4: 4.
The Taste of Hope.
Orphan Prevention Plan 4: 4.
The Taste of Hope.
Orphan Prevention Plan = Usopp’s POV = After eating that miracle soup from my dream, I spent the rest of the day doing something very important.
Absolutely nothing.
I lay on my back, staring at the ceiling like a great philosopher contemplating the mysteries of the universe.
Or, more accurately… I was waiting for bedtime.
Because obviously, I—Captain Usopp, the man destined to command 8,000 followers—had priorities.
And right now, my priority was going back to that dream kitchen.
“…If this keeps up, I might actually become a chef instead of a brave warrior of the sea,” I muttered.
A terrifying future.
A legendary sniper… defeated by vegetables.
Unacceptable.
Still, when night came, I jumped into bed faster than a cannonball.
And just like that—I was there again.
The dream.
But this time… “…Huh?” It was different.
I didn’t go to the forest again, but was faced with 2 wide tables.
There were many types of meat on a table.
Rabbit.
Bird.
Fish.
Pork.
Chicken.
Even squirrel.
“…Wait, squirrel?” I squinted at it.
“Who in their right mind eats squirrel?
Is this some kind of survival test?!” Then again… if it tasted good, I might allow it.
I’m a very open-minded captain.
On another table, there were vegetables.
Potatoes, carrots, chili peppers, corn… all the usual things.
And then— The wild plants.
Those strange, glowing, slightly suspicious-looking plants that definitely screamed, “We are important.” My mom stood there, smiling gently.
“Which meat and vegetables do you want to add today, Usopp?” Ah.
So that’s how it worked.
This wasn’t just a dream.
This was… customization.
A legendary soup system.
“…I’ll take chicken and potatoes,” I said confidently, crossing my arms like a seasoned commander issuing orders.
“Good choice.” Of course it was.
I had excellent taste.
She cooked them together with the wild plants.
The smell filled the air.
Warm.
Rich.
Comforting.
When we ate… “…It’s different,” I said.
It still had that same deep, warm feeling from before—the kind that spread through your body like a gentle fire.
But the flavor?
Totally different.
Lighter.
Softer.
Familiar.
And when I looked at Mom— She looked… healthier again.
Not just a little.
Noticeably.
My heart skipped.
“…I see.” The answer clicked into place inside my head like a perfectly aimed shot.
“The meat and vegetables can change… but the wild plants stay the same.” Which meant— “They’re the real medicine.” I grinned.
“Heh… so that’s your trick.” The soup wasn’t about the meat.
It wasn’t about the vegetables.
It was about those plants.
The rest was just… variety.
Because even medicine needs to taste good.
Otherwise, who would keep eating it?
“…Smart,” I muttered.
“Really smart.” Then I pointed dramatically at the sky.
“As expected of me!
I figured it out immediately!” There was no one to hear that.
But that didn’t matter.
A true hero announces his victories—even if the audience is imaginary.
The next morning— I woke up with a mission.
A scientific mission.
“Mom,” I said, trying to sound casual (I failed), “can we use eggs instead of meat this morning?
I want egg soup.
But still with the plants.” Mom blinked, then smiled softly.
“Hm… eggs should be lighter than meat.
That’s good for breakfast.
Alright, help me wash the plants.” “Yes, ma’am!” Operation: Soup Experiment had begun.
We cooked.
We waited.
We ate.
And then— “…It worked,” I whispered.
The taste changed again.
Lighter.
Softer.
Perfect for morning.
But more importantly— That same warmth.
That same strength spreading through the body.
I turned to Mom.
“The taste changed just from swapping meat with eggs… so if we try fish or bird meat, it’ll change too, right?” Mom nodded, clearly surprised.
“True… I didn’t expect it to change this much.
The richness must come from the wild plants.
You did well, Usopp.” I puffed my chest.
“Of course.
I’m the great Captain Usopp.” …Huh.
That came out way too naturally.
“…Captain, huh?” Mom chuckled.
“Yep.
Future captain of a mighty pirate crew.” “Then, Captain,” she said playfully, “can you take me with you next time you gather those plants?” My smile froze.
“…You want to come?” “Yes.
I want to see them myself.
Maybe we can grow them and sell them.
If they’re this delicious, people will love them.” That wasn’t the point.
That wasn’t the point at all.
She shouldn’t be thinking about working more.
She should be resting.
Getting better.
“…But Mom—” She tilted her head, smiling.
“Is that not okay?” Danger!
Extreme danger!
“Are you hiding something from me?” I felt cold sweat run down my back.
“Don’t tell me…” Her eyes sharpened.
“You went deep into the forest.
Even though I told you not to.” …Oh no.
This was bad.
This was very bad.
I had faced many terrifying enemies in my life.
Wild animals.
My own lies.
Even my own imagination.
But none of them— NONE— were as terrifying as my mom when she got serious.
“As expected of the woman who could subdue a future Emperor’s sniper…” I muttered under my breath.
“What was that?” “Nothing!” I straightened instantly.
“O-Okay!
Let’s go together next time!” I had lost.
Completely.
No tactics.
No strategy.
Total defeat.
Captain Usopp… retreating at full speed.
= Banchina’s POV = My son had changed.
It wasn’t obvious at first.
But little by little… I noticed it.
He was more thoughtful.
More observant.
And sometimes… He looked at me like he was carrying something heavy inside his small body.
“…He must be lonely,” I whispered.
It was natural.
His father wasn’t here.
And he often saw other children playing with theirs.
Even I… Sometimes felt the emptiness beside me.
Yasopp.
My husband.
A man who loved the sea more than anything.
A man who shone brightest when holding a gun.
I still remembered it clearly.
The way he smiled when he hit a target.
The way his eyes lit up.
The way he looked… free.
Even with a simple slingshot, he could hit anything.
And then— That day.
That red-haired pirate came.
He offered Yasopp a place on his crew.
Yasopp refused at first.
But I knew.
I knew he kept thinking about it.
Dreaming about it.
Yearning for it.
So in the end… I was the one who told him to go.
Even though Usopp was still so small.
Even though it hurt.
Yet I told him to go.
Because I loved him.
And because I didn’t want to be the one who chained him down.
“…You did the right thing,” I whispered to myself.
At least— That’s what I always told myself.
What surprised me the most… was Usopp.
He didn’t resent his father.
Not even once.
Instead, he admired him.
“He’s a brave man,” Usopp would say.
“I’ll become a brave warrior of the sea too!” He believed that if he sailed, he would meet his father again.
That innocent dream… It made my chest tighten.
Because I knew— if that day came… I might not be there to see it.
My body had always been weak.
But lately, it had gotten worse.
Working alone.
Eating less.
Trying to save money for Usopp’s future.
It all took its toll.
The doctor confirmed it.
A rare disease with no known cure here.
Even if there was one, it would be too expensive.
That day… My world felt like it collapsed.
Not because I was afraid of dying.
But because— “Usopp…” If I was gone… He would be alone.
The villagers would help him, yes.
But the loneliness… That was something no one could take away.
So I decided.
I wouldn’t show weakness.
Not yet.
Not until my body couldn’t take it anymore.
But then— One day— He asked me to play with him on the beach.
I knew it.
He was worried.
Even if he didn’t say it.
So I went, and I played with him, and for a moment… I forgot everything.
I laughed.
I smiled.
And then— he showed me something incredible.
His aim.
Pebbles flew through the air.
One after another.
Every single one hit its target.
“…Just like his father,” I whispered.
No.
Maybe even better.
Pride filled my chest.
After that, he kept asking me to play.
But I couldn’t always go.
I had to work.
Our small field… It was all we had.
And then— He started helping.
Pulling weeds, watering plants.
At first, I thought it wouldn’t last.
But he kept going.
Until one day, he went near the forest, and came back with results.
Wild plants, fruits, mushrooms, eggs, even a rabbit.
It reminded me of Yasopp.
That same excitement.
That same “this is my reward” expression.
He asked me to cook everything.
So I did.
We divided it into portions.
The soup I cooked that day, it was… special.
Warm, comforting, and strangely… energizing.
I hadn’t felt that way in a long time.
At first, I thought it was the meat because I hadn’t eaten meat for a while.
But the next morning, we used eggs.
And yet, the feeling remained.
“…So it’s not the meat.” That left only one thing.
The plants.
The ones Usopp gathered.
I didn’t know which ones caused this, but my weak sickly body felt better now, even if it was just a little.
But that’s enough.
I don’t need a miracle.
I don’t need a cure.
Just one more day with my son.
Just a little more strength to play with him.
That’s all I want.
I want to give him more precious memories.
Even if this is just temporary.
Even if it’s just hiding the symptoms.
Even if it’s false hope— “I’ll take it.” Because hope… No matter how small… Is still hope.
And as long as I have that, I can keep smiling for my son.
Even if… Just a little longer.