Usopp wasn't always my favorite character of One Piece, it wasn't until the two year time skip that he grabbed my attention. Usopp is weak, still is from where I left off in the anime, but he's only weak physically, and he knows that. I also believe that very same reason, is why I think he's so strong. Fishmen, CP9, hell even Thriller Bark, he went through all of those adventures and perils with his crew. A regular guy like him with good aim helped take down 2 of the 7 Warlords before the 2 year time skip and helped defeat 2 more afterwards. Only Mihawk and Hancock are left of the original once powerful 7 Warlords of the Sea. Usopp is strong because he knows that he's weak, and he doesn't care.

I already told them when everything was going to go down and so we just stayed at the diner until sunset. It was nice talking to Luffy about the old man for some reason. Warning Kaya and having her reject my kindness will just have me hate her more, and regrettably she had to see Merry hurt for the original timeline to still work. Honestly maybe I could have changed it, I mean I was already changing things in the story with the amount of crew members the Strawhats were supposed to have, maybe I could have saved him the pain and suffering. That's the problem though, I wasn't even on the boat yet and I've already begun changing things. Saving Merry just wasn't a good enough reason to have me screw with the timeline more. Maybe I was just salty with how he shot Usopp in the original.

I couldn't help but chuckle at myself at the time. I say that, but I'm already changing everything. I had no intention of sticking to the plot and when my knowledge runs dry, I'm screwed anyway. I didn't even let the kids meet Jango.

As the sun was setting, we all made our way to the shack to get some shuteye before the attack. Originally they stayed up the entire night, but that just wasn't happening with me. Sleep is way to important for some bullshit plan.

We were at the dock where the pirates would be a little before sunset. All of us were waiting patiently until Zoro spoke up.

"Hey, I have to ask, why do you care about this place so much? From what I understand, even if you told everyone that actual pirates were coming, they wouldn't believe you, I don't even think they like you."

"Yea, now that you mention it, I'm curious too." said Nami. I didn't need to say a word, as Onion answered for me.

"Usopp doesn't really like this village." This cause Luffy to tilt his head in confusion and join in on the conversation.

"Huh? Then why do you want to save it?"

"This is not only my home, but the home of my father, Yassop. I don't like this village, or its people. To be honest, I don't even like Kaya, I'm just nice to her because I know she's secretly being poisoned by that bastard Kuro. But whether I like it or not doesn't really matter. My father would simply be disappointed in me if I let all of these villagers die and the island be destroyed." I finally spoke. And really, I didn't like Kaya. She even had a dream about Usopp killing her and when she finally found Merry on the floor, bleeding out, she called him a liar. Really, I quite dislike the girl.

"So you're saving it for your father huh? Even if you don't want to? I have to say, that's kinda honorable. You could have just asked for the ship before all of this went down and left already. Especially since this is causing you to put your life on the line." Zoro said from the side. I nodded.

"Yeah I guess, anyways we better look alive." I said as the sun finally began to rise and I see the ship coming towards the beach. I took my flintlock off my side and started aiming. "Company is coming and fast. Onion, take your brothers and follow the Captain."

"""AYE!"""

"Wait a minute! You can't seriously be thinking of having these children fight pirates?!" I chuckle at her naivety.

"Look don't worry about the kids, they could kick your ass 10 times out of 10." I said as I took my eyes of the pirates for a second.

"Excuse me!?"

"Hey!" I yelled down to the pirates who were getting off their ship and gathering while ignoring Nami. "This island is protected by the Strawhat Pirates. If you want to get through you'll have to pay the Entry Fee." I said smiling. I could hear the brats groaning at the joke that only we knew. Luffy and the others just looked confused.

"Entry Fee?!" some random mook screamed out. "Fuck your Entry Fee, and fuck you!" His crew mates yelled in agreement and began making threats on how they were going to kill all of us once they got up there. Before they could take a single step though, a bullet suddenly went through the original mooks head.

Everyone stopped cold and I could hear Nami gasp in surprise. The mooks body stood there for a couple seconds, as though he died so fast his brain couldn't catch up, and slowly he fell. All of the excitement the pirates had before came to a stop in a single moment, and for just a little bit, all was silent.

"By attacking an island protected by the Strawhat Pirates, the Blackcat Pirates have declared War. For this offence-" I said slowly and quietly, yet I could tell everyone of them could hear me. "You are all sentenced to execution." and my second shot rang out, causing another to fall, dead. This was my first kills, and honestly, I felt no remorse or disgust. Everyone and everything was anime here. It didn't even register that I killed a real person, I didn't even consider them real in the first place. As a second body fell into the sand, the pirates finally began to make their move.

"Gum-Gum…Pistol!" I heard screamed out from beside me, knocking out one more from the group. Honestly, I was a little surprised with how fast Luffy went with it, especially as I just killed 2 people. Then I realised that Luffy has already seen people die when Shanks came to his village and even at that age he took it in stride. He knows being a pirate is putting your life on the line every single day for freedom and he didn't actually discourage killing even if he didn't do it himself.

Zoro took out his sword and began walking down the slope with Luffy by his side. The boys followed right behind them. From my spot up the hill, I could see Jango take a small step back in fear after seeing my Captain's arm shoot out.

"E-everyone, look over here! These guys are serious, so we have to go all out from the beginning." he began swaying that circular blade side to side. Isn't that a small chakram? "If our enemy is strong, then we must become stronger then them. Now stare deeply into this ring, I will say 1, 2, Jango and after that, you will begin to grow stronger." Luffy and Zoro stopped in confusion.

"So what is he doing?" asked Strawhat. "It looks weird."

"It looks like hypnoses. He's trying to convince them that they are stronger than they are. Like that would actually work." Nami answered, not believing in the power of hypnosis. Normally, I would be on her side, but this isn't a normal world. This is One Piece, and I already knew that the Micheal Jackson rip-off had talent.

"Stronger~! Stronger~! ONE!" I could see Luffy staring intently at the mini chakram.

"TWO!" my captain stepped closer to see it better.

"JANG-" and then there was a bang and he fell forward…The pirates looked up the slope to see my flintlock smoking and my eyes hidden underneath my fedora.

"C-captain JANGOOOOO!" they all screamed in rage.

Huh honor? What the hell is that, is it tasty? I'm a Sniper and the bastard just clearly stood within my range. He clearly wanted to die, there's no other explanation.

"Awww, why did you do that Usopp, I wanted to see if it was going to work." the rubber man whined.

"Sorry Captain, I didn't want to take any chances." I apologised with a small smile. That was when the pirates began crying about revenge as they stormed the slope and met Luffy and the boys head on. Before they could completely make it up though, Luffy pulled his fists back slightly.

"Gum Gum! Gatling!" he yelled out suddenly, and then his fists began moving so fast it seemed as if he had more than just two. Meeting the pirates in the middle, not a single one could withstand his attack, and they fell down without even making it half way.

Whoa...that basic attack is kinda awesome when it's in person. And without Jango to hypnotise them, they should stay down.

"Wow that was pretty easy huh? It looks like those guys are down for the count." said Nami from the side of me. I noticed after a while that she had moved away from me somewhat, probably after seeing me kill those people. I shrugged it off.

I don't think it'll affect our future relationship that much. She may be wary around me for now, but that shouldn't be a problem after we save her from Arlong.

At all of the commotion, Sham and Buchi finally jumped off the boat to look at the situation. Their legs began to shake as they saw the pool of blood surrounding their captain and a couple other members. I actually didn't know if they were faking that part or not.

"Y-you bastards! How could you do this to my crew! W-we're just the ship guards b-but don't think we won't fight you!" shouted Sham. His legs were shaking and his voice wavered.

"Wait! Sham, I think we should get out of here." Buchi spoke up.

"Huh? Buchi what are you talking about, what about the crew?" Sham asked confused and a little annoyed at him for ruining the act.

"Captain Jango is dead and the men are knocked out! Not to mention all 3 of the guys look strong, and the fact that those kids don't seem to be afraid of us worries me." he said in a hurry to make his friend understand. Before Sham could give his reply though, I interrupted.

"My my, what optimists you are." I said in a mocking tone. "You honestly think you can escape, that's adorable. But no matter how cute it is, it's still just a dream. I don't know if you heard, but it's already too late for that. I remember saying it quite clearly...you are all sentenced to execution." I declare and I could see some genuine fear in their eyes.

"Pepper...Carrot, don't let them get away." I order and within moments, they were gone. Before the brothers could react, they were both thrown off of their feet as the two boys Soru'd and swung their polls at the Cats stomachs.

"Don't underestimate my brats." I said as Zoro and Nami's eyes widened in surprise while Luffy's literally turned into stars. "They may be small but they are fast, and although they can't hit hard standing still, the faster they go the more damage they can do."

"WHOHOHOOO! That was so COOL! How are they so fast?!" Asked Luffy in amazement. I could see Zoro and Nami had the same question. Onion answered.

"It's a technique called Soru, it allows us to move in a blink of an eye, and because of that we can hit harder too. Force = Mass x Acceleration after all."

"Yeah I don't get all of that but it's still so cool!" Luffy said.

The Cat Brothers apparently weren't down for the count yet, as they forced themselves to sit up while holding their stomachs.

"Brother...that was-" spoke up Buchi.

"Like Captain Kuro's move, I know…" finished Sham. I could see his teeth almost crack from the pressure he was putting on them. "How could this be...if only the Captain were here-"

"I'm sorry-" someone spoke up from behind us. "Did someone call for me?" Turning around we all saw that bastard Kuro standing there with a frown. His composure was slowly slipping as he gripped the strap of the bag he was holding tighter. "What the hell is going on?! Usopp I thought we had a deal! Why are you standing in my way now?!" he shouted.

"We did...and it ended." I said, repositioning my fedora in an attempt to seem bored with a nonchalant look. "You see my Captain is finally here and ready to pick me up. I'm about to leave this godforsaken island with no one the wiser. Well...except you of course. And we both know what happens to loose ends. It's nothing personal, just business my friend." I almost couldn't keep my composure when I saw the large vein bulging from his forehead in anger.

"Huh?" Luffy asked confused, "Usopp what's going on? Who is this guy?"

"Oh, this is the guy poisoning Lady Kaya, Captain. We had a deal a while ago to stay out of each other's way when he found out I knew about his plan."

"Why didn't you just kick his ass then?"

"Because he would have no proof." answered Zoro. "To the village and to this Kaya herself, Usopp would be the bad guy. To them, he would just be killing an innocent butler without reason."

"The fact that his dad is apparently a famous pirate wouldn't help the situation either. He would be exiled and kicked off the island. If the villagers couldn't do it themselves, they would call the marines." added on Nami. Onion who was watching his brother intently, making sure the cats didn't get up finally had his book down and nodded.

"Usopp has been waiting for you guys for years. It would ruin everything that we worked for if we were forced to leave and weren't able to catch you."

"You have to be kidding me, this just must be some joke! Your infamous Captain-!" Kuro yelled and turned to Luffy with a laugh. "Is this brat?! I assumed with how strong you were that your Captain would have been a big name on these seas, but it seems I was terribly mistaken. How low the Black Cats have fallen." he finished with a growl, finally dropping his bag.

In the distance, where the Cat Brothers were still on the ground, Carrot and Pepper were watching them, making sure they didn't do anything stupid. They were shivering, shaking in fear at their Captains visible anger.

"C-captain! It's not our fault! The kids! They have the same ability as you!" Sham yelled to try to appease his leaders anger. Pepper raised his pipe and crushed it down on the Cat's head. "Gah!"

"Shut up." Pepper said simply. Carrot raised his pipe threateningly which caused Buchi to squeal.

"Unless you want the same treatment as your brother, I advise you to keep your mouth shut too." the prisoner nodded in terror. It seemed that for some reason, the brothers didn't have any confidence in defeating Kuro this time around. Or maybe they didn't wanna antagonize him because they needed help taking down my crew. They don't even have Jango to hypnotise them if they fail.

This is where things kinda seem like a replay. Kaya came running behind Kuro but before he could kill her I used Soru and saved her life.

"U-Usopp! Thank you...Khaladore...you won't believe this but Khaladore is a pirate! I know it sounds crazy but he almost killed Merry! You have to believe me!" to her pleas, I nodded.

"Yes, I know Kaya, I've known for a long time. It's the real reason why I asked for a job one year ago. I wanted to keep an eye on him. I wanted to make sure he wouldn't hurt you and protect you from him. My crew...we're here fighting the Black Cat Pirates, to keep you safe Lady Kaya." I said looking down at her. All of that was a lie of course, but that's what Usopp did, he lied. I have no idea how he and the brats survived with such little food before, but I actually needed that money. Maybe that's why Usopp was so skinny. One thing was for sure though. I really couldn't stand this girl, but she didn't need to know that. Tears began to form in her eyes, as she held to my chest tightly.

"U-Usopp…" she cried, before determination filled her eyes and she faced Kuro. "Stop this... stop all of this right now Khaladore! You want my fortune right? Well you can have it! Just leave and never come back!" she screamed but I grabbed her waist and pull her into me tighter.

"No!" I stated firmly, causing her a bit of a surprise. "We're here Miss Kaya, here to protect you and all that you have. Me, my crew, and even my Captain, are fighting for our lives to save you."

"But if we just give him what he wants he'll leave...isn't that for the best?" she asked with a sad smile, hanging her head low.

"How could I claim to protect you if I let you be robbed?" I asked gently, tilting her head upwards to look into my eyes. "We'll protect you Kaya so please, trust us, won't you?"

That's when the tears started to fall. I slipped my hand into her inner coat pocket and slowly pulled out the gun and took it. "You don't need this...just depend on me Miss Kaya, and we will take care of everything."

"Y-yes Usopp…" she said, leaning her head into my chest.

"Captain!" I yelled. "I'm afraid I cannot leave Kaya in this state, she needs me. So please, I beg of you, for me and everyone he's deceived...KICK HIS ASS!"

Things went how you expected from there. With me killing Jango and the Cats on the floor, the village didn't even know there was an actual pirate attack. There was no rant or big tear filled explanations, which I was glad for. Luffy had trouble just like in the anime but he won in the end. I had Kaya take Luffy and the crew to her manor to rest and recuperate. With her and the kids gone I got to work…. Killing the Black Cat Pirates. It wasn't difficult and only took a few moments, but I made a promise to them the moment they declared war. Execution.

With Jango gone he'll never join Hina, but I doubt that's really important. I left one alive, Buchi, to tell the story to the Marines and increase our rep. He sailed on the ship alone...leaving his brethren behind like the coward he always was. Soon after that, I went to the manor to join up with the crew and asked for a ship we could have for our adventures. Kaya agreed readily and everything else played out exactly the same. Except...one little thing.

It was just me and Kaya in the manor while Luffy and the others checked out Merry. The ship not the person of course. I had to talk to her about something important.

"Kaya-" I said lovingly with her in my arms. "It's time for me to finally leave Kaya. I'm going to miss you."

"Yes… I'll never forget all that you've done for me Usopp. You protected me when no one else could. Even when you didn't have to." she responded teary eyed.

"There's one last thing I have to ask of you, although I hate doing so." I say looking down in shame.

"Anything Usopp! Please, do not hesitate to ask. I owe everything to you." she said, comfortably enjoying our embrace.

"It's just...the sea is dangerous and the crew needs much to survive. I know you've already done more than enough with the ship, but we need funds. For food, water, and for the kids that are coming with us." I said hesitantly. She smiled.

"Of course, anything you need." she agreed within a heartbeat. I stroked her cheek softly and leaned in slightly.

"Thank you, I-" I stop before finishing and leaned in just a little more. Her cheeks go red and she slowly rises, standing on her toes. "Kaya…"

"Usopp…" she said back. Just before our lips met, I redirect myself to kiss her forehead.

"We cannot, I'm sorry, on this day I'm heading to sea. I would not dare play with your heart and leave you here. Especially with you being so sick and not able to follow." I said in regret. I could see her trying to hold back the tears, but she fails eventually.

"Of course, it's okay, I know you've wanted to go for a long time and it's finally your chance. Thank you Usopp, for everything you've done for me."

And that's how I left my home island. With Merry, 3 extra crew members, and 2 million berry to start with. I couldn't get all of it like Khaladore could have, but the man had my respect as a liar. He had her totally fooled and almost got her inheritance because of it. There was no way I could get that much from the silly girl without seeming suspicious but what I did get was enough for now.

And so my adventure finally started, and with all my extra power and training, I set out on the blues. It's funny then right, how I still found myself getting my ass kicked. But that was in the future. For now, we were on the ship partying, and I'll tell you, if felt every bit as amazing as I imagined.