Pirate: I am a logistics person, what the hell is the emperor

Chapter 431 One to One
Cotton-white clouds drifted lazily across the clear blue sky, and a gentle breeze carrying a hint of fragrance swayed the shadows of the trees, dispelling the sweltering heat.

Golden sunlight filtered through the gaps in the green leaves, dappling the ground. The father and son sat in the shade of the tree and began to chat idly.

Sometimes they talked loudly and cheerfully, and sometimes they remained silent.

"Dad, have you heard anything about Mom?"

"Yeah, I heard about it."

With a complex expression, Yasopp leaned back against the tree trunk, his eyes fixed on the moss-covered ruins before him, and fell silent.

Some time after he left the village, his wife fell seriously ill and became bedridden. Not long after, she passed away from the illness.

From then on, young Usopp began living alone. He would wander through the forest during the day and return to his lonely little cabin at night.

This was the news he heard while at sea.

Later, they returned to the East China Sea.

Usopp was too young at the time, and it would have been too dangerous to take him out to sea.

But if Usopp is not doing well in the village, even if he begs Shanks, Shanks will take Usopp with him, or he will leave the pirate crew to stay and take care of Usopp.

That was his thought, so he went to Xiluobu Village alone.

There, he learned that Usopp had started hanging out with three children, wandering around the village every day causing all sorts of trouble, and it seemed that he had made friends and started a new life.

After learning that Usopp was doing well, he quietly left without coming out to acknowledge him.

He doesn't quite remember how he felt at the time, but now that he thinks about it, he probably felt ashamed to appear in front of Usopp when he was younger, or perhaps he didn't want to disturb the other's life, which had just started to improve.

After all, not everyone yearns for the outside world, and the sea is not just about adventure and freedom; it can be very cruel.

It might not be bad to live a peaceful life in a quiet little village. Even if Usopp wants to go to sea, he should at least wait until he is old enough to make his own decision, instead of being forced to go to sea by him.

So Yasopp left and never returned.

Until two years ago, when Usopp had just turned sixteen, a bounty poster appeared in his hands in the New World.

After the Alabasta incident, Usopp was put on a wanted list, only to find out that his son had been recruited by Luffy.
"Usopp, do you hate me?"

"How...! How could this be?"

Usopp's voice gradually faded as he lowered his head, pursed his lips, and hesitated, unsure how to respond.

To say I've never felt hatred is an understatement; in fact, I have.

No matter how much you deny it, no matter how much you tell yourself that you actually admire your father, the seed of resentment hidden deep in your heart will still quietly sprout.

At least when his mother passed away, he truly resented his selfish father who abandoned his mother and him.

"Looking back now, all those boasts about freedom and adventure before I went to sea, all those things about idolizing my dad and wanting to be a brave sea warrior like you, seem like I was just fooling myself."

"Maybe it's just because that's what my mom said before she passed away. She said she was very proud to marry you and hoped that I could become a brave person like you in the future."

As he spoke, Usopp's eyes gradually dimmed.

Sometimes he would doubt himself, wondering if he had never actually admired his father, and that he had only been lying to himself and deceiving himself into wanting to become that kind of person because of his mother's wishes.

After all, he was just a coward.

Unlike Luffy, who is full of passion and fearless, able to bravely face and challenge everything, he doesn't have Luffy's strength.

He lied his whole life, and perhaps the biggest lie was deceiving himself into worshipping the father who abandoned his wife and children, as if his mother in heaven could not rest in peace if he did not do so.

"But I don't think that way anymore, after coming all the way from the sea."

A glimmer of light gradually appeared in Usopp's eyes, and the corners of his mouth involuntarily turned up in a smile.

"Adventures on the high seas are truly amazing: upstream currents, whales as big as islands, dinosaurs, giants, cherry blossoms blooming in a snow country, a kingdom living in the desert, and islands floating in the clouds thousands of meters above the ground."

"Although I still find it hard to forgive, I'm slowly coming to understand your longing for the sea."

"Now, I genuinely love adventure and sincerely hope to become a brave person like you."

"Usopp said with hope in his eyes."

"Yeah."

As Yasopp gazed at Usopp before him, he suddenly realized that in some ways, he had been left far behind by his son.

"I'm so glad to meet you, Usopp. You're a responsible man."

Jesus smiled knowingly and said to him:
“I am proud to have a son like you.”

Really?

Usopp stared blankly at Yasopp, his eyes seemingly filled with incomprehension, yet also with a hint of excitement at being recognized.

"But why, when I'm so weak, did I lose so easily?"

"Even the most powerful person will encounter things beyond their control. In this world, no one has ever truly been able to overcome all difficulties."

Yasopp placed two fingers against Usopp's chest and chuckled softly:
"And when faced with these painful situations, the only power that can help you get out of the trough is here."

"Whether the choice I made back then was right or wrong, I still can't give myself an answer to this day. Compared to you, you have far surpassed me, Usopp."

For over a decade, the deep-seated resentment I had kept hidden in my heart, afraid to reveal it to others, or even to myself, was finally laid bare on this day.

Both Yasopp and Usopp chose to make peace with their past selves.

------

Meanwhile, battles were still raging in several other locations, some locked in fierce fighting, while others showed overwhelming dominance.

Reiner sat cross-legged atop the highest dome of the castle, taking in the battle scenes unfolding in the various arenas below.

He only summoned a few undead to join the battle, to hold back some of the Crusader members and prevent his comrades from being overwhelmed and attacked.

He himself would simply observe the overall situation, adding more undead only when needed. Of course, he would also choose not to interfere in some battles. He had seen the battle between Usopp and Yasopp, but that was a matter between father and son, and it was inappropriate for him to meddle regardless of the outcome.

No matter what, Yasopp can't possibly kill Usopp.

There's also Shanks and Luffy, Zoro and Mihawk.

These were battles that were not suitable for him to get involved in. As for the other opponents, Reiner had basically no interest in them and simply watched the show.

Beckman sat to the side, smoking a cigarette, and watched the game with him.

He knew that joining in wouldn't make any difference; it would only bring Reiner into the fight, and the current situation was fine.

After all, the initial purpose of this battle was Shanks' final test for Luffy and his crew, and Reiner was clearly not among them.

At least in terms of combat power, no one can suppress him at all.

He had originally planned that if Reiner joined the battle, he and Hawkeye would team up to intercept him, but as soon as that guy saw Roronoa, the two of them ran to the side.

Fortunately, it seems the other party doesn't intend to make a move, otherwise this test would be meaningless.

The two watched the battle below, which gradually spread from the initial point of engagement to various locations, with some battles even reaching the edge of the giant village outside the ruins.

Sanji's rivals are Lucky Roux and Snake, who are respectively the cook and navigator of the Red-Haired Pirates.

Lucky Roux goes without saying. Reiner is quite familiar with this guy. He's a fat guy in a green striped outfit who always has a bone-in steak in his hand whenever he appears. He's either talking or eating, or talking and eating at the same time. In short, his mouth never stops.

As for Snake, he was a man with long gray hair, a long red dragon tattoo on his arm with the dragon's head extending to his face, and he used two long swords as weapons. He also seemed to be skilled in kicking techniques.

If it were a one-on-one fight, it would be fine, but the two of them working together in perfect harmony, especially Lucky Roux, whose Armament Haki is extremely strong, combined with the shock absorption ability that comes with his physique, they can even fight to a standstill against Sanji, who has the power of Tremor-Tremor.

Franky's opponent is Roar Gabu, a giant with long, wild hair like a lion, muscles like cast steel, formidable strength and Armament Haki, and the ability to unleash a roar with slicing power.

Chopper's opponent is Hongo, a fellow ship's doctor who is not only highly skilled in medicine but also proficient in various weapons. What impressed Reiner most about him was that Hongo seemed to be good at information gathering.

Robin and Brook team up against the musician duo, Punch and Menster.

The human and monkey duo worked together seamlessly. Mensta was just as agile as Brooke, while Bingge possessed terrifying strength that matched his fierce appearance. The two displayed formidable physical abilities.

Finally, there's Nami, who displayed an overwhelming advantage. Her opponent is named Rem Jones, with a black headscarf covering her long, flowing blonde hair. He's a combat officer in the Red-Haired Pirates, and his weapon is a long staff crackling with lightning.

And lightning against Nami
It can only be said that he was really unlucky to run into trouble. His opponent was completely immune to his lightning strikes, and he couldn't withstand the lightning strikes from his opponent.

Although Nami had an advantage in terms of Haki and fighting skills, she couldn't utilize them effectively. After transforming into her elemental form, Nami flew through the air at a speed that was invisible to the naked eye. Once she created distance, she relied on ranged attacks to suppress Nami.

Lyme Jones was suffering terribly from the beating, struggling to dodge the attacks and finding no way to retaliate.

There's no way around it, the Rumble-Rumble Fruit is just that powerful. It has high stats, comprehensive abilities, and combines offense, defense, and speed, making it suitable for both ranged and melee combat.

Anyone who takes it and masters it can instantly become one of the strongest warriors on the high seas.

Moreover, Nami, with her high battle intelligence, and her cautious and calm demeanor, makes it unlikely that she will suffer any losses in battle.

Reiner could only lament that Enel's "idiocy-lowering" aura was becoming increasingly valuable.

A moment later, Moria flew to the rooftop under the bat wings that were formed from his shadow. The shadow dissipated, and Moria, heavily pregnant, came to Reiner's side.

"Hehehe, long time no see, Black Serpent Reiner. I heard you guys caused quite a ruckus in Egerhead. How did it go? Did you really get beaten to a pulp like the Navy said?"

"Even the Navy's reports aren't as exaggerated as you say. What, are you still holding a grudge about what happened in the past? If you want to come and get a beating, I can grant your wish."

Without turning his head, Reiner said nonchalantly.

"Hehehe, never mind, never mind, I'm not interested in those old stories anymore."

Moria grinned, revealing his two rows of sharp teeth, and fixed his gaze on Reiner before continuing:

"But you, you actually defeated Kaido not long after entering the New World. I was so excited when I heard the news."

"Kaido."

Reiner remembered that Moria had also challenged Kaido back then, but all his subordinates were killed, and he was the only one who escaped Wano Country with Ryuma's corpse and his sword.

The immense blow of his companion's death led him to place his hopes on the immortal zombies in order to avoid experiencing the pain of losing them again, and he hid on the Thriller Bark for so many years.

What a pitiful fellow.

But in reality, it is probably that cruel, and Brooke's experience is enough to prove this point.

"Another battle is about to begin."

Beckman suddenly spoke in a deep voice, his gaze fixed on the battlefield between Nami and Lyme Jones.

After a long tug-of-war, Lyme Jones, exhausted from dodging and resisting, had barely managed to hold on by using his stun baton as a lightning rod until finally, when a lightning strike sent his weapon flying from his hand.

In that instant, Nami seized the opportunity and unleashed her full power, splitting the lightning-wrapped Clima-Tact into three sections that spun rapidly and flew out!
As it passed over Lyme Jones's head, the lightning on the Weather Stick intertwined and formed a net. With a delicate shout, a curtain of lightning descended from the sky, enveloping him entirely!
"Two Hundred Million Volts of Wild Thunder!!"

Sizzle—sizzle—!

"Uhhhhhh!!"

Lightning flashed and burst forth with blinding light, within which flickered the shadowy figures of people turned into skeletons by lightning, their screams filled with agony.

As the lightning gradually dimmed and the sound subsided, Lyme Jones, his body charred black and his hair now an afro, burped, a puff of white smoke rising from his mouth, and collapsed forward to the ground.

Under the pull of electromagnetic force, the three sections of the weather rod rotate and fly back, reassembling into a long rod.

"It was a hearty battle."

Deng.

Nami stomped her Clima-Tact on the floor, placed one hand on her smooth, jade-like waist, and playfully stuck out her tongue.
"Thank you for the favor."

"Well done, now it's a 1-1 tie."

Reiner chuckled softly, his finger etching scores on the floor of the castle's dome. Bored, he began to scrutinize the fairness and beauty of the referee.

(End of this chapter)