Chapter 121: The Ageless Girl and the Seizure of Pure Gold
"???"
Ozz had just left his old base on the Sabaody Archipelago it hadn't even been half a day when several black question marks metaphorically floated above his head.
Wait a damn minute…
Why the hell is that old geezer Garp over at Sammy's place now?
And Rayleigh isn't doing anything about it?
Is he really just freeloading and coasting through life now!?
Maybe sensing Ozz's bewilderment, a stubbled, blond face appeared on the Transponder Snail screen, wearing a helpless expression.
"My bounty was lifted because of Roger, but that also means I can't go causing trouble anymore… Besides, Garp didn't actually do anything this time."
After all, Garp had always been a frenemy of Roger's. Since he didn't make the first move, Rayleigh wasn't about to be the one to disrupt the hard-won balance between Roger's crew and the Navy.
Ozz rubbed his temples. Why'd it have to be that unpredictable old lunatic?
"So… all this time has passed, and now you decide to show up, Garp?"
"This was Roger's dying wish! Leaving Ace to me must mean he wanted the boy to grow up to be a fine Marine just like me! With his inherited talent, he'll become a great admiral one day, alongside my grandson. Then they'll take evil little punks like you, Ozz, and toss you straight into Impel Down. Just like back in the day when I fought alongside Roger against Rocks"
Halfway through his monologue, Garp suddenly froze.
"…Oops. Might've let something slip."
Everyone around him fell silent. On the other end, even Ozz looked a bit stunned. Garp scratched his nose.
"Uh… Forget I said anything."
"I didn't say anything. I take it back."
"..."
Watching this shameless old coot act like it was nothing, Ozz couldn't help but twitch at the corners of his mouth.
"Captain Roger did say that," Ozz admitted. "But in the end, he still entrusted them to me."
"What's the difference? Whatever you can offer, I can too!"
"Oh really? Can you casually throw a few hundred billion berries their way as pocket money?" Ozz sneered.
Garp fell silent.
He wanted to argue, but then remembered he'd just had half his pay docked. With nothing left to say, he clammed up.
Ozz turned to speak with Rouge instead.
"So, ma'am, what do you want?"
"As long as Ace grows up healthy, I'll be content," she said softly. "But… living in a red-light district like this, I do worry about his development."
In short, Rouge was willing to go along with Ozz's arrangements. After all, he was the one who'd taken them in during their most desperate time.
If Ozz had insisted on keeping them there, she would've complied without question.
But raising Ace like some pampered young master on the Sabaody Archipelago probably wasn't what Roger had in mind. Roger had once dreamed that at the right time, his son would be the one to find the One Piece.
Yet if Ace grew up in a red-light district, underworld bosses for neighbors, and Rayleigh who was absolutely not a parenting type as his guardian…
Ozz had to admit, the kid could very well grow up to be a minor villain… or worse, some spoiled brat who spent his childhood in brothels and casinos.
As erratic as Garp was, canon had shown he did raise Ace well. And with his mother by his side…
Ozz finally gave in.
He knew he wasn't cut out for raising kids. And the environment under his command wasn't exactly child-friendly either.
A peaceful, isolated village untouched by pirates like Foosha Village might actually be the best place for them.
"Pwahahahaha! Didn't think you'd be so reasonable!" Garp laughed.
In the end, Ozz arranged for a secret bodyguard proficient in Armament Haki to follow them, then let mother and child leave with Garp.
At least in the East Blue, Ozz could guarantee their safety.
He had promised Roger to protect them until Ace was old enough to set sail on his own. And no no-name pirate or mountain bandit was going to threaten their lives on his watch.
As the call ended, Ozz rubbed the bridge of his nose.
The trio of brothers was finally complete.
"I'll swing by Foosha Village someday and check in on those three little guys," he muttered.
Canon or not, at least he had saved Rouge. That thought gave Ozz peace of mind, and he stopped worrying about it further.
The voyage continued.
There wasn't much news on the seas lately. Following the trail of the Vivre Card, Ozz entered an obscure region of the New World.
"Guess it's hiding here…"
His Observation Haki pierced tens of thousands of meters deep into the sea. The anglerfish hadn't even gone that far it was massive, like an island in itself. Way too easy to spot.
"Oh? What do we have here a little girl?"
Ozz leaned on the ship's railing, watching with amusement.
Above the waves, along with the endless spray and foam, was a…
Lizard? Running?
"Teleport: Slaughterhouse."
With a flick of his finger, both the lizard and a small girl appeared instantly on the deck.
"Nice to meet you, Olga."
"Who the hell are you?!"
The blonde "little girl" glared at the three strangers on the ship, instantly pulling a dagger from her waist.
Her eyes darted quickly, analyzing the situation.
A swordsman with a chilling gaze and a blade slung across his back.
A low-key, hook-handed guy who radiated mob boss energy.
And a calm-looking young man with long hair and a gentle face.
…Alright then!!!
She sprang toward Ozz, blade at his throat.
But Ozz was still grinning with excitement. The anglerfish lay entirely within the range of his Haki. Immortality was within reach!
He completely ignored the girl and her knife, eyes fixed on the sea.
"So that's the Pure Gold…"
He stroked his chin, scanning the anglerfish from top to tail with his Haki.
"Hey!!! What the hell are you doing!? I'm hijacking you right now!!!"
"Think you can teleport it up here?" Shasa asked, puffing on her cigar, paying no attention to the squawking Olga.
"Don't ignore me, dammit!!!"
"Or just yank it to the surface and slice it in half," Hawk muttered. "If it's inside, the gold'll just spill out."
Clearly, he was itching to cleave an island in two.
"Ugh!!!"
Annoyed by the noise, Ozz teleported Olga from his neck into his hand and dangled her by the collar.
"Quiet. I'm not after your little piece, so relax."
That single sentence shut her up instantly. Her face darkened in disbelief.
How… how does he know!?
"Hey, anglerfish," Ozz said calmly. "Trying to run away?"
Perhaps out of instinct, the massive creature beneath the waves suddenly began to retreat, attempting to flee the area.
"That won't do…"
Crack-crack!
Ozz's eyes flashed blood-red. His Conqueror's Haki burst out like a typhoon, dark clouds swirling overhead, waves crashing in frenzy. The very sky seemed ready to split apart.
Olga turned pale.
The gigantic, island-sized anglerfish erupted from the ocean, eyes bloodshot equal parts fear and fury.
And then
Black-and-red lightning cracked across the sky, crashing straight toward the creature's skull.
"You're not going anywhere."