"Fufufufufufu… hahahahahaha"
New World, Dressrosa.
Above the royal palace, wild, unrestrained laughter echoed through the air.
Countless girls in swimsuits splashed and played in the pool below. On the main seat, a man lounged with one leg casually crossed over the other, a grin arrogant enough to pierce the sky. He pinched a newspaper between his fingers, unable to suppress his delight.
His officers, each stranger-looking than the last, gathered around him. Seeing their young master this happy, they could not help but look curious.
"Hey, Doffy, did some good news come in You look really happy"
"Yeah. It has been a long time since we saw the young master in such a good mood. I think the last time was when Corazon was found again."
The eclectic lineup of Donquixote executives all turned their gazes toward the man in the pink feather coat.
Donquixote Doflamingo stuck out his tongue and licked the corner of his mouth, clearly in an excellent mood.
"This sea has welcomed back its king."
"Fufufufufu. Our big boss is back."
The expressions of all the Donquixote Family officers changed at once. Their jaws trembled in shock for a heartbeat.
Then the cheers exploded.
Even the youngest kids were spinning in circles with excitement.
"Could it really be that man…"
"If that is true, then there is nothing to worry about anymore."
Over the past two years, the Donquixote Family's business had, inevitably, taken a few hits. But compared to other people, they had behaved themselves very carefully.
Maybe they had just been scared straight by Ozz.
While others with ambition flailed in the shadows, Doflamingo had stubbornly stayed in his lane. Even when other underground forces offered him incredibly rich conditions, he only laughed them off with his signature "fufufufu" and then, with a smile, sent their names straight to Sammy.
With middle-aged Rayleigh sitting in town, Sabaody Archipelago had become a solid fortress of a base.
And in that little booklet of names that ended up in Ozz's hands, quite a few had been contributed by young master Doffy.
After sharing the good news, Doflamingo suddenly remembered something. The grin at the corners of his mouth slowly faded.
"Right. About that Devil Fruit the World Government recently valued at five billion berries. They are calling it the Op Op Fruit. I hear a lot of underground scum are fighting over it."
Hearing the question, Diamante paused, then thought back and replied.
"The Op Op Fruit… yes. It is only natural. Not only can it remove Lord Ozz's tracking methods, its power on its own is insanely strong."
"Even though we have already put the word out that the Donquixote Family has its eyes on it, there are still plenty of people coveting it."
Doflamingo fell silent for a moment, then rose to his feet.
"In that case, we will go in person when the time comes."
"Make sure nothing goes wrong."
After all, this was a power that could grant true, unrestricted immortality.
He was certain Ozz would be interested.
And as the "officially recognized Devil Fruit supplier," how could Donquixote Doflamingo not secure it for his boss
…
"Bartholomew Kuma. What did you call me for"
Supporting his lower back as he woke from a few-hundred-square-meter bed, Ozz did not linger in the black-and-white bliss behind him. He picked up the Den Den Mushi and stepped outside.
The snail now sported two cute bear ears, and its face, framed by a pair of tiny glasses, was full of anxiety and helplessness.
Kuma had truly reached the end of his rope.
Aside from Ozz, he had no one left to turn to.
"It is like this, Mr. Ozz."
Even now, Kuma's voice was gentle. He kept it as brief as possible, summarizing the whole story about Ginny being taken.
To Ozz, this really was nothing more than a small errand.
Stealing a Tenryuubito's wife.
And Ginny had been stolen by that Celestial Dragon in the first place.
"That will not be a problem. However…"
Hearing the first half, Kuma almost burst into tears of joy. The single turning word at the end pulled his heart right back up into his throat.
"Why should I help you"
"We have no bonds of blood, no deep friendship."
Ozz did not rush. He simply watched the big, gentle bear panic behind that clumsy, honest face, the corner of his mouth curling with mischief as he asked.
He also could not stand this "most tragic cuckold in pirate history" scenario. With Stella as a precedent, he certainly did not mind pulling another couple back from the brink.
But in the adult world, nothing comes free.
"…"
Kuma froze for a long time. After thinking it through, he finally answered.
"As long as you can bring Ginny back…"
"My life will be yours to do with as you wish."
Not a bad answer.
Ozz nodded.
Like this, Kuma was no longer just half an ally by virtue of being a Warlord of the Sea, but a true subordinate.
"To be at your disposal."
The weight of those words was clear.
If one day Ozz's orders clashed with Dragon's, Kuma would keep Ozz's word without hesitation.
A real piece on Ozz's side of the board, embedded inside the Revolutionary Army.
Phone in hand, Ozz walked out onto the balcony and lit himself a cigarette.
Down in the plaza below, dozens of people were chained and locked up. Ozz looked at them and smiled, satisfied.
His low, magnetic voice drifted into Kuma's ears like a warm spring breeze.
"Deal. In the name of the Black Emperor, I promise you this."
"Within one month, Ginny will be back at your side."
Click.
As if spring had truly arrived, as if a flower had finally bloomed in his chest, Kuma's lifelong knot unraveled with that single promise.
Tears poured down his face as a smile of pure happiness spread across it.
Ozz did not bother listening to his thanks. He exhaled a slow breath of smoke, eyes turning distant.
In that moment, a thought struck him.
Was his decision to help Kuma really just because he wanted the man's loyalty
Maybe a little.
But that was not the main reason.
Ever since the Black Gun took down Rocks, Ozz had realized that he had started to lose something.
A goal.
A drive.
His Conqueror's Haki had formally surpassed the threshold Captain Roger once stood at and was now inching toward Rocks' level.
Yet that final step refused to be taken.
He was not sure whether it was his age, or his own confusion.
These days, when he acted, he rarely thought about strategy or growth.
He thought about preference.
About freedom.
If he liked someone, a strange, indulgent tolerance arose in him almost by instinct.
If he did not like someone, even if they had never offended him, a kind of cruel amusement and urge to destroy would quietly appear in his heart.
Rocks' spirit had grown to that level because he wanted to be King of the World. His goal had always been razor clear.
But what did he want
To be the freest, happiest man on the seas.
Yet every day, he found himself taking care of this person, maintaining order over there, flexing his strength in one place, preserving his prestige in another.
Was that not also a kind of shackle
Ozz did not hate wealth or luxury. In fact, he enjoyed them.
He just refused to be chained down by them.
He was greedy.
He wanted it all.
The closer his Conqueror's Haki came to that summit, the clearer his own heart became.
Just like Rocks, like Captain Roger, Whitebeard, Garp and the others, each walking their own absolute path.
Now, Ozz finally noticed a problem.
Compared to being the ever-majestic "Black Emperor"
He still preferred being the "Black Gun."
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