#snipes

String identified: t t cat a c a g tat ' g t a , a a a a gt t t t a cg g a gt tat cat c t tcg t tg. ta

Closest match: Lymnocryptes minimus genome assembly, chromosome: 5 Common name: Jacksnipe

John Cyril Harrison (1898-1985). Snipe Alighting. Pencil and watercolour heightened with white.

So, I was doing some research on snipers and how they got their name, and I stumbled across something really funny and interesting.

To give context, I was looking into it because of Usopp (shocking, I know!) and genuine curiosity. Apparently, the word sniper actually comes from bird hunting, specifically from trying to shoot a bird called a snipe, which was notoriously hard to catch or hit. So when a hunter managed to shoot one successfully, it became a mark of skill. Over time, people who could consistently hit a snipe were called snipers.

The snipe’s ability to hide and blend into its environment only adds to the legend, since being able to shoot one meant you had exceptional aim and precision. Sniping literally became synonymous with elite marksmanship, the kind you’d need to take down a snipe in the first place.

But here’s the kicker: when I finally looked up what a snipe looks like, I lost it. The bird’s defining feature? A long beak. A very long beak. And who immediately came to mind? Usopp, of course.

Forget Pinocchio. Think snipe. Because at the end of the day, Usopp isn’t just a sniper king, he is the Sniper King. His long nose is the snipe’s long beak made flesh, a symbol of what being a sniper truly means. 🪶🐦