5: 5.
The Legendary Herbs of Captain Usopp (That Totally Exist!) 5: 5.
The Legendary Herbs of Captain Usopp (That Totally Exist!) = Usopp’s POV = My mom really followed me into the forest.
Not just followed—tracked.
Like some elite marine hunter sent specifically to capture the notorious outlaw… me.
I could practically hear dramatic footsteps behind me.
Tap.
Tap.
Tap.
If I turned around, I half-expected to see her crouching behind a bush with glowing eyes like a predator.
…Okay, maybe that was just my imagination.
Still, she definitely suspected something.
I was sure she thought I had been going deeper into the forest than I said—braving deadly beasts, fighting giant monsters, risking my life daily…—which, to be fair, would have been true if I were as cool as I said I was.
But unfortunately for my heroic image, I really didn’t go that deep.
“What are you looking for, Mom?” I asked casually, trying to look like a completely innocent, law-abiding son.
“Where are the rabbits?” she asked, scanning the surroundings like a detective.
Ah.
So that was it.
She didn’t believe I could actually hunt anything.
Truly tragic.
The pride of a great warrior like me, doubted by his own mother… “Mom,” I said, putting on my most serious tone, “we gather plants first before hunting.” She blinked.
“Why?” I crossed my arms and nodded wisely, like a seasoned survival expert.
“If we hunt first, the blood will attract predators.
Even if there are only snakes and weasels on the outskirts… they’ll still disturb us a lot.” “S-snakes?!” Her shoulders stiffened instantly.
Ah.
Weakness identified.
I nodded gravely.
“Huge ones.
The kind that can swallow a man whole.
I once fought one, you know—three meters long—” “Usopp!” “—but I spared it because it begged for mercy.” “…Let’s not hunt snakes,” she said firmly.
“…Yes, Mom.” So much for my dream of eating snake meat.
I heard it tasted like chicken too… What a loss for the culinary world.
I guided her to the spots where I had found the plants, mushrooms, and berries before.
They grew in clusters, just like I remembered.
Back then, I only picked the big ones, leaving the smaller ones to grow.
Because I was a responsible… future legendary captain who cared about sustainability.
But today, my mom did something unexpected.
She started pulling out even the small ones—roots and all.
“Eh?
Mom, you’re taking the babies too!” “We’re replanting them,” she said, carefully placing them into the small tray filled with soil she brought along.
Ah.
Smart.
Very smart.
As expected of my mom.
“We’ll only test if they can grow in our field,” she continued.
“Pick just enough for three days.
It’s better to come back later so they stay fresh.” “You really like these wild plants, huh?” “E-eh?
Well…” she looked away slightly, “…they taste fresher than normal vegetables.” Pause.
“…and they’re free.” Ah.
There it is.
The true reason.
Honestly, I respected that.
Free food always tasted better.
Still… I could tell.
Her body felt better after eating them.
That was why she wanted more.
And that… made something in my chest feel lighter.
After showing her all the spots, she finally seemed convinced.
I hadn’t gone too deep.
I wasn’t recklessly throwing my life away.
…Not yet, at least.
To properly conclude our grand mother-son expedition, I raised my slingshot and— Thunk!
A wild chicken fell dramatically from a tree.
It wasn’t even flying when it saw us.
It just… stayed there.
“…You’re getting good at that,” Mom said.
I flipped my imaginary cape.
“Of course.
I am the great sniper Usopp.
I once shot down ten birds with one pebble—” “You missed three prey before.” “…Those were warning shots.” Back home, she planted the seedlings in a corner of our field.
If this worked, we wouldn’t need to go into the forest every day.
Which was… good… probably.
Even so, I couldn’t deny it.
I liked those small adventures.
The quiet rustling of leaves.
The thrill of spotting something first.
The feeling that something unknown might be just ahead.
It reminded me of something.
Of someone.
Of a future that wasn’t certain anymore.
The Straw Hat Pirates.
The crew I would one day join.
A life filled with danger, chaos… and laughter.
Now that I had those memories, I wasn’t sure anymore.
Should I follow that path?
I wasn’t strong.
I was still a coward.
Even in those memories, I was… well… A legendary coward.
A brave coward.
A heroic coward.
A coward who ran away— —but always came back.
Still… Was that really enough?
Was becoming a pirate like my dad the right choice?
I shook my head.
That was for later.
There were still years ahead.
Right now, only one thing mattered.
My mom.
For almost a month, my dreams didn’t change.
Still the same.
Still eating those strange plants together.
Which meant, she wasn’t fully recovered yet.
But she was getting better.
Much better.
And thankfully, she liked the plants now.
So much that she started growing them herself, and somehow, it worked.
Half our field was now filled with those once “wild” plants.
Our neighbors were confused at first.
“Why are you planting weeds?” “Did Usopp lie again?” Oi!
“Is this some kind of weird hobby?” Rude.
Very rude.
But when they tried the soup, everything changed.
“It’s… good.” “No, it’s REALLY good.” “Wait—why do I feel… healthier?” “Is this magic?!” I crossed my arms and nodded.
“Of course.
These are rare medicinal herbs found only by the great Captain Usopp after battling a thousand forest beasts—” “Didn’t you just pick them near the edge?” “…After battling a thousand mosquitoes.” Close enough.
Soon, everyone started planting them.
What were once “wild plants” became the village’s favorite vegetables.
Our village specialty: The legendary herbs of Usopp.
…Okay, technically my mom grew them.
But branding was important.
A month later, we went to the doctor.
Well, my mom tried to go alone.
She thought I wouldn’t notice.
But I did.
Because I, Usopp, possess the ultimate tracking ability— (also I saw her sneaking out the door) So of course, I followed her, and insisted on coming along.
And insisted harder.
And *even harder*.
Until she gave up.
Victory!
The town was bigger than our village.
It was bustling, noisy, full of people.
My mom looked nervous as we entered the clinic.
But I already knew the result.
She would be fine.
She had to be.
After the examination, the doctor stared at her like he had just seen a miracle.
“…This is incredible.” I smirked.
Of course it was.
“Your condition has improved drastically,” he continued.
“At this rate… you may fully recover.” Silence.
Then— “…Really?” my mom asked softly.
“Yes.
It’s unusual.
With your previous condition… this shouldn’t be possible.” He looked genuinely confused.
“How did this happen?” She smiled gently.
“I just ate well, doctor.
Thanks to my son.” I looked away.
Because suddenly, my eyes felt weird.
Must be dust.
Definitely dust.
— The doctor frowned thoughtfully.
“Nutrition… improving overall constitution…” He muttered to himself, then nodded.
“It makes sense.
Your body was weakened before.
Strengthening it gave you a chance to fight back.” He smiled.
“Whatever the case, keep doing what you’re doing.” She bowed slightly.
“Thank you.” Then, she handed him a small basket filled with our plants.
“I hope you’ll accept this.” He took it politely.
“Thank you.
I will.” …He had no idea.
No idea he was holding the future treasure of our village.
Well, even great discoveries needed time.
— On the way home, everything felt lighter and brighter.
Even the sea breeze felt different.
My mom was smiling.
And that was enough.
From that day on, I made a decision.
She would keep eating those plants.
Not just until she recovered— But even after.
Forever.
Yes.
A lifetime subscription to Usopp’s Legendary Health Diet.
No refunds.
Even I ate them daily.
And honestly?
I felt amazing.
Stronger.
Sharper.
More… heroic.
(Probably.) Of course, eating the same thing every day could get boring.
But my mom was incredible.
She made all kinds of dishes: Stir-fry, Soup, Salad, Fritters, Noodles, Stuffed tofu.
But the best?
The soup.
Always the soup.
It brought out something… special.
Like the plants themselves were saying: “Drink me and become strong.” …Okay that sounded suspicious.
But still.
Soup = best.
Fried = worst.
Conclusion: oil is the enemy.
— Now that we grew the plants ourselves, my job was simple.
Hunt.
Fish.
Gather.
Train.
Because yes, I needed training to be a God.
But a God also needed to eat, so I hunt, fish, and gather.
Sometimes I joined the fishermen.
They complained at first.
“Go home, Usopp!” “You’ll fall overboard!” “You talk too much!” But now?
They were used to me.
Stockholm syndrome, probably.
I never went at night though.
My mom didn’t allow me.
— As I stood by the shore one evening, watching the waves… I made up my mind.
I would follow that path.
The one from my memories.
The path of a pirate.
Not because I loved danger.
But because… I didn’t want a dull life.
— The villagers lived the same day over and over.
Safe and peaceful, but boring.
But me?
Even the cowardly version of me in those memories— He ran.
He screamed.
He lied.
But he still stood up in the end.
Again and again.
If he could do it— Then so could I.
No.
I would do better.
I clenched my fist.
“One day…” I grinned.
“I’ll become even greater than that guy.” Stronger.
Braver.
Cooler.
A warrior of the sea.
A legendary sniper.
A hero.
A God.
“God Usopp…” I muttered.
Then nodded seriously.
“…Yeah.
That doesn’t sound bad.” HolyRicekun