What if Krieg had chosen the path of the Sniper?
Part 1: A Shadow in the East Blue
"I have to say, Long-nose-kun, your aim is truly remarkable."
It was a quiet afternoon on the Going Merry. The crew had recently departed Arabasta, and Nico Robin sat on the deck, watching Usopp casually shoot a bird out of the sky from an incredible distance.
"Heh-heh! Of course! I am the man with a hundred-percent accuracy rate, the Great Captain Usopp!!" Usopp boasted, spinning his slingshot. He was a master of his craft, using a variety of specialized "stars" to adapt to any battlefield.
"Truly," Robin smiled, her eyes narrowing slightly. "With skill like that, you might even rival 'Mirage' himself."
"Mirage? Wait, that old man Daddy Masterson mentioned that name too," Usopp recalled, thinking back to the sharpshooter he faced in Loguetown.
"Daddy? You mean Daddy Masterson, the man once known as the greatest sniper in the Navy?"
"Yeah, back in Loguetown."
Usopp remembered Daddy's parting words vividly: "Watch out for Mirage. I might have been called the best in the Navy once, but the man who truly held that title... was him."
"Mirage," Robin began, her voice dropping to a theatrical whisper, "is the alias of a legendary assassin. They say once he sets his sights on a target, they are already dead. A hundred shots, a hundred kills."
"A-A-Assassin!?" Usopp began to shake like a leaf. "Is... is he coming for me because I'm famous?"
"Fufu, who knows?" Robin chuckled. "But they say Mirage seeks out those who are confident in their sniping skills to challenge them. You should be careful, Long-nose-kun."
Usopp froze, his jaw hitting the deck. "I-I-I'm not scared! An assassin is nothing to the Great Usopp! Ha... ha... ha..."
Robin simply smiled.
Part 2: The Steel Arrow
Time passed. The Straw Hat crew, having survived the horrors of Thriller Bark, anchored at a small island to rest. Usopp was sitting on the deck of the Sunny, meticulously maintaining his new weapon, the Great Slingshot Kabuto.
THWACK!
A heavy steel arrow slammed into the deck right between Usopp's crossed legs, vibrating with terrifying force.
"DOWAAAAAAH!! ENEMY ATTACK! ENEMY ATTACK!!"
Luffy came running over. "What's up, Usopp?"
"A-A-Arrow! It just flew out of nowhere! We're under siege!!"
Luffy looked at the arrow. "Oh, it's got a letter on it." He reached down to pull it out. "Whoa! This thing is heavy! It's like it's made of solid lead!"
Franky walked over, curious. He gripped the shaft and grunted, pulling it out with his cyborg strength. "This isn't lead, kid. This is compressed steel. The fletching and the head are all one piece. How do you even fire something this heavy?"
Luffy snatched the paper. "Let's see...
'To the King of Snipers, Sogeking.
I wish to test the skill of the man who claims the title of King.Meet me at the island's ruins tomorrow at noon, when the sun reaches its zenith.
— Mirage'
"Mirage? Who's that?" Luffy tilted his head.
"Mirage..." Usopp's face went pale. "I remember now... Robin's story! The 'Phantom Mirage'! He's a bounty hunter with a reward of over 100 million! He's an assassin who uses a bow!"
"Over 100 million!?" Usopp shrieked. "Why me!?"
"He sounds strong!" Luffy grinned. "I wanna fight him!"
"I wouldn't advise that, Luffy," Robin said, appearing from the galley. "Your rubber body might be a poor match for him. Besides, he specifically challenged our sniper. It's a matter of pride, isn't it, Usopp?"
"A-A matter of pride?"
"The world's greatest sniper," Robin continued. "A former Marine turned assassin. Many claim the title, but none have his pedigree. This is a rare opportunity."
Usopp gulped. He looked at his friends, then at Kabuto. "Fine! I'll do it! What's an assassin to a brave warrior of the sea!?"
Part 3: The Duel at Zenith
The next day, under the blazing sun, Usopp stood in the center of the ruins. He adjusted his goggles and closed his eyes, focusing on the wind.
Whish.
"Special Attack: Lead Star!!" Usopp fired instantly toward the sound. There was no impact—only a return fire. A steel arrow whistled past his ear.
Usopp dove behind a stone pillar. "Mantis Meteor Star!!" He fired a high-arching shot that exploded over a distant wall.
Suddenly, a black arrow punched straight through a three-foot-thick stone wall as if it were paper, landing exactly where Usopp's head had been a second ago.
"What kind of power is that!?" Usopp scrambled away, firing smoke stars to mask his movement.
The battle of cat and mouse lasted for nearly an hour. The assassin never showed his face.
"Take this! Super Smoke Star!!"
A massive cloud of smoke engulfed the ruins. He can't hit what he can't see! Usopp thought. But a second later, an arrow cut through the fog, aimed directly at his heart. Usopp rolled out of the way, having anticipated the shot.
"Three-way Flame Star!!" He fired three explosive rounds at the trajectory of the arrow.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Usopp's jaw dropped. "No way... he shot all three out of the air in mid-flight!?"
He realized the arrows were coming from the highest point of the central ruins. "Fine then... Gunpowder Star! Rolling Gunpowder Star! Triple Gunpowder Star!!"
Usopp didn't aim for the sniper; he aimed for the pillars supporting the building. With a thunderous crash, the front of the structure collapsed.
As the dust cleared, a man stood atop the rubble. He threw off his hooded cloak to reveal a muscular physique and light purple hair tied back. In his hands, he gripped a massive bow made entirely of forged steel.
"Fuhaha... FUHAHAHAHA! Not bad, King of Snipers! I wasn't going to take this seriously, but you're actually fun!"
The man's eyes suddenly shifted, glowing with an eerie light.
"Now then... let's start Round Two. Giro Giro: White Eye!!"
Profile: The Phantom Sniper
"Mirage" (Don Krieg)
Bounty: 762,000,000 Berries
Devil Fruit: Giro-Giro no Mi (Vision-Vision Fruit) - Awakened.
The "Evil Eye" Ability: In this reality, Krieg's awakening allows him to manifest "Mystic Eyes." He can see through walls, track heat signatures, and even perceive the "lines of death" (limiting his range but making his arrows unavoidable).
Weapon: The All-Steel Greatbow "Kijinaki" (Pheasant's Cry). A bow so heavy only a man with Krieg's modified physical strength can draw it.
Backstory: After the Ohara incident, he fled the Navy and became an assassin. During the chaos of Fisher Tiger's attack on Mary Geoise, he rescued the Boa sisters. He now resides on a small island near Amazon Lily and is in a relationship with Boa Sandersonia. He is a master of Armament and Observation Haki, capable of coating his steel arrows in Haki to pierce even Logia users.
Role: He eventually appears in the Dressrosa arc as a "Guardian" ally, providing long-range support that changes the tide of the war.
🌟 The story is already written… waiting to be unleashed. Claim early access on Patreon: [email protected]/Master_Studios677
🔓 You hold the keys to bonus chapters:💬 10 reviews ignite 1 bonus chapter🔷 60 Power Stones summon another
🔥 Your power determines how fast the tale unfolds.