Oss closed his left eye, steadying his breath, and locked his Observation Haki onto the tallest figure among the swarm of Navy soldiers.
His finger rested lightly on the trigger. Then, decisively:
"One-Shot Style: Fate Kill!!!"
Even if it was just a regular gunshot enhanced by Observation Haki, Oss wanted it to be spectacular.
"Pfft—"
A splash of blood erupted over the sea, the figure collapsing into the waves. He was tall, far taller than the surrounding soldiers, but thin. His eyes widened with shock, disbelief, and helplessness as he sank.
"Hey! Kuzan!!!"
Nearby, a Navy soldier shouted, Moonwalking to rescue the falling Vice Admiral. As a veteran of Garp's ship, he knew this recruit had potential. Such a promising figure could not be lost.
Kuzan, sinking into the water, felt severe pain in his thigh and a helpless suffocation through his body.
A dreadful thought struck him:
"Who… uses Sea Stone on a grunt?!"
Yet, just before hitting the water, he glimpsed the shooter: a long-haired youth.
"Tch! Even aiming with Observation Haki, I missed!"
Oss pouted, slightly regretful—but he wasn't about to rely on a single shot.
Better to "spread the rain evenly."
In his mind, this was a matter of balancing the sea: excess yang in the Navy, deficient yin.
In a sense, Oss had become king—just one step ahead of Roger.
The kind of king he wanted?
The King of Explosive Orders.
"Going up with a knife to slash? Not kingly. Ambushing from above—that's the way!"
Bitham, handling the incoming cannonballs, observed Oss improving with a mix of relief and cold sweat.
This kid… wasn't human.
The chase intensified, but thanks to the Roger Pirates' sheer strength, they maintained the advantage, steadily pulling away from the Navy.
"Bang—Bang—"
Oss's bullet was blocked by an Armament Haki-covered crotch.
"My Armament Haki…"
Low-level grunts could be handled easily, but once someone wielded two-color Haki, Oss's attacks became nearly useless. Any bullet was countered or deflected.
"Just wait until I train my Armament Haki and Future Sight," he thought, "then we'll see how untouchable you feel."
With nimble movements, Oss slung the Black Gun onto his back and slid down the crow's nest.
He wouldn't join the high-level fight just yet. Even a graze from these Haki-infused attacks could be fatal.
The crew noticed the small figure retreating to the cabin but said nothing. At nine years old, he was mostly useless against elite Marines. Any interference would distract the ship's fighters.
The same applied to Buggy and Shanks. Despite Oss knowing he could probably beat the two together, the official crew considered the three kids equal: weak.
"Hey! Shanks! Oss must be hiding, let's go!" Buggy called.
"Don't be childish! This is a man's fight on the high seas!" Shanks replied, stubborn as ever.
Oss paused, noting the two lingering with Observation Haki, and moved to the other side of the ship.
Fun mattered to Oss. He traveled the world not just to grow stronger, but to enjoy himself.
Seeing the two little treasures lingering, he smiled and slowed his pace.
On deck, a red-nosed kid pulled a red-haired kid, while Oss crept closer with the Black Gun. Shanks held a knife, ready to fight, while Buggy tried to persuade him to hide.
Friendship mattered to Buggy, and he wanted Shanks to be safe.
Suddenly, Oss slapped Buggy on the back, startling them both. A chilling whisper followed:
"Oss! Don't make a sound when you walk!"
Realizing the danger, Buggy quickly suggested retreating together to the cabin. Oss agreed.
Shanks, still lying on the edge of the deck watching the fight, caused Buggy's head to ache. Stubborn as ever, Shanks was more interested in fun than safety.
Oss noticed, blocking an incoming bullet with the Black Gun casually. Then, with Buggy bewildered, he raised the rifle butt toward Shanks's head.
"Bang—"
With the strength of a natural prodigy and relentless training, Oss could likely rival even young Whitebeard.
"Nice. Young Oss VS Young Shanks," he thought.
"Winner: Young Oss."
Satisfied, Oss dragged Shanks by the collar toward the cabin, leaving Buggy staring in astonishment.