out laughing. Fang Yi's glare shot toward Barrett, but he knew the performance was ruined. Dropping the act, he explained their intentions and extended a genuine invitation to Yasopp.
"Pirates, huh…?" Yasopp hesitated. He longed for the sea, but now he had family to consider.
"Something holding you back?" Fang Yi asked.
"Yes. I can't set sail just yet, though I'd like to…" Yasopp sighed.
"What reason, if you don't mind me asking?"
"…I just got married," Yasopp admitted. "My family would never allow me to leave right now."
"What?!" Fang Yi and the others were stunned.
"My parents are old. They've been waiting for a grandchild. If I don't give them one, there's no way they'd let me go off to sea," Yasopp explained helplessly.
"Hahaha…" That was when Fang Yi remembered. In the original story, Shanks only came to invite Yasopp two or three years later. By then, Usopp had just been born, so Yasopp was free to join.
And it was exactly that choice—leaving his young son and wife behind—that made many fans criticize him harshly, especially since his wife died while he was away.
"How about this—why don't you bring your wife aboard with you?" Fang Yi suggested with a grin.
Yasopp's eyes lit up, but he quickly shook his head. His parents would never agree to such a thing. Reluctantly, he declined Fang Yi's offer.
That left Fang Yi sighing in frustration. Do I have some kind of curse? Since founding this crew, every single person I've tried to recruit has turned me down…