They have the sea and limitless blue skies, laughter and dreams sailing together. Having won the fight against Buggy the Clown and leaving the town of Orange, Monkey D. Luffy andNami keep on their way to attract new members of the crew. Luffy is still in need of a swordsman and now a ship. They then head to the next destination which is a small village on the coast, where they find secrets, lies and a boy whose tales are as tall as the sky – Syrup Village.
🏠 The Village of Lies
Syrup Village is also quiet, almost too quiet. Here Usopp, a long-nosed boy, tall and chasing after him, cries through the streets,
“Pirates are coming! Pirates are coming!”
He repeats this lie every day and puts the villagers into a state of panic before he laughs and reveals that it is a joke. Usopp is no more than a jester to them. However, behind the laughing there is a great truth, he is dreaming that he could become a great pirate, as his father, Yasopp, once sailed away long time ago to the company of Red-HairedShanks.
To Usopp, a lie is not a joke, but a disguised dream. All his tall tales are those that he hopes were true.
⚓ Meeting the Straw Hats
Luffy, Nami and Zoro (who he recruited on their way to Syrup Village) walk into the village seeking a ship. They soon make friends with Usopp who is captivated with the conversation about adventures with Luffy. Usopp is the first to have his eyes on the prize when Luffy says proudly, I will be King of the Pirates, this is one who believes in the unattainable.
Usopp introduces them to a large mansion on a hill owned by a nice ailing girl named Kaya. Usopp comes to see her on a daily basis with crazy pirate tales to make her smile. Kaya lost her parents and she lives with her faithful butler Klahadore, a perfect gentleman who appears too good.
But perfection hides danger.
😈 The Mask Falls Off
One night as the Straw Hats are parting late, they overhear a dark secret. Klahadore is not who he asserts to be. He is the Captain Kuro, a famous pirate who pretended that he was dead three years ago. Now he is living quietly in Syrup Village waiting to get the opportune time to go through with his plan which is to kill Kaya, and claim her wealth.
Usopp hears this hideous reality and runs to tell villagers off of this, but nobody believes him. He is the boy who cries pirates every day after all. Even Kaya does not listen believing it is one of his jokes. When it comes to showing that he is right when everyone feels that he is doubted, the pain hits him directly, creating a very strong moment that characterizes him.
Still, Usopp doesn’t give up. With tears in his eyes, he says,
“Even if no one believes me… I’ll fight to protect her!”
⚔️ The Battle at the Coast
Usopp is brought on board with Luffy, Zoro and Nami in order to protect the village. They are making traps and weapons up on the northern shore – where the crew of Kuro, the Black Cat Pirates, are going to raid at dawn.
The ensuing fight is complete anarchy: rubber powers of Luffy against the clawed assassins, Zoro with his slashing swings, Usopp with his slingshot, will and courage fighting pirates who are so much stronger than he is. Usopp does not want to run, although he is terrified. His bravery is the brightest when he is afraid to become engulfed by fear.
As Kuro finally makes his appearance, he is almost too fast and brutal to the Straw Hats. But Luffy does not give in, he is furious of the betrayal by Kuro.
You had made her believe in you… and you had taken that to cut her! That is not what a true pirate will do!
Using one of his powerful Gomu Gomu no Axe, Luffy beats Kuro, shattering his deformed dream and rescuing the Syrup Village.
🚢 The Gift of Friendship
Upon the aftermath of the battle, Kaya realizes the truth and cries in the middle of Usopp and apologizes. Thanks to his manliness, she bestows upon him a beautiful ship she had had ready all this time a slick boat with the head of a ram and very beautiful white sails. Its name: The Going Merry.
This is the first real home of the Straw Hats, and their laughter and dreams are taken on board of this ship, which travels across many seas.
Kaya pleads with Usopp to remain but he smiles and waves his head.
“I have to go, Kaya. I’m going to sea. I will be a courageous fighter of the sea!
In taking a stroll, Kaya sheds tears, however, her heart is swollen with pride. Usopp might be a liar, however, on that day each word he uttered was honest.
The Legacy of Syrup Village
The Synop Village Arc embodies the core of the One Piece: strength out of the weakness, friendship nurtured by the truth, and dreams that remain despite the fact that no one believes in them. The lies of Usopp then turn into a beacon of hope, the evidence that imagination is only the start of something big.
Having added Usopp to the group, the Straw Hat Pirates have come to be four powerful (Luffy, Zoro, Nami, Usopp) as they tilt away on the Going Merry on their way to the next adventure.
And as the sun comes around them, the world becomes broader and more savage and much more threatening.
