Duramos Island,
A coastal town.
The usual peace and quiet had vanished without a trace. Every house was shuttered tight, windows bolted, doors barred.
On the road just outside town,
the kingdom's regular army was slowly approaching, led by a few nobles.
These were the kind of soldiers who'd flee at the sight of a pirate flag in the New World, their legs turning to jelly before the first cannon even fired.
But when it ca to ordinary, unard townsfolk?
Suddenly they were gods of war, wielding blades and spears like conquering heroes.
Refuse to pay your taxes?
They'd slice the rebellion right out of your bones.
If it had been back in his pri, old Zeek was confident he could carve a bloody path through this band of greenhorns with ease.
but that was a long ti ago.
Now, even calling up his Haki was beyond him.
"Hey! Old man!! Surrender quietly!"
"You've cost the kingdom a fortune, all over so decrepit relic…"
The lead noble narrowed his eyes, a glint of greed flashing within.
"Lord Count, His Majesty the King wants this ss cleaned up quickly. The agents from the World Governnt are on their way."
Another noble stepped close, whispering into the old count's ear.
"I know," the count said, straightening the collar of his embroidered cloak.
"In that case All units, attack!!"
Fwoom!
Just as his voice fell, a plu of dust exploded up ahead. The old count frowned.
"What's going on?!"
But no one answered him.
From within the haze, a thin, wiry figure slowly erged, dragging the limp body of a soldier by the arm.
swaying slightly as he stepped into view.
It was Old Zeek.
"Who the hell is this relic? You'd break a tooth just trying to bite into him. Still got the guts to play hero?"
The old noble squinted at the haggard man like he was already a corpse.
"You're falling apart, and you still think you matter? Pathetic."
At his command, soldiers surged forward, blades raised and guns loaded, all rushing toward the elderly figure.
Just so washed-up pirate. The king was far too cautious.
The count chuckled at the mory of the king's "warning" before departure
so nonsense about the World Governnt uncovering potential irregularities on this island, suggesting a more thorough intel sweep...
What a joke.
All that mattered was seizing this town. With its resources, they could finally afford to buy their way into the World Governnt's fold ensuring their grip on power for years to co.
The count's eyes drifted over the quaint but tidy little town, already calculating how much treasure he could embezzle from it.
anwhile.
the muscular soldiers charged toward Old Zeek, and the pressure started to mount.
Behind him, a ragtag militia of able-bodied townsfolk trembled in place, legs shaking like reeds in a storm.
Going up against trained soldiers with kitchen knives and hatchets?
Not a chance in hell.
"Damn it! Petty tyrants…"
Zeek gritted his teeth, staring at the so-called 'elite troops' swarming toward him.
Back on the sea, these guys wouldn't even qualify as cannon fodder for bottom-tier pirates.
Just his luck.
a tiger fallen into a pack of mutts.
"If Ozz were here, you bastards wouldn't even get to strut like this!"
"What, started babbling in fear already? You senile old fool, I'll"
Thud
Thud
Thud
...
The threat died in the soldier's throat, along with him.
Before the old noble could react, waves of soldiers were collapsing like puppets with their strings cut.
His words caught in his throat.
His face froze.
"Nani…"
That was the last thing he muttered before darkness swallowed his thoughts, and he too crumpled to the ground.
The bizarre sight stunned Zeek mid-charge.
He had braced himself for a final stand yet the battlefield fell silent in an instant.
But he'd seen enough in his life to recognize what was happening.
His face flushed red as he spun around, scanning the area.
"Hey! Brat!! That you?!"
He turned this way and that, searching desperately for the one figure he'd been dreaming of.
But he didn't know.
The "brat" he longed for was still thousands of ters away, far out on the sea.
"Turns out showing up late was just the right timing."
Ozz watched everything unfold on the island, exhaling a quiet sigh of relief.
Good thing Amazon Lily wasn't located near the South Blue
otherwise the old man and the townsfolk might've been in real trouble.
"Your control over Conqueror's Haki… has gotten sharper, Ozz."
Mihawk stood beside him, watching the distant flash of black lightning that had expertly taken down a cluster of enemies. His praise was sincere.
Ozz, however, was less enthusiastic, black lines sliding down his face.
You're one to talk about sharp…
Back on the island, no one could find the source of the incident. It wasn't until so coastal townsfolk spotted a red ship approaching the harbor that word spread to Old Zeek.
A red ship?
Zeek only needed a mont before bolting toward the shore.
Sure enough there it was. That unmistakable jagged prow, and the rmaid emblem…
"HEY!!! OLD MAN!!!"
From atop the ship's figurehead,
Ozz spotted the bouncing, animated figure on the dock and raised his hand in greeting.
In the blink of an eye, the Oro Jackson seed to flash through space itself, appearing at the dock like it had never been at sea.
"It really is Ozz!!!"
"Haven't seen him in years I almost didn't recognize him!"
"Hey, Jessie, that's Ozz, right? He's gotta be over three ters tall now…"
The crowd exploded in cheers, the townsfolk elated and stunned.
All except for Zeek.
His jumpy, animated energy faded as he stood still, staring hard at that radiant, larger-than-life figure.
That presence so familiar…
It wasn't the face. Not really.
But that raw, overwhelming aura of a true king…
Just like him.
The man Zeek had once followed across the seas.
Three ters tall, proud and powerful Ozz now stood beside him.
It was surreal.
Unreal, even.
But as he looked into that face, now grown and strikingly similar to the mischievous kid from his mories.
"…What? Don't recognize , old man?"
"…You little brat…"
Ozz knelt, bringing himself eye-to-eye with Zeek.
The old man had planned out a whole speech for this mont:
"Why the hell did you run off with Roger?! That bastard's my sworn enemy, you know!!"
"Hahaha! You've made it, kid beat the Navy black and blue, huh? The sea's yours now!!"
"Not even one letter in all these years? You ungrateful punk!!"
But in the end.
staring at the grinning face of the boy he'd helped raise with his own hands.
tears welled in his eyes before he could stop them.
And what finally ca out of his mouth was only this:
"You're… actually wearing a shirt. And you've filled out pretty well…
That's… that's real good."
----------------------------------------------------
[ Preview for the next chapter: The Usurpation Begins
The prodigal son returns not to reminisce, but to rewrite history. With a single, casual sentence, Ozz declares his intent to take the island, stunning the people who once raised him. As old loyalties stir and forgotten legends awaken, the young king in the palace finds himself face to face with a nightmare in black already seated on his throne. In this world, kingdoms fall not with war, but with a smile and a whispered bang.]
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