Yasopp's eyes widened suddenly, then gradually lost focus. His sclera vanished, consumed by an encroaching black mist that seemed to cover his vision.
In this moment, Yasopp found himself in a dark and eerie space. Black mist swirled around him, with a crimson full moon hanging high above, casting a sinister red glow.
Swallowing hard, Yasopp glanced at his seemingly restored body and muttered,
"Where am I?"
Suddenly, a sharp cry rang out.
"Father!"
Startled, Yasopp shouted,
"Who's there?!"
Before his voice could fully fade, the black mist before him parted, revealing a shadowy figure cloaked in darkness. The figure hung its head low, arms limp, exuding a lifeless aura.
Yasopp frowned deeply, instinctively reaching for the pistol strapped to his waist. At that moment, the shadow began to move, stepping slowly toward him.
The strange environment heightened Yasopp's tension. He raised his gun, pointing it at the approaching figure, and yelled,
"Who are you?!"
The shadow gave no answer, continuing its slow, deliberate approach. As the distance between them shrank, the faint moonlight illuminated the figure's face, allowing Yasopp a clearer view.
The freckles on that familiar face…
Yasopp's expression changed drastically as he exclaimed,
"You... you're Ace!?"
Finally, the shadow responded. It lifted its head slightly, revealing Ace's face, though it was ghastly pale, looking nothing like the living. Black mist coiled around Ace from the neck down. He wore a grotesque smile, his mouth stretched unnaturally wide, almost reaching his ears.
"Hello there," Ace greeted.
Yasopp's face twisted in disbelief.
"How is this possible? Didn't you… didn't you die!?"
Ace tilted his head at an unnaturally sharp angle, a sickening crack accompanying the motion, as if his neck had snapped. He murmured,
"Died... oh, that's right. I'm already dead… HAHAHAHA! DEAD!"
Ace let out a chilling laugh, causing the black mist around him to surge violently.
Yasopp tightened his grip on his gun, his eyes fixed on Ace, unblinking.
Ace suddenly stopped laughing. His body shuddered, and the mist surrounding him abruptly dispersed. What was left in Ace's chest cavity made Yasopp's blood run cold—embedded within it was a human head. The face of the head turned toward Yasopp and, in a haunting voice, uttered the words,
"Father."
Yasopp froze, stunned. Then, his eyes widened in horror as he recognized the face.
"Usopp! My son!!"
The voice hadn't registered earlier, as Yasopp had long forgotten what his son's voice sounded like. After all, he had abandoned Usopp when the boy was just a child to heed the call of the pirate's life.
Usopp's vacant eyes stared blankly at Yasopp, his lips trembling as he murmured,
"Father, I died so miserably…"
Ace's face twisted with irritation. Grabbing Usopp's head, he yanked it out of his chest cavity without hesitation. Surprisingly, no blood spilled from the wound. Instead, Ace's hollow chest revealed nothing but darkness.
Ace glanced at Usopp's head in his hand, his expression one of disdain.
"All this whining—so annoying. If you want to find your father, go then!"
With a swift motion, Ace hurled Usopp's head into the air.
Yasopp dropped his gun and lunged forward, catching the head mid-air. Usopp's voice continued to echo, repeating the word "miserable." Yasopp, trembling, cradled the head with both hands, his mind on the brink of collapse. He muttered countless apologies, his voice breaking with every word.
Unnoticed by Yasopp, a woman with a long nose appeared behind him. Her name was Banchina, Yasopp's wife.
Banchina gazed coldly at Yasopp and said,
"You're unworthy of being a husband, and even less worthy of being a father."
Yasopp froze, his head slowly lifting to meet her icy stare. Around him, more familiar faces began to appear—residents of Syrup Village.
All of them pointed at Yasopp, condemning him as a failure who couldn't even protect his son.
Above, the crimson moon glowed brighter, its light bathing the entire space in red. A surge of uncontrollable rage consumed Yasopp. His vision turned blood-red as he snapped, losing all reason.
Throwing Usopp's head aside, Yasopp picked up his pistol and began firing wildly at the villagers. His sharpshooting skill remained unerring, every shot a lethal blow. The scene was a cacophony of gunfire and screams.
When the last shot echoed, silence fell. Yasopp stood amidst a sea of corpses, his wife Banchina among them.
The gun slipped from Yasopp's trembling hand, clattering onto the blood-soaked ground. He dropped to his knees, his voice barely a whisper,
"This is hell…"
Ace reappeared, stepping toward Yasopp. From behind, Ace's hollow chest cavity revealed Yasopp's tormented face.
Beneath the blood-red moon, Ace leaned in close to Yasopp's ear and whispered,
"Want to escape from this?"
Yasopp, now pale as a ghost, nodded weakly.
Ace smirked, continuing,
"It's simple. Just think about it—if you never had Usopp as a son, none of this would've happened. No guilt, no revenge, no ridicule from others…"
Ace's grin grew wider, a sinister resemblance to Carl's usual expression.
But Yasopp wasn't looking at Ace. Instead, he rose shakily to his feet and muttered,
"I have no son…"
Inside a quiet room, Yasopp's eyes slowly opened.
A cheerful voice called out,
"Yasopp! You're finally awake!"
Still dazed, Yasopp sat up and rubbed his temples. He asked,
"Rockstar, why are you here?"
Rockstar replied,
"You've been asleep for a week! It's my turn to take care of you today!"
Yasopp blinked, confused.
"I've been asleep that long?"
"Yeah! If it weren't for the Celestial Dragon saying—uh…"
Rockstar quickly covered his mouth, but Yasopp waved it off with a bitter smile.
"It's fine. Losing to a monster like that is nothing to be ashamed of. No wonder he's the captain's brother."
Rockstar stared, puzzled by Yasopp's calm demeanor.
"Did he… sleep himself stupid?"
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+255 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg