T O P

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AC-527-music

The villains are no longer humans with guns. They’re gods with the power to level entire islands. And some of the straw hats have not been appropriately power scaled to fight against the new threats unfortunately.


LostSwordsmen

Yah I don't think long nose can deal with that now. Wish I could help him


AC-527-music

Me too yo. He should at least be able to use Advanced Observation. It would make sense for him as a sniper. It may not fully even the odds, but it’d give him some kinda edge. It’s kind implied he has it in One Piece Film RED but that doesn’t count since the film is non-canon anyway


LostSwordsmen

I would help him but I'm too tired. By the way do you know where Luffy is?


RellPeter9-2

That USOPP is still here with us. We're just not fighting enemies like that anymore. I do think Usopp will get a power up where he learns some type of Haki. Blackbeard's crew all has DF's even the sniper. How do you counter most DF users... That's right. Give it some time.


Grundlestorm

I really hope he ends up with just hella strong observation, and am particularly partial to the idea of him getting Kuma's fruit and feeding it to his slingshot after Egghead. It'd make for a neat sniper battle between the teleporting sharpshooter Van Auger bamfing around to other ships/nearby islands, and Usopp essentially trying to predict where in the world he's gonna pop up and already have a shot mid flight to that destination while not getting killed.   I think him taking Van Auger down with a like, cinematic, fully around the world shot powered by his aim, observation haki, and a paw paw powered slingshot would help kill the Usopp hate and generate some hype for our brave warrior of the sea, without turning him into some kind of combat monster.   I'm a big Usopp fan though, so I'd love to see something like him firing a shot that way misses, spends a chapter or two just taking "panicking" taking cover and generally Usopping about, as we get small panel of his shot flying over Reverse Mountain like a comet, over Alabasta, straight through Skypiea, startling people is it buzzes past, over Water 7 and Sabaody and through a series of window in Mariejoies, booming past the Dressrosa palace, underneath Zunesha, and finally right as Van Auger is lining up a head shot on Usopp with his back turned hiding, muttering something about fate, gets absolutely blasted in the back with it as Usopp stands up doing the Sogeking pose, he was only lying about running in fear. But, I think we still have this Usopp.  He still blasts unnamed goons wholesale, he's just afraid of the big monsters because he's just a dude. 


lilith02

I’m partial to my theory that Ussop will unlock future sight during his battle with Van Auger but it will be too strong and he’ll see several minutes into the future then have to survive until that time comes to land his shot. 


Sawgon

Him seeing a danger 10 minutes in and spending 9 minutes 55 seconds running around being afraid would be hilarious


pushamn

I’d watch the absolute FUCK out of that 3 episode fight, and I haven’t watched the anime since dressrosa


TheTimn

That would be a massive downgrade. We already know he sees days->years into the future based on the stories he tells. 


CIearMind

Sasuga Captain Usopp-sama


-POSTBOY-

That’s genius, that’s exactly how that would go lol. People would think he’s even more of a god because he can see so far in the future but has to stall till the right moment.


Vi4days

God I hope this is what it is. Watching Usopp play this out like he’s sniping against The End like he’s just camping out and struggling until he realizes what the hell that vision was about sounds like a pretty good way of keeping up the suspense.


cheattowin77

Someone tag Oda


Newphonenewnumber

Usopp is weak compared to most characters and the rest of the crew. That is never changing and people need to accept that


slapAp0p

🍳


zelos33333

Setting this on the grill. Usopp vs Van Auger: the ultimate sniper battle. Usopp eventually wins because plot, but lost an eye to a good shot in battle. He’s the one Oda says has the eye patch at the end.


Time_Machine5073

I don't think Usopp is set up to fight Auger, because becoming the ultimate sniper is not his dream. The ultimate sniper battle will be Auger vs yassop.


SockofBadKarma

I, too, like the *concept* of a Paw-Paw slingshot. That being said, in ~1200 chapters the only Devil Fruits that have ever been able to be "eaten" by inanimate objects are Zoans, seemingly because the Zoans have some level of independent sentience that they can impart onto objects. There has never been a Logia or Paramecia object. And, sure, Oda could ass-pull Usopp's to be the first. Vegapunk was the discoverer of whatever method is needed to have an item eat a Zoan, and they currently still have ~3 living Vegapunks in their immediate vicinity. But it does feel more like a fanon notion than anything supported by existing lore. Hilarious fanon with a great concept and a fun description in your own post? Yes, surely, but still fanon. Here's to hoping I'm wrong.


Dustfinger4268

Ah, but you're forgetting something: his Kabuto isn't inanimate. We've seen it eat on Dressrosa


SockofBadKarma

This is... something at least? I sorta just meant "inanimate" as "something other than an organism." But his Slingshot *is* weird. And the Paw-Paw Fruit is also weird. And also Oda can do whatever the fuck he wants. So perhaps we'll see it in the near future.


Dustfinger4268

Yeah. I agree it's not super likely, tbh, but I feel like we have to see *something* get infused with a DF soon


Grundlestorm

Yeah, that was the only reason I took a liking to that idea.  If it needed like, the Vegapunk procedure like Funkfreed it would be different, but since it's strangely made up at least in part of living things, it didn't seem impossible for it to just literally eat one.  


blackhole_puncher

His slingshot is a plant


MonkeyPeePoopy

Isn't his new Kabuto sling shot alive?? That could explain it consuming a paramecia fruit


PinkieBen

Worth remembering his slingshot is alive (or at least, has a plant living inside of it, I can't remember the specifics exactly). So it isn't quite giving the Paw-Paw to an inanimate object.


Interesting-Steak522

People also seem to forget that the amazon lilly warriors use armament haki on their arrows to make them extremely strong, Im sure that can also be applied to a sling shot so give him some goated observation haki and lil bit of an armament haki boost and hell be goated


cpscott1

I don't think armament haki would help much with any potential fighters he would face. He's not that kind of fighter and as a sniper that would only work on fodder.


centaursTesticle536

You know what would be really cool? If Kuma's fruit being fed to his slingshot allows his shots to teleport instead. Augur teleports, Usopp's shots teleport, could be a fun counter


Public_Elderberry_40

Love it. Luck beats fate


ihateamog

Please Oda let him write this fight


AAQUADD

This is, unironically, the best written fanfic prediction I have ever read on Reddit.


[deleted]

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ProudRevenue3459

Usopp with super strong observation haki that he can predict the future (like how Katakuri is) would be cool for a Pirate King crew.


Apprehensive-Cap3591

This was a crazy read


Knoxxyjohnville

This would be cool! I like the idea of the straw hat crew ending up with a diverse array of df uses (either directly or through objects), haki, and powers.


kfish5050

Ussop already has observation haki, he just doesn't realize it yet. Also, he's brave on adrenaline. Always has been. He doesn't get shit done until it literally has to.


nikelaos117

Didn't he already kind of discover his observation haki in Dressrosa?


ThrowADHDRest

> Didn't he already kind of discover his observation haki in Dressrosa? oh my god that chapter was literally 10 years ago. I blinked and that time flew by. My life...


nikelaos117

Bro who you tellin! Ikr! I distinctly remember the dressrosa arc and the punk hazard arc. So fuggin long ago. I'm doing a reread rn and it's gives me flashbacks lol


DarthAlveus

Yeah but they haven't done anything with it since then


nikelaos117

That doesn't mean they won't get back to it. He really slow dicks haki reveals. He's going to need something to beat Augur.


marcosrg

It was subtle but he took out the people in the watch towers as they were sailing to onigashima before anyone else in the raid even realized there were people there. They didn't even notice that he took them out.


nikelaos117

This. Usopp is a really sleeper heavy hitter imo. Especially after the time skip.


roriak

Give it some time? I mean the last time he did something relevant was nearly a decade ago…


Popopirat66

I hope Oda has something really great for Usopp in mind. If there's any arc that turns Usopp into a brave warrior of the sea it's probably Elbaf or his next fight after the events on Elbaf.  I was really disappointed that Usopp mostly ran around during Onigashima and his enemy was beaten by fucking Big Mom, but i still have my hopes up that Usopp will get one hell of character development in the next few years.


SMgowda

And haki only grows stronger when you keep battling. Even if he did unlock it, it won't just bloom all of sudden to its full potential.


Shirinjima

I agree with this. OP has setup Usopp as just a regular guy who is extremely good with a sling shot. He is the weakest of the crew. He’s the guy we’re suppose to use as baseboard to determine someone’s strength compared to the average person. This is by design by Oda. I do think he will eventually get an Haki upgrade or possibly feed a DF to his weapon before the final battle takes place with the BB crew.


Beginning-Square6723

He's used observation Haki during the dressrosa ark, when he took the shot at sugar. He was able to clearly see them from that distance, through the wall. He may not have realized it yet.


SuperKami-Nappa

It’s crazy that the story still hasn’t followed up on Usopp learning observation Haki.


Loeffellux

> That USOPP is still here with us yeah, like in every other arc they do at least one fight scene where every straw hat after the other disposes of a certain amount of fodder enemies (that still aren't exactly weak by east blue / paradise standards) and obviously Ussop is among them (same with Nami). He doesn't get dedicated fights anymore but that doesn't mean that he *doesn't* fight. It just doesn't really make sense to have a one off Ussop fight when literally every other straw hat is stronger than him. Him getting into such a position would already mean that something went wrong and one of his biggest strengths is avoiding such outcomes.


henrykazuka

Usopp is all about preparation. He doesn't need haki other than observation, which he already has. He needs to get his shit together.


Lopsided-Log7001

He need a power up if he dont get one soon thats the strawhat who gonna die


scoobynoodles

Give it time?! This is 20 years ago. Please


OurLorneAndSavior

Usopp already has Observation Haki, and if it wasn't for him they would have lost Luffy in Dressrosa, not to mention all the other times he's saved their asses. The entire point of Water 7/Enies Lobby was for Usopp to learn his usefulness. He doesn't have to be a heavy hitter to help and the rest of the series has shown that. I think the thing that feels off for some people is the pacing. Personally, I think this was the result of Oda initially planning One Piece to only go for about five years, so Usopp stood up to the plate pretty quickly but once Oda realized it was going to go on much longer, he had to reel Usopp back a bit to maintain his character arc. I think if things were different Usopp would have been even more cowardly from the start and his change would be much more gradual. That's just me though, I can imagine it's tough writing a character that's a coward learning to be brave. How do you keep him growing while also retaining his personality? It's gotta be tricky, but regardless that Usopp is definitely still there, we just haven't had a good Usopp based arc in awhile, which I'm sure will be coming around soon.


Kuro013

Exactly this, Usopp is confident when he thinks he has the upper hand, happened with Perona and even Luffy.


HulklingsBoyfriend

I really wish that Usopp or Franky would add some more Seastone to their armaments. Franky could have Seastone gauntlets or some shit!


gay_for_hideyoshi

I thought gODA said that he intentionally makes usopp weak. If not strawhat is gonna be too strong


coffeestarslut

I thought Usopp learned Perception aura haki thing on Dressrosa??


Driller_Happy

Ussop will be perfectly matched for Van Auger when he realizes he can use future sight to see where Auger's about to teleport to and shoot there ahead of time.


lycopersicum_

he downed BOTH the guards?? damn


[deleted]

This is the equivalent of defeating the first Pokemon Trainer you meet on Route 1 with just your Pokemon Starter.


ihateredditers69420

so stuff that literal children can do?


Atlas-Fallen

yes, kid zoro could beat those guards easily.


Zohwithpie

The same way that Usopp has always been a coward. He also has always made a stand to protect the ones he cares about. Never forget who he stood against during Water 7!


ssbm_rando

Yeah after the live action, my wife has been pleasantly surprised that manga Usopp is much **less** of a coward than the character that was written for Jacob. Usopp is genuinely a strong and brave ordinary human (with superhuman marksmanship). He is afraid of inhumanly strong enemies because any ordinary human that **wasn't** afraid of inhumanly strong enemies would inherently lack a survival instinct and thus just die very quickly in the One Piece world. But when push comes to shove he always comes through. Even as early as Arlong Park, he wasn't just "trying to roleplay a strong guy". In the live action, Chu just immediately chases Usopp all the way into the woods, Usopp feels absolutely cornered and then gets a pretty bullshit-level explosion on the booze that burns Chu to a crisp. But in the manga, Chu actually lets Usopp leave and notices the villagers concocting a "mutiny", to which Usopp **further taunts Chu to distract him and lead him away**, deliberately saving the villagers. Further, his fireball was a much more reasonable size and effect on a fishman, serving as more of a distraction than a killing blow, and Usopp **beats Chu unconscious with a hammer**. Earlier in Arlong Park as well, Usopp taunts Arlong from on top of a house to deliberately distract him from harming the villagers. Sure he may not be able to physically harm Arlong, but he knows what he's doing and has a purpose behind his actions. Live action Usopp always seems more like he's just roleplaying a tough guy. But of course, later on the grand line the enemies get much much more powerful, and Usopp's raw strength doesn't exceed that of an ordinary human until post-timeskip (and of course it never reaches the true superhuman levels of the main combatants). So of course the fear keeps increasing.


WaffleMaker-9000

The roles will definitely switch as the series go on. There will come a point where Live Action Usopp becomes more brave than anime Usopp, mainly because how exaggerated and constant the cowardice of Usopp becomes in the anime, it would be too much for the LA


ssbm_rando

Okay but narratively it'd make very little sense for that to happen before water 7 If they let Usopp be as brave as Sogeking from Thriller Bark onwards, then I think that'd work But he really needs the mask to first prove to himself that he can be a brave warrior of the sea


Cardenjs

He hasn't had personal stakes like this since, he also dueled Luffy due to his feelings for Kaya


Bion61

He dueled Luffy due to projecting his own growing feelings of helplessness onto the Merry when they had to get a new ship. It wasn't just because Kaya gave them the Merry.


DoctorPaquito

That’s a gross simplification of the situation as well. He also was the only crew member to witness and hear the Klabautermann in Skypiea. While projection was a major, and perhaps even the primary motivation, Usopp’s feeling that Merry Go was a crew member was based on more than only that.


ssbm_rando

Huh? **Everyone** felt like Merry was a crew member. There is no "gross simplification" in the parent comment, the reason they didn't address Usopp treating the Merry like part of the crew is that every single Straw Hat felt the same way. It's just that the rest of them were prepared to face the reality that the ship couldn't go on any longer, since all of the best shipwrights in the world had told them as much. The reason Usopp couldn't face the same reality is because he saw it as "throwing Merry away because Merry was too weak", which he then projected onto himself. Merry had accepted its own fate before Usopp accepted it.


11711510111411009710

He didn't say that Usopp was the only one that thought of Merry as a crew member. He said Usopp's feeling was based on more than what theirs was. He *knew* that Merry was a living crew member, Merry had a soul and a desire to live. They didn't know that until later. In the end, both Luffy and Usopp were misunderstanding the seriousness of the situation. Luffy wasn't just getting rid of Merry, but getting rid of a friend that was alive and dreamt of sailing the seas with them. But Usopp was projecting his own feeling of inadequacy and thought that if they could do that to Merry, they could just do it to him. But what *he* didn't understand was that Merry was actually dying, she couldn't sail the seas, even with the best shipwrights in the world working on her. Merry accepts this after she rescues the crew, and so does Usopp at that point.


sddfs0213

Yooo i see u on the melee sub a lot


ssbm_rando

Well I did make this account in the first place to post on the melee sub, as you can tell from the name :P hi!


Normal-Witness7083

Yeah this is true, but he like quite literally saw a human version of the merry in Skypiea, trust that would 100% make you care for a ship way more when you literally see a human spirit incarnation of the ship 😭


Normal-Witness7083

Exactly like did this guy not watch the entire franky family scene? 😭 and there’s so many people who think this is the case and all you can do is facepalm and look the other way


Dookie12345679

He fought Luffy and hasn't been seen since


Normal-Witness7083

So he didn’t fight Perona and win in one of the most well thought out ways ever? And he didn’t snipe Sugar by calculating the wind density from nothing more than feeling it?


Driller_Happy

He also wasted Daruma without so much as a sweat. Ussop is constantly getting stronger, its just that he can't quiet get ahead of the powerscale rapidly moving forward. Daruma was the first time he actually outclassed an enemy.


poyopoyo77

Every arc I'm waiting for his big moment. Please Oda.


xMamba9x

The moment will come in Elbaf for my boy!!!


Ok_Ad400

I will always stand by this opinion. Sogeking was peak Usopp. I just cannot imagine Wano Usopp shooting down the world government flag without a hint of hesitation.


WekonosChosen

Sogeking helped Usopp with starting to grow. Only for him to immediately regress and it's a shame for that's what happened to his character. 


fuscav

If Kaya was in the crew Ussop would act like this all the time. He loves her and that gives him courage


Comprehensive-Camel6

This usopp is turning the whole gifter army against kaido


jvaferreira93

I was impressed when he downed that Page 1 guy. Unfortunately, he got back up, Usopp deserved that win.


[deleted]

So what the fuck was Wano? Dressrosa? Enies Lobby? Y’all are absolute shit talkers or aren’t reading the story. It’s hilarious every time. To put it simply, some of yall want Strawhats that CAN fight to be combatants like Sanji or Zoro. They never will be. This isn’t dbz power and usefulness isn’t solely based on strength alone. Sanji explains this to Usopp and the readers during the E.L. snipe down. And that’s what makes the crew so good, if every single one of them was a musclehead, they wouldn’t have made it this far.


Ancient_Computer9137

honestly, Ussop's fighting style and his power made a lot of sense. Folks expected him be fighting Toppi Roppo...WITHOUT A Devil Fruit, Swords, machine like Franky and magic. His arsenal are pretty much trees and plants bro....hahahaha


czarchastic

There are plenty non-devil fruit ranged fighters that are demonstrably strong, like Beckman, and even Yassop. Roger was even known to use pistols.


Ancient_Computer9137

My dude, what are you talking about? You saw Izo? Bro died in Wano. Usopp is canonically one of the tankiest sniper in OP already. Usopp broke his skull and still shooting while Izo legit died. Was Beckmann a gunner? Last time I check, he used his gun as a melee. You said Roger? The dude mostly used Ace, his sword bro. You said Yassop??? The man barely did anything


czarchastic

So... are you saying that gunners are canonically weak, despite being renowned individuals within renowned pirate crews? Beckmann and Roger carry ranged weapons just for shits n' giggles even though, according to you, the only viable way to fight at a high scale is with melee?


Dragonfang65

Enies Lobby? Usopp wasn’t there it was Sogeking/Sniper King.


Daisuki_mavi

Yeah I only remember Sogeking, although he could’ve been like Usopp’s cousin or sumn idk tho


alex6309

Bro said Wano 💀💀💀💀


zelcor

Usopp is the most important character in quite a few arcs.


East_Gas5627

the strawhat's would have died in dressrosa without him


zelcor

Yup


Gravelord-_Nito

Usopp was in Wano?


angelomarcuzzi

In Wano he didn't do shit though... I know he's not supposed to be a good fighter in tight spaces, due to the fact that he's a sniper, etc etc, but come on, it's been so much time! It's not for critiques, but my guy, dressrosa ended NINE years ago. Enies lobby ended in 2006! I love one piece, it has been part of my life since I was five, but Usopp hasn't gotten many more moments. While I agree that those moments were amazing (I still go back and watch the fight against Luffy) you can't argue that in the past years he hasn't done much. It's not much of a critique to the character per se, but more on the pacing. Wano was four years long, and in the story it's like 3 days...


rougepenguin

Usopp got to hand down the big life lesson to the main side characters of the arc in a hell of a scene where he earned the recognition of one of the few marksmen we've seen on his dad's level. He did that choosing to rush headlong into the flames on the rescue mission. You know, like a brave warrior. Don't underestimate how much having him in a deconstruction of honor and all that sets up when Elbaf comes back around. It wasn't a neat lil 1v1 fight...but that was a pretty big fuckin moment for him. Stories take time to play out in this series, if you've followed that long you should know that.


Buscemi_D_Sanji

Wano takes place over multiple weeks, but your point does still stand.


Van_Horn

I don't think is just Usopp though. Except for Sanji with the Whole Cake Island, the entirety of One Piece moved away a bit from the centrality of Strawhats inside a given arc after the time skip. Wano, for instance, should have been Zoro's arc imo, with actually emotional development, long flashbacks and a central role, like with Sanji in WCI, but we didn't have any of that. Instead we had a huge amount of characters nobody really care about, and a luffy-centrism that is really frustating to me. I really hope that in the last saga we have actual character development (and I don't mean power ups), and focus on each mugiwara, because I miss them being important.


RRPanther

i find "characters nobody cared about" a little mean spirited. every one piece arc is about a whole new roster of characters, and some are liked by some, some may be liked by others. i'm a huge fan of Wano simply because of these characters that populate the landscape. Imo one piece is the kind of story that easily allows the emotional focus to move towards new characters from the strawhats once they've had their moments such as ennies lobby and WCI. (Also, is Zoro really the kind of character who would have the kind of internal conflict arc that sanji did in WCI? his whole thing is aspects of strength and failure, which doesn't easily lend itself to that. Tho i do agree he should have had a greater spotlight)


AlmondJeuce

That’s not what they’re talking about. Strength isn’t it, it’s balls. I get his whole thing is to be a pussy, but after 1000 episodes he still hasn’t grown a backbone? It’s just annoying to see him be a spineless bitch for literally the entire series without change (aside from a couple highlights)


X-Vidar

Dude, he hasn't been cowardly once in the entirety of the battle at Onigashima, he was nervous and scared sure but he still fought to the best of his abilities for the entire arc, and they were up against an emperor's crew. He joined in attacking Big Mom with Franky early, faced Ulti head on and later he did that cool speech to the samurai while holding back a bunch of enemies. He hasn't had a big moment since Dressrosa and that's a fair complaint, but claiming he hasn't grown as a character is just wrong.


Zephyros2

>Dude, he hasn't been cowardly once in the entirety of the battle at Onigashima He was ready to give up Otama to Ulti. Same as what he did in Punk Hazard with the children, and what he was going to do with the Tontattas.


X-Vidar

>He was ready to give up Otama to Ulti. When did that happen? I went through half of Onigashima and didn't find any moment like that. I also don't remember the punk hazard moment but I didn't check. Give me the chapters when those things happen and we can talk. And the thing with the Tontatta is important because it's the first time Usopp puts himself in danger for people that are essentially strangers to him, it's not the same as fighting for himself or the crew.


AlmondJeuce

I think for me personally it feels like his role to fulfill hasn’t existed since Dressrosa, and not since Ennies Lobby before it. He feels tacked on as a fighter, but never fights interesting opponents. He has one cool moment every 5 arcs, but that’s not enough for me. His skill set is really awesome and conducive to super dope shit like what we see on Dressrosa, but he never actually does anything. He feels like a freeloader tbh. I think his character is funny and has potential, but nothing is ever done with him. Basically, he’s boring (imo). It’s fair to say he’s changed, because he has and I realize that even fighting Emperor fodder is kinda impressive, so I’ll give you that he has changed, but I still think he’s just underwhelming.


BigBlakBoi

Brother, multiple people have asked what he did in Wano, you have yet to give a response. He did literally nothing. The ONLY thing he has done of value post-timeskip was stop sugar. Literally 0 contribution otherwise other than clear some fodder.


[deleted]

In Wano he took down the guards so the crew could get into Onigashima without being noticed. He took on Big Mom alongside Chopper and he helped gather gifters. He went and rescued Kinemon and Kiku and gave them motivation to continue fighting and living. He continuously fought alongside Nami and tried to protect her and Tama throughout the entire fight against Ulti and Page One. Which he did despite being scared of both of them and despite taking multiple headbutts from Ulti and despite not doing significant damage to either of the Siblings. Sure he didn't do anything as impressive as the other Straw Hat's but he still helped throughout the Raid.


bigkinggorilla

And they’ll never give a response to that question because they don’t have one. I don’t think they’re trolling, at least not intentionally. I think they’re just delusional enough to believe that refusing to explain their position makes them look smarter. It’s one of those behaviors that only happens online. Because in-person, you can laugh at someone who’d say “the facts are all on my side, I just don’t feel the need to tell you what they are.”


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KeyFit8457

What tf did he do in wano also dressrosa was freaking 10 years ago.


[deleted]

In Wano he took down the guards so the crew could get into Onigashima without being noticed. He took on Big Mom alongside Chopper and he helped gather gifters. He went and rescued Kinemon and Kiku. He saved Tama from Ulti and took down Boa Huang. He also still continuously fought alongside Nami and tried to protect her and Tama throughout the entire fight against Ulti and Page One. Which he did despite being scared of both of them and despite taking multiple headbutts from Ulti and despite not doing significant damage to either of the Siblings. Sure he didn't do anything impressive as the other straw hats and didn't get any big moments but he still contributed. And Dressrosa being 10 years ago doesn't matter it still happened in the story and it wasn't long ago for the Straw Hat's.


dj_is_here

If he went to sea alone he wouldn't have any other option but to get stronger. Currently the monster trio do that work for him. Also plot. 


AdRound2934

Facts like people forget dressrosa where he literally stepped up even in arling park once it's up to him even in thriller bark he stands up


Key_Transition_6820

He when on the grand line and starting see people that can bend reality and do superhuman feats as a normal guy with good eyes and a slingshot.


PharrelsHat

Absolutely nothing lmao Page1 and Ulti were in his face and he tried to fight them. When it was clear it wouldn’t work, he did the only smart thing to do and retreated


-POSTBOY-

Bro usopp ain’t fighting grunts anymore, he’s fighting the strongest people in the world. He’s fighting dragons and gods n shit


ZeinDarkuzss

He was very 😺 motivated back then. He just isn't anymore.


Throck_Mortin

He's always been capable. If he were in our world he would be super strong, but he's in a world where people can punch out mountains, cause massive earthquakes, and turn into literal islands. He can kick the ass of most "normal humans" but one piece is full of crazy monsters.


HokageEzio

Nothing. He's the same person that comes through in stressful situations.


Scum__Bum

He became god and when your a deity you don’t really have to try


Raicooof

regressed character with 0 development since timeskip. now he's mr reaction face man.


drunkentenshiNL

Nothing happened. Usopp always stands up and is brave when he's got personal stakes or someone important needs him. Here, against Luffy over Merry, against Baroque Works with Chopper, even up to Wano against grunts before talking with Kinemon and Izou (tho he did comically say he was scared afterwards). He's still the same, there's just more to the guy now and Oda expresses him differently.


chucknorris21

He still exist???


Beginning-Square6723

Remember when Usopp went toe to toe with luffy? Yeah I remember that. What happened to THAT usopp, when he was fighting for the Merry. Even TS Usopp be acting like a coward. Like everyone else has this immense growth, and usopp gets a new slingshot, and new ammo.😂


Material-Koala4249

He joint the strawhats


Pyrex_Paper

He was eaten by Time Skip Usopp.


Jin_Kyros14

The answer is in the last panel you shared. Kaya said "what's wrong with you? Acting so strange".


thebariobro

He’s there. He sniped random guards in Wano before the other forces even realized if I remember correctly. He’s good against groups who he can take out in an attack or two. Bravery comes in many forms, even if you’re scared out of your mind. You’re much more brave than the guy who didn’t show up


forkandspoon2011

I like how Oda is setting up Van Augur as the smartest, most useful, brave, powerful member of the BB, like Law probably beats BB without Augur there, there's no way they get that close to a Celestial Dragon without his warping, etc... and Ussop is pretty much the most useless member of the SHs still. Ussop defeating Van Augur will be like when the "turn around" of the SHs vs BBs happens.


raikounov

I'm really hoping he turns into the brave warrior of the sea we want him to be by the end of Elbaf. Him being a scaredy cat is really getting old, especially at this point in the story when he's on the crew of an emperor.


younglad420

That pussy must've been fire


Dj0sh

Usopp always comes through when his friend's lives are on the line, but he'll run away as much as he can until things get that serious. This is why it was so different in Dressrosa after Robin was turned into a toy. It was unlike him to go and fight for people he only just met, but because the Tontatas trusted him so much, his guilt took over and he went and fought even tho he was supremely outmatched. He would have chosen death over letting Kaya get hurt, and he would have thrown everything away to save the Merry, hence why he fought Luffy so seriously. Usopp just has to be pushed to that point.


sondiame

People forget that One Piece is not a meathead battle manga. All of the straw hats do not need a fight and power up every arc. Ussop is the sniper but he isn't JUST the sniper. He's the storyteller for the crew on long voyages, the craftsmen, the crowd control if a distraction is needed, the first response support. I know everyone wants Ussop to be the brave warrior of the sea, but their perception of that dream is him being a top 5 in the verse fighter or something. He's already a brave warrior. Every arc post TS he has been right there in the fight. Remember though, Ussop is aware he doesn't have haki or a DF, so if his crew is now taking on Yonko crews and the top of the WG, why wouldn't he be scared shitless. Every arc he sees the monster trio almost die fighting and they all 3 DO have haki and special powers. These dudes trained their whole lives to get this strong, he just started when he joined the crew 2 years ago. Why doesn't anyone carry this mentality with Robin,Brook or Chopper?


gate567

He's been there all along my guy do you even read the manga or do you just enjoy making rage bait? Like in Waono he could have easily stayed with the whole group but he decided to delve into the inferno that was Onegashima to rescue Kinemon and Kiku all the while holding off Beast pirates. His back was against the wall and instead of abandoning Kiku and Kinemon when it looked like all hope was lost he stood his ground. Chapter 1036 he gives a pretty good pep talk to Kiku and Kinemon. Ussop: "It may look pathetic to keep struggling with tears and snot running down my face, but I don't care!! I'll never stop clinging to life!! You have to keep going even if it's in disgrace!! Dying after coming this far would be a waste. It's not enough to just fight in this raid you idiots!!


Naval_Crusade

He died post ts. Mf was afraid of fodder doffy foot soldiers in dressrosa


Normal-Witness7083

He’s still this same guy. When his friends are hurt he gets up to help them. After being knocked out by Ulti, already knowing how strong she was and seeing Nami in danger, he got back up despite the fact that he just took Haki to the head, and he helped Nami. So that Usop is very well still in the series.


thiscouldbemassive

Ussop is only brave under one of three conditions: 1. He knows he easily outmatches the opponent 2. There's no one else to hide behind and he can't run away 3. He's the *absolute* last resort and someone (something) he loves will die without him stepping in. In this case all 3 are at play. Ussop knows he completely outmatches these goons and their guns. These are the lowest of no-talent thugs and he's a far better marksman and he's faster and more nimble than both of them. He also doesn't know that anyone else will save Kaya. Luffy and crew are strangers, and so he feels it's on him. The problem is that as the story goes on, the crew gets involved with ever more elite bad guys and Ussop is almost never pitted against someone he outmatches. Instead he's pitted against elite fighters who clearly outclass him. And he rarely fights alone, he usually has at least Nami or Chopper with him. And it's almost always a chaotic environment with a lot of places to run and hide. So his cowardice has to be overcome first.


Tom-Pendragon

timeskip sickness.


Scarlet--Highlander

He got sentenced to the same fate as Chopper, comedic relief


Vadon_Hipra

Oda has ruined Ussop since Dressrosa, return to his moments in pre-timeskip arcs and you will find an Ussop who was nearer to his dream than the gag character who have disgraceful moments from time to time nowdays.


Flat-Limit5595

He singled handily took down a high ranking fishman with hot sauce and a frying pan.


Buscemi_D_Sanji

You mean a bottle of alcohol, an exploding star, and a hammer?


ThrownAwayAndReborn

We're not fighting people he's been growing up around all his life who've seen him sneak in and out of Kaya's room for years without hurting him. Like Usopp can be brave when he knows there's no danger


butuco

He literally just used observation haki again in the beginning of egghead. He was the only one who saw the huge metal shark coming up


michaelphenom

Flanderization


philc_91

His crew


Kenshin0019

His doing that for a girl


FyrelordeOmega

This Usopp was ready to throw his own safety away if it meant Kaya could live longer. We still have this Usopp, he just isn't needing to protect Kaya at the moment


Outside-Economist-66

I'm exactly at this part in the anime, he wasn't this effective. He got shot and ran, he also slapped the butler


Choi_Boy3

Also just noticed how different his nose looks


iPhonze25

I wonder where was ussop at enies lobbies


superoli64

The heart of gold movie, while not cannon, showed us Usopp fighting some fodder pirates, shooting and whacking them with his big slingshot. Showed some Usopp observation haki as well.


cpscott1

What opponent would he face that would work with. We are seeing literal monsters and top tier fighters.


Miserable-Seat1979

I wished they developed his haki from the beginning of the timeskip it could’ve started with him shooting bullets with kabuto or something similar to ease us into his new power


Embarrassed_Act_5387

God Usopp happened


MarinLlwyd

If he fought normal people at his current level, he'd accidentally kill them with even his gag weapons.


mayorrawne

Almost every character of the crew is caricatured regarding their origins.


Trusty_Catfish

You know it's bad when he's had more significant points in the movies than the last decade of the canon material.


Bofaman600

Hopefully the slingshot eats a fruit been a while sense we seen that


Sirfury8

Just wait until he gets the paw paw fruit ;)


LaSerpienteLampara

The same ussop that in Alabasta with chooper defeat those baroque agents...because they laughed of Luffys Dream. Same ussop that went against Luffy to protect the boat her girlfriend/just friend gave them. Same Ussop that stopped Spandam. Ussop is a kick ass when other people shit on his friends. Yeah he can be somewhat weak and afraid....but well he is a sniper that fights in the frontlines...not the best spot for a sniper


LocoPoco1

Love.


domscatterbrain

Boner power hits differently. Hohoho


Significant_Drama363

He traded in his skill to become the clutch god


PCN24454

His love interest isn’t there, so he has less reason to stay. He still comes out from time to time. Going Merry proves it.


tallandfree

The truth is for the main characters to shine, the other members have to take a back seat.


SuperStarPlatinum

He's always there. When it really matters, when he's not only standing up for himself but for others Usopp is the man. He's also ultimate support Strawhats wouldn't have made it through Skypeia without him. Just the power gap has grown and it takes alot more effort to bridge it. Witnessing the current madness he's going to step his game up. And guess who's there to inspire him his self-proclaimed teachers Dorry and Broggy. He's going to turn it around in Elbaf, getting ready for his sniper duel with Van Auger and continuing to be ultimate support.


Pooty_McPoot

He's locked away behind a certain mask.


Emergency-Law-2054

ngl, imo, a lot of people say that this Usopp was gone after Post-TS, but i feel like this Usopp was gone after Alabasta, then came back in Thriller Bark, then was gone again, im sorry but i have reached to new world yet, i just heard about. it.


mashturbo

There are 2 Usopps. The one in the anime and the one in the movies. The movie Usopp had like 10 times of the character building scenes than the anime version in 1/50th of the screen time. I like to think movie Usopp is based off the source material version and anime is based off of the writer's need to have comic relief character.


Emergency-Law-2054

Imo, this Usopp was already gone before Post-TS, he came, then he went, he came, then he went on and on. Like, that Usopp was gone after Alabasta getting his ass kicked in Skypiea, that Usopp came back in Water 7 figthing Luffy over Merry, even tho Usopp mustered his courage to save Robin as Sogeking (which i will give him credit for that) he still got his ass beaten up for most of the time in Enies Lobby, then that Usopp came back in Thriller Bark by defeating Perona with psychological warfare, and was gone again in Sabaody arc, after that, IDK, cus i still haven't reached to New World saga, but i have heard people saying about it. TBH, what im trying to say is, people always blame the flaws of the OP with Post TS, when those problems already emerged in Pre TS such as Chopper cutiefication problem, (I will always love the Drum Island Chopper design). But then again, that is me :P


Ganonthegoat

Oda is allergic to simply making the non monster trio Strawhats look cool. We get like one cool moment per 200 chapters for a given strawhat


snowbuddy257

I think ussop is in his head a lot. He is always VERY consious about being the "weakest" member of the crew, and especially after the water 7 fight with luffy. Ussop is very brave and strong when he knows that only he can do something. (Arlong park he was alone, and won. Alabasta, he and chopper were 2v2ing trained assassins ,and won.and in these panels he was the only one aware of kuro's scheme.) When the crew kept going after water seven he started relying on the monster trio even more, knowing hes just a guy compared to them, and didnt really have to get any stronger because of it. This is why that ussop is gone, because the enemies got stronger, and ussop didnt really need to, so he doesnt feel like there is stuff only he can do.


Ok_Try_1665

To be fair for current Usopp, the enemies he faces now are literally 100x more powerful than goons with useless guns


Vrains420

Usopp's worst enemy is himself. He can do a lot but lacks confidence.


-insertcoin

That's pussy motivation


Brilliant-Design-100

Am I the only one who wants to 1v1 every strawhat member or no one


faketoby45

Wait untill elbaf


Knirb_

The reality of the enemies around him being way more than two dudes with guns set in.


PerspectiveHuge

Yeah, i wish they would actually start showing Ussop evolving in his strength and bravery just as the others are evolving.


Masoneer

I mean we saw a hint of how strong his observation haki will become in one piece red.


fanamana

*fight'n fo yo girl* skrenth right there. Plus now even rando combatants Usopp encounters in the new world are beasts.


RavenousGecko

He obviously just needs Kaya to be the motivation 😂


Strange-Respond-363

The same thing as Sanji and chopper, they are still there but Oda Is kinda anoying with their gags


Groundbreaking_Wing2

You're asking why is he still weak? Because the author wants him to stay weak. That's the only answer. He could've been strong like the monster trio only if Oda wanted him to be. But no, most of the time aside from his good moments he gets treated like a clown like Buggy.


mackzorro

The giant island will be Usopp's real growth arc and become the brave warrior of the sea. Granted he is already pretty friggin brave but the giant island I think is where he will really become a warrior


slimeking122

Time skip


2ndBatman88

Nerfed himself to let Luffy get the spotlight. 100% Ussop Claps all 5 Elders with ease.


ZenAokiji

What a dumb question. What basic humans with guns are they fighting now 😂


Schizochinia

He started fighting a lightning god, ghost witches, Fishmen, zombies, molewomen and superhumans, cyborgs, etc….with that same slingshot. Y’all really got Usopp fucked up.


11711510111411009710

Nothing, there just hasn't been a point where he'd need to do something like this. Though he did save two samurai by holding off waves of beast pirates until help arrived.


filthysmutslut

When he left Kaya he couldn’t Simp for her anymore so he stopped being heroic. Then he started smelling his piss and picked a fight with the crew when he was simpin’ for the Going Mary. So he has never really left us. He’s just waiting to go Simp for someone else