Boom, boom, boom!
Flames erupted across the beach, scorching sand into smoldering patches.
"Gum-Gum Pistol!!!"
With a roar, a figure was launched high into the air, crashing violently back onto the ground.
---
On the Going Merry, Shirogai chuckled, his expression calm and knowing. "The victor is already clear. Luffy's punch has exhausted Usopp completely."
"Shirogai, you can still laugh?!"
Nami glared, holding her head in frustration. "You idiots! All of you! Why does it always have to get this complicated? Everything could have been resolved with words!"
"There's no helping it, Nami," Shirogai said lightly, blinking innocently. "Usopp has an obsession in his heart. If a direct confrontation can make him realize it, then this battle had to happen."
"Obsession? What obsession? You're the one obsessed! It's all your fault!" Nami completely ignored his calm explanation, glaring furiously.
Shirogai simply shrugged, a small smile playing on his lips. "Alright, alright, all my fault, then."
Though he smiled, the tension hanging over the ship was suffocating.
The crackling flames in the distance seemed to burn straight through the crew's nerves.
Chopper clutched his hooves, whispering for Usopp's safety.
Sanji's cigarette shook slightly as he inhaled.
Even Luffy's stubborn pride couldn't hide the pain in his eyes.
It was a night that felt too heavy for their young hearts.
---
In the firelight, Luffy, covered in charred black marks, stared down at Usopp, who lay on the sand panting, his body disheveled.
"Idiot! How could you ever think to defeat me… and Shirogai?"
"Hoo, hoo…" Usopp remained motionless, too exhausted to respond.
"If you truly want the Going Merry to stay unchanged… and still wish to leave the crew…" Luffy turned, closing his eyes, gritting his teeth. "Then as you wish. The Going Merry is yours. You are free to choose your path. Do what you will from here."
The space between them felt larger than the ocean itself.
Luffy's voice trembled with a pain no punch could match.
Usopp's chest tightened—not from injury, but from the weight of his own choices.
The crackle of flames was the only applause for a tragedy neither of them wanted.
---
Usopp trembled, keeping his eyes shut to hold back tears, his hands clutching the sand tightly.
Luffy's steps carried him toward the Going Merry, his voice low but resolute. "We'll buy a new ship and continue sailing. Goodbye, Usopp. I truly cherished our adventures together."
---
Hearing Luffy's words fade across the sand, Usopp collapsed further, utterly deflated. What have I done? What have I done?!
The truth finally sank in.
Every boast, every outburst, every act of pride—
they all twisted into thorns inside his chest.
Usopp had chased strength, chased pride,
but somewhere along the way he had lost sight of what mattered most.
---
On the Going Merry, the crew watched Luffy retreat, their expressions a mix of sorrow and understanding.
Luffy suddenly stopped in front of the ship, his gaze fixed. Hidden beneath his Straw Hat, no one could discern his expression.
"Hehe… must hurt, doesn't it?" Shirogai's cheerful voice cut through the quiet.
"I…" Luffy's voice caught in his throat. "My heart… feels so heavy…"
"Captain, this is what growth looks like." Shirogai's tone was soft, contemplative as he looked toward the distant cliff. "Luffy, stay true to your convictions. Don't doubt your choices. The road ahead is long. In life, paths diverge, and opinions clash. If someone insists on leaving, let them. Crewmates aren't slaves; they have their own thoughts. Whether it's a fleeting outburst or a carefully considered decision, respect it."
The words sank deep into the crew.
They didn't want to accept it—
but they knew Shirogai was right.
Their adventure wasn't a cage.
It was a journey,
and sometimes journeys meant parting ways.
---
Luffy gritted his teeth, gripping his Straw Hat, trembling. Wuwuwu…
Nami and Chopper were openly crying, their emotions raw.
Sanji, cigarette dangling, stared out at the sea, deep in thought. "That's right. No one should be confused."
Zoro leaned against the railing, watching his crewmates with a calm, assessing gaze. He seemed to understand Shirogai's hidden message.
He looked to Luffy, who was already shedding tears uncontrollably, and said quietly, "Especially you, Luffy. You are our Captain. If even you cannot decide the direction of our journey, then who else can we trust?"
"Well said," Shirogai added, patting Zoro's shoulder with a smile before disappearing into the ship's cabin.
"Let's go. We should unload the items from the Merry. We probably won't… return to it for a while," Shirogai's sigh carried a mix of nostalgia and anticipation.
The decision weighed on all of them.
Every step felt like dragging anchors through water.
Every box carried off the ship felt like removing a piece of a shared memory.
The Going Merry had been their home…
and leaving her behind felt like leaving part of themselves.
---
The crew moved all the belongings from the Going Merry, standing at a distance to take one last look at the ship.
"Shirogai, can you restore the Merry Go to its previous state now?" Luffy asked, eyes rimmed red.
"It will take time… and a lot of materials," Shirogai said slowly. "Also… would Usopp, who now sees us as enemies, even trust me to work on her?"
Luffy fell silent.
Usopp, lonely, shifted onto the deck, his heart a hollow echo.
"Let's go. Nami has already found a hotel. We'll stay there first." Luffy led, carrying bags and suitcases, followed reluctantly by the crew.
Their footsteps faded along the pier.
Only the sound of waves remained—
and the quiet sobbing of a ship left behind.
---
At the back, Shirogai watched Usopp lying on the deck. "Think carefully about why you must grow stronger, Usopp. What stopped you from mastering Observation Haki? What held back your growth as a fighter? Always, it was yourself."
"Deep down, you kept a timid Usopp hidden behind bravado. Growing up with only your mother, you learned to bluff to survive. You became outwardly strong, inwardly fragile. You give everything for others… but it's still not enough."
"You haven't faced the trials necessary to awaken your true strength. You haven't, like Luffy, Zoro, or Sanji, grasped the mindset of a genuinely strong person."
Is Usopp weak? Not exactly.
But his heart does not yet yearn for strength.
Not yet.
Shirogai's voice, soft yet foreboding, echoed across the deck.
"When you finally become Sniper King, it won't be a mask. You'll cast aside your cowardice and embrace your true strength. That day… the world will witness a miraculous warrior, and you will rise onto the stage of legends…"
Shirogai's smile lingered in the fading light.
The figure he awaited was destined to become [GOD], God Usopp, the Miracle Sniper.
_______
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