Usopp asked Sig to tell a story. Initially, his intention was merely to attract Kaya's attention and alleviate her pain.
However, as Sig began his story, Usopp found himself completely captivated.
Then, the worldview of this seven-year-old child was utterly shattered.
It was as if a door to a new realm had opened…
In Usopp's heart, a singularity of infinite possibilities exploded. A brand-new universe he had never imagined before was born!
"How could it possibly be ?"
Suddenly, Usopp recalled the stories he had previously told Kaya and was filled with self-reproach.
"What was I even doing before... Stories about goldfish the size of islands? That's nothing but a fairytale!"
But just at this moment…
Kaya, seemingly having forgotten her illness, weakly asked:
"What does it mean that the Great Dao has been obliterated? Is the Great Dao just a big road?"
Sig, who had been eloquently speaking, paused for a moment, then pondered and replied:
"The Dao that can be described is not the eternal Dao."
"The Great Dao is… something that can only be understood with the heart."
"That's right! Smart children can understand it!"
While Kaya remained confused, Usopp, on the other hand, had his eyes sparkling with enlightenment.
"That's right! I've already understood it!"
Usopp thumped his chest and said, "Kaya, don't you understand?"
Sig blinked in surprise and glanced at little Usopp, feeling a subtle emotion stir in his heart.
"Not bad," Sig praised.
"The strong are often lonely. Having someone who understands is truly rare!"
"I am not alone on this path!"
Sig was not stingy with his praise. Then, he turned to look at Kaya.
"So, Kaya, you should have understood, right?"
"I think… I understood?" Kaya still seemed a bit puzzled.
"Very good. Now, let me tell you the story of the Sniper King…"
Sig's enthusiasm grew, and he continued telling his stories.
But as for Usopp, he didn't seem to be paying much attention to the stories anymore. Instead, his entire focus was on Sig.
Imitating Sig's mannerisms, he clasped his hands behind his back and looked up at the sky.
"From now on, I am no longer Captain Usopp."
"I am… the Great Usopp!"
Seven-year-old Usopp experienced a profound transformation from within!
At this moment, Sig, who had been passionately telling his story, suddenly blinked, and his words came to an abrupt stop.
Because, in his ears, a voice suddenly sounded, waking him up in an instant.
"Side mission: Pirate's Lighthouse, completed!"
"Reward: One opportunity for a random character card draw from another world."
The moment Sig heard the voice, half of his drunkenness faded away.
"Kaya, is your illness cured?" Sig asked directly.
"No… it still hurts a little," Kaya shook her head.
Sig glanced at Usopp, feeling a bit bewildered.
Kaya's illness hadn't been completely cured yet, and somehow, the Pirate's Lighthouse mission was completed because of a story he made up while drunk?
Was this story, made up in his drunken state, really that significant to Usopp?
Looking at the bottle of alcohol in his hand, Sig suddenly didn't know what to say.
In any case, this story teaches us that alcohol is a good thing (not really).
With a shift in his thoughts, Sig's mind once again sank into the vast sea of stars.
It was time to draw a card again.
Endless stars sparkled, and a sea of starlight gathered in front of Sig, almost swallowing him whole.
When the brilliance dimmed, a bronze-colored card appeared before Sig.
The card flipped over, and the moment Sig saw the figure on the card, he was stunned.
Familiar black curly hair. A familiar long nose.
Judging by the appearance of the Usopp on the card, it seemed to be the Usopp from twelve years later, revealing his strong and toned upper body.
Character Card No. 5: Usopp
Lies Become Truth: Lies spoken have a very small chance of becoming reality in some way. The more sensational the lie, the higher the probability.
Observation Haki: A heightened ability to sense the presence of others. Usopp's Observation Haki allows him to perceive the aura of enemies from long distances.
After clearly reading the card's abilities, especially the Lies Become Truth skill, only one thought remained in Sig's mind.
"I, Sig the Bandit King, will one day leave behind a legend of suppressing all 56 Emperors of the world!"
Aside from this skill, Observation Haki was also a highly versatile ability.
If Sig had possessed this card during his fight with Kuro,
perhaps he could have used Observation Haki to enhance his perception and see through Kuro's movements!
Of course, Sig could only obtain the same level of Observation Haki as Usopp's once their compatibility reached 100%.
However, Usopp's Observation Haki had only just awakened…
Besides that, another question caught Sig's attention.
"Why is the quality of this card only C-Level?"
Sig asked the system about it.
Soon after, a line of system descriptions appeared:
C-Level and below cards represent one aspect of the original character. Once compatibility reaches 100%, the user can fully master the known abilities of the original character. However, abilities not described on the card cannot be obtained.
For instance, even with maximum compatibility, the C-Level Usopp card does not grant the "Sniping Talent (Precision Shots)" ability since it's not listed on the card.
Higher-quality S-Level cards, on the other hand, not only grant all of the original character's abilities but may also exceed the original character's potential.
For example, some S-Level cards Sig had previously possessed:
The KING Card: It unlocked the "Imperial Engine Excitation Field," a power that didn't exist in the original KING character.
The Morgan Card: It granted an anti-Garp ability… clearly a strength the real Mogan didn't possess.
After understanding all of this, Sig immediately prepared to equip the newly acquired Usopp card. His consciousness returned to reality, and he continued telling Kaya stories.
Compared to Banchina, Kaya's illness was much milder. About two hours later, her pain had already subsided.
Her once overly pale face had regained a healthy flush of color.
"Doctor, this time, it's truly thanks to your medicine..."
Kaya's parents, who had been waiting anxiously outside the door, quickly came in to express their gratitude.
"No need to thank me. Besides, I'm not the one who's truly a doctor—"
Just as Sig finished speaking, he caught sight of the heavy pouch of money in Kaya's parents' hands, and his gaze shifted slightly.
"So, I'll make sure to pass along your gratitude to the real doctor."
He accepted the pouch with a serious expression.
"Uncle Sig, are you preparing to set sail?"
Little Usopp looked up at Sig.
It was time for another farewell.
Should he leave something for this child as a gift?
Sig searched his pockets but only found a small bottle.
It was a spare vial of wolf fang sword cleansing solution...