"I'm not a child anymore!"
Sadgeo roared.
From the moment his consciousness was born, he had spent his days inside a glass cylinder filled with culture fluid.
Back then, he was still very small. His body was unstable. A little old man who often stuck out his tongue would stand before him, observing him while writing and drawing.
During that time, different people would come by.
There was one with long ears who carried a staff.
One with a plump upper body who held a book.
And another was a mysterious man with long black hair.
From the moment he became conscious, he was fed all kinds of knowledge about the outside world.
The one he heard about most was a vague figure named Joy Boy.
He was required to become "him."
To become another "him."
Everyone expected that of him, except for the man who often wore a smile and had deep, unreadable eyes.
That man said:
"Just making another Joy Boy would be boring. I'm sure he'll bring plenty of surprises to the world."
Soon, under some mysterious effect, his consciousness skipped over the ignorant stage of childhood.
Not only his mind, even his body grew mature and enormous.
A terrifyingly abundant power was stored within him.
He was a monster born from the start. The elite guards in the laboratory were no match for him at all.
There was a natural instinct and command in his mind.
To follow the will of the long black-haired man.
It was almost like instinct.
And so, under Vegapunk's care, he spent his brief childhood in the laboratory.
Mr. Kuma once told him,
"You are Joy Boy. A warrior who brings laughter and liberation to the world!"
Sadgeo did not fully agree, but in that lonely laboratory, he still cherished the time he spent with Kuma.
He even learned the Dance of Nika.
His rubber-like body matched that dance in a strangely perfect way.
When Kuma saw such a standard dance, he was overjoyed.
But when Sadgeo got carried away while dancing, black smoke began to rise from his body and his enormous form turned black.
Kuma froze for some reason.
A few drops of cold sweat appeared on his forehead.
Nika...
Was Nika supposed to be this color?
During that time, Sadgeo's personality, shaped by his bloodline, gradually began to show. He also developed his own interpretation of Joy Boy's legend.
He believed that simple freedom and liberation, a world where everyone was happy together, would only last for the short time Joy Boy remained alive.
After some years passed, a few overwhelmingly powerful individuals would inevitably appear again.
Then history would repeat itself, just like the Celestial Dragons.
He did not possess the naivety of Joy Boy, or rather, Nika.
His goal was to become the King of the World.
He would overthrow the World Government through the will of a king.
Only under his control could the world forever maintain freedom and liberation.
And it was for this goal that he had gone out to sea.
Unfortunately...
Perhaps he could not become as powerful as the real Joy Boy, powerful enough to change the world.
At least, not yet.
Boom!
The moment Sadgeo spoke those somewhat rebellious words, Ozz, still holding a cigarette in his mouth, instantly ignited black flames around his foot.
"Demon King Jambe..."
Black-red thunder wrapped around his leg. The surrounding darkness collapsed instantly.
Ozz took one light step, and his figure appeared on Noah's bow, right in front of Sadgeo.
"Kind Father Spectre Kick..."
With just one kick, Sadgeo's enormous body was sent flying, crashing into the dense forest of Green Bit.
That kick was heavy beyond measure.
The instant Sadgeo's head was struck, his consciousness nearly scattered.
The fear rooted in his bloodline forcibly suppressed the ambition that wanted to inherit destiny.
One kick dispersed his rebellious soul.
Father was one of his own.
Sadgeo spat blood, smashed through countless trees, and fell backward onto the ground.
Still, he was worthy of being an ancient giant stitched together from the bloodlines of many monsters. His head was not ordinarily hard.
After a brief blackout, he woke up and sat up from the ground.
"Ow, ow, ow..."
"Did you have to hit that hard...?"
Seeing this, Doflamingo's smile curved upward.
That was it.
That was exactly the feeling.
As long as Ozz was there, no matter what kind of terrifying monster appeared on the sea, they would all be forcibly conquered by that overwhelming strength.
Doflamingo's confidence increased by one.
Sanji's cigarette fell from his mouth.
Two years ago, he still did not know about Haki.
But now, after seeing this scene, he finally understood why Father was called the man who had suppressed an entire era of the sea.
Only after he retired did the era finally get a chance to breathe again.
"That Haki... You've got to be kidding me..."
Ryokugyu felt much the same, but he had expected it.
After all, this was one of the peaks of Haki in the current age.
"I really wonder how Mr. Sakazuki and the others dealt with a monster like this back then..."
On Noah's side, several merfolk approached Ozz at this moment.
They seemed to be talking about something.
Meanwhile, where Sadgeo had landed, several figures emerged from an underground passage.
"What was that tremor? Leo and the others haven't come back either."
Usopp and Robin sneakily climbed out from underground and appeared in the forest. But they had only walked a few steps before they ran into an enormous figure.
Still dazed from the kick, Sadgeo saw Usopp and subconsciously grabbed him.
Usopp was not even the size of his palm.
"A dwarf? No... is this a Long-Nose Tribe?"
Sadgeo had seen the Longleg Tribe before, but in his hazy state, this was his first time seeing a Long-Nose Tribe.
"What is this?!"
Usopp nearly wet himself. His eyes bulged, and snot and tears covered his face.
"Is that the giant?"
Robin was also shocked as she looked toward the distant giant ship.
Ozz was currently sitting cross-legged on Shirahoshi's cupped hands, somewhat surprised.
"You want to go back to Fish-Man Island?"
"Y-Yes, Lord Ozz..."
Ozz rubbed his chin.
Thinking about it, that made sense. Little Shirahoshi might not be suited for travel, especially not when it was not voluntary.
Besides, what Sadgeo needed was only her power as Poseidon.
"Hey, Sadgeo!"
Ozz snapped his fingers.
Sadgeo, who had been holding Usopp, instantly disappeared from where he was and reappeared on Noah.
"I want to discuss something with you. Let Shirahoshi go back for now. You can continue commanding these Sea Kings. How does that sound?"
"..."
Sadgeo, still holding Usopp, was a little stunned.
But what could he say?
It was already good enough that Ozz was leaving him some Sea Kings.
If he refused the toast, he would have to drink the black spear's purple bullet instead.
As for Usopp, he was completely frozen with fear.
Beneath his blank expression, his heart was screaming madly.
I'm done for!
I actually ran into Ozz, Sadgeo, Doflamingo, the Navy...
Doflamingo's gaze also turned dangerous as he looked at this member of the Straw Hat Pirates.
Ozz, however, only smiled.
Was this not Usopp, the only man who, in a certain sense, could rival his close friend Buggy?
Under Doflamingo's disbelieving and deeply wary gaze, Ozz smiled and said,
"Sashiburi da na. Isn't this the Sniper King, God Usopp?"
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The tides are shifting, and secrets linger in the dark... Step into the shadows early on P@treon, where the next chapter awaits before the world sees it.
[email protected]/_theon
Change @ to "a"
