Chapter Text
10
“Come on Usopp, what is going on?” He could hear the ginger from the stairs leading to his workshop. Afternoon was starting up and no one saw him outside, or even at the dinner. She was there to bring him said food from the supper, as no one else wanted to do so, and Nami already was concerned enough by the state of her friend to go down there and ask him that.
His forehead pressed to the desk, pillowed by the piles of papers to not press out the fracture of the wood on him as it mostly does when he falls asleep. But he was not sleeping, he’s thinking hard, drilling his mind, driving himself crazy. Straight up torturing himself to work on anything worth looking at, she at least thought so before he finally decided to speak up to her, fish with spinach steaming on the stool near them both now.
“I… I feel like something bad might happen soon… I’m scared…” It didn’t sound like his usual sick cry of fear. That was concerning, but navigator was used to the fact that he dramatizes sometimes way too much.
“And of what you’re afraid of now? If you think that someone will attack us I won't sweat so much, don’t forget who we have in a crew! We will be safe, don’t worry!” Trying to cheer him up was met with those pitiful, tired eyes, darker in irises and circle around them than usual, did he even sleep?
“I still doubt so…” That ignited something in the cat burglar. Some deep anger that sometimes was just too ashy to leave to die out with time.
“Usopp! Do you doubt your own crew?”
“No.. I just doubt that that… Nevermind…” He rolled his head back to the papers, without any steam to even argue, oh he’s a lost cause for her to fight with. She needs bigger guns, or even canons, to get to the truth of that thick iron wall of doubt.
“Oh so you want me to bring one of the boys to hit some knowledge to that stubborn brain?” He just shrugged, no fear behind it, he really is right now a lost cause for that moment. It angered her even more to be fair, she stormed from his factory, leaving him alone with food.
He just reached it and slowly started to eat, awaiting a thunder.
9
Next time someone approached him it was already 4 am, he was still working, not caring about his midnight rumbling belly and lack of energy for anything really productive. He was just sitting under notebooks and old papers from projects he or his mother did in the past, looking for answers or mistakes he could learn from. There were of course as well some new thoughts, seeds and plants opened for the view, but still under the glass with holes, so the wouldn't go crazy on anyone.
“What eats you up, your plants are drying up or what?” Zoro apparently used the shift on the nightshift to approach him, right now there should be Sanji in the crows nest so probably he will be seen in his workshop close to breakfast, or even dragged to the surface to eat with others.
“I thought that Luffy would appear first.” He only mumbled, not even paying attention to the first mate. Of course first mates and vice captains are the one who first reach the subordinate playing against the rules or such, but on the topic what was on the board, mostly Luffy was the one who came and tried his best to convince him that everything will be fine or just to cheer him up. That thought a bit sting his heart that captain himself was always needed to do that work, Zoro was just “not the type of a softie” what is needed with Usopp. Truth must be told about that, sniper rarely feels any kindness from him when he talks with him, maybe he’s kind only to Luffy and Chopper but that’s it. And now it was similar, he scuffed on the side as he approached closer.
“You know that others are just tired of you when you pull shit like that? Do you feel any kind of empathy?”
“Way too well…” He was tired and in the middle of the work, he won't leave it to waste on a talk.
“Then why are you doing all of it?”
“I don’t know… I really don't… I’m just like that… God made me like that” Swordsman had great patience but here it was shortening in a spite of seconds. He hates it so much how the sniper just mutters all those answers, not even bothering to leave his work and notes.
“You’re a ‘god’ as well, so you can undo that annoying part and do something about it. I thought that through those 2 years you learned something or worked over it…”
“I did, do you see me lashing at you?” He took a fast glance to his guest, a bit irritated, but true, calm and put down.
“I see only your guilt tripping me to be soft on you with how melancholic and pathetic you act, and I know you can pull something better than that. Where’s the fire to push forward?”
“Deep under the sea, apparently… Oh look, I made a drawing in that book…” Zoro pulled him by the collar for his dismissal towards the swordsman, a disrespectful move to do truly.
“Look at me when you talk to me! What’s wrong with you lately?” Usopp started to shiver as his eyes finally landed on those amber ones. Doubt in his face is better seen as he tried to speak up anything to sound at least a bit good.
“I- '' Deep brown eyes tried to drift to the side but a shake of his body forced by the green hair man made him track back to him. “ I- doubt that I'm strong enough for… anything that will come soon… I just know something… will…“ Eyes shifting to at least missing eye just to not feel that straight up drilling.
“and what SO SCARY will come soon that you sweat more than ever? We fucking defeated Big Mom nad Kaido at once, and you still sweat that much, really? Grow up already. I know you're a paranoiac, but you're not stupid!“
“You don’t know what I even fear exactly!” He desperately needed to get back to work, it was seen in his non stop drifting eyes and grabby hands, trying to at least reach the page and turn it. Roronoa noticed that and pulled him completely away from his desk to the middle of the room.
“What? That you 'will be useless during the fight’? Oh please, we already talked about it, you're never useless…“
“Not that- but during that war I was to be fair, and I hated it… I- I try to develop anything that would be more challenging for the opponents, to really give that safety for others, but it takes any energy and hope that-”
“That you're like a threat for them”
“ Not even a threat, I start to see more things, I- You know I had that shot on Dressrosa, Observation awakening as you called it, but I still quite doubt so this is the same as yours… I worked over seeing again like that and- Due to that feel and sense more than ever-”
“And sweat more than ever… You shouldn't sweat so, you will get used to it, calm down finally…” He cut him mid his speech, a bit calmer. So that was the case? Could've been suspected, no one thought him that before and apparently they all will have to do that. Well- those who know haki.
“I… Think so but I think it is reasonable in this case… Zoro, please…”
“And I doubt so, you should man up. If there is a need-”
“ but I'm really afraid of that…” Usopp was let go finally, but apparently he didn't now let go of the swordsman, clutching his robes.
“Of what?” First mate snapped again.
“I- I don't know should i tell you or not…“
“I think you should tell everyone then.“
“It is a more private thing…”
“If it will mean that everyone will be in danger I doubt that it should stay private.“ Usopp stood silent for that and loosened his grip, face in terror of his own mind.
“Fine, be like that, but you have to be sure.“ He slipped away from him, heading back to the stairs as Usopp just led him there with eyes.
“I really shouldn’t tell that to anyone…“ His mumble stopped him from leaving him.
“Then shut up”
“I… Ok, may I request something?”
“I request you to rest.” Now it was Zoro's turn to dismiss any eye contact or even facing him.
“And I can't do that, at least now.”
“Then i don’t give you permission for that” And on that the talk finally stopped, to the horror of their sniper.
8
“How are you out?” Captain exclaimed like it was nothing by breakfast lookin at his best friend and not caring that he was like a zombie barely moving his jaw as he ate, probably swallowing some things fully.
“Soon I will head back to work, I still haven't finished even ⅔ of any work I do right now… " Some of them shifted, looking at him with judgment.
“ Wait, you didn’t even sleep through the night?” Chopper said worried, getting a bit closer to check him better, to him moving away.
“And you think why am I here? Sanji dragged me out of my factory…” Blonde rolled his eyes as he finally joined them by the table.
“To make you at least EAT you moron, but after it you head to bed. We need a sane sniper, not a dead sniper.”
“Yhym… For your knowledge I 'at least eat', so don't worry about that part…“ Silence stood in the air as others were eating and trying to get what was going on with him. He could notice those whispers all around him, mostly from Zoro between him and Nami with Jinbe as a guest of the talk. and he finishind weirdly as the first one he harshly and loudly stood up and left the room. Luffy still having a bone from one of the things what he stole from his plate way too easily.
“It really is biting him hard,,, “ Nami exclaimed.
“He will get used to it, I suppose“ Zoro calmed them down.
“Yet he needs some rest, he can't just stay in his cave, over work and then snap at us…” Brook protested.
“I agree, as a captain I demand from him being well rested!” Luffy huffed.
“ And how will you do it, captain?" Asked Robin.
“Will tie him to bed!”
“He can get out of any of that shit, he learned it at some point." Franky yelled, as if he already tried that before.
"You mentioned that he fears something that is apparently secret, maybe we should drill him to finally say it? Boy will finally send himself to the grave if he worries too much." Jinbe tried to bring some peace.
"After we will make him sleep at least a bit. Besides, isn't it tomorrow his turn to have a night shift? Maybe someone should change him." Asked Nami with concern.
"He will decide so."
7
With sharp gasp Usopp finally woke up, strings of curls stuck to his face, belts restraining his body to get out of the cocoon of blankets.
Windows were covered and no one was there, so it had to be still day. Arm a bit still stinging, they fucking drugged him to fall flat! What hour was it? He has shit ton of things to do!
"OY! ANYONE?" No answer to his yell. Great, ok let's calm down and see what he can come up with. It is not a thick and well stacked blanket enough to make his sneaky hands unable to grab onto the belt through it and with some tries and fails bend the leather and shuffled with the click to finally let him free. It took long but the most bothersome belt on his chest was the only big problem he had to go through with escaping there.
"You ca- oh you have to be kidding me…" Chopper exclaimed as he saw a sniper stretching out with belts well put on his bed.
"What hour do we have?” Sniper asked nonchalantly, going towards the windows to uncover them. Small reindeer just signs and looks up at the clock now in the view of light.
“It’s nearing 3pm, Usopp- Maybe you should take a longer break… Yes, you’re sneaky and all, but your body is a bit weakened by you overworking it. Do you know that you shiver almost all the time due to exhausion?" Sniper's eyes widened and looked down at his hands, just now noticing how they non stop move. With shame he hid them in his pockets, a little doctor sighing on that. "I won't stop you from whatever you do, but if you wanna work, you need energy to do so. I can even help you- bah, all of us can in some aspects assist you with work. But please stop overdoing yourself. If you fear that thing, better be prepared for it physically as well, right?" His patient didn't look up at him, but it seems that it got to him.
6
"Who is that?" Usopp almost got a heart attack when Robin next to his sleeping head spoke as if he was this whole time aware of his surroundings. He looked at her rather than at what she was pointing at, needing a moment to even understand what she was asking for. One of the books with notes… She had to mean the name written on the griff of it.
"That's my mom, she taught me the basics of biology, chemistry and physics… Then I learned even more from her books about it." He cackled awkwardly to lighten up the mood and dismiss the fact that she caught him falling asleep on the workbench. He nodded as he noticed that she wanted to grab it, letting her free way to do so.
"I heard that name once in the talk between Dragon and someone else, she used to be one of them as I remember." He nodded as she with a sweet smile passed through the pages full of neatly written down logs of her experiments and documentations of what she did and found. Between it all were illustrations, where at first they started with beautiful drawings of plants and experiments, then with more schematic ones just to show what happened and so, to end on first pages with little kid's drawings. It wasn't the first number from the collection as there were more. Curiosity took over to grab the thinnest, last book, where once she even brushed it she felt an instant grab on her forearm. She looked surprised at the sniper with a poker face which turned into an awkward smile and giggle once he let her take the book. She didn't fucked in dance and went to the end of the book, what had unfinished page and pages taken out probably for recycling. Date from the last log was worrying as it seemed it was from when Usopp was around 7 years old.
"She died when I was 8, just she got so sick that she was unable to continue her work." His smile got even more awkward as he looked to the side and continued his own work, taking notes in his own notebook. She just now would have noticed that he and his mom had very similar handwriting. "She always got angry when I compared her and dad's drawings, asking why she didn't draw as pretty as he did. She always said that she doesn't need art skills in the science field, but I could've heard that jealousy in that scrunched nose" The giggle and smile was this time more genuine. As he flipped between pages to get a look over older notes and reference drawings there she would have noticed that his art style had quite many similarities to his dad's. "But once I was prising her handwriting, she with a proud smile showed some journals of dad's where I could've seen his almost impossible to read cursive. Once I tried to yet read it she always just laughed, sat me on her thigh and read me one of his logs. Both of them liked to write way too much to be fair." He snorted and took the book from her hand to close it and put it where it was before. She stood there still with a soft smile as he worked, looking around the workshop more. She could've seen some new seeds and plants with notes attached to each as she walked around. There were also prototypes of many new things. She didn't see much of his non-plant work since they got back together at Sabaody, which quite surprised her.
"Usopp" She felt from here how tense he got. "You're worried about family related things, am I right?" She didn't get an answer as he still sat without moving, her going through his different books. "You could've said that it's about that. I think that others will understand that privacy, I think all of us hide their past deeply, regardless if it's good or not." He turned towards her, a bit with a plea in his eyes. Her smile warmed. "I came to ask if you would want to switch with me on night shifts? I will have it the next day, and I wanted to finish the book in one sitting" He bit his lip and looked to the side, contemplating in his head. Since it took a long time she decided to yet turn to the stairs until she heard him.
"Ok, we can do that. And… thanks for understanding." She smiled warmly and nodded.
5
Knock
Knock
Knock
"Franky, what are you doing?" Carpenter looked at Usopp who came back to his workshop with a watering pot. Franky kneeled next to a wooden installation fixed close to his scene, dumbfounded for a moment to then come back to his work.
"A bed for you, a foldable so there will be still space as we-"
"But why? I didn't ask you for one" Sniper's face didn't seem to have strength for anything, what didn't bother the blacksmith. Man continued his work, knocking in the last needles to then stand up and turn to the mattress. Big, demanding eyes already standing in his way. "Franky… Please, answer. It's not my first time overworking on something, why NOW you all are so worried over me and not about what I'm worried about?"
"You don't wanna exactly tell, bro, so I thought that I could at least support you by fixing ya a bed in here. I know that the desk is not the best pillow to slip on." Chuckled Franky, trying to lift up the mattress again but Usopp shifted his position to stop him again. Silence stood in the air as the marksman drilled him with eyes to which the cyborg just looked at him, unmoved. "I thought you had so much to do?"
"... I do" murmured jack of trades under the nose, like if in the trans shifting his facial expression and eyes to something completely different, moving immediately to his plants in the room. Like if he was hunted, desperately looking at them, checking each with precision, carrying over them and delicately taking from them much smaller than expected seeds. That surprised Franky, who meanwhile finished the bed.
"I thought that they are from the beginning just plant born bullets"
"No, they have extra covers, layers and powders to fix them to my likings…" Murmured on autopilot Usopp, continuing his work. "Oh and by the way… May we have a talk?"
4
Usopp almost spit out his heart when once he turned around saw Brook playing in his room. The musician only hummed and softly stopped his play, watching him catch his breath and waiting for the explanation.
"Whe… when have you got here?"
"You let me play here, you pretty much hummed in agreement and from then I played here." Sniper looked in surprise and than let out soft ah, remembering that it happened. "You seem still quite busy but much happier. Have the worry passed?"
"Mmmm… It didn't BUT! I got a better pace at work and I think I'm almost done. That's why." He smiled warmly. Eyes were sour and visibly tired, which still worried the musician. Thanks to his yet dead presence he couldn't show that worry. Before he could say anything the sniper jumped on his chair and turned to his desktop, grabbing many old books and stacking them. "Oh by the way, could you help me put them back on their place, my arms are now too bulky." Skeleton looked at him confused, but he still took the first book and put it on the shelf. Sniper stood up with a giggle and started to show where to put them, surprising him quite much. It made Brook giggle and turn to him at some point.
"You are really sneaky and smart, Mr. Usopp. And I hope you know that" If he could, he would give him a sweet smile, but the tone of his voice should be enough. It seems that it go to the sniper but he only awkwardly looked to the side.
"To be honest? I feel like I'm not the best of myself… at least for now… but thanks. Maybe one day I will be as you say." Gentle boney pat didn't cheer the marksman much.
3
"I still think that you should get back to mushrooms, it's much better with them than without!" Said Luffy, walking after his best friend through the stairs, who grumbled in annoyance.
"How many times I have to tell you, I got sick due to them. I don't wanna risk my health just to taste something!" Usopp grabbed the door to the ladder leading under the deck, and opened it. He already jumped on it as his captain puffed his cheeks and went after him.
"I got sick due to mushrooms not once and somehow I'm still fine to eat them!" Usopp was already on stairs leading them to his workshop as he sighed on words of his friend.
"It's different to get sick now than when you are 6 years old… You just remember it deeper, you know? Also, why do you walk after me? I'm going to sleep now, I have a night shift tonight." Said sniper in confusion, already unfolding his bed, which didn't rocked as Sunny.
"I know, I just wanted to sleep with you! To be sure that you get rest and are fully capable of the shift!" Usopp blushed on Luffy's words and determination in his eyes. He had to slap his cheeks a few times so that Luffy can't have THAT type of sleep in mind. He started to change his sleepwear.
"Fine but without any crashing cudd-WAH!" It was too late. Captain hugged his sniper in his twisted arms and jumped to the bed, marksman barely being able to pull the blanket on them. "You are unbelievable…"
"Shishishi~ you too! Take care of yourself, ok? We all love you and we don't want you to break at any occasion only because of your own negligence!" Usopp froze to then cuddle himself into his captain, his grabby hand landing on his curls.
"Where did you learn such words?" Muffled the sniper into the chest of his friend.
"Jinbe" There was no change of Luffy's tone, but it relaxed his companion in bed.
"Ah…" They stood like that in silence in the darkness of the workshop, hums of the ship and sea on the there side of the little window softening their breaths. "Hey… Luffy?" His captain started to snore, no response. Usopp stuck out of him a bit, looking from a better distance on him. "Captain… You won't hate me for my family, right? You don't hate Sanji for this, you like my dad, but…" He took a better look on his face and scars barely visible in the dim of night eyes. "... Just promise you will find me, ok? I just fear that…" Heavy snoring stopped his thought, making him lay back by his side, anxious.
2
Usopp sat up like in a clock, grabby hands still tangled around him. He heard how stairs whined with each step to his workshop, the warm light of the lantern coming closer to him. "Hi Jinbe, you didn't have to come down" said the sniper softly, seeing the fishman.
"True, but I wanted to be sure that you're still ok with your night shift" Huffed the helmsman, watching how the long nose got up and dressed up warmly for a cold night. "I know I shouldn't ask, but… Who besides Yasopp and Banchina is in your family?"
"Few uncles, few aunties, probably some cousins… Only 3 I saw in my life a few times, one only once. I heard from mom I used to have an older brother but she never told me what happened to him so I suppose he's dead. Grandparents dead so~ yup, that's all" Said Usopp without a wink, correcting his bag on his shoulder and hat. It didn't satisfy the fishman, but he didn't show in any way his unhappiness.
"I see, so it's yet bigger than most of us- Well, probably the biggest one." Usopp nods, already on the ladder, the fishman behind him. "So, what do they do in life? I heard your mom was a scientist"
"Oh, she was one of the best. Others are mostly pirates, some bounty hunters, one uncle is a botanist, he uses similar science as I with my bullets as I now think about it… I just now noticed, heh… " They finally got out, wind already welcoming them. Walking on the wooden planks to the kitchen for a fast stop for Usopp. "But anyway- another one I know is my dad's older brother. He knew that my dad was always jealous of him due to strength and great crew. He explained that 'he had bad luck with finding his own', besides that he started as a bounty hunter. He even hunted before some of my aunts and uncles from my mom's side before meeting her." Smiled Usopp while storytelling bitterly, making for himself a cup of coffee and heating up a meal from Sanji. "Anything besides that most are criminals and some are interested in science from mom's side I know nothing more, sorry"
"Yet you worry-"
"Robin said I can be silent about that part." Said Usopp calmly, putting on the tray his food. Jinbe looked at him pensively but didn't say anything besides soft 'goodnight'. Sniper looked down as he left the kitchen and went to the aquarium. He ate silently, looking in determination before himself.
1
He yawned, getting off the crow's nest to get another coffee and take a little snack. For 3 hours the sun should finally get up and he can't fall asleep. He looked through the fridge, looking for something nice before he didn't notice a basket with mushrooms, first scrunching his nose on even his view to then focus more on them. He took one to his hand, looking up and down at him, light, yellowish leg, sponge yellow-orange filling and blue hat with pink and orange spots… True it's not the mushroom he ate, but he knew it from- He threw it and went to the sink to clean his hands.
"That witch… Sneaky fucking- ok, calm down" He left the kitchen with his cup and went on the top of the crow's nest. He just checked his bag again and waited with a drink in his thermos as well.
Night is still blooming.
He looked to the distance, filling his body with hot liquid.
The ships are coming.
He stood up, a drop of sweat on his forehead and he got to his job.
Plants are growing.
Sinking one after another with their catches.
Pirates died like flies.
In the venus fly traps and fly catchers.
Guns and cannons shoot.
And the crew is deep asleep, no way to wake them up at night.
Blood splashed as he rode his plant wolf.
Each shot didn't fail, making his father proud.
He switched to a hammer and fly trap on a creeper.
He can't admit that, but he was happy with how well he defended the ship, nights of preparations went well as his pets hugged Sunny well in a protective manner. Jack of Trades wasn't as well preserved as his friends. He huffed and surrendered, feeling cold in his veins. Screams of frustration went from the entry to his workshop, a tall woman with a familiar long nose leaving it. "I could hear even snores coming from your walls but I can't get ANY-fucking-THING FROM YOU! I feel like I had deja vu…"
"Now I think I know what happened to that brother!" Huffed a laugh at the sniper, letting his bamboos grow and stab at least half of the people around him through his new water stars, giving little thrown pop greens to explode due to his mix of minerals and oils in the star. He grabbed onto one of the sprouting bamboos to get on the crow's nest again to shoot more, but someone decided to 'help' him with it by pinning him to the mast over it.
"Big mouth like dad's…" she snarled, her dark purple braids messed up. Usopp struggled to breath, but he still could kick her in the solar plexus. She stumbled, almost falling off the roof as the younger man tried to calm down his coughs.
"And mom's choice of shoes~" He clicked his metal heels with rose thorns, ready to shoot another star. "What do you want, auntie Devon?"
"Me? Oh, the devil fruits from your crew… And your precious head~"
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