"Captain Roger… gave himself a grand send-off."
The three of them were walking through the streets. Dressed as pirates, they naturally drew wary glances from the townsfolk. Many instinctively stepped aside as they passed but Loguetown was so absurdly packed that even the most cautious couldn't avoid being jostled now and then.
"Ah!"
At the head of the group, Ozz suddenly felt sothing knock against his leg.
Looking down, he found a child. A white-haired brat.
…He looked oddly familiar.
Ozz narrowed his eyes and stroked his chin thoughtfully.
The little kid who'd just barreled into Ozz was now sitting on the ground, clutching his head, his eyes shimring with unshed tears.
A large, red bump swelled on his forehead it looked painful just to see it.
He was certain he'd just smashed into a wall made of solid steel, not a human being.
"Hey, kid. What's your na?"
Ozz slowly crouched down, studying the reckless little guy.
"Like I'd tell you, pirate!"
Unexpectedly, the kid had quite the stubborn streak. Even with a lump the size of an egg on his forehead and facing soone towering over him, he still had the guts to snarl back.
"Just a brat, Ozz. Let's not waste ti," Bucky muttered, clearly finding the kid's attitude annoying and not worth the delay.
"Alright, alright," Ozz replied lazily.
Then he smiled, gazing down at the defiant little face glowering up at him, teeth gritted. Slowly, he reached out…
…and flicked the red bump on his forehead with a finger.
"AAAAAGH! It HUUUURTS!!"
The boy howled in pain, tears spilling from his eyes as he rolled around on the ground, clutching his head.
Ozz laughed harder than ever and turned to walk away with the others.
"Well then, until we et again… Smoker."
"You bastard… How do you know my na… Damn it, this hurts so bad!!"
Watching Ozz's outrageous antics, and the kid now revealed to be a young Smoker rolling on the ground with a massive bump on his head, Shanks reached up and adjusted his straw hat. His eyes glead with sothing unreadable.
For a brief mont, he could've sworn he saw a reflection of his own younger self in that kid.
"Ozz… after all these years, you haven't changed one bit."
"It was just a little joke," Ozz said, his grin wicked.
At the execution square in Loguetown.
People from all over the world had gathered here. From fearso rising pirates of the New World to greenhorn revolutionaries and even curious locals drawn by the buzz everyone surrounded the massive plaza, all eyes locked on the towering execution platform at its center.
They were waiting collectively for a mont that would go down in history.
anwhile, in a shadowy corner of the square…
"Buru buru buru…"
A transponder snail buzzed.
"Reporting in. As you suspected, we've confird the presence of the one called Black Gun in Loguetown. And he's accompanied by…"
The suited man speaking into the transponder snail suddenly froze mid-sentence. His face went pale.
The voice on the other end sounded confused.
"Accompanied by whom?"
The transponder snail now mirrored a face filled with suspicion.
But the man in the suit could no longer respond. A shadow had fallen over him a towering figure now blocked out the light.
Cold sweat poured down his back.
"Hey there. Were you just talking about ?"
He turned around to find a handso face leaning in toward him, smiling politely.
It was a warm, gentle smile but the air around him felt freezing cold, as if all warmth had been drained from the world.
"Sorry, my Observation Haki's a little too sensitive. If you call out my na, I'm bound to notice~"
Before the man could even draw his weapon, a heavy kick slamd into his stomach.
His eyes rolled back as he collapsed, bile spilling from his mouth.
Ozz didn't spare him another glance. Instead, he picked up the transponder snail from the ground.
"Moshi moshi? I've got a question why exactly are you investigating ?"
He stared at the transponder snail, its face now mimicking a scar-faced man with a thick beard.
Ozz's lips curled into a playful smirk.
"…Wochuli of the Five Elders, I presu."
Red Line Holy Land, Mariejois.
Room of Authority.
In this chamber symbol of the World Governnt's absolute power five figures stood or sat in grim silence, eyes fixed on the transponder snail placed in the center of the table.
Just monts ago, the snail had mirrored a tense and respectful expression. But now,
Its eyes flashed red.
Its face shifted into an arrogant, mocking smile.
"Black Gun Dotor Ozz… how do you know our identities?" Wochuli Saint Saturn as the first to speak, his voice low with suspicion.
"Hmm… maybe I saw the future where you introduced yourself to ?" Ozz said airily.
He was clearly making it up on the spot.
But once Haki was invoked, who could really prove otherwise?
The five exchanged a brief glance.
"Future sight, huh… What a distant horizon," one muttered.
"Then let's get to the point. Our ti is valuable.
The World Governnt has been monitoring your movents because we're interested in recruiting you to join the Shichibukai. What's your response?"
Shichibukai?
Ozz blinked.
He had assud the World Governnt wanted to hunt him down. Maybe even lure him into a trap.
He certainly hadn't expected this.
After all, he had practically razed half of Marineford not long ago and was now public enemy number one of the Navy.
And now they wanted to invite him into their system?
Just the thought of it was wildly entertaining.
"Oh? You sure that's wise?" Ozz chuckled, holding the transponder snail close. "I did just infiltrate Marineford. I'm pretty sure the Navy sees as their worst nightmare right now.
If you bring under the Governnt's banner, what's that gonna do to the Navy's dignity."
"The Navy's dignity ans nothing."
Before Ozz could finish, a gruff voice cut him off.
The transponder snail shifted again this ti taking the shape of an old man in a flat cap.
His eyes were stern.
"We've done our research, Black Gun.
Your Devil Fruit ability and innate Haki talent pose a catastrophic threat to the World Governnt. You're virtually uncatchable. For us to let the Navy's ego stand in the way of neutralizing that threat would be madness."
And the truth was…
When Ozz's na and exploits had first reached them, the Five Elders had considered sending CP0 to assassinate or apprehend him.
But once his combat data and full dossier were analyzed, they had to accept a grim reality.
It simply couldn't be done.
And with his powers only growing as he matured, the chances of ever subduing him approached zero.
Even if all he did was use his teleportation to stage nonstop attacks on allied nations and Navy bases, the damage to their dominion would be imasurable.
In the end…
No matter how humiliating it was.
They had no choice but to placate the monster they couldn't defeat.
Even if that ant turning a blind eye to his past…
Even if that ant extending an olive branch.
----------------------------------------------------
(If you're into high-stakes thrills and irresistible charm, Gambling Like Crazy, With Super S-Rank Charm is calling, check it out now!)
(We hit the goal, thank you all for the amazing support!! ^^)
(Next Chapter: "Buggy? Shanks? ")
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