Inside Madam Sammy's luxurious villa—
In a lavishly decorated room, soft, elegant music was being played live. Dancers clad in sheer, gauzy silks moved gracefully, their hips swaying with practiced allure. Their eyes shimmered like water, each trying her best to catch the attention of the man in the center.
But Ozz clearly wasn't paying any attention to the background dancers. Before him, a Den Den Mushi was chattering away animatedly.
Lounging on the sofa with one leg draped over the other, Ozz grinned as he guzzled from a giant jug of juice, letting the rush of sugar replenish the energy he'd burned during his intense training.
"It's connected now… Hey! Buggy, stop hogging the line!"
The call had initially connected to a Den Den Mushi with red hair, but it quickly morphed into one with a big red nose.
"Ozz!! Finally got through to you! How've you been lately?"
"Sashi-buri da na, Buggy. Shanks. Of course I'm doing great."
"That's good to hear… Oh! Shanks and I saw quite a bit while we were dropping everyone off. We practically toured the whole New World!"
Ozz reclined comfortably into the plush sofa, enjoying a massage from Number Six while Number Seven wiped his mouth. He waved dismissively at the dancers, who bowed out one by one, leaving only the two quiet maids.
The girls were perceptive—they knew their master was speaking with old friends and didn't dare interrupt. They stood silently, pretending not to hear a thing.
"…And the old men asked us to accompany Captain Roger on his final journey."
Inevitably, the conversation turned to Roger's impending execution. Buggy's tone grew heavy as he spoke.
"We just finished taking Uncle Betam back to his hometown. In a few days, Shanks and I will pass through the Sabaody Archipelago on our way to Loguetown.
Are you coming, Ozz?"
Ozz nodded.
"Of course. I wouldn't miss the chance to see Captain Roger one last time."
Then, a sly smirk curled at the corner of his lips.
"Still… I'd bet my fruit stash the Marines will have a full roster of big names on guard. Maybe even an Admiral. You and Shanks better watch yourselves."
"Ha!?"
Aboard the Oro Jackson—now down to just Rayleigh and a few others—Buggy stared wide-eyed in shock.
The Marines?
He had some vivid memories of them during their voyages with Roger. That damn Iron Fist guy who was always laughing—just thinking about him gave Buggy cold sweats. Even Roger himself used to find him a handful, and he was just a Vice Admiral back then.
If someone even stronger showed up—an Admiral or, God forbid, the Fleet Admiral—and with no crew left to back him up? He'd be dragged off to Impel Down in shackles faster than he could sneeze!
"Rayleigh! You've got to come with us! The Marines are going to be there!"
Buggy scrambled to find a solution, nearly in tears as he turned to Rayleigh.
"Relax, Buggy. The Marines won't lay a hand on you."
Rayleigh smiled gently. He could tell Ozz was teasing Buggy on purpose, but he didn't call him out.
"Roger bargained with his life to have every member of his crew removed from the World Government's wanted list."
"No way… Captain Roger, he really did that much for us?"
Shanks and Buggy both fell silent for a moment, their eyes damp. They were deeply moved by the captain's final sacrifice.
"…No no no, Uncle Rayleigh—"
Ozz chuckled softly, finishing the last of his juice as he ran a hand through Number Seven's fluffy white hair.
"Roger's negotiation didn't cover you two little runts who never made it to Laugh Tale."
He paused, letting that sink in.
"And even for the rest of us, those bounties might be gone now, but if we stir up trouble again… don't be surprised if they slap those posters right back up."
Buggy had just started to feel touched—his heart all warm and fuzzy—only to be smacked back into icy reality by Ozz's reminder.
Luckily, Ozz's next words offered a little comfort.
"But you and Shanks don't need to stress too much. Neither of you has a bounty anyway. Unless you run into someone who knows you personally, you'll probably fly under the radar. Hahahahaha!"
As Ozz's merciless laughter echoed from the Den Den Mushi, Shanks and Buggy were left standing there awkwardly, not quite sure whether to be relieved or insulted.
They'd been worried about getting targeted by the Marines, only to find out the Marines didn't even see them as a threat.
"…But what about you, Ozz?" Shanks asked, his voice tinged with concern. "Last I heard, your bounty hit a billion. That's one-fifth of Captain Roger's! You're gonna be a huge target."
"Especially since you pissed off so many Marines back in the day," Buggy added. "Even Garp remembers your face."
"If the top brass decide to come after you, even for someone like you… wouldn't that be a problem?"
But Ozz didn't seem worried at all. He leaned back and casually shared what he'd been keeping under wraps.
"That's not something you need to worry about. Truth is, after I disembarked from the Oro Jackson, I went ahead and ate that Devil Fruit Captain Roger gave me."
He smiled faintly.
"With the power of the strongest Observation Haki and the Teleportation Fruit, there's nowhere in this world I can't go."
Buggy and the others stared at the Den Den Mushi in stunned silence, clearly shocked.
On one hand, they were amazed Ozz had actually eaten a Devil Fruit. On the other hand… yeah, when you combine future sight with teleportation, it really was hard to imagine anyone catching him.
And that wasn't even counting Ozz's freakish natural strength and monstrous talent.
They talked for a long time after that—catching up, laughing, making plans.
Finally, after agreeing on the time and place to meet, they ended the call.
Once the line went dead, Ozz sat quietly on the sofa, sinking into the soft cushions behind him. He looked up, deep in thought.
Just now, a new idea had sparked in his mind.
He wanted to go see Captain Roger early.
The World Government made a big show of claiming Impel Down—the underwater prison fortress—was impenetrable.
But in Ozz's eyes, it was nothing special.
With future sight and teleportation, even Marine Headquarters wasn't much more than a sieve. Even if someone caught a hint of his presence, Ozz was confident he could vanish before any top-tier forces had time to react.
Even if an Admiral showed up at the gates, it wouldn't matter. If he wanted to leave, no one could stop him.
And if it wasn't an Admiral? Well… one Haki-imbued Sea Prism Stone bullet would do the job just fine.
Once he made up his mind, Ozz didn't hesitate. He wasn't the type to overthink things—especially not when he had this much faith in his own power.
He stood up slowly, tilting the chin of the maid beside him with a smirk.
"Lock Doflamingo and the rest of his lieutenants up with Sea Prism Stone. I'll deal with them when I get back.
And let Madam Sammy know I'm heading out for a bit. If she needs anything, she can contact me through the Den Den Mushi."
"Yes, Lord Ozz."
----------------------------------------------------
(Hey Pirates!
Want more chapters? Let's make it happen!
If we hit 200 Power Stones, I'll be uploading extra chapter as a thank-you for your amazing support! ^.^
Every vote counts, and together, we can push this story to the top. Let's reach that goal and unlock more content!)
If you're into Ozz's story, my P@treon's got more waiting for you!
[email protected]/_theon