"In the face of absolute strength, little tricks are useless."
The matter in Gold City had come to an end.
Ozz stood upon the battered Gran Tesoro and tossed the leather-clad girl in his hand onto the ground.
The traitor of Gold City, the backstabbing expert, Carina.
"But ambition is a good thing. As punishment, from now on, you can work for me together with Tesoro."
This beautiful thief, who stood as Nami's counterpart, had decisively chosen to escape on a small boat after realizing that Tesoro did not seem to have fallen.
Unfortunately, Ozz discovered her and sent her back with a snap of his fingers.
At this moment, Ozz was sitting on the ruins of the Golden Tower, watching a group of people fight over the chance to rebuild Gold City for high wages. He was rather pleased by the sight.
Money should be spent, after all.
There was no way to finish spending it anyway, so what was the point of hoarding so much?
Compared to exploitation, was it not better to pay them high wages, let their families live securely in Gold City, then make them work even harder?
He and Tesoro really were wicked capitalists.
"Mr. Ozz, someone wishes to see you."
"Hm?"
Ozz was sitting on the ruins of the tower, eating potato chips while watching them work. Hearing Tiger say this, he paused.
"Oh? Who?"
"Sabo of the Revolutionary Army, and Fire Fist Ace."
Crunch.
Crunch.
Ozz chewed his chips, unsure why those two brats were looking for him.
He had heard that Ace had recently been idling around with Sabo. Although he had not caused any trouble...
The more harmless he seemed, the more he resembled a loafer wandering the sea.
"Come to think of it, during the earlier battle, those two seemed to have shown up, but I never saw them."
Tiger nodded.
"Yes. I stopped them at sea."
"Then let them come over."
Ozz did not mind. He even thought Sabo might have come to ask for investment. After all, Gold City was famous for being rich.
Unexpectedly, however, the two seemed to have come for something else.
"This... was entrusted to me by the person who gave me the Float-Float Fruit. He asked me to give it to you."
Sabo searched his coat and took out a thick envelope.
That person?
Ozz rubbed his chin, then recalled the painting scroll in Dressrosa.
Did that person actually exist?
Ozz blinked, then accepted the envelope.
The photos inside were perfect second-generation copies. The originals had already vanished due to insufficient energy.
"As expected..."
Ozz had originally intended to sketch something casually, thinking that the so-called Azure Dragon Ozz was a nonexistent creation.
But looking at this now...
"Looks like the old man really couldn't bear to eat it."
Because the photos were all pictures he had taken at God Valley.
"I thought the News Coo might make a mistake, so after thinking it over, I decided to personally bring them to you."
After Sabo and Ace delivered the items, they left on a floating rock.
Only Ozz remained, flipping through the photos as his mind sank into memories.
How nostalgic.
That was something from when he was still young.
...
God Valley Arc, Backstab Remastered Version
...
Sea Circle Calendar, year 1483.
One year before the God Valley incident.
"Have you heard?"
"A monster appeared on the sea not long ago. He fought the entire Roger Pirates by himself."
"The whole world is saying that guy is Rocks' son, or maybe Roger's brother."
"Hahahahaha! This sea is getting more and more chaotic!"
On a massive pirate ship, someone turned toward a muscular man with a crescent-shaped white mustache and asked,
"Hey! Newgate!"
"Is that monster from the rumors really that exaggerated?"
"Even you got injured?"
The muscular man, who had been gulping down alcohol, froze slightly when he heard those words. His expression darkened.
He remembered that monster.
Just a few days earlier, several of their commanders had encountered the Roger Pirates in battle.
...
At this time, Ozz was still young, in his late twenties, the perfect age to roam the sea.
Sitting on the deck of the Roger Pirates' ship, Ozz, who had just fought them, was wolfing down food to replenish his energy.
Since it had been a long time since they had last met, he was rather moved by this reunion with the Roger Pirates.
Just then, Ozz's movements suddenly stopped.
He stuffed the last piece of meat into his mouth and stood up.
"What's wrong?"
Roger was still drinking. Seeing this, he could not help asking.
"Nothing. It just feels like enemies are coming."
With a snap of his fingers, a pair of black leather gloves appeared on his hands. Ozz picked up his sniper rifle and aimed into the distance.
Through the scope, he saw several large ships slowly approaching.
Written on them was...
Rocks Pirates?
Ozz paused, then looked more carefully.
At the bow of the first ship stood a blond, muscular man wearing a captain's hat and holding a naginata. He was gathering power.
Milky-white shock waves condensed in his hand, while black-red lightning faintly erupted around him.
Oh?
Wasn't that the righteous Second Brother Whitebeard?
There were also the sibling-loving Linlin and the adorable Kaido, the flashy golden-haired Shiki looking like a spirited delinquent, and...
Ozz's eyelid twitched violently.
Wasn't that the old man?
Although his figure and aura were completely different from his elderly form, Ozz could not possibly mistake him.
It seemed that before his spirit had been crushed by Imu, the old man had been quite a hot-blooded pirate.
Since he had acquaintances on both sides, Ozz found it difficult to insist that either side had to win.
After all, the sea was not only about fighting and killing.
The sea was also about favors and relationships.
"How troublesome."
Ozz held his gun. Although he had thought things through nicely, the commanders of the Rocks Pirates clearly would not abandon a long-prepared operation just because of a few words from some young man they had never met.
So he had no choice but to act.
"For the first one, Whitebeard."
Ozz raised Black Gun. Threads of black-red lightning flowed into the barrel, while Ryuo wrapped around the bullet in a spiral.
At that moment, Whitebeard was preparing a greeting gift.
The power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit gathered in his hand. Milky-white shock waves faintly shattered the atmosphere, releasing a sound like something breaking under unbearable pressure.
The entire sea trembled.
Bakkin Stussy's eyes shone brightly at the sight. This was truly a power capable of destroying the world.
"Kurararara! This isn't because I'm listening to that bastard Rocks' orders. This time, I'm continuing the fight we didn't finish last time!"
Whitebeard grinned, about to trigger a seaquake that would spread across half the sea.
Everyone braced themselves, cold sweat appearing on their faces.
But no one expected what happened next.
Bang!
With a sharp explosive sound, a spray of blood burst from Whitebeard's chest.
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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.
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