The sound of construction could be heard throughout the area. Several large, burly men hafted mighty slabs of wood over their shoulders, carrying them to where they needed to go.

Others sawed and sanded the wood, getting them ready to be placed in their final destination. Normally, the sound of laughter and good cheer could be heard as they worked, building boats of various sizes to be sold.

But recently, there has been little cause for merriment. All the work they were doing was to repair the damage already done. The ships had been built and were ready for sale, but for about a month now, someone has been damaging them.

Nobody knew who it was and it was causing the no end of grief to the village. No one felt it more than the young Kaya. She was the owner of the shipyards, having inherited it from her deceased parents. Or to be more precise, she will inherit it as soon as she turns 18.

An event that was rapidly approaching. The stress of the whole thing has rendered her in even poorer health than usual, and she hasn't left her mansion even once since the attacks began.

Her only respite was her friend Usopp, who came around as often as he could to regale her with fantastical tales. She never cared if they were true or not, and to be honest, she knew they weren't. She only cared that her friend took the time to tell them, and they always brought a smile to her face.

During those times, for just a few moments, she could forget all her worries and troubles, her poor health, and the death of her parents. For that short time, she was just Kaya, and he was just Usopp, two friends spending time together.

Most of the village thought they would end up as a couple, even though a few disagreed with that notion. Usopp had a reputation, you see, one for lying. Almost everyday, he would run through the village, shouting about pirates. But everyday, that turned out to be false.

Most of them were sick of it, while some found it amusing. But whichever side they were on, didn't really matter. No one had heard his lies for nearly a month now. Not since the attacks began.

He was simply too busy to be spreading his tall tales across the village. Even now, he was finishing up some repairs on top of a mast, hammering nails into the wood to keep it steady.

Usopp let out a sigh, whipping the sweat from his brow. He inspected his work, and when he was satisfied, nodded his head in pride. He wasn't the best when it came to ship repairs, but he's been getting better with all the practice he's been getting in lately.

Something he wasn't particularly grateful for. Sure he enjoyed increasing his skills and being of use to his friend, not to mention the paycheck, but the whole reason for it made him frown.

Looking around at the state of disrepair, he clenched the hammer in anger. Someone had the nerve to destroy all the hard work people put into making these beautiful ships, and no one knew why. Not to mention the stress it was causing his friend.

That was what was most unforgivable.

Not to mention due to how busy he's been with the repairs, he hasn't been able to see her in over a week. It seems the closer they got to her birthday, the more frequent the attacks became.

Usopp has tried to stake out the ships during the night, but he's never been able to catch them. Hell, he's ever even seen them. One minute everything was fine, and the next, everything was on fire.

Whoever they were, they were good. So good, even the Great Usopp couldn't catch them. But they had to do something, this couldn't go on. Kaya's health seemed to be getting worse, and Usopp was worried that if it continued on for much longer…

He shook his head. Those thoughts were better left unthought. No, much better to think of more pleasant things. Like that time he snuck into her room just as she was exiting the bath, and her towel dropped.

Sure he received the beating of his life as she pummeled him with anything within reach, but it was worth it. He did make sure not to come around that time anymore, just in case. As much as he enjoyed seeing her in a state of undress, he didn't want her to think he was a pervert.

Although, if she could see the face he was making as he remembered it, she would definitely call him a pervert.

"Captain!" shouted a voice from below. Usopp was so lost in thought that the sound startled him badly enough for him to lose his balance. He tried to stay on the mast, but it was no good. No matter how much he flailed his arms, his fall was inevitable.

"Ah!" he screamed as he plummeted down, landing in a painful heap. He groaned as he lay there, looking at the pretty stars as they danced around his head.

"You ok Captain!?" shouted the voice again. Usopp shook the stars away from his vision, and forced himself to his feet. He walked over to the railing to see just who it was that caused him to fall.

It was a young boy with a round face and square glasses. He was wearing a bright yellow shirt with an even brighter blue vest over it and brown shorts. On his waist was a mustard colored sash. But his most distinctive feature was his hair. Short and brown, with a tuft sticking out of the top making him look just like an…

"Onion, is that you? What are you doing here?" asked Usopp. It wasn't that unusual for him or his friends to come see him at work. Or at any time really. But people were far more on edge since the attacks began, and his parents rarely let him leave the house unaccompanied.

He must have snuck out then. Usopp was so proud of him.

"I saw them! The pirates responsible for everything! They're back!" he shouted. Usopp's eyes widened. He wasn't serious was he? He had to be lying. There was no way they'd just show up in the middle of the day.

Not that he would lie at a time like this. Even Usopp himself hasn't told a fib in weeks. Honestly, he was starting to have withdrawals.

But judging by his face, it wasn't a lie. So if he was telling the truth, then this was his big chance. He could take them down, prove himself to everyone, especially Kaya. But could he do it?

No, that didn't matter. Would he? That was the only question he needed to answer. It was also a much more difficult question. He could lie to himself and convince himself he could beat whoever was responsible, but would he truly even be able to try, that was the real question.

If it was for Kaya… Yes, he would.

Swallowing the lump in his throat, he steeled his resolve. What little he had at any rate. "W-where are they!?" he asked. No his voice did not crack, the question was asked with resounding confidence. Whoever says different is an even bigger liar than he is.

"Wow, the Captain is so brave!" thought poor, naive little Onion. Thanks to the railing of the ship, he wasn't able to see his brave Captain's knees wobbling uncontrollably.

The two of them left the shipyard, Onion leading his Captain to where he saw the pirates. The two of them snuck toward the cliff, crawling on their bellies and hiding in some shrubs.

They could see the small ships, and Usopp felt a bit of relief at the sight. He was expecting a massive ship with hundreds of snarling pirates ready to ransack the village. From this distance, he couldn't make out the Jolly Roger, so he took out his spyglass to get a better look.

He adjusted the lens until it came into focus, and when he did, he nearly crapped himself. He recognized that symbol. It was none other than the Buggy Pirates. But what were they doing here? What reason could they possibly have to attack the shipyards like they have been? If the rumors about the clown were true, that he was immortal, then he should have been able to easily take whatever he wanted.

There had to be something else, something he couldn't see. But what? No matter how much he thought, he couldn't come up with an answer, and driving himself nuts trying to think of one wasn't helping. He needed more information, the puzzle pieces just weren't fitting right.

Looking down, he took in the crew. A young looking guy wearing a straw hat, a green haired guy that looked absolutely bored, a brown haired guy in a leather vest, and a stunningly beautiful, orange haired girl with some major boobage.

Usopp did not zoom in on her chest. Those are more vicious rumors spread by the same asshole who claimed his voice cracked earlier. If Usopp ever found the guy, he would sue him for slander.

"What do you see, Captain?" asked a nervous Onion. While he enjoyed playing pirate with his friends, this was the first time he's ever seen a real one, and he was more afraid then he could ever remember being. The only thing he was scared more of than pirates was clowns.

"Boobs… Wait, I mean it looks like it's Buggy the Clown," said Usopp with a slight quiver in his voice. No matter how much he tried, he just couldn't keep it out entirely. Like his friend, he's never actually dealt with real pirates before, only the pretend ones they fought in the woods.

A choking sound made him turn toward his friend, who was now white as a sheet. If he was any paler people would confuse him for a corpse, or a vampire. That's when Usopp remembered his friend was deathly afraid of clowns. Nobody knew why, he never said, only that it had something to do with his fourth birthday party.

"Hey Onion! Snap out of it!" Usoop yelled, shaking his friend like a dog. That seemed to do the trick, but now his terror induced shock turned into panic. "C-captain! What are we going to do!? We don't stand a chance against clowns!"

Usopp stared at him for a moment, even as tears and snot fell down his friend's face. That was the part he was worried about? The fact that they were clowns and not pirates? Usopp knew a thing or two about being afraid, but this took the cake.

"Listen, it's fine, there are only four of them and they're not even dressed like clowns. They're probably new recruits or something, so that means we can take them no problem," Usopp reassured him with far more confidence than he felt.

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"Are you sure Captain?" Onion asked, his trembling calming down a bit. He was still scared, but as long as they weren't dressed like clowns, he should be fine.

"Of course! Who do you think I am? I'm the great Captain Usopp! I could take on a thousand clowns, no problem!" He boasted, as his friend stared at him with stars in his eyes. Made the lies all worth it.

"Wow! Your amazing Captain!" Onion praised, as Usopp's nose seemed to grow. Whether it was from the lie or the admiration, who could say.

"Of course I am! By the way, where are the others?" he asked. He looked around but saw no sign of his loyal crew.

"They went to get our secret weapon, while I went to get you," Onion said.

"Oh, that makes sense," Usopp nodded. That was good, if they were bringing that then they really would have no problem defeating the pirates. And when they did, the whole town would praise him, and even that stupid butler would have to admit how amazing he was.

Oh he could see it now…

"Usopp, I offer you my sincere apologies. You are by far the better man between us. I weep at your sheer magnificence," said the butler. Usopp stood there, standing proudly on top of the defeated foes, having saved the island.

He laughed loudly, "I'm glad you finally understand! All is forgiven, so long as you never forget who the best is!"

"Of course Usopp, I thank you for your generosity," Klahadore sniveled, before slinking away. Usopp watched him go with a condescending grin on his face. All was right in the world.

"You did it!"

"We're so proud of you!"

"We love you Usopp!"

Turning around, Usopp was greeted to the sight of the whole village, gathered for the sole purpose of congratulating him. They waved and cheered with great big smiles on their faces, a far cry from the usual angry ones they had when he woke them up at the crack of dawn screaming about pirates.

So what else could he do but wave back with the biggest, cockiest smile he could muster. It really was only a matter of time until they recognized his greatness afterall, and he was kind enough to allow them to bask in it.

"Usopp…" said a dainty voice behind him. Turning around once more, he saw the beautiful image of Kaya in a form fitting yellow sundress, staring at him with adoration in her eyes, along with another emotion he couldn't recognize.

"Kaya…" he whispered back. She gave him a smile that made his heart flutter. He suddenly felt a bit guilty for staring at that other girl's boobs. But in his defense, they were amazing.

Not as amazing as the girl's in front of him but still pretty great.

"You did it Usopp, you saved the town, and me. You're the bravest person in the whole world," she complimented. His nose seemed to get a bit longer as he preened under her attention.

"Of course I am! I'm the Great Usopp! I only needed one finger to beat those clowns," he laughed boisterously. Kaya seemed even more amazed by that, her hands clasping together in excitement.

"Wow!" she gasped. Usopp had his eyes closed as he soaked in her admiration.

"Um, Usopp…?" Kaya said. He opened his eyes to look at her. She was standing there, fidgeting nervously, eyes glancing up at him before darting back to the ground, a massive blush on her face.

"Y-yeah? What is it?" he asked, gulping. For some reason his hands were getting sweaty, and he had to clench them into a fist to keep them from shaking.

"I just wanted to thank you properly. So, um… could you close your eyes?" she asked, an embarrassed smile on her face. Usopp's heart felt like it was about to pop out of his chest and kick him in the balls.

"Uh yeah! Right, of course I can! No problem at all, ehehehe…" he laughed nervously, before doing as she asked and closing his eyes. He heard her step forward and her floral perfume tickled his nose.

"No peeking, ok?" she told him. Usopp nodded, too nervous to say anything, as he felt her hands grab his cheeks. He could feel her inching closer and closer, her breath hot enough to make him faint.

He puckered his lips, readying himself to enter nirvana…

When a sharp pain dragged him into hell.

"Ah!" he screamed, in shock and agony. The pain was centered on his nose, where he could see a figure through the tears. It looked a lot like Onion resorting to cannibalism, and his nose was on the menu.

He pulled back and Onion released him. Usopp rolled around on the floor, trying to ease the pain. "What was that for!?" he shouted.

Onion returned the glare, "You were trying to kiss me! What's wrong with you!?"

Usopp stopped his flailing to look at Onion. Kiss him? What was he… That's when his daydream came rushing back. That's right, he was about to get a reward from Kaya for saving the town.

His face turned red at the implications. He coughed into his hand as he stood up, trying to regain what little dignity he could. He had to make something up, something believable.

"Ehem, good job Onion, you passed with flying colors," he said, much to the child's confusion.

"Huh? Passed what?" he asked.

"You passed your 'What to do when someone tries to kiss you and you don't like them that way' training. Congratulations, I always believed in you," Usopp said. The only sound that could be heard was the wind rustling through the trees.

"You liar!" shouted Onion, pointing an accusing finger at him.

Usopp returned the look, shouting, "How dare you! I give you this awesome, secret training and this is the thanks I get?"

"Then why were your hands so sweaty, huh?" Onion asked, looking at his Captain with a suspicion.

Sweaty hands? Usoop looked at his palms and found that they were indeed covered in sweat. He cleared his throat again, wiping the offending liquid from his palms, thereby erasing the evidence.

"I don't know what you're talking about…"

"I knew it! I bet you were thinking about Kaya again weren't you! Admit it!"

"I admit nothing!"

The two of them had their argument interrupted by the sound of something approaching. They looked to see a large, tarp covered thing moving closer, wheels barely visible beneath the covering.

On either side of the object was a boy, ones Usopp knew all too well. His face lit up as he saw them approach, bringing their secret weapon with them.

"Oi, Carrot, Pepper, you guys made it! " Usopp cheered, waving at them as they came closer. Their eyes brightened as they saw the older boy waiting for them.

Carrot was a young boy with shaggy, light purple hair covering his eyes. An orange beanie with a skull and bones on the front sat on his head, with a small tuft of hair poking out of the top. He was wearing black hoodie and dark orange pants, with a brown sash across his waist.

Pepper was another young boy with dark green hair shaped like a bell pepper. He was wearing a lime colored shirt that also had a skull and crossbones on the front, along with dark blue pants and a teal sash.

"Captain, you're here!" yelled Pepper. He was slightly surprised by this, given that the older boy was a coward, but he guessed even cowards could be brave sometimes.

"Of course I am! Was there any doubt?" Usopp said, as they came to a stop.

Carrot and Pepper shared a look, before focusing their attention anywhere else but Usopp, "Nope, not at all."

"You little liars! How dare you doubt your fearless leader!"

"What about that time we tried to get some honey and you knocked the bees nest out of the tree and tripped me screaming, 'Every man for himself!' while running away?" asked Carrot.

"Well, uh…"

"Or that time you used me as a human shield when we ran onto that rabid raccoon?" questioned Pepper.

"I… You see… That was…"

"And there was that one time-" started Onion, only to be interrupted by Usopp.

"Ok, ok that's enough! You just don't understand tactics!" he shouted, passing the buck to them. "Besides, who rubbed the cream all over you to help with the itching from the bee stings, huh?" he asked Carrot.

"You did Captain…" he confirmed.

"And Pepper, who was it that held your hand when you were forced to get rabies shots?" Usopp asked.

"My mom," he stated.

That brought Usopp up short for a moment. "Right, because they wouldn't let me in the room. But I was there, the whole time, in spirit."

The three stared at him dubiously for a moment. It was true he was the cause of much of their pain and suffering, he did always try to make up for his cowardice. And honestly, they probably would have done the same thing in his shoes. Nobody wants to get stung by bees after all, or have their arm chewed on by a crazy raccoon. It was for that reason and that reason alone, they forgave him.

"Anyway enough about that, where's Akisu?" asked Usopp. He looked around the tarped object but was unable to find him.

"Huh, that's weird. He was right behind us a second ago," said Pepper. They looked around confused for a moment, but were unable to find him.

"You don't think he was kidnapped by the pirates do you?" asked Onion, on the verge of panic. Who knows what those clowns would do to him if they got a hold of him.

"D-don't be silly. The pirates haven't landed yet, see," said Usopp pointing out to sea, where they saw that was indeed the case. But if it wasn't them, then where was he?

"What if they're not the only ones and were only meant to be a distraction while the rest of their crew rounded up the children to sacrifice them to a dark god?" rambled Onion. The rest of them looked freaked out for a second, before a movement behind the tarp drew their attention.

"W-what is that?" questioned Onion fearfully. The four of them gulped as they approached the large item. It continued to rustle and shake the tarp, and Usopp placed Pepper in front of him, "You go first, in case it's another raccoon."

"You jerk!" he yelled, turning around and kicking Usopp in the shin.

"Ow!" he shouted, hopping up and down on one foot in pain. "What was that for!?"

"For trying to use me as a meat shield again!"

"It has to be you! After all, you can't get rabies twice!"

"Yes you can!"

"Uh guys…" interrupted a nervous Carrot.

"What!?" they shouted back. Carrot pointed to the tarp, which was now moving far more rapidly. Oh right, that…

The three kids jumped behind Usopp, even as he shouted in protest. They began to push him forward even as he begged them to stop with tears in his eyes.

"You can't! I just came down with, 'don't go near the spooky thing under the tarp' disease. If I go near it, I'll die!"

But his lies fell on deaf ears, and they eventually came to a stop right in front of it, and the tarp gave a massive shudder, causing Usopp to shut his eyes and thrust his arms out in a protective manner.

But nothing happened. Usopp slowly opened his eyes, staring at the thing in confusion, until the tarp suddenly flew upwards, causing Usopp to scream and fall backwards, landing on his ass.

"Hey big bro! Whatcha doin' down there?" asked a voice. A familiar voice. Looking up, Usopp immediately overcame his chronic fear of unknown tarp monsters.

"Akisu, it's you! Don't scare me like that!" he yelled. The others shouted their agreement, as Akisu just looked on confused.

Usopp sighed letting go of his anger. It wouldn't do to dwell on it, especially when it was clear his little brother didn't mean anything by it. Cause if he did, he would be laughing his head off right now.

"What are you doing in there anyway?" questioned Usopp. That got a response from the young boy, as his face lit up before he jumped down to join them.

Akisu was a small boy about the same age as Carrot, Onion, and Pepper. He wore a pair of overalls like Usopp, without the straps going over his shoulders, dangling down either side of his legs, and a white shirt that was covered in stains. His most noticeable piece of clothing was the orange and white beanie he wore that was slightly too big for his head.

"I was just making sure this baby is in tip top shape," he said with a grin. That seemed to alleviate the others' anger at being scared.

"I see… Good work," said Usopp, rubbing the top of his head.

"Hey, quit it!" Akisu complained, but it was easy to see he enjoyed the attention, judging by the large grin on his face. The others laughed at the interaction.

"Alright men, listen up!" Usopp said, bringing the four of them to attention. They looked at the older boy, everyone gaining a serious look.

"In just a few moments, our home will be besieged by four vicious, bloodthirsty pirates," he said.

"And clowns!" shouted Onion in terror. The others looked at him for a moment, before he sheepishly apologized for interrupting the Captain.

"Apology accepted! But only if you bring the Captain a cookie. Preferably chocolate chip," commanded Usopp in a sly manner.

"What!? That's not fair!" shouted Onion, as the others snickered at him.

"I'm the Captain, and the Captain demands apology cookies! Now where was I?" continued Usopp, as he turned to face away from them, ignoring Onion's grumbling complaints.

"Right! Our home is on the brink of destruction, and we are the only ones who can prevent such a tragedy. Therefore, it is up to us to defend this island with all we have. Are you with me!?" he shouted. The others yelled in agreement. Their bravery was almost enough to bring tears to his eyes.

"Excellent! We will begin the defensive with Operation: Sneaky Bushes! And if that doesn't scare them off, we will have no choice but to unleash our secret weapon, though we risk a great calamity by doing so."

The four young boys all nodded with determined looks on their faces. They were scared, terrified even, but they would do what they had to to defend their home.

Looking out at the sea, the small boats were almost there. They had less than 10 minutes before they would make land, and they had to prepare. It was now or never.

"Alright men, let's get ready! Though some of you may die, know this, I will keep your memory alive for as long as I live."

"Why are we the ones who have to die!?" they all shouted.

"Do not question your Captain!"