Not long after leaving Ant Nest Hell, Xie Wen and the others arrived at a group of islands called the Jiekuo Islands.
At first, Xie Wen had no recollection of the name and assumed this was just another of the East Blue's many ordinary islands, until he overheard something while wandering around town with the cats-
The wealthiest merchant on the island did not live in its most prosperous town, but in a small village called Syrup Village, because their daughter had been frail and sickly since childhood and needed a quiet environment to recuperate.
So this was Usopp's hometown...
Xie Wen understood.
Although he could no longer remember what Usopp's hometown was called, he still remembered a little about Kaya's circumstances. Add in how close this place was to Mirapalle Island, and he was probably right.
Still, he had already killed Kuro, so apart from filling in the map, Syrup Village did not seem to hold much significance for him.
Of course, meeting characters from the original story could count as a reason, too.
Xie Wen's attitude was a bit like running into a celebrity at the airport. Although he was not a fan and had no interest in chasing stars, that did not stop him from joining in the excitement.
So, after finishing his tour of the town, Syrup Village naturally became his first choice when deciding which nearby village to visit.
Syrup Village was some distance from town, but villages in this world were generally built along the sea, so Xie Wen chose to sail straight around the coast.
"Oh! Let's dock here!"
When they sailed around to the coast near Syrup Village, Xie Wen recognized the long slope before him at a glance. The familiar terrain awakened a flood of memories...
In the manga, this was