"Father…"
"There's a good boy."
A satisfied smile crept across Ozz's face, his peculiar urge to collect now appeased.
In front of him, the little blond bean held up a chain of tiny golden pendants with sparkling eyes, utterly delighted.
"This trinket here... will let you keep the people you want close to you forever.
Consider it a gift, in return for calling me that."
In Sanji's eyes, the figure of Ozz became even more towering and divine like a god who could do anything.
After reminding both mother and son never to speak a word about the Pure Gold, Ozz left, taking the contract of servitude with him.
From that day forward, he gained a little fanboy and World Economic Journal gained one more loyal subscriber.
…
As it turned out, the waters of the Four Seas were far too shallow.
Shallow enough that just one Doflamingo, armed with Ryuo, was enough to overwhelm the most powerful nation in the North Blue: Germa 66.
By the time Ozz arrived, Germa's fighting strength was nearly wiped out. Judge was already coughing up blood, one knee on the ground in disgrace.
Face pale, he looked up with difficulty only then realizing the kind of terrifying monster he had provoked.
Was this what it meant to be one of the rulers of the New World?
The power stirred a longing deep inside him.
It was from this moment onward that Judge truly understood:
On this sea, individual strength is the only true law.
And so, he submitted.
Ozz didn't destroy Germa but he did leave them with a few words.
Lounging with one leg crossed over the other on the Germa throne, he gazed down at the kneeling Judge.
"Thank your lucky stars you have a good son. He'll go far in the future.
And for his sake... I'll spare your life."
That said, the mercy wasn't free.
From then on, Germa was no different from the other major underworld factions. They would start paying their dues.
And missing a payment? Not an option.
Later, Judge would repeatedly mull over Ozz's parting words.
A good son?
Was it Ichiji? Niji? Yonji? All three?
In his mind, perhaps it was their genetic brilliance that changed Ozz's mind.
As for Sanji?
Judge never even considered him.
…
Call it a working vacation Ozz and his crew drifted leisurely across the sea.
After that initial purge, the following clean-up went remarkably smoothly.
Once news of Ozz's enforcement spread, nearly all the offenders came crawling back, offering to pay not just what they owed, but double, even triple the amount.
Fewer and fewer targets remained.
Eventually, they ran out of places to raid entirely.
So time passed quietly, until the calendar flipped to 1502 of the Sea Circle Calendar.
One morning, a major headline dominated the front page:
The World Government's Reverie, held once every four years, was scheduled to begin in a month.
The Navy? Absolutely swamped.
Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
Countless battleships were launching from the harbor. Many lower-ranking officers were being deployed as royal escorts to various nations around the world.
Much like how that infamous deserter once escorted the Dressrosa royal family in the original timeline.
And today, the brass had gathered at HQ to finalize assignments and operational procedures.
In addition to Reverie logistics, several ongoing maritime issues would be reviewed and addressed.
Even before the high command arrived, familiar officers had already begun chatting.
After all, everyone knew what the meeting was likely about.
"Here we go again. Just when my vacation started."
"Nothing we can do about it…"
"Fingers crossed I get posted somewhere close by."
"Ugh, those nobles always look at us like we're beneath them. Can't stand it…"
"Shh! The bigwigs are here!"
As Commander Kong, Sengoku, Tsuru, Garp, and the Navy's three monsters entered the room, the conference hall slowly fell silent.
All eyes turned to the man trailing behind them Brannew.
The meeting began.
"First, I'll be addressing the group currently active across the seas the crew known as Blackgun. Every faction that failed to pay their dues has been wiped off the map.
Due to… special circumstances, the Navy will not be taking direct action against this group. However, the resulting instability has put considerable strain on our forces."
Brannew held up several new bounty posters and pinned one to the briefing board.
It showed a wild-looking young man with blonde hair, a wicked grin, and his tongue sticking out.
"This is the individual suspected to have recently joined the Blackgun crew:
'Flamingo' Donquixote Doflamingo.
A Paramecia-type user with extremely refined control of the String-String Fruit. He's mastered all three colors of Haki and maintains deep influence over the underworld.
Effective immediately, his bounty is increased to 1.534 billion berries."
The generals in the front row stared at the grinning face on the poster.
Vice Admiral Tsuru narrowed her eyes and slowly closed them, letting out a faint, inaudible sigh.
She had failed to capture Doflamingo several times before. And now that higher powers including Ozz himself had forbidden any action, she could no longer do anything about it.
The Flamingo's continued presence on the world stage had become a blemish on her otherwise spotless record.
And now, they weren't even allowed to lay a hand on him.
Brannew moved on, summarizing recent conflicts across the sea. Names like Mihawk and Crocodile appeared on the chalkboard.
"And that brings us," he continued, "to the central figure of all this.
One of the reigning sovereigns of the New World, and the King of the Underworld Blackgun Ozz.
He possesses one of the most elusive and dangerous Paramecia-type powers ever recorded the Teleport-Teleport Fruit. His mastery of all three forms of Haki is top-class.
He has grievously injured not one, but two Emperors of the Sea.
He commands an underground empire capable of shaking the foundation of the world.
He is rumored to be tied for the title of:
World's Greatest Swordsman.
World's Greatest Sniper.
World's Richest Man.
His presence is enough to unbalance global order.
Though his bounty should easily exceed five billion, special political conditions have kept it at 4.049 billion berries.
While we cannot engage him directly, the Navy must remain alert and ready to respond to the aftermath of his actions."
All eyes turned to the bounty poster on the wall a striking young man with long hair, surrounded by arcs of lightning.
Hostility rippled across the room.
But it was two officers in particular whose faces darkened most intensely.
If not for their training and restraint, they might have incinerated the poster on the spot with fire or ice.
Their simmering wrath did not go unnoticed. Commander Kong watched them from the podium and sighed inwardly.
He knew exactly how much those two hated Ozz.
But there was nothing to be done.
He could only hope… when it came time to assign them duties,
they wouldn't blow up the whole operation.
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