Chapter 73: A Modest Goal,Take Over the Entire Underworld

"Are you sure you're okay with this? Leaving her alone on that island."

The evening breeze fluttered the hem of Mihawk's white shirt as he stood at the edge of the deck, his gaze fixed on the distant coastline.

The ship was steadily pulling away. From this distance, he could barely make out a tiny black dot still waving frantically from the shore.

"You seem unusually concerned about that little brat," Ozz said teasingly, crunching on a handful of chips as he watched Mihawk's back.

"…"

Mihawk said nothing. He simply slung his sword over his shoulder and began walking toward the stern.

Ozz's voice followed him.

"I left her a piece of my vivre card, and I scanned the area with Observation Haki. There's no major crime syndicate or shady gang in that town."

He paused, then added lightly, "Besides… you've got to believe in her will to survive, Little Hawk."

Mihawk didn't respond, but his footsteps, which had been unhurried until now, noticeably picked up pace after Ozz finished speaking.

So stubborn… as always.

Ozz chuckled quietly to himself.

Life aboard the Oro Jackson continued as usual, unaffected by the brief episode of Robin joining and leaving the crew.

After dinner, Ozz sprawled out in a chair, rubbing his full stomach. Suddenly, he seemed to remember something and pulled out a small notebook for a quick glance.

"Oh, right. Little Hawk don't throw away that Log Pose from Ohara. It's still useful."

Mihawk furrowed his brows slightly, unsure what Ozz meant.

He hadn't thrown it away yet, but… with Ohara already destroyed, what use was a Log Pose pointing to a ruined island?

Ozz propped his feet up on the now spotless dining table, looking unusually casual.

"I'm heading back home for a few months. After that, I'll swing by Ohara again. A couple of very interesting individuals will be showing up there."

"I've already contacted Sammi and told her to have her people keep an eye on Ohara."

"Finding two people I've been looking for at once? That's not something I can pass up."

Mihawk listened quietly. He didn't ask why or who there was no need.

If Ozz wanted to go somewhere, that was enough. Whether it was Ohara or even Mariejois itself, Mihawk would be ready to follow.

"You make the plans... but what I'm more interested in is whether there's a swordsman in the New World who's stronger than you."

His sharp gaze met Ozz's as he sipped from his wineglass.

The New World was full of rumors. Mihawk had heard plenty, but before he came of age, he'd spent most of his time wandering the Four Blues and Paradise.

Before meeting Ozz, Mihawk had once believed he stood at the peak of swordsmanship.

But after witnessing Ozz's power firsthand, he realized just how vast the world truly was.

If there was someone stronger than Ozz with a blade, then the days ahead would be anything but boring.

Ozz rubbed his chin thoughtfully at Mihawk's question.

"Well… there are swordsmen in the New World worthy of being called Great Swordsmen."

"But stronger than me? Hm... not many, I'd say."

In his mind, the only swordsmen who might still surpass him in raw skill and still be in their prime were a mere handful: Rayleigh, Saint Garling, perhaps one or two more.

Golden Lion? Probably washed-up. With a ship's wheel jammed in his head and swords strapped to his legs, he was lucky if he still had half his former strength.

As for the other New World monsters most of them weren't even sword users.

Truth be told, Mihawk, now in his early twenties, was already on the verge of breaking into the very top tier of swordsmen. All he lacked now was awakening his Conqueror's Haki and learning to coat it with his sword.

As the conversation turned to the New World, Ozz's eyes gleamed. This wasn't a spur-of-the-moment thought he'd clearly been mulling it over for a while.

"Hey, Little Hawk… I've had this idea for a long time now."

He leaned forward on the table, elbows resting on the wood, drawing Mihawk's attention back from his wine.

"What idea?"

"Well, I want to take over the entire underworld."

Ozz said it like he was talking about going grocery shopping.

He'd never shown much interest in becoming a Yonko. Dividing the New World into territories and ruling over one patch like a warlord? That wasn't his style.

Fulfilling Captain Roger's final wish to use overwhelming strength to maintain balance across the seas?

That job already had a candidate: Shanks.

If Ozz joined in, it'd just be gilding the lily.

He had the talent and strength to be the next Rocks D. Xebec but no desire to become the next tyrant.

Instead, he'd rather become the mastermind pulling the strings of the global black market the one who controlled every deal, every illegal trade route, every illicit fortune.

A shadow king whose influence could rival even the World Government.

A life of luxury without losing any style points.

And that, Ozz thought, was a plan worth smiling about.

Mihawk, however, couldn't help but break into a light sweat.

"If you go through with that… you'll have the whole world breathing down your neck."

It wasn't fear just a reflex reaction to the kind of wild, absurd ideas Ozz threw out without batting an eye.

Ozz, naturally, didn't take it seriously.

"Come on, don't tell me you don't trust my strength."

"And I don't need to gather armies or build an empire through war."

He clenched his fist, and crackling black-and-red lightning flickered faintly in the air.

"All I have to do is beat the underworld's bosses into submission. Once they bow, they won't dare run."

A dangerous smile curled at the corner of his lips.

A crimson gleam flickered in his pupils.

"Because I just don't believe anyone in this world can escape the palm of my hand."

And Mihawk? He had no doubts about that either.

Because he knew once Ozz got serious there really was no place to hide.

Unless someone exiled themselves to a completely isolated island and never contacted the outside world again…

Otherwise, the moment Ozz's intelligence network took shape, backed by his Observation Haki that could stretch thousands, even tens of thousands of meters, and that terrifying teleportation fruit of his…

Even if you were hiding in the deepest part of the sea, he'd drag you out with ease.

Mihawk believed in Ozz's strength but he believed in his own as well.

He set down his wineglass, smirked, and looked across the table.

"Then I guess we'll be meeting plenty of strong swordsmen on the way, won't we?"

Perhaps it was fate. Or maybe history simply loved to repeat itself.

With just a few words and a couple of smiles, two powerful men had casually set the course for the world's future.

Just like the previous owner of the Oro Jackson once had.

Looking back now, Ozz realized.

His reason for joining the Roger Pirates back then… might not have been a lie after all.

After all, he truly did have the power to turn the world upside down.

And more importantly… it didn't contradict the Captain's final wish in the slightest.

The one who inherits Roger's will shall roam the seas, free and unchained, chasing after his dream.

What did it matter if that person also happened to become the mastermind behind the entire world?

---------------------------------------------------- 

[ Preview for the next: "The Boyhood Chronicles of Ozz"

Sailing boldly through the Calm Belt, Ozz and Mihawk venture into a sea devoid of wind, danger lurking beneath the surface and in Ozz's memories. A colossal Sea King rises only to be cowed by Ozz's overwhelming Conqueror's Haki. As they press onward, the atmosphere shifts. For the first time in a long while, Ozz feels the pull of home.

Flipping through his notes of future events and past lives, Ozz drifts into nostalgia, recalling his wild childhood under the care of the gruff yet loving old pirate Zeek. From baby brawls to monster-hunting in the mountains, Ozz's early years were anything but ordinary.

Now, with strength far beyond his age and destiny tugging at his heels, Ozz returns to the island that raised him. But how do you repay a village that fed you, sheltered youand endured you?

Easy. You overthrow a country.]

Impatient? Same. Hit up my P@treon for future chaos!

p@treon.com/_theon

Change @ to "a"