One-to-One

Cotton-white clouds drifted lazily across the clear blue sky. A faintly fragrant breeze stirred the trees, their swaying shadows dispelling the heat.

Golden sunlight filtered through the leaves, dappling the ground. Sitting beneath the shade of a tree, father and son began a desultory chat.

At times they talked animatedly; at others, they fell silent.

"Dad, have you heard anything about Mom?"

"Yeah, I heard."

Yasopp leaned against the tree trunk, his expression complicated. His eyes rested quietly on the moss-covered ruins before him, and he fell silent.

Some time after he left the village, his wife had fallen gravely ill and become bedridden. Not long afterward, she had died of her illness.

From then on, young Usopp had begun living on his own. He spent his days roaming through the forest, then returned to the lonely little cabin by himself at night.

That was the news he'd heard while at sea.

Later, they had returned to the East Blue.

Usopp was still young then, and taking him out to sea would have been too dangerous.

But if Usopp wasn't doing well in the village, Yasopp would have asked Shanks to let him bring Usopp along—or even left the crew to stay behind and take care of him.

That was what he'd thought, so he had gone to Syrup Village alone.

There, he learned that Usopp had started spending his days getting into all sorts of mischief around the village with three other children. It seemed he'd made friends and begun a new life.

Once he knew Usopp was doing all right, he'd quietly left without coming out to reveal himself.

He couldn't quite remember how he'd felt at the time. Looking back, maybe he'd been young and felt he had no right to face Usopp. Or perhaps he hadn't wanted to disturb the life his son had only just begun to piece back together.

After all, not everyone longed for the world beyond their home. The sea wasn't all adventure and freedom—it was cruel, too.

Maybe there was nothing wrong with living out one's life in a peaceful little village. Even if Usopp wanted to go to sea, he should at least wait until he was old enough to decide for himself, rather than being forced to leave with his father.

So Yasopp had left, and never returned.

Then, two years ago, just after Usopp had turned sixteen, a wanted poster found its way into his hands in the New World.

After the Alabasta incident, Usopp appeared on a wanted poster. That was when Yasopp learned his son had been brought aboard by Luffy.

"Usopp, do you hate me?"

"H-How could I?"

Usopp's protest trailed off. He lowered his head and pressed his lips together, unsure how to respond.

Could he say he'd never hated him? The truth was, he had.

No matter how much he denied it, no matter how often he told himself that he admired his dad, the seed of resentment buried deep inside him had still quietly sprouted.

At least when his mother died, he'd truly hated the selfish father who had abandoned them both.

"Looking back now, all that talk about freedom and adventure before I went to sea, all that admiration for Dad and wanting to become a brave warrior of the sea like you—it feels like I was just lying to myself."

"Maybe it was only because Mom said those things before she died. She said she was proud to have married you, and hoped I'd grow up to be brave like you."

As he spoke, Usopp's eyes gradually dimmed.

Sometimes, he even doubted himself. Had he never really admired his dad at all? Had he only kept lying to himself because of his mother's hopes, pretending he wanted to become someone like him?

After all, he was just a coward.

He wasn't like Luffy, burning with passion and fearless, ready to bravely face anything and challenge it all. And he certainly didn't have Luffy's strength.

He'd spent his whole life telling lies. Maybe the biggest was convincing himself to admire the father who had abandoned his wife and child, as though his mother in heaven couldn't rest unless he did.

"But now I don't think that way anymore. Not after going out to sea and making it all the way here."

A glimmer gradually returned to Usopp's eyes. The corners of his mouth lifted before he could stop them.

"The adventures on the sea really are incredible. The currents that surge upstream, whales as big as islands, dinosaurs, giants, cherry blossoms blooming in a land of snow, kingdoms in the middle of deserts, islands floating among the clouds ten thousand meters above the ground..."

"I still don't think I can forgive you, but I'm starting to understand why you longed for the sea."

"Now I truly love adventure. Deep down, I want to become someone brave like you."

Usopp spoke with hope shining in his eyes.

"Is that so?"

Yasopp gazed at Usopp and suddenly felt that, in some ways, his son had already left him far behind.

"I'm glad I got to see you like this, Usopp. You're a man who takes responsibility."

Yasopp smiled, finally at peace, and told him:

"I'm proud to have a son like you."

"R-Really?"

Usopp stared at Yasopp, looking bewildered, yet with a flicker of excitement at being recognized.

"But why? I'm so weak. I lost so easily."

"Even the strongest people run into things they can't overcome. No one in this world can truly conquer every hardship."

Yasopp pressed two fingers against Usopp's chest and chuckled.

"When you're facing those painful times, the only strength that can help you climb out of the depths is right here."

"I still can't answer whether my choice back then was right or wrong. Compared to me, you've already gone far beyond me, Usopp."

For over a decade, Yasopp had kept his unease buried deep inside, afraid to reveal it to anyone—even to himself. At last, on this day, he had laid it bare.

Both Yasopp and Usopp had chosen to make peace with who they'd been.

......

Meanwhile, battles were still raging in several other places. Some were evenly matched, while others were being dominated by one side.

Lina sat cross-legged atop the castle's highest dome, taking in the battles unfolding across the grounds below.

He had only summoned a few undead to join the fight and tie up some members of the Cross Guild, so his companions wouldn't be overwhelmed by enemies while stretched too thin.

As for himself, all he had to do was watch over the battlefield and send in more undead wherever support was needed. Of course, there were some fights he chose not to interfere with at all.

He'd seen Usopp and Yasopp fighting, too, but that was between father and son. Whatever the outcome, it wouldn't be appropriate for him to get involved.

It wasn't as if Yasopp would actually kill Usopp.

Then there were Shanks and Luffy, and Zoro and Hawk Eyes.

Those were all fights he shouldn't interfere with. As for the other opponents, Lina wasn't particularly interested, so he simply watched the show.

Beckman sat nearby, smoking as he watched alongside him.

He knew there was no point in joining in. It would only draw Lina into the fight as well. The situation was fine as it was.

After all, the whole point of this fight was to serve as Shanks's final test for Luffy and his crew. Lina clearly wasn't part of that.

At least when it came to fighting strength, there was no one who could keep him in check.

He'd originally thought that if Lina joined the fight, he and Hawk Eyes would work together to stop him. But the moment that guy saw Roronoa, the two of them had headed off to the side.

Fortunately, it looked like the other man had no intention of fighting. Otherwise, the test would have been pointless.

The two of them watched as the battles below gradually spread out from where the fighting had first broken out. Some even reached the outskirts of the giants' village beyond the ruins.

Sanji was up against Lucky Roo and Snake, two members of the Red-Haired Pirates who served as the crew's cook and navigator.

There was no need to explain Lucky Roo. Lina knew him fairly well: a chubby man dressed in green stripes who always had a bone-in steak in his hand whenever he appeared. He was either talking, eating, or doing both at once. In short, his mouth was never still.

Snake, on the other hand, was a man with long gray hair and a red dragon tattoo winding along his arm, its head stretching all the way up to his face. He wielded a pair of long swords and seemed to be skilled at kicking, too.

A one-on-one fight would have been manageable, but the two worked together with impressive coordination. Lucky Roo in particular had formidable Armament Haki, and his build gave him excellent shock absorption. Even against Sanji, who possessed Tremor-Tremor Power, the fight was evenly matched.

Franky's opponent was Roaring Gab, a hulking man with a wild lion's mane and muscles that looked cast from steel. He had immense strength and powerful Haki, and could unleash a roar from his mouth with enough force to cut through things.

Chopper's opponent was Hongo, the crew's other doctor. Not only was his medical skill outstanding, he was also an expert with all kinds of weapons. What Lina remembered most was that he seemed good at gathering information, too.

Robin and Brook were fighting together against the musical duo, Banchi and Monster.

The human-and-monkey pair worked together with excellent coordination. Monster was so agile he could hold his own against Brook, while Banchi had terrifying brute strength to match his fierce appearance. Together, the two displayed impressive fighting skills.

Last of all was Nami, who was overwhelmingly dominating her opponent. His name was Limejuice. A black bandanna covered his smooth golden hair, and he was a combat officer of the Red-Haired Pirates. His weapon was a long staff crackling with electricity.

And as for lightning against Nami—

He'd simply been unlucky enough to run into the wrong person. He was immune to her lightning, while he couldn't withstand hers.

Although he had the advantage in Haki and fighting technique, he couldn't put any of it to use. After Nami transformed into lightning and flew through the air at speeds too fast for the naked eye to follow, she kept her distance and suppressed him with long-range attacks.

Limejuice was having a miserable time. Just dodging took all his effort, and he couldn't find a way to fight back.

There was no helping it. The Rumble-Rumble Fruit was just that powerful: high stats, a wide range of abilities, and a complete package of offense, defense, and speed, effective at both long and close range.

Anyone who ate it could become one of the strongest people on the sea, as long as they mastered its abilities.

And Nami had decent combat instincts. Her cautious, calm, and level-headed approach meant she was unlikely to suffer much in a fight.

Lina could only marvel at how Enel's stupidity kept making the Rumble-Rumble Fruit look even better.

Before long, Moria flew up to the rooftop beneath wings made of bats. The shadows dispersed, and he waddled over to Lina, his large belly jutting out.

"Gahaha, long time no see, Black Snake Lina. I heard you caused a huge commotion in Egghead. How'd it turn out? Did the Marines get it right when they said you were beaten black and blue?"

"The Marines didn't make it sound as bad as you did. What, are you still holding a grudge over what happened before? If you came here looking for a beating, I can oblige."

Lina didn't even turn around as he replied nonchalantly.

"Gahaha, forget it, forget it. I'm not interested in those old grudges anymore."

Moria grinned, baring two rows of sharp teeth, and stared at Lina as he continued:

"But you—you defeated Kaido not long after entering the New World. When I heard the news, I was overjoyed."

"Kaido, huh..."

Lina remembered that Moria had challenged Kaido years ago, too. The result was that all his men had been killed, and he'd fled Wano Country with only Ryoma's corpse and sword.

The crushing loss of his companions had hit him so hard that, to avoid ever experiencing that pain again, he'd put his faith in immortal zombies and spent all those years hiding aboard Thriller Bark.

What a pitiful man.

But the truth was, the world could be that cruel. Brook's experience was proof enough.

"Another fight's about to be decided."

Beckman suddenly spoke in a low voice. His gaze was fixed on the battle between Nami and Limejuice.

After being worn down by a long battle of dodging and resisting, Limejuice was nearly spent. He'd managed to hold on by using his electrified staff as a lightning rod, but at last, one of Nami's lightning strikes sent it flying from his grasp.

In that instant, Nami seized her chance and unleashed her full power. Her Weather Stick, wreathed in lightning, split into three sections and spun through the air at high speed!

As it passed over Limejuice's head, the lightning on the Weather Stick pulled toward itself and intertwined into a net. With a sharp cry, a curtain of lightning descended from the sky and engulfed him!

"200 Million Volts · Wild Thunder!!"

Crackle—crackle!!

"Aaaagh!!"

Lightning flared in a blinding flash, and the faint silhouette of a man electrocuted into a skeleton flickered within it. His screams were utterly agonizing.

The light gradually dimmed, and the screams died away with it. Limejuice, his body charred black and his hair blown into an afro, hiccupped, a puff of white smoke rising from his mouth, then toppled forward onto the ground.

Drawn back by electromagnetic force, the three sections of the Weather Stick spun back and rejoined into a long staff.

"That was a thoroughly satisfying fight."

Thud.

Nami planted the Weather Stick on the floor and rested one hand on her smooth, jade-like waist. Playfully, she stuck out her tongue.

"Thanks for the fight."

"Nicely done. That makes it one-to-one."

Lina smiled faintly and scratched the score into the floor of the castle's dome. With nothing better to do, he'd decided to serve as the impartial referee.