Chapter 2: Ozz, the Sea's Enchanting Menace

On the dock, a crowd of sailors watched the unfolding scene with amusement, among them were Roger, Rayleigh, and even Jabba.

"What the hell!?"

He didn't know where this strange kid had come from or how he knew his name—the great Captain Buggy—but that didn't stop Buggy from bristling at the boy's overly familiar attitude.

"Do I know you!? What's with the whole 'Sasēburi-dāna~' crap!?"

He turned visibly red with anger, dramatically mimicking Ozz's cheerful greeting. His exaggerated performance sent Shanks into a fit of laughter, nearly doubling over as he slapped his knee.

The rest of the crew joined in, roaring with laughter, some throwing arms around each other in shared amusement.

"Don't be like that, Buggy!"

But Ozz, unfazed by the intimidation of standing before some of the strongest men in the New World, smiled brightly and shrugged off the tension. "My Observation Haki never lies. We're definitely going to be great friends someday."

Ozz had long, jet-black hair cascading almost to his waist. His face, though still boyish, already showed hints of handsome maturity. His ever-present smile was contagious, adding a warmth that was hard to dislike.

He stood bare-chested, faint scars and lean muscle tracing his torso. He wore nothing more than a pair of simple military pants and boots, his only extra baggage being the satchel slung over one shoulder.

Rayleigh, the vice-captain known as the Dark King, narrowed his sharp, elongated eyes as he heard this.

"This kid's already awakened Observation Haki? And it feels… special somehow."

"Like Redfield's?" Roger mused, intrigued. He stepped forward, leaning both hands on the ship's rail and called down to the long-haired boy on the dock.

"Hey, kid! What're you doing here?"

"To join your crew, of course!"

Ozz grinned, his voice full of conviction. He knew exactly how to talk to these top-tier pirates.

Call him: Ozz, the Enchanting Incubus of the Sea!

"Oh yeah? Then tell me this—" said Gol D. Roger, the man who would one day hide the greatest treasure at the end of the Grand Line. His voice was amused, his eyes sharp. "Why must you join our ship?"

Luckily, Ozz had the perfect answer prepared.

"Hahahahahaha… why else? To turn this whole damn world upside down!"

"HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!"

The words, spoken from such a youthful face with such unshakable confidence, caught Roger and Rayleigh off guard. The two stared at each other for a moment—then burst into wild laughter.

In that moment, they both recalled the early days of the crew, when everything began with nothing but a dream and defiance.

In this kid, they saw reflections of their younger selves.

"Hahaha! If you're not afraid of dying, then climb aboard!" Roger, ever impulsive, didn't hesitate. Just from a gut feeling, he waved the boy aboard with a grin.

Rayleigh, unusually, didn't object to this bit of captainly recklessness. He said nothing—just watched with interest.

The rest of the crew, however, weren't quite as sold.

"Oi, Captain, our ship's turning into a daycare at this point!" Jabba complained.

"Guess that's what happens when you've got a soft-hearted captain," another crewmate muttered with a shrug, though no one actually protested.

Among Roger's crew, there was an unspoken rule:

They could laugh and drink and bicker all day long—but when the captain made a decision, no matter how bizarre, everyone followed without question.

That was Roger's true charm.

Watching it all unfold, Ozz thought to himself: No wonder even the Golden Lion was obsessed with this man. His charisma really is something else.

And just like that—

Ozz had successfully weaseled his way onto the Pirate King's ship as a trainee.

———

Back on a far-off island, an old man named Old Kick—once a low-ranking lackey under Rocks D. Xebec—had returned home. After Roger and his crew wiped the Rocks Pirates off the map, he'd retired and become a small-town mayor.

He'd been daydreaming just moments ago about raising the next monster—someone on par with Whitebeard or the Golden Lion—someone who would finally make him rich and feared again.

That is, until he stepped into his house, which looked like it had just been robbed.

Staring at the mess and then the note on the table, he fell into stunned silence.

Then, from that silence erupted a howl of grief and rage:

"Roger, you son of a—!!!"

———

Ozz stood at the ship's stern, watching the coastline gradually fade into the distance.

On the beach, a figure could be seen jumping up and down, flailing dramatically.

Even though Observation Haki wasn't strong enough to reach that far, Ozz could still make out who it was—Old Kick.

"Oi! Take care of yourself, alright!?" Ozz shouted back, waving both arms with surprising emotion.

He thought the old man was sad to see him go. After all, they'd spent nine years together—even a dog would grow attached by then.

So stern every day… but in the end, the old man couldn't help showing a softer side, huh…

His waving caught the attention of Shanks and Buggy, who were nearby. Both fellow trainees, they walked over and clapped him on the shoulder.

"Don't be sad! From now on, we're your brothers," Shanks said with a grin full of warmth.

"C'mon, you crybaby… a real man doesn't tear up just like that…" Buggy muttered awkwardly, tsundere to the bone.

Meanwhile, Rayleigh—sipping from a jug of sake—watched the trio with a twitching eyebrow. His expression was… complicated.

With Observation Haki strong enough to cross the Calm Belt without getting lost, he could easily hear what the old man on the shore was actually shouting:

"Damn you, Roger! Killing me once wasn't enough—you had to kidnap the brat too, you bastard—!!!"

And there was definitely something in there about someone's mother…

Still, since this was a new crewmate's "family," Rayleigh decided not to interfere.

He just pretended he didn't hear a thing.

From the beach, Old Kick screamed into the wind:

"ROGER YOU—!! DAMN IT… hey, Ozz! Remember to wear a shirt, or you'll catch a cold out there!!!"

Grinding his teeth and wiping the corner of his eye, the old man watched as the Oro Jackson disappeared into the setting sun.

———

Time passed. The sun rose and fell. Sea breezes blew soft and steady.

A few days went by.

Truth be told, no matter how prepared he'd been, life at sea turned out to be even more boring than Ozz had expected.

Endless blue on all sides. Sea Kings popping up now and then—only to get knocked out cold by the captain's Conqueror's Haki.

Never-ending parties.

And an equally endless amount of cleaning.

If not for the two friends he had onboard, Ozz felt like he might've gone insane.

"Oi! Ozz! Slacking off again? And sleeping on my bed!?"

The door slammed open.

Having just finished mopping the deck, Buggy stormed in, grabbing Ozz by the collar, his sharp-toothed mouth firing off complaints.

"Chill out, Buggy. How about I pay you a little 'hardship fee,' huh?"

Still dangling by his shirt, Ozz calmly fished a few Berries from his pocket and slipped them into Buggy's.

Buggy, ever the greedy one, instantly softened, his anger vanishing in a flash.

Ozz smoothed down his shirt with a chuckle.

On this ship, Buggy might just be the only one who acted like a real pirate—greedy, cunning, but ultimately loyal.

All Ozz had to do was pay him off now and then, and he'd leave him alone long enough to catch a nap.

Just then, a young voice called out from outside:

"Ozz! Buggy! Time for training!"