"Why the long face, Little Hawk?"
"You disappeared before our match was even decided..."
Mihawk's expression darkened as he looked at Ozz, who now lounged on the Navy battleship like he was on vacation, sipping orange juice with one leg crossed over the other, calmly reading the newspaper.
A nameless irritation burned in Mihawk's chest.
Their duel had reached a fever pitch, the clash of blades still echoing in his bones and just when it was getting good, Ozz had suddenly flung a slash into the distance and vanished.
It felt like someone had yanked him offstage right when the performance reached its climax.
"You've probably sensed it already. When it comes to pure swordsmanship, I'm slightly inferior to you," Ozz said casually. "But my mastery of Conqueror's Haki infusion more than makes up for that... maybe even surpasses it."
To be fair, the technique of Haki infusion-Ryuuo as some called it was practically the golden mechanic of the pirate world. It allowed Ozz to overwhelm Mihawk and protect his title of "Strongest Swordsman Alive."
Not that he'd ever really wanted the title.
He'd originally intended to focus solely on firearms. It's just that he happened to be too talented in everything else, so he dabbled a bit here and there.
Speaking of which, his gun had finally arrived, personally delivered by Vegapunk's people.
Its accuracy and recoil were absurd just as exaggerated as its firepower. As long as you could handle the kick and pair it with Vegapunk's custom ammo, blasting the top off a mountain with one shot was no problem at all.
The weapon had instantly made Ozz's already terrifying strength even more formidable.
Watching Ozz lounging around like he didn't have a care in the world, Mihawk had no rebuttal.
He had to admit: there was still a considerable gap between them.
The pace at which Ozz advanced... it was downright inhuman.
And this carefree posture of his naturally drew the attention of the surrounding Marines.
Over the past few days, they had slowly grown used to this sight. Still, there were always a few hard-headed soldiers bold enough to test the wrath of the Black Emperor.
Crack crack...
Ozz glanced at his newspaper and reached to take another sip of juice, only to realize the liquid had frozen over. The orange juice had turned to ice, the cube fused to the glass like a frosty stone.
"..."
How childish.
Kuzan.
With a casual shake of his hand, the block of ice crumbled internally, transforming into a smooth, slushy texture. Ozz tipped the glass back and drank the slush with a smirk it had a refreshing twist to it.
"Tch..."
Somewhere in the shadows, a certain someone clicked their tongue in frustration.
Meanwhile, the Kingdom of Doralmos had dispatched a larger ship for formal proceedings. Unless necessary, veterans like Old Zeek, Mihawk, and Crocodile stayed on that vessel to avoid the Navy's presence.
Zeek, once part of the Rocks Pirates, had a natural aversion to the Navy. Mihawk was a renowned pirate hunter. And Little Sand... well, his personality made cooperation difficult at best.
Only Doflamingo seemed to enjoy hanging around the Marine ship. He'd often grin with a "Fuffuffuffu~" and stick close to Ozz.
Maybe it was a form of revenge, savoring the satisfaction of now walking freely where he was once hunted.
"Hey, Marine-kun, mind grabbing me another orange juice?"
Ozz leaned lazily on one hand, calling out to a Marine standing guard nearby. The young soldier visibly hesitated at the request.
"Uh... um..."
He turned, eyes pleading for help, toward Vice Admiral Borsalino, who was similarly lounging in a chair nearby, legs crossed, enjoying the sea breeze.
"Go on~ I'd like one too~"
Borsalino didn't want to stir up any more trouble. He just wanted this mission to end as smoothly as possible.
After all, if a fight broke out with Ozz or Mihawk even if they didn't lose they'd still be chewed out by HQ. That's how it always worked. And as a veteran wage slave, Borsalino understood the system all too well.
"Yes, sir!"
Relieved to have permission, the young Marine dashed off toward the kitchen.
"You know, Borsalino, the moment I first laid eyes on you, I could tell we're the same kind of people."
"Oh? I'm no pirate though~"
"That's not what I meant. I'm talking about something else entirely."
Like Ozz, Borsalino had claimed a chair on the deck, basking in the sea breeze. He sipped the orange juice the soldier had just delivered. The subtle sweetness was perfectly refreshing, and a slight smile tugged at Ozz's lips.
"Tell me, Borsalino, what's so great about the Navy's fixed salary?
Join me, and you'll have access to every massage parlor on the globe. Shopping? No need to pay. Want money? Take as much as you like..."
Ozz's voice dropped into a low, persuasive drawl.
He was openly trying to recruit someone who was on the verge of becoming one of the World Government's top military powers.
And the offer?
Almost impossible to refuse.
Near-limitless wealth, the power to walk freely across the seas under Ozz's name, and a reputation that rivaled legends.
Everything the Navy or the World Government could offer Ozz could match, and then double.
Borsalino couldn't deny it. The temptation was real.
But in the end, he just shook his head with a helpless smile.
"That's one hell of a tempting offer~ But I'm already used to my current life~"
"Is that so... well, that's a pity. Still, think it over."
With a flick of his finger, Ozz sent something flying into Borsalino's coat. The Admiral blinked and reached into his pocket, pulling out a card.
"A VIP pass for every entertainment venue in Sabaody Archipelago. If you ever feel like taking it easy, go fish a little."
For a fellow connoisseur of slacking off, Ozz didn't mind Borsalino at all. They could always enjoy a foot massage together sometime.
"Oh~ That's quite the gift~"
The world saw Ozz as a fearsome pirate, a hurricane that stirred chaos across the Grand Line.
But after spending just a few days with him, Borsalino had realized something.
Ozz was actually pretty easygoing. Or rather, he did things entirely based on his mood a man driven by amusement and instinct.
He'd tease Kuzan just to make the guy freeze his drink.
He'd "accidentally" wander into Sakazuki's area, forcing the stone-faced admiral to avoid him like they were playing hide and seek.
He'd poke fun at the soldiers on board just to watch them squirm and panic.
If this man was attending the Reverie... and it wasn't for some grand scheme...
Then Borsalino had a theory.
He was probably just here for fun.
Just for a laugh, the World Government had deployed three of its strongest monsters to escort him.
That's the real joke.
Dotor Ozz... your power, your influence, your sheer control over the Grand Line...
Was it all just to toy with the world?
How ironic.
Sengoku and Kong had once believed Ozz's lack of ambition was a relief.
But the truth was
That was his greatest ambition of all.
To treat the world itself like a game.