Usopp Joins the Crew

Luffy stood at the bow of the ship, tilting his head, a look of confusion on his face. "Why?"

"Huh?"

Usopp froze, then exasperatedly put on a helpless expression.

"You're really cold, you know that! I mean, from now on, I'm a Pirate sailing the seas just like you guys!"

"Even though we're parting ways, as fellow travelers, we might meet at sea again..."

He trailed off, his voice getting quieter, because he noticed the people on the ship were looking at him like he was an idiot.

Zoro crossed his arms, raised an eyebrow, and pointed at the deck beneath their feet, his tone tinged with impatience.

"What kind of nonsense are you talking about? Hurry up and get on the ship!"

"Huh?" Usopp was completely stunned, his mind blank. "Get... get on the ship?"

Luffy leaned on the railing, pushed down his straw hat, and revealed a brilliant smile that could melt any barrier.

He extended his hand, inviting his long-nosed nakama on shore.

"We're already nakama, aren't we?"

BOOM!

Those words were like an electric current, instantly piercing through all of Usopp's defenses and resolve.

He stared blankly at Ronan, who was leaning on his jet-black iron spear and nodding gently.

He looked at Nami, who shrugged helplessly but with a smile all over her face.

He looked at Zoro, who, despite his fierce expression, had already made space for him to board.

He looked at Luffy, whose outstretched hand was so firm.

So... I wasn't left behind.

So... I was already one of them.

Usopp's eyes instantly reddened, tears welling up, but he desperately held them back from falling.

"Yo-you idiot!"

Usopp leaped up, using the momentum to mask his emotions.

He shouted, scrambling onto the Merry's deck like a monkey, hands on his hips, nostrils flaring, instantly regaining the arrogant swagger of "Captain Usopp."

"Since you've sincerely invited me, I'll reluctantly join!"

He pointed at Luffy and loudly declared, "But! Let's get this straight! I'm the captain!!"

Hearing this, Luffy instantly panicked and jumped up like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. "Don't be ridiculous! I'm the captain!!"

"I'm the former captain, I've been around longer than you!"

"I'm the man who's going to be King of the Pirates, so of course I'm the captain!"

Watching the two goofballs wrestle for the "captain's seat," Ronan, Zoro, and Nami exchanged glances before bursting into hearty laughter.

"Hahahahaha--!!"

Their laughter drifted with the sea breeze, reaching the shore and the farther sea.

"Hoist the sails! Set sail!"

At Luffy's command, the white triangular sail snapped open in the wind, filling with air.

The sheep-headed figurehead cut through the waves as the Merry, carrying five young pirates, slowly sailed away from Syrup Village's harbor.

Ronan stood at the stern, stroking his cold iron spear as he watched the receding island, murmuring in his heart, "Goodbye, Syrup Village."

The sea breeze was intoxicating, carrying the coolness unique to the evening.

The Merry's deck was filled with laughter and joy.

Having just finished a fierce battle with the Black Cat Pirates and acquired their own new ship, this double joy brought the atmosphere of the Straw Hat Pirates to its peak.

"Cheers--!!"

Five wooden cups clinked together forcefully in the air, making a crisp sound.

Amber liquid splashed out with the impact, spilling onto their hands and the brand-new deck.

"Ah--! This drink is great!"

Luffy sat cross-legged in the center of the deck, a mug in one hand and a bone-in piece of meat in the other, his face radiating a smile that could infect the whole world.

Behind him, a brand-new pirate flag fluttered in the wind from the Merry's mainmast.

It was Usopp's masterpiece.

Just half an hour ago, Luffy tried to draw his "skull," but ended up with a hilariously abstract piece.

In the end, it was the artistically talented Usopp who stepped up, using his exquisite drawing skills to perfectly replicate the Straw Hat skull flag on the canvas.

The skull with the straw hat, grinning widely, symbolized freedom and adventure.

"How's that! Isn't my drawing skill impeccable!"

Usopp's long nose pointed proudly towards the flag, "This is the flag symbolizing Captain Usopp... no, our Pirate crew, who has eighty million subordinates!"

"That's amazing, Usopp!" Luffy praised him generously.

Nami leaned against the ship's railing, looking at the flag, a hint of tenderness in her eyes:

"I hate to admit it, but this flag is actually drawn quite well. Now we can finally be considered a proper Pirate crew."

Ronan sat beside Luffy, idly playing with his wine glass.

He looked at the flag, his heart filled with emotion.

This was the beginning of a legend.

After several rounds of drinks, the sky began to darken.

Only half of the sun remained on the horizon, painting the sky in a brilliant purple-red.

The rhythm of the waves hitting the ship became more relaxed, and everyone's mood gradually shifted from the earlier excitement to calm, casual conversation.

Zoro, who had been drinking alone by the mast, suddenly put down his wine glass.

His gaze pierced through the slightly tipsy air, like two swords, directly at Ronan.

"Hey, Ronan."

Zoro's voice was low and hoarse, breaking the pleasant atmosphere on deck.

Everyone's attention immediately focused on them.

"That technique you used when you fought the Black Cat Pirates..."

Zoro unconsciously rubbed the hilt of Wado Ichimonji, his eyes burning with the flame of inquiry.

"That Observation Haki, which allows you to predict enemy attacks, what exactly is it?"

This question had actually been on everyone else's minds for a long time.

Luffy stopped chewing, his cheeks puffed out as he looked over.

Nami put down her navigation chart, and Usopp stopped boasting.

They had all witnessed that scene: Ronan moving with ease amidst a barrage of attacks, completely unharmed by Kuro's high-speed slashes, which were almost invisible to the naked eye.

That composure, as if he had a "God's eye view," was as effortless as a father spanking his son.

"Observation Haki."

Ronan didn't keep them in suspense. He smiled gently and downed the wine in his glass.

"Zoro, you're a warrior too, you should know that state of 'hearing' the breath of all things, right?"

"'Hearing the breath of all things'?" Zoro chewed on the words, his brow furrowed.

Ronan nodded, put down his wine glass, and sat up cross-legged.

His expression became serious, as he knew that the lesson that followed was crucial for the Straw Hat Pirates' future adventures.

"On this sea, especially in the 'Grand Line' where we are heading, Devil Fruit users are as numerous as the hairs on a cow, and all sorts of bizarre abilities emerge endlessly."

"The Strength that can counter these abilities, or even surpass them, is - Haki."

"Haki is mainly divided into three types," Ronan said, holding up three fingers.

"Observation Haki."

"Armament Haki."

"And... Conqueror's Haki."