Syrup Village

East Blue · Syrup Village near the sea

The sun was shining brightly, and the sea breeze was gentle.

A small Warship lay steadily on the shallows, its hull resembling a sleeping cheetah, standing quietly on the shimmering sea.

On the deck, Roy stood quietly at the bow, wearing a naval uniform, the wind Hunting Roar.

His gaze was deep as he looked towards the lush green island in the distance.

Behind him, two teenagers were arguing in hushed tones.

"Hey Luffy, did you just steal some snacks from the Kitchen again?"

No! You took it first!

"I only took one piece! You ate three whole layers!"

Hehe~

Ace looked at his younger brother, who was grinning innocently, speechless. He flicked Luffy's forehead with his finger, the force precise enough to make Luffy "Ouch!" and squat down, clutching his head.

Even as they were playfully bickering, the changes in the two of them over the years were quite striking.

At 15, Ace, under the tutelage and training of Garp and Roy, had already shed his immaturity and was approaching 1.85 meters tall, with a tall frame and well-defined muscles.

Yet he maintained his usual casual style, wearing his uniform open, revealing a strong chest and well-defined abdominal muscles that gleamed with a healthy bronze luster in the sunlight.

At 12 years old, Luffy is also growing rapidly, already exceeding 160 centimeters in height.

His originally thin and slender limbs have begun to show signs of strength. Although he is young, his physical fitness far exceeds that of his peers, and he is full of energy when he jumps around.

Roy looked at the two brothers who had grown up fighting and bickering, a slight smile curving his lips and a hint of satisfaction in his eyes.

"... These two kids, in a few years, even I'll probably have to be careful," he thought to himself.

At that moment, Ace suddenly stopped what he was doing and looked up at him.

"Roy, what are we doing here?"

His tone carried a hint of curiosity, after all, they had been clearing out the remnants of the East Blue forces on their way back to their hometown, so their sudden turn to this peaceful village was indeed puzzling.

Roy did not answer immediately, but slowly withdrew his gaze from the distance and looked at the tall Maple Tree in the center of the village in the distance, his eyes flickering slightly.

"I just wanted to see if someone was worth it."

The tone was flat, but it carried a profound meaning.

Ace and Luffy exchanged a glance. Although they didn't understand, they were used to Roy's style of doing things, so they didn't ask any further questions.

In the blink of an eye, Luffy had darted off like a deer, excitedly shouting, "Let's go, let's go—I'm going to see if there's anything delicious to eat!"

"Hey! Stop running around! You stole the mayor's dried mangoes on Cocoyasi Island last time!!" Ace roared as he chased after him.

"I was just helping out with the taste testing!"

The two brothers gradually disappeared into the forest path as they played around.

Roy shook his head and chuckled softly, following slowly. His figure was stretched long and thin by the sunlight, disappearing into the shimmering light of the swaying grass.

The wind was still blowing, and wisps of smoke rose from the distant village chimneys, a scene of peace and tranquility.

Syrup Village Center

Sunlight streamed onto the clean and tidy stone path, and the air was filled with the fresh scent of grass and laundry soap.

In front of several red-tiled, white-walled bungalows, an old tree provides dense shade, and laughter echoes from beneath it.

"--Then, I charged into Marine Headquarters all by myself!"

Sunlight reflected off his goggles. Twelve-year-old Usopp stood in the center, hands on his hips, his expression excited, his voice high-pitched, his curly afro trembling slightly. He looked like he was acting out a personal hero's drama.

Three hundred sailors charged at me, and I shouted—'Back off!'

He suddenly waved his hand, the movement so exaggerated that he almost kicked himself.

"I punched them all, sending them flying!! The whole sea was trembling at the sight!"

The three little ones underneath— Chinjao Head, Carrot Top, and Onion Head —seemed to have stars in their eyes.

Wow-- Captain Usopp is absolutely amazing!

"Did you also capsize the warship?"

"Are you even stronger than the legendary great Pirate?"

Usopp, beaming with pride, was about to add a few more words of embellishment when his gaze inadvertently fell upon a village woman hanging clothes to dry in the distance. His voice immediately rose eight-tenths of an octave:

"That's right! I am the brave sea warrior Usopp! And today, just like today—I'm working hard to protect peace!!"

After saying that, he suddenly ran three laps, then collapsed to the ground with a "thud," clutching his chest and pretending to be exhausted.

The three little ones were terrified and ran around in circles. "Captain Usopp, don't die!!"

Not far away, under the shade of a tree, three figures silently watched this scene.

"This guy..." Ace's lips twitched, pointing to his head, "Is there... something wrong with him?"

"Haha!" Luffy was doubled over with laughter. "I told my grandma the same thing when I was little, that I defeated the entire band of mountain bandits! That guy is so funny!!"

Roy didn't speak; his gaze was fixed on Usopp's face—the face that was trying hard to put on a proud expression, with the corners of his mouth turned up.

"Is this 'Sogeking' Usopp...?"

"The son of Yasopp of the Red Hair Pirates."

"The father abandoned his wife and son to become a pirate at Pirate; the mother died young from illness, leaving him to grow up alone... Every day, he told himself a 'lie' that his child still had courage..."

Suddenly, Usopp, who was playing around with the three little ones, stopped abruptly, sensing a huge shadow quietly descending upon him!

"The ship, the captain... behind you..." Chinjao Head opened his mouth wide and pointed behind him.

"W-What's wrong? Why are you all making such exaggerated expressions--" Usopp turned around mechanically, his head slowly turning.

Then he saw--

A tall man, wearing black military boots and a Vice Admiral's Coat of Justice, with a calm gaze, stood behind him with his hands behind his back.

"Navy... naval force?!"

"Ahhh!!"

His face turned deathly pale instantly, his legs went weak, his goggles slipped off, his eyes widened, and his jaw snapped shut.

"I was wrong! I'm not Pirate!!"

He collapsed to the ground, kowtowing incessantly, his desperate screams echoing throughout the village. "I was just bragging! I was just bragging! I never fought the navy!!"

Roy: "..."

Ace, trembling with suppressed laughter, patted Luffy on the shoulder. "Were you this pathetic when you were a kid?"

Luffy was laughing so hard he was lying on the ground, "Hahaha--It's just like me!!"

Usopp lay on the ground, crying his eyes out. Chinjao Head others huddled together in fear, thinking the Marines were coming to take "Lord Usopp" away.

At that moment, Roy slowly squatted down.

Usopp was holding his head, waiting for the "fist of Justice" to land, when he heard a soft laugh, "You're just a brave kid who hasn't learned how to 'tell the truth' yet."

Upon hearing this, Usopp froze, snot still hanging from his face, his expression a mixture of fear and surprise.

"I... I'm not a real Pirate..." His voice trembled, but there was also a hint of grievance in it.

Roy didn't make a move; he simply watched him quietly, his eyes less intimidating and more inquisitive.

"What's your name?" Roy asked, his tone indifferent.

"U- Usopp..." he answered tremblingly.

"Is that so?" Roy's eyes flickered slightly, and he repeated softly, "Usopp... 'The brave warrior of the sea'?"

Usopp stared at him wide-eyed in surprise. "You... you heard that?!"

Roy didn't answer, but his gaze shifted downwards, landing on the boy's tightly clenched little fist.

There, his fingers, soaked with sweat and his knuckles white, remained clenched.

"Usopp, do you know what a real 'Pirate' means?"