((Usopp x reader, romantically. A request from someone on Quotev.))

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The Sunny sailed along slowly on the gentle currents, bathing in the warm sunlight of the day. Not a single cloud threw its shadow onto the wooden lioness.

Her sails were slack with no wind in them; they had been like this for two days already.

Nami said it would probably last for another three days. You hoped it would end sooner.

Not like it was bad, no. You weren't in a rush to get anywhere nor did you have to worry about a food shortage -assuming no one let Luffy into the pantry- but still, not being able to do anything was getting on your nerves.

Everyone else had their own little hobbies or tasks to do. Even if it was just permanently taking naps in the sun, like Zoro had been doing.

But you?

No matter how hard or often you brainstormed, anything that you liked to do wasn't possible on a ship in the middle of an ocean.

Well, there was one thing you could do.

Growing bamboo in the little garden on the upper deck.

That was also what you were doing right now. But let's be real here. Growing bamboo wasn't something that required a lot of attention. Especially not when you had the smartie Usopp to perfect the process with his ultimate plant science.

All you really had to take care of was digging holes, putting the shoots in the earth and occasionally watering them. That wasn't something to keep you occupied for five full days.

You had already spent two days doing that, now you were beginning to get restless.

Plopping back onto your butt, you leaned against one of Robin's flowerbeds as you looked up into the pale blue sky. You wished a surprise storm would come and shake things up a bit. At least then you could actually do something useful for the crew.

Sometimes you felt as though you didn't have a place in the everyday life of the StrawHats. As a fighter, sure. In combat you were probably in the top five with your zoan ability.

This kind of peaceful living though?

Not a chance.

You were clumsy, couldn't concentrate well and didn't have any useful homey skills either. Even if you did, everything was already taken care of. Sanji did the cooking, Chopper the healing, Franky and Usopp the inventing and so on.

It reminded you of how Brook had been during his first few days. Unsure where to fit into this well oiled machinery that was the crew.

Unlike you, he found his place really quickly though.

Speaking of, you could hear him warming up his vocals below the deck. Probably going to perform a song soon.

Closing your eyes, you took a deep breath of the salty sea air and listened to the skeleton's smooth voice for a moment. Luffy and Chopper's voices soon joined Brook and you heard Nami complaining.

Did you even have a place with the crew to begin with..?

It's not like they needed extra power in fights, each of them was strong enough in their own way. So... could you even say you fit in with them? You didn't have anything besides your strength. You had to rely on them in every other aspect of life.

You might as well be replaced by a weapon or something. At least a weapon couldn't be a burden to the others. It didn't mess up stuff or have to be fed and tended to.

With your eyes still closed, you began remembering your old crew. A rowdy, not so friendly bunch. You saw their disappointed faces, heard their accusing voices.

'Why don't you do something?'

'All you do is sit around and get taken care of!'

'Lazy animal.'

'Make yourself useful for once!'

Subconsciously, you put your hands over your ears but that did little to stop the bad memories. Those scarring words that still haunted you, although the crew itself is long gone.

For a good amount of time, you had told yourself that they were wrong. They were just lies to manipulate you into doing their dirty work. To get you to use your rare zoan powers for them.

But what if.. they weren't?

Everything they had said seemed to be happening again. If it happens with more than one crew, was it really them?

Would it not be... you?

You grit your teeth, sucking in a sharp breath. Your ears hurt from the pressure you were putting on them but you barely noticed it.

If it was you then you certainly didn't deserve to call yourself a StrawHat. They were just too good. In everything.

It would be better if you just went a-

"(Y/n)! There you are!"

Usopp's voice snapped you out of your thoughts, somehow having breached through your hands and your mind, and you quickly pretended to rub sleep out of your eyes when you noticed that tears had threatened to fall, "Oh uh, hey Usopp. What's up?"

Your long-nosed friend didn't seem to notice anything yet as he beamed broadly from his spot by the stairs. Excitement in his adorably round eyes.

"I've been looking for you! There's this new item I wanted to test and I-," his enthusiasm slowly dimmed down as he walked closer to you, "..(Y/n)?"

You looked up to him and by the worry on his face, you could only guess that your expression gave away more than you'd like it to. Looks like you couldn't even control your own emotions.

Usopp put away the strange looking gadget in his hands and crouched down in front of you.

"What's wrong?" he asked you, having dropped his voice to a gentler tone.

"It's nothing," you responded, much too quickly and vehemently.

The sniper obviously didn't buy it as he put on a scolding look and reached out to pinch your cheek just enough for it to be felt, "(Yy/nnn).. You know I know it's not nothing."

Once your cheek was freed, you rubbed it a bit and threw a pout Usopp's way.

There really was no fooling this man, even if you had done a better job at masking your doubts. You knew he would've seen through it sooner rather than later. It wasn't the first time he read you like a book.

Narrowing your eyes at the tanned sniper in one last attempt to avoid this conversation, you were met with an unimpressed yet somehow equally caring expression from his end.

You couldn't help but let out a heavy sigh, "alright, alright."

Having your cooperation, Usopp sat down across from you more comfortably, patiently waiting for you to continue.

It took a while but eventually, you managed to speak up.

"I guess it's just.. old trauma reappearing," you mumbled, glancing to the side, "you know, from back then."

Usopp gave a subtle nod.

He was the StrawHat who had first met and freed you in the East Blue and continued on to become your best friend so he was fully aware of your past and what you were talking about.

Placing both hands over your face, you took a moment before continuing.

"I'm scared that the same thing will happen again, Usopp. That I'll end up without a use and abandoned b-"

You didn't get any further when you felt your wrists getting grabbed and pulled away from your face suddenly, causing you to look at your usually so levelheaded friend in shock.

He seemed upset. Angry even.

"Do you really think so little of us, (Y/n)?" Usopp asked, or rather, challenged you, his voice firm and his dark eyes staring straight into your soul, "do you really mean it when you compare us to those scumbags? The ones that used you until they couldn't anymore and left you for dead? You're saying we're the same?!"

"Usopp, I.. I don't- No, you're nothing like them but-"

"No buts or I'll have Zoro beat yours, got it?"

"..."

"..."

You knew you shouldn't during such a serious moment but you couldn't help it when the first giggle broke from your lips.

It didn't seem to want to be alone because you already felt laughter creeping up behind it.

The mix of surprise and embarrassment on Usopp's face didn't help your state and you were soon laughing loudly.

He just had to go and make a butt joke.

And to top it of, threaten you with Zoro as if he was his loyal underling that would fight in his stead.

The tense atmosphere was gone without a trace. Somehow Usopp managed to turn your dark thoughts right around into the light.

Since you were busy laughing your aforementioned butt off, you didn't see the relieved smile on your friend's face. Neither of you appeared to realize he was still holding your wrists.

His relief soon turned into a foreboding terror when you suddenly shifted into your zoan hybrid form. Your body grew in size, fluffy white and black fur covering part of your limbs. Claws instead of nails, a stubby little tail by your backside and a pair of round fluffy ears on your head sprouting.

Now a much larger -both in size and muscle mass- panda lady with a dangerous glint of mischief in her eyes, you leaned down to Usopp's eye level.

"That'll only happen if you ever get to Zoro~"

A quick flick of your hands and you were the one holding Usopp's wrists now.

His struggling was futile against your strength when you stood up and held the now shorter man just high enough in the air so that his feet couldn't touch the ground.

"H-hey! (Y/n), that's no fair!" he yelled, wobbling around in your hold like a ferret.

"And sending Zoro after my ass is?" came your response, which made the curly-haired man gulp nervously and stop wiggling for a moment.

You used that moment to throw Usopp into the air slightly -prompting him to make a funny screeching sound- so that you could catch him over your shoulder.

"You know," you said, grabbing one of the already grown bamboo and snapping it off, "talking about it made me wanna throw hands with the mossman."

You took the bamboo between your teeth, crunching off a large chunk to eat, and headed for the steps to the grassy deck below.

Despite Usopp trying to talk you out of it -because he knew you were going to mention how he had said Zoro would fight for him- you left the small garden behind and descended to the main deck, carrying the sniper like a sack of potatoes.

It didn't take long for a sparring match to take place. After all, a bit of training was always up Zoro's alley.

While you were exchanging blows and slashes with the swordsman in good fun, Usopp sat on the swing in the tree, watching you.

He remembered the first time you met, almost three years ago now.

To him, it felt as though you grew so much despite barely changing. In a good way.

Back then, he had been too weak to fight without lying and whenever that failed, you were there, catching him and beating who he couldn't.

It was because he had been so weak then that he understood how you felt now.

And although he'd often curse himself for not being stronger, he was grateful it enabled him to help you when you needed it most.

So, just like in the good old times, Usopp watched you be strong as he cheered for you from the sidelines.

The match ended up in a draw when neither Zoro or you were able to get the upper hand until eventually Nami stepped in and knocked both of you out with a swift punch over the head.

"You've been brawling for two hours! I can't focus on anything I do when you're making such a ruckus!!"

Your face hit the grass as you felt a bump forming at the back of your skull. Not the first time Nami gave you a whopping for being reckless or doing something dumb.

You heard Zoro protest, "then don't listen to it!" followed by a second ' twak' and a pained groan.

Looking up, you watched the second bump grow on on his first.

Scary...

You were tempted to make a comment about how he looked like a cactus but thought better of it quickly after a short peek in your agitated navigator's direction.

Instead, you simply shifted back to a full-human form and sat up to stretch your sore limbs.

"Here you go," you heard Usopp say and when you looked toward him, noticed a glass of water in his hand.

With a quick thanks, you downed the whole thing.

The water was nice and cool, freshening up your state immediately.

As you handed the glass back and observed Usopp's genuine smile, you halted.

Something about him just...

...made you want to...

Before you could really think about it, your outstretched hand took Usopp by the arm and pulled him off balance, down to your level.

For a second, everything seemed to go slow. The sniper's smile morphing into surprise, the empty glass falling to the ground, Usopp's face coming closer to yours.

And the next, you had your lips on his, eyes closed automatically.

It was a clumsy unplanned kiss, even though you tilted your head you were still afraid he hurt his nose and he seemed frozen for a good while.

Just when you thought he'd pull back, did you feel his hands cup your cheeks and his lips move.

You couldn't help the soft smile that formed.

He was just the cutest.

" EHHHHH!?!? "

The shocked shout from Sanji suddenly pulled you back into reality and you shot away from Usopp, who looked just as flabbergasted, slapping a hand over your mouth.

Did you just..?

"Oh, oh, shit, I-I'm sorry I should've asked first," you stuttered out, feeling your ears burn with both embarrassment and shame.

You just barely took notice of Nami and Zoro dragging Sanji away in the background. Your focus was too much on your sniper friend and -more importantly- his response.

So far he hadn't moved from his spot yet. Wearing a blank expression and staring into space with his mouth slightly open.

Did you scare him that much? He probably hadn't expected it... Hell, you yourself hadn't either.

Oh no, what if you just destroyed your friendship!?

Before the spiral of what ifs could escalate further, Usopp blinked and regained the focus in his eyes.

He looked at you and, very slowly, began growing different shades of pink and then shifting into the deeper levels of red until he was practically glowing scarlet.

Averting his eyes, he shifted around nervously.

You swore you saw steam rise from his head.

And then he finally spoke. It was more of a wobbly whisper but still.

"Can you do that again?"

You never heard yourself squeak like a rubber ducky before but lo and behold, here you were.

He felt the same? He felt the same!

It was such an unbelievably amazing feeling.

Reaching out, you put your hands on his cheeks, giving them a light squish.

"I'll do it as often as you want me to," you told him, unable to contain your grin.

You were pretty sure the happiness and joy was radiating off you in waves.

Having no other way to show your unbridled gleefulness, you shifted into your full panda form and tackled your best friend.. boyfriend? to the ground to give him a literal bear-hug.

His laughter was highly contagious.

Perhaps you didn't need a specific task or job in the crew.

Perhaps all you needed was a punch to the head to make you realize you were in love with your best friend.

Perhaps that's all you'll ever need.