"Honestly..."
"He is already that old, and he still loves showing off so much, that old man."
Looking at the newspaper, at the little old man standing there with his hands behind his back and facing down a ring of Marines without the slightest trace of fear, Ozz Dotor bared his teeth in a grin.
Well, as long as the old man was happy.
Sitting on the Seagull King's back, Ozz flipped through the latest paper.
He had spent some time living on Amazon Lily lately, and he felt like his body was starting to give out a little.
So even though the thoroughly addicted Hancock had tried to keep him there for a few more nights, Ozz had firmly refused. He needed to get out and clear his head.
Right now, he was on his way to Gran Tesoro.
"Nani, so Kuzan really did leave the Navy after all."
Looking at the photo in the paper, Punk Hazard had already turned into a land of fire and ice, and the headline plainly stated that Kuzan had lost to Sakazuki.
So that meant he was a pirate now, right? If so, maybe Ozz could recruit him.
After all, they had always gotten along fairly well.
Given how many years they had known each other, Ozz could even give him some kind of junior nickname.
What should it be...
Little... chick?
Hahahahahahaha!!!
Of course, that was only a passing thought. Kuzan was not exactly easy to get along with.
There was plenty of other news too.
A lot of bounty figures had changed.
Roger Captain's bounty poster, for instance, had been reprinted for some reason, and they had even replaced the picture with one of his elderly appearance.
[Pirate King] Roger
Bounty: 5,564,800,000 Berries
[Fire Fist] Ace
Bounty: 1,011,000,000 Berries
[Straw Hat Kid] Luffy
Bounty: 400,000,000 Berries
[Blackbeard] Teach
Bounty: 2,100,000,000 Berries
And then there was Ozz's own bounty, more than six billion.
Countless pirates had seen their bounties skyrocket because of that war.
And because the Summit War had featured so many legendary pirates, along with war footage that was both exaggerated and terrifyingly real up close, ambitious men all over the world had rushed out to sea.
To deal with the even more chaotic era that Ozz had helped catalyze, the World Government and the Marines had no choice but to begin a worldwide draft, calling on powerful people everywhere who still believed in justice to join the Navy.
"How nice. Everyone's so full of spirit."
Two years of peace, power steadily accumulating.
When the new era truly arrived, all of that would surely burst forth in a much more impressive fashion.
Seated on the Seagull King's back and looking down over the endless sea, Ozz could already feel a hint of anticipation rising in his heart.
Before long, night fell, and he arrived at the Golden City.
He had not even gotten close before the flood of lights dazzled his eyes. Everything glittered with impossible brilliance.
Even with just a quick sweep of Observation Haki from afar, he could tell exactly how lively the vast den of excess inside must be.
"Looks fun."
It was even more luxurious than the headquarters he had on Sabaody. After all, the Golden Emperor, who possessed the Gold-Gold Fruit, controlled twenty percent of the world's cash flow.
In terms of extravagance, this place was absolutely top tier.
"Tesoro has managed this place very well over the years."
He had visited the Golden City long ago, but back then it had been nowhere near as grand and complete as it was now.
Now it truly was as large as an island.
"So this is the Golden City?!!"
"It's so extravagant. It's all gold!!!"
"I wonder if I can steal a little..."
At the massive entrance, some pirates were practically bathing in gold dust, shouting in excitement on the deck, utterly unaware that the glittering dust was actually a lethal weapon.
And right at that moment,
a gale swept through.
The wind coiled around Ozz's body and blew away all the gold dust in an instant. Countless pirate ships capsized, while Ozz himself shot straight into the interior of Gran Tesoro.
"So many people."
With his hands in his pockets, Ozz looked over the lavish audience stands and performance stage inside.
Rows of dancers moved in perfect rhythm. Fountains erupted together. The lights were dazzling. The band played on.
Even though he had seen it at the start of the movie, witnessing it in person still made his eyes light up.
And in the center of the stage, a man in a gold-and-white suit was dancing to his heart's content.
"Hahahahaha!!!!"
"There is nothing money cannot buy~"
"A voice says so~"
The music was explosive and cheerful, the lights flickering wildly.
"The power of money is invincible~"
"Gold and dancing make us forget everything!!!"
Ozz enjoyed the performance for a while, then in an instant appeared at the highest point in the audience seats, with a seagull perched on his shoulder.
Golden light washed over his face as he watched Tesoro on stage with keen interest.
"Lord Ozz, please enjoy."
A glass of juice was offered to him.
A red-haired beauty nearly as tall as Ozz himself twisted her waist as she stepped closer, bowing with great respect.
Ozz took the glass.
"Not bad at all. I like Gran Tesoro."
"Mr. Tesoro said that if Lord Ozz likes it, you are welcome to visit anytime free of charge."
Baccarat said with a smile and a respectful bow.
But the moment those words left her mouth, the atmosphere turned strangely cold.
She lifted her head.
"Oh?"
Ozz's smile did not change, but something about it suddenly felt off.
"A guest, hm."
"Interesting. So I'm only a guest now?"
Ozz asked with a smile, but Baccarat had no idea how to answer.
"It really is true that a life steeped in luxury can erode a person's will."
There was a trace of regret on Ozz's face.
"So even Tesoro, who used to be a very clever man, could not escape being corrupted by money."
Ozz grabbed Baccarat by the face. His smiling eyes slowly opened, revealing pupils glowing with a crimson light.
Ignoring her overflowing figure and alluring face entirely, Ozz slowly rose to his feet.
The gold dust that had somehow gotten onto him was shaken off in an instant.
Baccarat's eyes turned pale with terror as she stared at him, and inwardly she could only groan in despair.
In truth, the people beneath Tesoro had been uneasy about how cocky he had grown for a while now. But after gaining control of unimaginable wealth, Tesoro had gradually developed a strange confidence.
He had begun to believe that with enough money, anything was possible. Even the World Government and the Celestial Dragons could be influenced. Even they would have to give him some face in many matters.
Because he controlled too much wealth.
That rise in status, combined with his belief in what Ozz had once said, that money could settle everything, had given him a dangerous illusion.
That he had become one of the great men of the world.
Perhaps his relationship with Ozz could change from simple superior and subordinate into merely one of old gratitude?
Clearly,
Tesoro had miscalculated.
The once lively, joyous hall suddenly became crushingly oppressive.
Everyone clutched at their chests and dropped to one knee.
Tesoro froze on the spot. Then, as if sensing something, he looked up toward the upper stands.
There sat a man with one leg crossed over the other, watching him in judgment.
"Continue the performance."
It sounded like the decree of a god.
The next instant, the gold that had once bent wholly to Tesoro's will, along with his own body, suddenly slipped from his control.
And then it began to dance.
A chill surged through his heart.
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