This world is beyond your imagination!

"Let me into your crew."

These words echoed into the distance. And the first ones to reply were not the Straw hats.

"Captain! What about us?" "The village?" "Are you going to leave us just because you met a person who knew your father?!"

The three threw questions at him like bullets shot from a machine gun. Usopp knew such a thing would happen and he was prepared for it. Even then he was a little emotional, as he had partially raised these three kids for five years. Most of their morals were beaten into them by him as well. If one had to compare feelings, he was way more emotional because of the help and support given by the villagers and the veggie trio, along with the love he had for Kaya. Even with these emotions, he did not give them their answer.

" What is your answer, Strawhat? What will it be?"

Usopp kept pushing the matter on Luffy to make him reply faster.

" Yeah, alright. I actually wanted to invite you anyway and you look strong too. "

Luffy agreed quickly. But his words were not to Usopp's liking because Luffy knew very strong people from a young age and still did not understand the vastness of this world, or he gave up trying to understand and take things in as it hits him. It was somehow also his good side, as he won't overthink things but Usopp wanted to make Luffy up to date on the difference of power levels at the very least.

"Looks strong huh..."

After these words came out of his mouth, Usopp disappeared from their view and they could only see Luffy hitting the cliff face where a Luffy shaped hole had opened up.

"It hurts! what the hell was that for! And how can you can injure me with a punch like Grandpa?!"

Complained Luffy as he came out from the hole with a big lump on the side head.

" If you only have this level of strength and knowledge, you'll get yourself killed soon enough. Just think of it this way. You guys are lucky to have invited a guy who understands where you stand in the face of the world, or one of you might get killed because you guys overestimated yourself."

Said Usopp stating it in a matter of fact manner. Zoro was looking at him like he saw a monster while Nami was sweating bullets when she thought strong people as young as him existed in the grandline.

" How did you do that? I did not even feel your presence when you moved. And even then it was too fast for even my dynamic vision to follow!"

Asked Zoro, whose voice started cracking towards the end of his sentence. He had been fighting strong opponents for a long time, and had defeated strong pirates and bandits who were technically stronger than him. This was the first time he felt like this, as if he was a mantis trying to go up against a chariot.

" You have never seen someone who is so strong that it was an impossible barrier, right? And it is something even more worse when you think that person is the same age as you. I used [silent steps], a footwork I developed that follows the principle of one of the Marine's six techniques- Soru. Although mine is slightly better in speed and is way better for stealth, it is much harder to train than Soru. As for injuring Luffy, you guys thought that normal people have no fighting ability to take down devil fruit users? For now, knowing that there exists a technique that counters devil fruit users is more than enough."

Usopp was seriously thinking of scaring the shit out of the right hand of the future pirate king, but he knew Zoro will learn that lesson from a much, much more better opponent. Even then, Zoro was a little taken aback with all that information, and Nami was so confused that she could not make any sense of the matters they were discussing. She only knew that this guy had the ability to fight against 'that person'.

"Since you understand stuff a little bit and has grown even more confused, lets go get some food."

...

Restaurant Meshi, Syrup village.

The strawhat crew with their new addition was having a extra large meal. Conversation could not be done on the war front and only the skyscraper made of clean plates arranged one on top of the other told the story of the fearsome war that had taken place there.

"So for the matter of the ship, your only option is to talk to Kaya, the owner of the richest estate here in the Gecko islands. She is a good friend of mine and if your words made her uncomfortable or made her mood drop, It won't end in one punch. Keep that in mind."

Usopp's tune went from normal to loving to threatening very quickly, and the other three were quick on the uptake when they were threatened with pain.

"Also, I have a small favor to ask of you people. I felt the presence of a ship anchored out at sea, and they are most likely pirates. Clean them up while I protect Kaya, since there is a poisonous snake around here."

Usopp continued. Zoro looked at him like he understood that it was meant to to be a test for them, and Luffy was ready to fight anytime. But...

"What kind of crew member are you? Ordering around your Captain like that? Your reason is vague and it will affect the crew's chain of command!"

Interfered Nami. She was too keen to leave out such matters even though she was not officially their crew member. But since Luffy was the one who had an eye on her, she won't be able leave at all. Also, Usopp was trusting Nami to ask the question so that he could define his position in the crew.

" Good thing that you brought this matter up. First of all, this is a personal request. I will pay in cash for the service I asked you to do. Protecting Kaya is the most important matter for me, but the villagers can't take the pirates on at all. As for the second matter, I will also say this- I am a sniper. I an also design some small gadgets for fighting and training. I will not directly participate in any decision making unless it is extremely important. I will try my best to make you guys stronger by making you learn techniques that suit you and will never use power to influence matters of the crew."

Nami was down as soon as she heard cash. And Luffy and Zoro felt it was weird that such a guy would not want take command for the most part. They made a deal and it was decided that the Strawhats minus Usopp and the veggie trio will take care of the pirates.

"Wait for me Klahadore...No, Captain Kuro!"

Usopp sounded extremely ominous at that moment. So much that the air around his turned into a weird blackish orange aura, as if even the atmosphere was scared of the plight of Kuro after this event.

...