20: 20.
Captain Usopp and the Extremely Fair, Totally Not Rigged “All the Girls on My Boat” Incident 20: 20.
Captain Usopp and the Extremely Fair, Totally Not Rigged “All the Girls on My Boat” Incident = 3rd Person’s POV = When Usopp first saw Nami and Nojiko arrive with Belle-mere, he immediately assumed they would be staying in the village permanently.
In his mind, this was a done deal, a sealed fate, and perhaps even a sign that the world itself was starting to shift in a direction that benefited him.
After all, more friends meant more allies, and more allies meant more witnesses to his greatness.
Unfortunately for his rapidly expanding ego, reality had other plans.
The two sisters were only going to stay for a few months.
That simple fact landed on Usopp like a cannonball to the chest, though he tried his best to pretend it did not bother him.
Nami and Nojiko were already old enough to live independently, and more importantly, they had their own lives back in Cocoyashi Village.
This place was merely a temporary stop, a detour rather than a destination.
Even so, the village welcomed them as if they were long-lost relatives.
On the day of their arrival, Kaya took it upon herself to guide Belle-mere and her daughters around the village.
It was both a gesture of kindness and a practical necessity, since the two girls needed a place to stay during their time here.
Naturally, when the topic of housing came up, all eyes turned toward Usopp.
He puffed out his chest, cleared his throat dramatically, and spoke as if he were delivering vital intelligence during a high-level military briefing.
“There is a house,” he began, placing his hands behind his back like a seasoned strategist.
“A very strategic house.
Extremely valuable.
Previously occupied by a family of great importance.” Everyone stared at him.
He coughed awkwardly.
“The husband died a few years ago,” he continued in a more normal tone.
“Their son moved to Loguetown and took his mother with him.
The house has been empty ever since, and the villagers only use it as a storage place sometimes.
Honestly, no one really uses it, so I think they would not mind renting it out.” That explanation, while far less dramatic than his opening, was far more useful.
After consulting with the village chief, they managed to rent the house at a very reasonable price.
The arrangement was simple, the money would be sent to the original owner, and the house would finally serve a purpose again.
When they first opened the door, however, it became clear that the place had not been used for quite some time.
Dust had claimed every surface, and the air carried that unmistakable scent of a space that had been left alone for too long.
Although the villagers occasionally cleaned it, the last cleaning had been three months ago, which in practical terms meant that it might as well not have been cleaned at all.
Belle-mere rolled up her sleeves immediately.
“We will take care of it,” she said, already stepping inside.
She did not get far.
Because within minutes, the house was flooded.
Not with water, but with children.
Usopp had returned, bringing with him what could only be described as a small army of enthusiastic helpers.
Kaya had also gathered her friends, the village girls she had befriended, and before long, the once-empty house turned into a chaotic yet oddly efficient cleaning operation.
Among the children were three familiar faces, Piiman, Ninjin, and Tamanegi, who immediately began following Usopp around as if he were a real legendary captain leading his crew.
Of course, every great pirate crew needed rivals.
And so, Buck’s self-proclaimed “Marine Crew” also made an appearance, declaring themselves the defenders of justice while simultaneously arguing over who got to hold the broom.
The girls, on the other hand, formed their own group, focusing less on imaginary battles and more on actual work, so they often yelled at the boys who played more than worked.
Surprisingly, the boys were all very good at cleaning when they were serious.
“Our moms made us do this,” Bucky explained with a resigned expression.
“That is because you kept dirtying other people’s houses,” one of the girls replied immediately.
“You are cleaning your own crimes.” The argument that followed was loud, energetic, and completely pointless, yet it somehow made the entire atmosphere feel warmer.
By the time they finished, the house looked completely different.
What had once been dusty and neglected now felt alive again.
And just when Belle-mere thought the day was finally coming to an end, the villagers began arriving.
They brought food.
A lot of food.
Fish, vegetables, cooking tools, and even firewood were carried in as if this had been planned all along.
At first, Belle-mere looked confused, unsure of what was happening, until one of the villagers laughed and explained.
“We are holding a feast.” “A feast?” she repeated.
“To welcome you,” they said.
That was only half the truth.
The other half was that the villagers simply wanted an excuse to celebrate.
As luck would have it, the fishermen had caught an unusually large haul that day, and Usopp’s group had managed to hunt down two deer, which they proudly presented as if they had conquered a legendary beast.
“It was a fierce battle,” Usopp declared.
“The deer had the strength of a Sea King and the speed of a storm!” “It tripped over a rock,” Bucky muttered.
“That was part of my plan!” Usopp shot back immediately.
The feast began soon after.
Laughter filled the air, music echoed through the village, and for a brief moment, everything felt simple.
Usopp took center stage, of course.
He told stories, exaggerated beyond all reason, about his adventures and heroic deeds.
The children listened with shining eyes, the adults with amused smiles, and when he began singing, the reaction was… mixed.
Very mixed.
There were cheers.
There were protests.
There were even a few dramatic attempts to stop him.
None of which worked.
It was, without a doubt, one of the liveliest nights the village had ever seen.
The next day, things returned to a more normal pace.
Some of the younger villagers gathered at what they proudly called a “school”.
Though in reality, it was more of a shared learning space.
It had started with Usopp and his friends pooling their money to buy books, teaching themselves and each other whatever they could.
When Kaya’s father learned about this, he supported the idea and converted an unused storehouse into a proper study area.
It was not a formal school.
There were no official teachers or structured lessons.
But there was knowledge.
And for these children, that was enough.
Nami and Nojiko joined them, quickly adapting to the environment.
While Nojiko showed an interest in organization and practical skills, Nami’s attention remained firmly fixed on one thing.
Maps.
The sea.
The world beyond the horizon.
A few weeks later, she made a request.
She wanted to sail around the island.
At first, the idea seemed simple enough.
The children had experience sailing around the archipelago, using small boats they had repaired themselves.
It was not dangerous, so it would give Nami a good opportunity to start drawing her maps.
What she did not expect was the fleet.
There were not one, but three small boats, all restored by Usopp.
They were not perfect, but they were sturdy, reliable, and more than capable of handling short trips around the islands.
Usopp took great pride in them.
Thanks to his “dreams” and past experiences, he had developed a surprising level of skill in crafting and repairs.
While he was far from the level of a true master shipwright, he was already more capable than most of the adults in the village.
These boats were his practice.
His proof, and perhaps, in some small way, his preparation for the future.
When the groups were formed, everything seemed balanced.
Bucky, Plats, and Sven took one boat.
Ghimli led the younger trio in another.
And then, something unexpected happened.
Kaya and Nojiko both chose to join Usopp.
Nami, naturally, was already there.
Which meant, Usopp had all the girls on his boat.
The silence that followed was deafening.
Then the staring began.
Slowly.
Intensely.
Judgmentally.
“…This is unfair,” Buck said.
“This is extremely suspicious,” Plats added.
“This is clearly rigged,” Sven concluded.
Usopp crossed his arms and laughed loudly.
“BAHAHAHA!
That is because I am Captain Usopp, the man favored by fate itself!” “Or because you have the boat with the least holes,” someone muttered.
“That is also part of my greatness!
And I was the one fixing all these boats, so I always get the best one.” No one could protest at that.
The boats set sail soon after.
The sea was calm, the sky clear, and for a moment, everything felt peaceful.
Nami stood at the front, her eyes shining as she observed the coastline, already sketching rough outlines in her mind.
Kaya watched her with quiet admiration, while Nojiko kept a careful eye on their surroundings.
Usopp, meanwhile, stayed behind with a fishing rod in his hands.
The other boys were the same.
They didn’t have anything to do here but to fish.
But because no one got anything, they just stared at Usopp as if trying to stab him with their stares.
It was ridiculously unfair how he always got all the beauties.
—————————————————————- Thank you for your support.
CHAPTER 77.
Usopp vs Mr.
4’s Team CHAPTER 78.
HolyRicekun