Buggy guessed right.
Sort of.
Yeah, Aus called himself a pirate. But he'd never flown his own flag. Never announced a crew name.
Black Gun Pirates?
Freedom Pirates?
Nothing. Reports just called them "Aus's crew."
Most of the time, "Black Emperor" alone was enough to make the seas shut up.
In Aus's mind, forming a crew didn't interest him. He wasn't chasing the One Piece. Had no dream that needed a team.
Even taking Mihawk and Crocodile—that was just for fun. For a better life.
Pirate King?
Maybe he'd support one of the twelve contenders when the time came. Out of interest.
Probably wouldn't be Monkey D. Luffy though.
He wanted to test if those movie protagonists were really invincible.
Like some final boss pulling strings, Aus already had plans. Mischievous ones.
...
Sea Circle Calendar 1501—
Sabaody meeting wrapped up. Aus's life didn't change much.
After O'Hara, Duramos, Alabasta, Totto Land—months of wandering—Aus finally hit adulthood.
Finally could reward himself properly.
Wine pools? Meat forests?
Extravagant indulgence?
Those words were understatements for Aus.
Infinite money plus world-controlling power—Aus enjoyed every beautiful thing his brain could imagine.
This indulgence lasted a while.
A gentle haven truly was a hero's tomb.
Bathrobe wrapped around him, Aus stood at the hotel's top floor. Gazed down at all of Sabaody. Felt empty inside.
Observation Haki swept across—
Nightlife fading. Dignitaries and pirates leaving red-light districts, casinos, auction houses.
With Aus's protection, underground business boomed lately. No one dared cause trouble. Business environment improved massively.
In the open space below, Little Hawk already started daily sword practice. Maid standing by with towel and water. Routine.
Little Sand was with Sami, tallying tribute amounts from each underworld boss.
Both excellent strategists. Everything managed perfectly.
Especially Little Sand—
Strength and brains. When Aus didn't handle things, he could practically replace Aus making underworld decisions.
Everything developing smoothly. Everyone working hard. Aus felt he couldn't keep drowning in pleasure.
Time to sail again.
Because Aus knew—even the most stunning monster, once addicted and losing fighting spirit, became trash.
Most典型 example? Moria.
Aus reluctantly glanced at his luxurious suite. But still resolutely warped downstairs.
"You bastard... finally crawled out from the women, huh."
Sensing the sudden appearance, neither Sami nor Crocodile reacted much. Little Sand bit his cigar, glanced disdainfully at Aus. Mocked him.
Sami was gentler. Just smiled intellectually, hand supporting her cheek.
"Lord Aus seems satisfied with the service. How wonderful."
"..."
Aus scratched his head. He'd planned to find Pure Gold. But one—no rush. Two—he'd been decadent lately. Got delayed.
"Setting sail again?"
Seeing Aus like this, Little Sand understood. This guy wasn't playing around anymore. Tossed documents on the table.
"Yeah. Time for real work. There's treasure on the seas I want. Going to grab it."
Aus conjured iced orange juice. Sipped while talking.
"Treasure?"
They exchanged glances. Curious what could make Aus—who'd seen the Great Treasure—call something treasure.
"Will there be enemies?"
Little Sand cared about this. His bounty was way lower than Aus and Mihawk's. Wanted to make a name.
"Who knows. Maybe not..."
If Aus only had his fourteen-year-old strength, any major force learning the news might bite.
But now?
Forces qualified to compete with Aus existed. But not many.
"You'll know when it happens. After we steal it back, you all get shares..."
Aus wasn't stingy. This trip he was going wholesale. So much Pure Gold—one person only needed a mung bean-sized piece.
Quantity didn't matter to Aus himself.
"After stealing it... let's travel the world."
Protagonist crews being born one after another. Seas would liven up. Aus loved joining the fun.
Just like that—
After brief prep, Aus took Little Hawk and Little Sand, plus tons of Belly and supplies. Set off from Sabaody again.
With the Vivre Card guiding him, Aus could confirm direction directly.
The Oro Jackson vanished from Sabaody's port like a ghost. Flying into the sky toward New World waters.
News of Aus sailing couldn't be hidden.
They couldn't track his whereabouts. But news of the red giant ship disappearing reached various factions.
Marines knew too. But just listened. Couldn't cause trouble anyway.
Briefly mentioned at the meeting. All Marines felt this would give them headaches. But didn't pay much attention.
Only one uncle wearing a dog-head hat—hearing this news—suddenly had his snoring snot bubble burst. Opened his eyes.
Even Aus didn't expect—
Just set sail, just reached New World—call came from Sabaody.
Sami?
Did someone actually dare attack home base the moment he left?
Aus frowned answering the Den Den Mushi. Didn't expect Sami's reason had nothing to do with his thoughts. Instead...
"So what does Lady Rouge mean?"
"She says it's all up to you."
"I see..."
Soon the other end became chaotic. Quite a few people talking. Den Den Mushi's face changed faster than flipping pages.
Summarized—one thing.
"Hey! You brat from Roger's ship, I'm taking Ace. This was Roger's original plan anyway!"
On the Den Den Mushi, a rough face wearing a dog-head hat. Picking his nose. Speaking carelessly.
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