With just a few words, a spot among the Seven Warlords of the Sea was secured.
For Donquixote Doflamingo, this was nothing short of a fate-altering mont.
But for Ozz, it was rely a casual move on the board.
Sowhere along the way.
Maybe as his presence grew more commanding, or perhaps as his strength continued to swell.
The ability to shape the tides of this vast ocean had beco, in Ozz's eyes, nothing more than a trivial endeavor.
As for the favor Doflamingo now owed him.
Heh, heh, heh...
Let him spend a lifeti repaying it.
(Loyal Orange!!!)
As night slowly descended,
The red-light district reached its peak hours of revelry. Inside one of its most lavish private suites, Ozz shrugged off his shirt and strolled bare-chested into the VIP wing of the spa.
And yes.
It was a legitimate spa, thank you very much. Don't get the wrong idea.
Steam swirled and curled through the air. This particular private room, nestled at the heart of the facility, had always been off-limits to the public.
In the warm, misty waters of the luxurious hot spring, a tall figure lounged at the edge of the pool, arms spread wide in total relaxation.
Monts later, the quiet shuffle of three figures entered the room.
Sami, clad in a sheer sumr robe, knelt gracefully by the water's edge, extending her delicate hands to gently massage Ozz's shoulders.
Xiao Liu and Xiao Qi, dressed in light swimwear, slipped into the spring, offering themselves to Ozz for his amusent.
While also holding up plates of gourt snacks and chilled drinks, feeding them to him with utmost reverence.
"I'm quite pleased. The spring's wonderfully soft... and delightfully pale."
Ozz grinned as he praised them, genuinely ward and comforted by their attentive care.
Wandering around all day really could wear a man out.
Back when he sailed under Captain Roger, he had seen the true face of the Grand Line. It was no simple voyage of adventure.
Great pirates clashed without restraint, seizing islands and carving out territory. The World Governnt was a festering machine of exploitation, and the so-called nobles ruled like pigs over a slaughterhouse. Ordinary people lived cramd in the cracks between cruelty and chaos.
Ozz had never tasted that bitter sea firsthand only because he possessed strength, and more importantly, because he had the shelter of the Roger Pirates behind him.
But ever since he disembarked.
He'd had no choice but to rely on himself for everything.
Sure, with a bit of overwhelming power, he was doing all right for himself. But the intrigue and backstabbing were only going to get worse. Whether it was the Five Elders or those self-proclaid sea emperors, no one could be trusted.
Among the few places that still felt like ho to Ozz.
Besides the old mayor's house and Roger's ship.
Was this domain on the Sabaody Archipelago, where the girls he protected now thrived under his aegis.
Yes, they adored him because of his strength and, let's be honest, that tiny bit of handso charm too. But that strength had been hard-won. He earned this paradise of softness and warmth.
And he liked it here this little haven of tenderness.
As Ozz leaned back in serene contentnt, Sami's fingers moved up to his temples, gently kneading with practiced grace. Yet, her expression flickered with hesitation, her eyes betraying a storm of unspoken thought.
"If you've got sothing to say, just say it," Ozz murmured, eyes still closed. "No need to dance around it.
We've known each other long enough, haven't we, Sami?"
Those subtle shifts in mood and expression there was no way they'd escape Ozz's perception.
Sami paused, then lowered her gaze. She dared not keep secrets from him:
"It's nothing, Lord Ozz. I was just thinking...
That Doflamingo based on all my years of business and experience reading people he's not soone who'd ever be truly loyal to anyone.
What's more, he has the sa King's Disposition that you do.
Of course, I believe in your strength. There's no one who can threaten you.
But still… I fear he might be a wolf you can't ever ta."
That uneasy feeling had haunted her ever since Ozz decided to release Doflamingo.
And it all ca to a head.
Because of one disturbing incident.
After a private conversation that no one else was privy to, Ozz erged from the prison with Doflamingo who had been locked up for days. He declared, in front of stunned onlookers and teary mbers of the Donquixote Family, that Doflamingo would be released.
This move shocked the entire red-light district.
To those won and girls who had suffered at the hands of the Donquixote underlings, it felt like a betrayal. Yet, for Ozz's sake, they bit back their resentnt and said nothing.
Ozz, of course, had anticipated their reaction. To prevent heartbreak among these cherished girls.
He had simply leaned down, smiling faintly, and whispered into Doflamingo's ear:
"You know what to do… don't you, Doffy?"
At those words, Doflamingo seed to snap out of a daze. Behind his ever-present sunglasses, his eyes were unreadable.
He hadn't seen sunlight in days. His first breath of fresh air should have been liberating.
But all he felt was cold.
Cold, under the weight of Ozz's wicked grin.
The proud young man with golden hair, once so flamboyant and arrogant, now stood utterly silent.
No hint of that wild smirk remained on his face.
After a brief pause, Doflamingo turned and walked toward the prisoners of the Donquixote Family.
Torrebol and the others also newly released saw him approach and rushed forward, thinking their young master had co to lead them to freedom.
They assud he'd struck so kind of deal with Black Gun Ozz. Who knew what the terms were, but hey they were finally going ho.
"Hey, Doffy! We can finally."
Torrebol started to speak, excitedly.
But Doflamingo brushed past him without a word.
His steps carried him forward, deeper into the crowd.
To the grunts and henchn who had sparked the riots in the red-light district.
These n had been thrown into cells as well, but unlike their captain, they'd received no rcy. Torture was the kind treatnt so had endured.
Seeing their boss now, walking toward them, hope flared in their eyes.
Of course this was their king!
They were finally saved!
"It's…"
Their joy froze mid-expression. Sothing felt… off.
Then ca confusion.
They saw sothing strange.
Was that...
"Is that… my body?"
In the mont their heads were severed, so still retained a shred of awareness.
But they didn't have ti to understand it.
Darkness took them before they could even form the question.
It was a massacre.
A bloody purge.
So of them had followed Doflamingo for years.
It didn't matter.
He slaughtered them all with silent, clinical precision his razor-sharp strings slicing through flesh and bone.
Sami and the others stood frozen, unable to look away.
Even those won who had suffered at the hands of these monsters felt the scene had gone too far. The faint-hearted began vomiting, overco by the horror.
Only Sami, though disturbed, kept her eyes locked on Doflamingo.
And then she saw sothing that chilled her to the core.
After eliminating every last grunt leaving only his core officers alive
Doflamingo did sothing unthinkable.
He smiled.
Not a cruel smirk. Not a madman's cackle.
A quiet, humble smile.
And then.
He bowed.
A deep, deferential bow to Ozz.
His sunglasses still hid his gaze, but his voice ca out eerily calm:
"I hope you won't be angry...
Lord Ozz."
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