NOVEL NEXT Chapter 6: Echoes of Syrup Village
The evening sun hung low, casting a golden hue over the small, familiar coastal village. Usopp rubbed his eyes as he stumbled forward, his eyes widening as his childhood home came into view. The tattered shack where he had spent years telling tall tales stood proud, as though untouched by time.
"No way," he muttered, stepping back. "This... this is Syrup Village?"
Panic flared in his chest. His thoughts raced. This wasn't possible! Just this morning, he had been on the Sunny, laughing about the calm ocean—so how was he here?
Instinctively, he closed his eyes, stretching his haki outward. The once-numbing quiet was broken as he sensed the faint heartbeat of someone nearby. A flash of Observation Haki let him glimpse Kaya's face—not sickly, but smiling, vibrant. That didn't calm him—it terrified him.
"What... no. This doesn't make sense!" His voice quivered. He glanced at his arsenal—his Black Kabuto rested in his grip, and his bag brimmed with carefully crafted dials and ammunition.
"Was it a dream?" Usopp whispered, his heart sinking. His voice grew louder, as though the sound might dispel the illusion. "No. It wasn't a dream! I'm a real pirate now! Luffy, Zoro, Sanji—where are you guys?!"
His younger self's mocking voice echoed in his memory: "I AM USOPP THE BRAVE WARRIOR OF THE SEA!" His fists clenched as he pushed away the memory.
"Fine. This might look like my past, but I've got power now. I'm not just some liar anymore. If something's messing with me... it's going to regret it."