Using his ability to control the Oro Jackson,
Aus lounged in a deck chair, watching the warships surrounding Ohara as he sailed straight toward them without a care in the world.
On the warship dead ahead, Commander Spandine stood at the bow.
This guy watched the Oro Jackson approach the blockade while Aus just sat there grinning at him—no dodging, no slowing down, no teleporting outside the perimeter.
Spandine threw up his hand in a grand gesture. The rows of warships obediently parted like the Red Sea under his command.
"Safe travels, Aus-san!"
Spandine bowed and scraped like Aus was his fucking boss, completely ignoring the weird looks from his subordinates.
Seeing this ass-kissing performance, Aus's grin widened as he pulled a Den Den Mushi from his coat.
In a flash, he warped it onto Spandine's ship railing.
"That can reach me. Pretty sure this won't be our last dance, Spandine."
Spandine quickly pocketed the Den Den Mushi, plastering on a smile as he watched Aus's ship vanish into the distance.
The second Aus was gone, his smile died. Only exhaustion remained.
The Five Elders, Aus—both were big shots way above his pay grade.
Don't think that Den Den Mushi meant he could actually call Aus about anything.
Its real purpose was basically the same as the one the Five Elders gave him.
At least while Aus and the World Government played nice, that snail could be used to boss him around.
And he couldn't even cop an attitude about it.
Anyone with two brain cells knew—
if conflict broke out between the World Government and Aus because of him, the Five Elders would use his head to smooth things over first.
There was only one Aus.
But they had all the disposable lapdogs they needed.
During the Ohara Buster Call,
Aus's hometown,
New World, Duramos Island.
Old Mayor Kik puffed on his pipe, face carved with deep wrinkles.
His house was packed with anxious townspeople, all whispering nervously among themselves.
One burly middle-aged guy couldn't take the tension anymore and walked up to the old mayor:
"Uncle Kik, what the hell do we do?"
"Sigh... nothing we can do about it."
Compared to when Aus left, the old mayor had aged like milk. Face covered in wrinkles, hair gone completely white.
At his age, he couldn't even use basic Haki anymore.
Though his Haki had been beginner-level garbage to start with.
"Seeing me get older and weaker by the day, King Kurali won't keep giving the town tax breaks.
We're not a World Government member nation, so no Heavenly Tribute, but those greedy noble bastards are never satisfied."
Back when Old Kik first came home, he was still in his forties and fifties—prime fighting age.
As one of the combat crew aboard Rocks's ship, his two-color Haki was barely decent, so the old king showed respect.
To keep him happy, the king not only set him up with a town to live peacefully in, but hadn't collected taxes from this place for nearly twenty years.
That's how Old Kik, just some little old man, could afford to feed a bottomless pit like Aus back then.
But now Kik was old as dirt.
The new king saw his chance. He planned to collect all those missed taxes from the past twenty years at double rate, plus other domestic taxes.
Then use it as Heavenly Tribute to join the World Government, so he wouldn't have to worry about powerful pirates like Kik causing trouble.
Problem was—
the townspeople couldn't come up with that kind of cash.
And they had zero options.
"If there's no other way, then this old bastard will risk what's left of his life..."
Old Kik might be ancient, but he wasn't dead yet. Some of that youthful conditioning remained, plus decades of combat experience...
Taking him down would cost at least dozens of ordinary soldiers' lives!
Right then,
Jessie, one of the town's young guys, came sprinting from outside, not even bothering to knock as he waved a newspaper around.
Breathing hard, he held up the paper and yelled:
"Huge news, Dad! Grandpa Mayor!"
"What's going on, Jessie?"
Old Kik looked up at the kid—son of the big guy in front of him, one of Aus's childhood buddies.
"It's... it's about Aus!"
"What?!"
Before anyone else could react, Old Kik's face lit up like Christmas morning. He moved with speed that had no business belonging to someone his age.
Snatched the newspaper right out of Jessie's hands and started reading like his life depended on it.
The first photo on the front page hit him right in the feels.
Yeah, that was definitely Aus...
That cocky little shit was still ridiculously handsome!
Old Kik grinned as the residents crowded around, hearing that name they hadn't heard in ages.
"'Black Gun' Doctor Aus"
"After two years of silence, he set sail again three days ago aboard the Oro Jackson, clashing violently with the Marines.
Based on his danger level and achievements, his bounty has been updated."
"Black Gun" Doctor Aus,
Combat power rivaling the World Government's ultimate force—Marine Admirals,
King of the young generation,
The "monster" raised by Pirate King Roger who will dominate the next era!
Next Generation "King"!
New Maritime Overlord!
After a string of titles that shook the seas, everyone's eyes locked onto the bounty amount.
One look—
Everyone went dead silent, jaws hanging open, pupils shaking like earthquakes.
Only Old Kik, who'd seen some shit in his day, kept any composure. Though his face turned tomato-red.
He opened his mouth several times but nothing came out.
Finally he exploded upward like a rocket:
"YEEEEE—"
"Aus... he fucking made it!"
"HAHAHAHA!"
His lifelong dream finally realized, Old Kik felt like his whole existence was complete.
A maritime overlord like Golden Lion and Whitebeard—he, Old Kik, had successfully raised one!
He knew that with Aus's freakish talent, the kid would blast off someday.
And now he, Old Kik, was finally getting carried to the top!
"Stop worrying, everyone!" Old Kik was practically glowing, like he'd found the fountain of youth.
"Aus! He's become a maritime overlord!"
"Amazing!"
The residents who'd watched Aus grow up were buzzing with excitement, staring at Old Kik with desperate hope:
"Then call Aus right now, old mayor!"
"Yeah!"
"Uh..."
But hearing that, Old Kik—who'd just been on cloud nine—suddenly looked like someone had grabbed him by the throat.
His face went blank as he stammered and stuttered.
After way too long, he smacked his thigh:
"That damn brat... I... I don't have his Den Den Mushi!"
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