Chapter 11: Conqueror's Haki—or Conqueror's Luck?

Chapter 11: Conqueror's Haki—or Conqueror's Luck?

Buggy kept hoping—desperately—that Ozz would swoop in and save the day.

But alas, Ozz had his own problems to deal with.

"Sorry, Buggy. I've still got things to do. You and Shanks hang in there a little longer."

With a pat on Buggy's shoulder, Ozz vanished in a blur, carving his way out of the encirclement once more.

"W-Wait! Hey! Damn it!!"

Buggy looked like he was on the verge of tears. With no other choice, he and Shanks could only fight as they fell back, side by side.

They weren't monsters like Ozz. Just twelve-year-olds, strong for their age, sure—but facing down elite pirates in sheer numbers like this? The odds were stacked too high.

Shanks, at least, remained upbeat. After exchanging a farewell glance with Ozz, he turned back and plunged into the fray.

"Don't let up, Buggy! They're charging again!"

"Damn it all!!!"

Meanwhile, in the main battlefield of the Edd War—

Roger and Shiki were locked in a ferocious clash of Conqueror's Haki, black-and-red lightning tearing across the skies like the world itself was being ripped open!

Lesser pirates didn't even dare approach the battlefield. The unconscious bodies littering the ground were enough of a warning.

The battle raged.

"Divine Departure!!!"

"Lion's Thousand-Cut Valley!!!"

Blades clashed mid-air, not even touching—yet the shockwaves were devastating.

Ozz had made it to the edge of the battlefield, eyes wide, not daring to blink, locked on those two blades suspended apart by sheer will.

"No matter how many times I see it, this power... it never stops being terrifying."

Conqueror's Coating.

Ozz was out of his mind. He stood there, exposed to the aftershocks of two titanic wills colliding, and didn't budge. His Observation Haki was pushed to its limit as he tried to feel every thread of this innate, world-shattering force.

For the first time, Ozz felt fear.

Not fear of defeat or humiliation—no. This was primal, biological fear. The kind that stares death in the eye and knows it doesn't stand a chance.

He understood clearly: if he stepped even one pace closer, no amount of raw strength or Armament Haki would save him. He would be torn to shreds.

And yet—he did not retreat.

Yes, there was an element of recklessness. But this was a bet—and he knew it.

And it was paying off.

In moments like this, when one stands face-to-face with death, the human spirit can break through its limits.

Perhaps he'd gotten too close. Cuts began to appear all over his body. Even with Armament Haki, he couldn't block the raw force. Blood trickled from his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth.

But still—he refused to fall back.

Because if he turned away now—he might as well give up on everything.

To flinch in the face of another's Conqueror's Haki—Ozz understood all too well what that meant. From that moment on, his chances of awakening it himself would be near zero. At best, he'd become some second-rate officer, forever beneath the peak.

How the hell was he supposed to show off like that? Where would the fun be in that?

He refused to be the kind of guy who gets knocked out in one hit by a Conqueror's Haki burst. Not even strong enough to hold his ground against Shanks in the future? Forget it!

He'd lived a life at the bottom in his last life, never able to break free.

But in this life? He had talent. He had potential. He had a shot.

He would become the strongest man in the world.

The biggest show-off on the seas.

The freest soul under the sun.

He wanted people to tremble—just from hearing his name.

And with that single, burning desire in his heart, Ozz stood tall amidst the clashing storms of two apex Conquerors' wills.

BOOOOM!!!

Just as Roger and Shiki's battle reached its fever pitch, a new will burst into the fray. It was young—unrefined—but bold and overwhelming. A new streak of black-and-red lightning carved into the chaos, and both legends paused.

Roger and Shiki's eyes widened.

Then—both laughed out loud.

"Hah! You've got ambitions too, huh, kid? Join me! I'll let that little stunt earlier slide!"

"No way, Shiki! That kid's part of the new era!"

Elsewhere on the battlefield, Rayleigh and the other officers fighting the Golden Lion's crew felt the surge too. A Haki so pure, so fierce—it made them smile.

But no one was more stunned than Buggy. His hair flew wild in the gusts as his jaw dropped.

"Whaaa?! Ozz… he awakened Conqueror's Haki?!"

"Heh. That's Ozz for ya."

Shanks, by contrast, was calm. Truly happy to see his friend break through.

None of them noticed—

In the ranks of the Flying Pirates, among the lowly grunts, one scruffy little pirate raised a transponder snail.

On the other end of the line—

Marine Headquarters. Marineford.

"So young… and already awakened Conqueror's Haki. That brat on Roger's crew might have potential to rival Roger himself."

"I know that kid."

At the far end of the office, a voice spoke up behind Vice Admiral Garp.

Garp's snot bubble popped.

"Huh?! Is the meeting over already?"

"Garp!!!"

Fleet Admiral Sengoku glared at the dozing Garp, ready to blow—but was stopped by Commander-in-Chief Kong.

"Tell us about the boy from Roger's crew."

The speaker stood up from behind Garp—Aokiji, then just a rising officer—his voice low and sharp.

He stared hard at the transponder snail's projection, at the boy with black-and-red lightning swirling around him, and pulled out a wanted poster.

"Name: Dottor Ozz. Age: Twelve. Mastery of dual—no, triple Haki. Firearms, martial arts, and a level of Observation Haki bordering on precognition. Suspected to be one of Roger's chosen successors."

If the earlier details were what the Marines had gathered through intel and reports, then the next line was pure personal grudge:

He was a Logia user, and the scar on his thigh still hadn't healed.

He'd nearly gone from future admiral—to future auntie.

"A monster like that… must be snuffed out before he matures!"

Kong's brows furrowed deeply.

The seas were teeming with monstrous pirates. And this one—this boy—was riding under Roger's flag and had awakened Conqueror's Haki?

If he ever learned to use Conqueror's Coating…

The thought of another Roger rising from the next generation made Kong's chest tighten.

"That brat with the rifle… he's already come this far?" Garp muttered through a mouthful of rice crackers.

(￣～￣) munch

"My crackers!! GARP!!"

Sengoku let out a very un-Buddha-like roar.

"One after another… none of them will join me!"

"Then DIE!!!"

"Talk big all you want, Shiki!"

BOOM—!

Even with his Haki awakened, Ozz was still just a kid. Roger had no choice but to shield him with his own body.

Just the shockwave from a sword clash sent Ozz flying again.

He managed to regain control in mid-air, landing lightly with Geppo before zipping back toward Buggy and Shanks.

Buggy looked up, face lighting with hope.

"Ozz! There's too many of them! What do we do?!"

"Relax, Buggy."

Ozz flicked the rain off his blade and looked up at the storm-churning skies above.

As if fate itself were gathering its fury.

"You're not any worse than me or Shanks."

"You've got something just as special—

—your own brand of Conqueror's Luck."