Another day passed. When Bardock purchased the latest edition of the World Economy News Paper, he noticed that there wasn't a single mention or follow-up article regarding the massive scandal of the corrupt 16th Branch. In fact, the front page was dominated by trivial celebrity gossip and entertainment news.
'I have to admit, the Navy's crisis management team moves incredibly fast,' Bardock mused, casually tossing the paper aside.
Although Sengoku couldn't force Morgans to officially retract the previous day's edition, he had clearly leveraged enough political pressure to force the avian media mogul to completely bury the story and halt the momentum of the scandal.
Bardock didn't care. His goal hadn't been to permanently damage the Navy's global reputation; he simply wanted to eradicate Captain Nezumi.
As for Nezumi and his corrupt subordinates? Bardock had left them stranded in the ocean near the Conomi Archipelago. Leo had used his Stitch-Stitch Fruit to literally sew every single Marine securely to various parts of the warship's deck. Bardock had then completely destroyed the ship's engine and sails. The corrupt 16th Branch was currently completely immobilized, helplessly waiting for whichever Headquarters clean-up crew Sengoku had dispatched to arrive and arrest them.
"Our next destination is the Gecko Islands," Bardock announced to the crew, checking his nautical map. "Syrup Village is located right on the coast. It's time to go meet 'God' Usopp."
Usopp. In his day-to-day life, the long-nosed sniper was notoriously cowardly. In the original timeline, he, Nami, and Chopper formed the infamous 'Weakling Trio' of the Straw Hat Pirates. However, when his crew's lives were truly on the line, Usopp possessed the incredible courage to stand up against impossible odds. In fact, he frequently played the absolute most critical, game-winning role in desperate, seemingly unwinnable situations.
Hence the famous fandom saying: 'When the wind is at your back, rely on Luffy. When you are pushed to the absolute brink of despair, rely on Usopp.'
After drifting peacefully across the calm East Blue for a few days, the silhouette of the Gecko Islands finally appeared on the horizon. The White Dragon steered directly toward the tranquil shores of Syrup Village.
Standing on a cliff overlooking the coast, a young boy with a notably long nose immediately spotted the massive, blindingly bright golden galleon approaching. He had never seen a ship like that in his entire life!
"EVERYONE, WAKE UP! THIS IS TERRIBLE! THE PIRATES ARE COMING!"
Usopp sprinted down the hill, screaming at the top of his lungs as he bolted through the peaceful village streets.
"What?! Pirates?!"
Startled by the frantic screaming, a few villagers threw open their windows and looked toward the coast. Seeing absolutely nothing but the usual calm sea, they immediately realized it was just Usopp pulling another one of his daily pranks.
"Usopp, you little brat! Stop causing trouble!" "Usopp, it's too early in the morning for your nonsense!" "If you keep lying like that, I'm going to paddle your backside!"
Ignoring the furious reprimands, Usopp continued his daily sprint through the village, pausing occasionally to pull funny faces and stick his tongue out at the angry villagers, who responded by throwing brooms and rotten vegetables at him.
In the very center of the village stood a massive, luxurious mansion that sharply contrasted with the modest, rural houses surrounding it. Inside a large bedroom, a young girl with blonde hair named Kaya lay weakly in bed, coughing softly as she heard Usopp's muffled screaming from outside.
"Merry?" Kaya called out weakly.
A well-dressed butler with distinct, sheep-horn-shaped hair immediately entered the room, bowing politely. "Yes, Miss Kaya?"
"Are the pirates actually coming? What should we do?" she asked, a hint of worry in her gentle eyes.
Kaya had been chronically ill and bedridden since she was a toddler. Her wealthy parents were frequently away on long sea voyages, both to manage their massive merchant empire and to desperately search the seas for renowned doctors capable of curing her condition. Unfortunately, her frail body couldn't handle the stress of ocean travel, so she was forced to remain at home. Merry, the incredibly loyal head butler, managed the household in their absence.
"Please rest assured, Miss," Merry smiled warmly, fluffing her pillows. "The young boy shouting outside is notorious for his daily pranks. He cries 'pirate' every single morning. It's completely fabricated. Furthermore, even in the highly unlikely event that pirates did attack, our estate's private guards will ensure your absolute safety."
Having successfully completed his daily lap of terrorizing the village, Usopp eventually circled back to the port. Just as he arrived, the massive golden galleon dropped its anchor, and a group of incredibly dangerous-looking people began disembarking.
Panic seized him. 'Real pirates?!' Usopp frantically dove behind a large tree, holding his breath.
The moment Bardock's crew stepped off the ship, their Observation Haki instantly detected the trembling boy hiding behind the tree. When the entire crew simultaneously turned their heads and stared directly at his hiding spot, Usopp felt his heart skip a massive beat. The suffocating, terrifying pressure he felt was exactly like a helpless rabbit being simultaneously locked onto by a pack of starving wolves.
"Hey, you can come out now. We clearly see you," Bardock called out, amused.
Realizing he was completely exposed, Usopp's knees knocked together uncontrollably. But he forcefully swallowed his fear and stepped out, pointing a trembling finger at the crew.
"H-Halt! Which pirate crew do you belong to?!" Usopp stammered, desperately trying to sound intimidating. "D-Don't you know this is the territory of the great Captain Usopp?! You better turn around, because I have over eight thousand ruthless subordinates ready to ambush you at my command!"
Perona instantly burst out laughing. It was impossible to take him seriously. The kid was clearly no older than seven or eight, looked incredibly scrawny, and was actively shaking like a leaf, yet he had the sheer audacity to boldly claim he commanded a massive army of eight thousand men. It was utterly hilarious.
Noticing that Usopp looked genuinely terrified by Perona's mocking laughter, Bardock decided not to traumatize the kid any further.
"Relax, Usopp," Bardock smiled kindly. "I know exactly who you are. More importantly, I know your father, Yasopp."
"My father?!" Usopp's eyes instantly widened to the size of dinner plates, completely forgetting his fear. He ran forward eagerly. "You know him?! Did he send you here to find me?!"
"Uh..."
Bardock suddenly felt incredibly awkward. He was suddenly confronted by the profound, glaring absurdity of Yasopp's parenting. Yasopp had been casually sailing around the East Blue with Shanks' crew for literally years, occasionally partying in Foosha Village... yet he hadn't bothered to take a two-day detour to visit his own son and dying wife even once.
Sensing the hesitation and awkward silence, the vibrant light in Usopp's eyes dimmed significantly. However, he quickly forced a brave smile, masking his profound disappointment.
"My mom always told me that he went out to become a brave warrior of the sea," Usopp said, his voice quiet. "Is he... is he doing okay?"
He looked up at Bardock nervously, terrified that these strangers had come to deliver tragic news of his father's death. Fortunately, that wasn't the case.
"Yasopp is doing incredibly well," Bardock reassured him gently. "He is currently a core executive of the Red Hair Pirates. In fact, he is widely recognized as the absolute greatest, most legendary sniper in the entire world."
"The Red Hair Pirates..." Usopp murmured, his eyes slowly widening as awe replaced his sorrow. He clenched his small fists tightly, a fire igniting in his soul. "Then I've decided! I'm going to train incredibly hard, and I'm going to become a legendary sniper just like him!"
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