#the need for them to have cuddles and chill won out today but beware. it wont always be like that. :3

[camels-pen]

Usopp using Zoro as 'live ammo' via a human sized slingshot he made specifically for this purpose and someone (Nami? Nami) being like "christ alive there's something wrong with them"

maybe Zoro likens it to being tossed by the "director" (Commodore Orlumbus). He thinks Usopp's better at shooting/throwing people though. 10/10 would be used as live ammo again. Somewhere in the background, Orlumbus' voice is heard saying "this attack wasn't meant to safely throw people, yknow" and Zoro going "doesn't matter. just throw"

after hearing about that, I'd like to think Usopp either A) gets jealous and pouts about it because Zoro's his boyfriend and shouldn't Usopp get sole Zoro-shooting-rights???, B) insists on shooting Zoro more often with a plethora of excuses about the why but the real reason being he wants to get so good at it that Zoro completely forgets that "director" guy, or C) some mix of both. multitasking king

haha and wouldn't it be funny, meeting part of the Strawhat Fleet later on, and Orlumbus being hella confused because God Usopp just. has some kind of beef with him despite them only interacting like once before they all left Dressrosa

on the flip side of that, maybe Usopp offhandedly mentions being carried around by Hack, towards the end of the conflict in Dressrosa. He's a little bit dramatic about it, because he's always dramatic, but most of what he's saying boils down to "Hack was a nice guy: he carried me around while I was hurt, made sure I was okay, and didn't seem to hate the stories I made up to pass the time. he was also very strong and probably madly in love with me" (he wasn't)

Zoro was different with jealousy than Usopp. Where Usopp would glare from a distance and generally give off "he's mine he's mine he's mine" vibes to Orlumbus, he wouldn't say any of it aloud and generally try his best to stay civil. In part, this is due to Orlumbus being huge and buff and scary, but it's also because when Usopp is jealous of someone, especially in matters of love, he's more focused on doing whatever he can to make himself better in some way. Thus the insistence on more live-ammo-Zoro in battle, so Usopp can improve his Zoro shooting skills and Zoro "won't want to go back". There's also his issues with his self-worth and respect of Zoro's freedom to choose whatever romantic partner he wants, even if that isn't Usopp anymore. His brief bouts of jealousy are usually followed up with cuddling with Zoro after because it always leads to Usopp feeling terrible and in tears wondering if Zoro was gonna break up with him. Zoro will call him an idiot and kiss his forehead and he'll be fine after a while.

Zoro was not like that. Usopp said he liked Zoro. That's the equivalent of signing a contract to spend the rest of their lives together. Anyone who tries to change Usopp's mind is the fucking enemy and he's got three blades with Hack's name on them. Out of respect for Robin, he wouldn't kill the guy, but he'd put the fear of hell in him. It would take Usopp telling the real story- about Hack mostly just being indifferent and far more focused on the crisis than whatever Usopp had been nervously rambling about during their time running around- to get him to promise not to fight Hack on sight. Zoro would definitely still size him up if they see him again though.

...or, at least that's what Usopp expected to happen, based on all those romance books Robin showed him. He was looking forward to it a little. Just a little though.

In reality, Zoro quietly listened to Usopp talk about his adventures with Robin and the tontatta and curled around Usopp like big teddy bear. He squeezed Usopp a little tighter, bring him further into his lap, when Usopp talked about how he got certain injuries or eating the tatababasco, but otherwise he seemed rather content. Zoro didn't bat an eye at Usopp's exaggerated stories with Hack except to say that Hack had good taste in men. Usopp got extremely flustered after that and completely loses his train of thought and where he was in his storytelling. He attempted to steal the rest of the booze in Zoro's mug as revenge. Zoro lets him and then repeats the last thing Usopp said to remind him where he stopped in his retelling of his adventure.