Meeting Kaya, Chasing Krieg

The past month had been transformative. Carina finally unlocked her observation haki, and her mastery over the Echo-Echo Fruit was growing more refined. She could now pinpoint heartbeats in a room and manipulate sound frequencies subtly.

Meanwhile, Nami and Nojiko had fully embraced their new powers and—more surprisingly—joined Jacob's polygamous relationship. Their bond deepened, and with it, their combat prowess.

Jacob and Nami often trained their aerial maneuvers, soaring across East Blue like twin shooting stars. While Nami used her Cloud-Cloud Fruit to form solid platforms in the air, Jacob relied purely on his blue flames, pushing his speed beyond sound barriers.

Jacob soared high above the ocean, the wind roaring past him. His Observation Haki flared, scanning the horizon as he searched for potential threats.

Then, he saw it.

A fleet of ragged, black-flagged ships drifting toward an unaffiliated harbor town in East Blue. But something was off.

Through his keen eyes, Jacob spotted the sails bearing the symbol of the Marines—except these weren't real Marines.

It was a pirate.

Don Krieg, the infamous pirate admiral, was leading his fleet disguised as Marine warships, planning to attack the town while making it seem like a government operation.

"Coward," Jacob muttered, fire flickering in his palm.

He descended like a meteor, the air crackling around him.

On Krieg's Ship, Don Krieg sat in his captain's chair, laughing smugly as he addressed his crew.

"Listen up, boys! We hit the town, steal their valuables, and burn everything! If they blame the Marines, that's their problem!"

His men roared in approval.

But the sky turned blue before they could set sail toward the harbor.

Not the soft blue of the ocean.

A deep, unnatural, raging blue.

Then—

BOOM.

A pillar of concentrated blue flames obliterated the leading ship, sending burning debris to the surrounding waters.

Krieg's crew panicked.

"What the hell was that?!"

"The sky—it's burning!"

Jacob hovered above them, cloaked in fire, his face hidden behind a mask.

Krieg staggered backward, staring in disbelief. "F-Fire King?!"

Jacob extended his palm.

"Well, Hello there."

With one final burst, he unleashed a torrent of blue fire, engulfing the entire ship in an inferno.

But the flagship, the one with Krieg on it, left.

Jacob dove through the sky, his blue flames streaking behind him like a falling star. Below him, the Krieg Pirates' fleet scattered in panic as two of their ships were already engulfed in flames, the screams of burning pirates echoing over the roaring sea.

Jacob had already obliterated two ships, then another. But as he prepared to strike again—

The winds howled.

A massive storm rumbled across the horizon, the sky darkening as the sea raged violently beneath him.

Lightning forked across the sky. Waves swelled into mountains, crashing down upon the wreckage Jacob had left behind.

"Shit," he muttered, adjusting his flight to avoid the strongest gusts. His Observation Haki flared, sensing movement from the Krieg fleet.

Amidst the chaos, one massive warship emerged from the storm's shadow—

Krieg's flagship.

Unlike the others, it had thicker iron plating, reinforced hulls, and multiple cannon ports. It wasn't just running from the storm but pushing through it.

Jacob gritted his teeth.

He personally hated Don Krieg. Back in his past life, in the anime, Krieg had always been a disgusting, cowardly bastard, and now, in this world, he was no different.

Jacob ignited his flames, ready to pursue.

But then—

A sudden cyclone spiraled upward.

The storm snatched him mid-flight, sending him spinning violently through the air.

"Damn it!" he cursed, his control slipping as the powerful winds twisted around him.

He fought against the turbulence, pushing his flames to maximum output, but the storm was too wild, too unpredictable.

Meanwhile, Krieg's flagship vanished into the storm's shadow, using the raging winds as cover.

Jacob clenched his fists, furious, but knew he had no choice.

For now—

Krieg had escaped.

***

In the dimly lit captain's quarters of his flagship, Don Krieg sat seething, his fingers tightening around the bounty poster of the "Fire King." The edges crumpled under his grip, the image of his new adversary glaring back at him.

"That bastard," Krieg snarled, tossing the poster aside. "Thinks he can target me? I'll show him."

He turned to his right-hand man, Gin, who stood silently by the door.

"Gin," Krieg began, his voice low and dangerous, "we need a distraction. I want you to disguise yourself as me. Draw that flame-wielding menace away."

Gin's eyes widened slightly, but he nodded. "Understood, Captain."

As Gin left to prepare, Krieg unfurled a sea chart, his eyes scanning the various islands. His finger stopped at a small, unmarked aisle near the Gecko Islands, specifically close to Syrup Village. 

"Perfect," he muttered. "A place to lay low until this blows over."

With a plan in motion, Krieg ordered his crew to set sail for the secluded island, his mind racing with thoughts of revenge and survival.

***

Gin stood on the deck of a small boat dressed as Krieg. The disguise was near perfect; from a distance, anyone would mistake him for the pirate admiral.

The boat set off, deliberately charting a course that would catch the attention of their fiery pursuer.

***

Meanwhile, Krieg's flagship anchored off the coast of the small island near the Gecko Islands. The dense foliage and rocky terrain provided ample cover, making it an ideal hiding spot.

Krieg stood on the shore, watching as his men secured the perimeter. Despite his bravado, a sliver of doubt crept into his mind. The Fire King was unlike any foe he had faced before, and the recent encounter had shaken him more than he cared to admit.

"No matter," he muttered to himself, clenching his fists. "I'll survive this, just like I always have. And when the time is right, I'll make him pay."

As the sun dipped below the horizon, Krieg retreated into the island's interior, plotting his next move while the world believed he was still on the run.

***

Jacob gritted his teeth as the storm raged around him. The howling winds tossed him like a ragdoll; his blue flame burned hotter, consuming the air and roaring like a wild beast.

"Damn it! I need to—" His voice was lost in the storm as he desperately tried to suppress the fire. But every time he fought against it, the storm fed it more, fanning his flames to monstrous sizes.

His body was being torn in different directions—he had pushed his flight to the limit, and now he was paying the price.

CRACK!

A lightning bolt streaked across the sky, illuminating the chaos for a split second. At that moment, Jacob lost his grip on everything—his balance, his flight, and his mask and cloak, which were ripped from him and vanished into the storm.

"Shit—!" He barely had time to react before he was hurled downward like a falling meteor, his body burned in uncontrollable fire.

Then—CRASH!

He slammed through the thick glass of a mansion's large window, rolling across the polished wooden floor, trailing embers and smoke. The pain barely registered in his mind as his breath came out in ragged gasps.

Then he heard a weak, trembling voice.

"...U-Usopp?"

Jacob's entire body froze.

Lifting his head, he saw a girl sitting in a large, luxurious bed, her sickly pale skin standing against the dim candlelight. Long, unkempt blonde hair cascaded down her back, her frail frame shaking slightly.

She was staring at him—wide-eyed and stunned.

Jacob's breath caught in his throat. He wasn't wearing his mask. His clothes were barely intact.

And this girl—she thought he was Usopp.

What… the hell?

Before he could respond, the door burst open. A man with curly hair and round ram horns, dressed in a formal suit, stood in the doorway, a flintlock pistol trembling.

"Stay away from Miss Kaya!" the man shouted, aiming the weapon at Jacob. "Usopp, what are you doing here?"

Jacob raised his hands defensively, confusion etched across his face. "Wait, I think there's been a misunderstanding—"

The man's eyes narrowed, his grip on the pistol steadying. "You disappeared from Syrup Village over two years ago without a word, and now you return like this?"

Jacob's mind spun. Syrup Village? Over two years ago? Pieces of information began to align, painting a picture that sent chills down his spine.

Could it be?

He glanced at his reflection in the ornate mirror on the wall. The face staring back at him was unmistakable—dark, curly hair, a long nose, and a familiar, albeit bewildered, expression.

I've reincarnated as Usopp?

"Usopp," Kaya's weak voice broke through his thoughts, drawing his gaze back to her. Tears welled in her eyes, her hands clutching the bedsheet. "Why did you leave without saying anything? We were so worried."

Jacob felt a pang of guilt. He stepped forward, but the man with the pistol—Merry, his mind supplied—cocked the hammer back, a warning in his eyes.

"Stay where you are," Merry commanded. "You have a lot to explain."

Jacob nodded slowly, lowering his hands. "I... I know. And I will explain everything. But first, please lower the gun. I mean no harm."

Merry hesitated, his eyes flicking to Kaya, who slightly nodded. Reluctantly, he lowered the pistol, though he kept it ready.

Jacob took a deep breath, trying to steady his racing heart. "It's a long story, and I don't have all the answers. But I'm here now, and I'll do my best to explain."

As he spoke, he couldn't shake the feeling that fate had given him a second chance—a chance to make things right and protect those he cared about.

But first, he thought, glancing at Kaya's expectant face, he needed to tell some lies.