*Spoiler warning!!*
This chapter is a re-imagining of chapter 1177. If you haven't read it yet, then please take precautionreading this!!
Note: If there are any aspects of characters or the world I got wrong, please let me know. I want to create a story that's true to One piece!
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"I'll become a brave warrior of the sea!"
What a lie.
That's the only thing I'm good for. Lying. it's the only thing I've done. I bluffed my way out of sticky situations more times than the number of steps a Tontatta would have to take to travel across the world.
I joined my captain on his adventure so we could chase our dreams together, and he will make it, I know it. Everyone in the crew has one. Become the strongest swordsman, find the all-blue, map out the entire world, become the King of Pirates. Compared to that, what is my dream? It's so small. Like me. Maybe that's why I look up to the giants; not only do they live up to their name of their race, but also embody everything I am not.
When I met Dorry and Broggy, they told me about Elbaph, the land of giants. I thought that going over there, I would prove myself to be a warrior! that I'm brave! Courageous enough to finally face my dad. He will hug me with pride, I can almost feel the warm embrace as I picture it.
I can tell Kaya of stories that aren't lies, ones that I lived through. And I have stories, mind you. 'That time Captain Usopp battled and defeated a fishman! The time I went against a criminal organization and fought against some of their top soldiers! The time I fought a ghost girl, or when My crew and I fought against the legendary Oars! (under my command of course haha). Once, I declared war to the government in order to save my friend by shooting and burning their flag!' I'll be able to tell her these stories knowing, for the first time, I actually experienced these tellings. I was brave. I was helping my friends, I was pulling my weight.
Then, the two-year gap.
We were separated from each other, stuck on a island unknown to us after we encountered a warlord of the sea. Can you imagine that? A warlord. of the sea. coming straight for us. I met one of my masters there. He taught me about the island's plants. He trained me on the ways of the jungle. in those two years of separation, I prepared my body and mind, so that I could support my best friend, because we weren't strong enough. The encounter with Kuma confirmed it; We weren't ready for the New world. But the training changed that.
Or so I thought.
We reunited on the same island we suddenly left each other. My crew was back together, stronger and more confident than ever, blowing through the marines on sabaody (me in the lead of course haha), and dived towards Fishman Island without a hitch.
We felt invincible. They felt invincible. While they easily collected feat after feat, I saw the gap between us widen, and it was far more wide than before. Before, at least I had Nami and Chopper.
Now, Nami has Zeus, and the improved Climatact.
Chopper cured the Ice-demon disease, and controls his monster form.
And what about me? I got my plants and bugs, yes. but what will that do to a yonko's underling? To a vice admiral even?
I think somewhere in those two long years, I lost sight of something important.
Here we are now, in Elbaph, the island of my dreams, and under attack by God's knights. children risk dying, my masters, Dorry and Broggy, are fighting for their life against a force they have never seen before. And what am I doing?
I'm in front of the enemy. A lady with devilish features, wings and a pointy tail and all. She hovers in the air between me and my bony crewmate. I ran all the way over here because Brook was acting strange. And now he's barely standing on his feet.
A flash of black covers my eyes, and what feels like a 4 million ton hammer strikes me in my stomach. The ground comes up to me. I can't breathe.
"Usopp!" Brook screams. "Please flee! I came here for my own reasons! She's dangerous!" As if I didn't know that.
I slowly lift my head and see Brook lying flat on his back. His own sword is lodged in his body. It pierced his heart ("Oh wait, I don't have a heart! yohoho" is something he would say). My arms feel like spaghetti. The fake beard that was put on my is making my skin red. My hands are slippery from the sweat. The edges of my visions are narrowing; I see two Brooks. My lunch wants to see the beauty that is Elbaph. My teeth are rattling with every returning breath.
Breathe.
A raspy cough answers. hm, I taste metal. I don't want to die. But Brook might die here. what can I do? I could buy some time. Do those extra seconds even matter? NO, I will try.
"Who would run and abandon a crewmate..." I hold down another cough. "At a time like this!?" I use all my energy to face him. "Brook!! True warriors do not run!"
"Usopp.." I can't read Brook's face, but I see the amount of cracks in his skull. What will happens if this body breaks? Will his soul remain?
I need to stand up. NOW. My body doesn't listen to me. It doesn't matter, What matters is that I can face her. I continue to yell at my friend.
"I've always dreamed of visiting this place. To come to the land I've admired... I won't disgrace myself.."
I've done enough of that already.
"Not here!!!"
Like that's gonna change how I will act outside of this island.
"Besides, I'm burning with fury right now!!!"
Or is that fear? I can't tell anymore. What am I even doing? standing up to a God's knight.
"Brook, these guys!! They're looking down on Elbaph!! Their gutless plan was to sneak here and kidnap those children!!!"
Funny how to the coward is calling others gutless. Oh man, I'm gonna die here! (though I haven'tseen anyone really die during my adventures, weird...)
"They didn't use their own strength at all in this invasion! They relied on those monsters..."
Like I rely on my crewmates to get all the fighting done. I'm a hypocrite.
"...and hijacked the minds of all those proud warriors, trying to force them to slaughter each other!!"
I turn to the lady. Why doesn't she wear any pants?
"How dare you carry out such a cowardly and underhanded scheme?!! "
She's coming at me. I'm going to die. Please, PLEASE don't use your trident on me.
"You shameless basta-"
A knee connects to my chin. I consider a meeting with the soft grass- no. I reach for my Kabuto slingshot and aim it at her while begging my legs not to give out. Something trickles down from my head into my mouth. The same taste. The demon lady is getting blurry.
"The warriors of Elbaph fight with their own swords and shields!!! They put their own lives on the line..."
Like I am doing now. No, this is different. I'm not like them.
"They're a nation of warriors!!!" If only I was born a giant. Then I wouldn't be like this.
"If you want to conquer them, do it fair and square!! FIGHT THEM HEAD ON, YOU SPINELESS COWARD!!!" Is this brave? Am I a brave warrior? Is this my brave ending?
She stares into my soul. One of her eyes is hidden behind her locks, the other glows in concentric red circles.
"A dominant ruler never sullies their own hands."
My body stops trembling. I can feel my fatigue subsiding. Though I am still on the ground, I feel like I might float away to some sky island.
"Let me demonstrate." She continues.
I move without wanting. I take a step, but I don't. I am not doing this. Is she...
I look up at the Knight. "What.. What is this!"
She points her palm towards him. Her mouth it covered by a number of bandages, but her words ring loudly through his head.
"Kill your friend."
What?
I can't proces what's happening. I am in front of Brook. The sword is easily yanked out of his ribcage, it not being lodged into anything. I see his empty eye sockets staring into my full ones.
"Usopp." His jaw shakes.
"This isn't your fault."
I don't want this.
I don't want to turns my hands into fist. I don't want to break his bones. I don't want to see his face cringe not from the pain, but from anticipating what will happen. I don't want to keep bashing until his bones are white ash. I don't want to break him. I don't want see bone splinters, pieces lodging into my fists. I don't want to see his shaking jaw drop. I don't want this. I don't want this.
I stop. I don't wheeze. I don't breathe heavily. I'm here. I feel the ground. Gravity pulls me to it. A cloud of dust surrounds me. The Helmet covered afro has turned white from all the fine particles. The particles from the pulverized bone, whose shards are digging into my fists. The fists I used on Brook. I did this.
"You made a fairly qiuck job of it, someone of your caliber." The Manipulator cocks her head to the left.
My vision is too wet to see anything. He's gone. Brook's gone. What will Luffy say when he finds out-
"Usopp?" A familiar voice.
I want to disappear.
He's in his Nika form; His usual pirate clothes, but in white and purple, along with a cloud dancing around his shoulders. The symbol of freedom.
"I-I--I" I stammer, hoping he won't see-
His eyes find the Afro, lying along with dusty, ragged clothes.
He doesn't say anything. He knows.
I try to reach his legs with my bloody fists. I can't open them anymore. I notice the enormous black shadow looming over the land. I can't see what it is.
"L-luffy" I blubber, "I- I-... Brook... I- She made do.. She made me kill..."
Don't say it. You know it's a lie. Then again, that's the only thing I'm good at.
"She made me kill Brook!!" I burst into the definition of pity.
Luffy doesn't say anything. He's still in his Nika form, but the light is gone.
He turns to the devil woman.
"Hey Loki.." He says. "I'm really pissed now."
"I wasn't planning on letting these guys off the hook anyway." The shadow spoke?
"Nika!! Nidhogg!!" She calls out to the two monsters, hovering a few meters in the air. Her expression hadn't changed since the arrival of her enemies.
"Submit...Or perish.. This battle shall divide the world!!"
Luffy doesn't say anything, he just goes. No funny moves. No laughter. Every Single move focused, tempered and ready to strike his enemy.
My face salty, I can see what's happening.
The dragon, Who apparently is supposed to be Loki??, simply stares at the two fighting. He knows what kind of battle it is. I know it too. Loki lives up to the title of a true warrior each giant carries. Only Luffy doesn't seem to realise what kind of fight he's putting himself into. And it'sshowing.
Every kick, punch, pistol, or gomu-gomu no headbutt misses. His opponent doesn't look like she's breaking a sweat.
"Slow. Sloppy. Sad!" She maims Luffy with her trident.
"LUFFY!!" I shout, followed by coughing and blood. That isn't good.
"If I knew this is all you can do, then I would not have bothered commanding your submission!! I can simply do away with you!"
Luffy doesn't say anything. He's too busy with his next attack. And his next. And the one after. His breathing is getting heavier with each missed blow.
"This is tiring me." The lady says, and punctures Luffy with her weapons, pinning him to the ground.
Though he's unfazed by his new wounds, He can't find himself to get the trident loose. It's almost like his power isn't working properly.
The villainess turns to the one she called Nidhogg. There's no fear in hear voice, despite standing in front of the biggest zoan fruit user on the planet.
"And what of you? Will you join your brethren, or meet the same fate as that excuse for a Joyboy?"
The inside of his mouth smolders. It reeks of sulfur.
Is he withholding because he will take us in the fire? He's a true warrior.
"Let's move somewhere else." He booms.
But the devilless only scoffs.
"Do you think Mu accommodates to others? This age has supplied the world with fools!"
A growl makes the ground tremble. Mu places her free hand on her ear, but not because of that.
She smiles through the bandages. "You shall cease as of now. I have captured the children."
What? I thought The others took care of the God's knights.
"How?!" The dragon demands.
"I shall keep my plan to myself, foolish one. One is but a jester when one monologues."
When not being met with an answer, she continues. "You shall concede, else the children will perish." She glances at Luffy, still struggling. He let his Nika form go. His face screams fatigue.
"This Nika, I need not be concerned with." She commands the trident back into her hands, Luffy being dragged with it for a few meters before letting go. "May you possess the fruit for as long a possible."
A red cloud arises from her feed, completely covering her. By the time the gas diffuses, She is gone.
The children are gone. Brook is gone.
And it's all my fault.