"This time I definitely will not get it wrong. East Blue, East Blue…"
"But which way is Windmill Village again, and that kingdom was called the Goa Kingdom, right"
Ozz held several Eternal Poses in one hand and an East Blue chart in the other, rubbing his chin as he tried, very seriously, to figure out which way was which.
After swimming for so long, he was honestly tired of it. So he simply stopped pretending, sat cross legged on the sea as if it were solid ground, and let himself drift along.
As he moved forward, an island appeared at the edge of his Observation Haki.
"Whatever. I will rest there first, grab something to eat, and think about it later."
Out on the open sea, he could always dive down, grab a few Sea Kings, and roast them on the spot. But for a man who had never cooked in his life, the taste could only be described as tragic.
His Observation Haki let him pick things up fast in almost any field, but when it came to cooking, he simply had no interest.
Day number who knows how many of missing Little Hawk's cooking.
Walking across the water, Ozz used a few short teleports to close the distance in an instant, then shoved his hands into his pockets and strolled toward the island like a ghost drifting into town.
At the same time.
Outside Shimotsuki Village, along the coast.
A green haired brat with a cocky look was wandering aimlessly around, completely lost.
He had a blade of grass in his mouth, both hands laced behind his head. He glanced lazily out at the sea.
That one look nearly made his eyes pop out of his skull. He rubbed his eyes hard with the back of his hand.
"Nani"
For a split second, he could have sworn he saw someone walking on the surface of the ocean.
But this was not some shoujo manga. He rubbed again. The figure was already gone.
"Must have been my imagination. Maybe I am just too hungry."
The kid grabbed his stomach, and his expression turned sour.
"But I have no money for food."
"Hey, brat, what is your name"
Just as the little guy was clutching his stomach, a lazy voice sounded right behind his head.
He jumped so hard he fell over.
"You scared me half to death, what the heck"
"Wait… you are that guy who was walking on the ocean just now…"
Which meant this might really be a ghost.
Despite being a bit thick headed, once that thought clicked, the brat was not scared at all. He just grabbed two sticks from the ground, clenched his teeth, and glared at Ozz.
"I am not afraid of you, evil spirit"
"…"
Even if you are Roronoa Zoro, that is one hell of a rude way to talk.
Ozz's lips twitched. Of course he already knew who this little punk was. The future right hand of the Pirate King, the man with the sense of direction of a broken compass, the three sword style, Roronoa Zoro.
A rebellious brat like this clearly needed the fist of love.
Ozz knew a lot of kids from the coming era. Very few dared to act up in front of him. Zoro was obviously going to be a problem child.
Thankfully, problems like this usually could be solved with one loving punch.
Sizzle.
A short while later, the green haired kid had a big bump on his head, still faintly steaming. Ozz was carrying him by the back of his shirt, strolling toward the center of the island.
A sweep of his Observation Haki and he quickly found a little restaurant in the village.
"Excuse me. I am here to eat."
Ozz's height and presence turned heads as soon as he walked in. He set the already knocked out Zoro down on the seat beside him, then sat down and ordered as if nothing were strange about this at all.
"Uh, dear customer, what would you like to eat"
The owner took one look at Ozz's bearing and clothes and guessed this was not some random drifter. The kid beside him was a mystery, but business was business.
Ozz took the menu and glanced over it from top to bottom, pretending to ponder very seriously.
"Bring me the whole menu to try first."
"Sure thing, the whole… huh"
Ozz patted his poor, abused stomach. Seeing the owner still frozen in place, his mood immediately soured.
"What are you spacing out for"
"Um, well…"
Such a ridiculous way of ordering, the owner instinctively thought Ozz had come to cause trouble. He was already considering whether to run to Shimotsuki Dojo for help. The owner there was said to be a master swordsman and a righteous man. Maybe he would handle this.
Ozz could practically see what he was thinking and felt his lips pull into a tight line.
So long without using cash, and the first time he wants to spend money, he gets treated like a deadbeat.
He snapped his fingers and a thick wad of high denomination Berries appeared between them. He flicked it, and the bundle smacked right into the owner's face.
"Keep the change as your tip. Now hurry up and bring the food."
"Yes sir"
Scooping up the scattered notes from the floor, the owner sprinted straight for the kitchen. The clang of pots and pans rang out at once.
Not long after, plate after plate of homestyle and specialty dishes filled the table.
The flavor was nothing earth shattering and certainly not on Mihawk's level, but compared to Ozz's own cooking, it was a feast. He ate fried rice with a genuinely satisfied look.
One dish after another disappeared.
Right then.
Sniff sniff.
A little sniffing sound came from beside him. The Zoro who had just been coaxed to sleep woke up under the assault of pure will and the smell of food.
His eyes snapped open, shining like two searchlights.
"Smells so good"
He did not care why he had passed out or where he was now. The kid version of Zoro started shoveling food into his mouth like a starving beast.
Ozz looked at him tearing into the plates like he had not eaten in eight hundred years and could not help but grin.
He did not mind.
The two of them just kept eating and eating until they had literally emptied out the restaurant's entire pantry.
Burp.
Zoro let out a satisfied belch. He had puffed up into a little ball.
Just how round
"Whoa whoa whoa"
With a tiny roll, he nearly fell right off his chair onto the floor.
Ozz, in contrast, seemed to have a bottomless pit instead of a stomach. His eight pack abs still lay flat and firm, not a bulge in sight.
"Hey, now that you have eaten your fill, you can at least tell me your name, right"
Zoro, who had rolled onto the floor and could not get up, still understood it was the man in front of him who had treated him. So he grudgingly answered.
"Zoro. My name is…"
"Roronoa Zoro"
…
"Eh Old man, you are a swordsman too"
After a meal shared together, the distance between Zoro and Ozz had shrunk considerably. When Ozz mentioned that he was here to check out Shimotsuki Dojo as well, Zoro's eyes lit up.
Ozz curled his lips and said he was… more or less half a swordsman.
"Then why are you not carrying a sword"
"I am. I am just keeping it hidden on me."
Zoro eyed him skeptically. He had been staring at Ozz the whole time and could not figure out where exactly the man could possibly be hiding a long blade.
"Whatever. I am really strong anyway. Since you fed me, I will protect you from now on"
"Is that so"
Ozz smiled, genuinely amused, and led little Roronoa Zoro toward the dojo he had sensed with his Observation Haki.
Only…
Watching the green haired kid drift off the road, slowly veering farther and farther from the straight line Ozz was walking, his mouth twitched again.
"Why is it that I am the one leading the way, but you still manage to walk in the wrong direction"
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The tides are shifting, and secrets linger in the dark... Step into the shadows early on P@treon, where the next chapter awaits before the world sees it.
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