Chapter 22: Farewell, Roger Pirates...

What came next was more or less what Ozz had expected.

Ever since they returned from Laugh Tale, Roger had officially been crowned the "Pirate King"—

a title that sent shockwaves through the world.

Newspapers everywhere scrambled to report it,

and suddenly, the Roger Pirates—just thirty-odd people in total—became the eye of the storm.

Naturally, the crew's status soared as well.

After all, they were now the companions of the man who had attained wealth, fame, and power—the Pirate King himself.

Pirates from all corners of the sea came flocking in, eager to challenge Roger and claim the legendary treasure for themselves.

Even the Marines stepped up their efforts, dispatching elite fleets to scour the seas in pursuit of the Roger Pirates.

And then—right as their fame and influence hit their peak—came a quiet evening, ordinary in every way, when the entire crew assembled on deck.

Captain Roger stood before them, smiling as he delivered his final address.

"Looking back, it's kind of a miracle," he said. "For someone with one foot in the grave, I've come farther than I ever imagined. I owe it all to you."

Even Jabba—the most serious man on the ship—looked a little bashful.

The sudden sincerity was so jarring, even Ozz didn't know where to look.

Roger's eyes swept across his crew, brimming with pride and gratitude.

But the words he had to say could not be avoided.

His smile faded.

"Well then," he said quietly, "it's time I said it."

Everyone stood at attention.

Their eyes locked on the man who had led them through storm and flame—who had become, to them, something far more than just a captain.

And then he said it, still smiling.

"The Roger Pirates… are disbanded!"

So it's really over, huh?

Ozz felt a strange heaviness in his chest—bittersweet and hard to name.

They set sail, passing through Fish-Man Island, bound for the Four Blues.

Their first stop was the South Blue, where Roger would be the first to disembark.

That night, they held a banquet on board—a celebration of everything they'd been through together.

After all, there wouldn't be many more like it.

They wanted to drag it out, to make the voyage last a little longer…

But with the sea breeze at their backs, the Oro Jackson eventually arrived at its destination.

South Blue, Baterilla Island.

Roger disembarked carrying a single bag and a small bundle of medicine.

Everyone cried like children—even Ozz couldn't hold back, tears silently slipping down his cheeks.

"Goodbye, Captain Roger."

After their parting, the crew—now under Rayleigh's lead—continued sailing toward Wano in the New World.

But to everyone's surprise, the next person to leave the ship wasn't Oden.

It was Ozz.

On their way through the Sabaody Archipelago to get their ship coated, Ozz abruptly announced his decision.

"Hey! Ozz! Why are you in such a rush to leave? Why not stick with me and Shanks a little longer—"

No one wept harder than Buggy.

His snot nearly smeared onto Ozz's sleeve.

But Ozz had made up his mind.

"Sorry, Buggy," he said. "Before I start my real journey, I want to spend two years growing stronger in Paradise. Don't worry—we'll meet again soon enough."

"My Observation Haki doesn't lie."

"What kind of stupid Haki only sees thirty seconds ahead?!"

Buggy raged, but deep down, he understood. He respected Ozz's choice.

So it was with a small pack of belongings, some treasure, his saber and his flintlock, that Ozz said his farewells.

Before leaving, he hesitated, then turned to Oden.

Not for Oden's sake—but for the sake of the year they'd spent together on the same deck.

"Oden," he said quietly, "remember this: strength is the only way to solve real problems.

Pirates are far more cunning than you think."

"The hell are you on about?" Oden blinked, baffled.

Ozz didn't elaborate. He just waved and walked away.

Truth be told, he didn't care much for Oden as a person.

But a parting warning—well, that felt like the decent thing to do.

Otherwise, he might've just tossed that brat Momonosuke overboard the moment they met.

Oden's death would be his own choice.

Ozz wouldn't interfere.

But Wano… yeah, he'd definitely show up for the fireworks.

He lived life on a whim, after all.

And maybe—just maybe—if he castrated Momonosuke, the kid would actually make a decent shogun.

No distractions, no lust—just politics.

Besides, the Kozuki line still had Hiyori. That counted for something.

"I wouldn't be letting Oden down," Ozz thought, smirking to himself.

He stood on the harbor, watching as the Oro Jackson, his home for five long years, slowly sank beneath the sea's surface toward Fish-Man Island.

"Farewell, Roger Pirates…"

"Urgh—"

Ozz thought he was prepared. He'd psyched himself up, telling himself Devil Fruits probably just tasted weird.

He was wrong.

This was no ordinary nastiness.

This was worse than fermented old lady socks soaked in rotten eggs and left out to rot for three days straight.

Originally, he'd planned to tuck the Teleport-Teleport Fruit between two slices of bread and swallow it whole.

But in the end, he gave in to curiosity.

After all, you only eat a Devil Fruit once in your life.

He took a bite—

And spent the next ten minutes gagging into a trash can by the roadside.

Then, gritting his teeth, he shoved the rest of the fruit down his throat.

It was a bit big, sure—but even a few years ago, Buggy had managed it, so Ozz figured he could too.

A bit of effort, and down it went.

But even after the flesh was gone, the aftertaste lingered—foul enough to haunt his soul.

"I need something to eat. Anything."

Shouldering his bag, Ozz walked off in search of food, casually experimenting with his new ability as he went.

It didn't take long for him to master the fruit.

"Interesting…"

He strolled the streets without a care in the world, vanishing and reappearing in ghostly flashes—each step taking him dozens of meters ahead.

It had a certain… mystique.

Reminiscent of the shadowy elegance of Yuan Tiangang, that legendary assassin from the old tales.

But truth be told, Ozz didn't know Sabaody very well.

Every time he'd been here before, he hadn't bothered exploring.

His Observation Haki let him sense the terrain—but as for which area served what function?

That part of the manga, he'd long since forgotten.

Left turn, right turn…

Eventually, he found himself standing in front of a vibrantly lit district.

He squinted.

Was this fate?

Inside, men laughed and played. Women giggled and flaunted their charms.

He didn't need to guess what kind of place this was.

Especially with his Observation Haki showing him the wild "beast-versus-beauty" scenes unfolding behind those lavish walls.

After five years on a ship packed with nothing but sweaty men—

Well, this was definitely new.

"Oho~ What a surprise. A man of your caliber showing up here, of all places…"