The pinnacle of pirates! Beginning as a trainee in Roger's crew

"…Huh?"

Inside the Hall of Power, the five Elders of the World Government exchanged puzzled glances.

They had expected a demand so outrageous it would shake the foundations of the world perhaps a request for more Devil Fruits, or even some of the world's famed Supreme Grade Blades.

But… this?

Well, what else would you expect from that man? The one who does everything purely on a whim Ozz.

They were all aware of the feud between Ozz and the three monstrous new-generation Admirals. That drama had been circulating for a while now.

Truly, what a troublesome man...

Still, it was a demand so harmless it barely left a scratch. For the World Government, it didn't cost anything meaningful. They were more than happy to agree.

"Very well. As long as no emergencies arise at the time, they may accompany the royal family of the Dramos Kingdom to the summit."

As for Aokiji and the others' personal feelings?

That wasn't the Elders' concern. In their eyes, this was merely a brief truce with a former enemy no different than the camaraderie between Garp and Roger in days past.

They were Admirals. Professionals. Surely they wouldn't be so petty as to disregard the bigger picture…

"Brat, what the hell did you send me this time?"

On the other end of the Transponder Snail, an elderly man in glasses eyed the envelope and a gold nugget with curiosity.

"One is an invitation to next year's World Government Assembly for allied nations. The other… is Pure Gold."

"Pure Gold? I'm not strapped for cash, you know. You're the one sailing out there who could use it."

With no choice, Ozz began explaining the significance of Pure Gold.

"Ohhh!!! Hahahahahaha!!!"

As the old man straightened up, laughing heartily, Ozz leaned back and scratched his ear, lips curling into a smile.

"I said I'd give you a lift and I meant it. Now that you've got a long life ahead of you, you'd better find something fun to do with it."

"Hahaha… you damn brat…"

After a brief chat, Ozz closed the Transponder Snail.

Yes…

A long life, without joy, only becomes a burden.

He collapsed into the couch, head tilted back as he stared at the ceiling.

"So then… time to keep traveling the world."

"Ozz-sama, are you heading out again?"

When Ozz, clearly bored, casually told Sami he'd be leaving again, she looked like she'd been waiting for that cue.

"Perfect timing. There are a few matters that could use your personal attention~"

"Oho~?"

Meanwhile, in the lawless zone of the Sabaody Archipelago

Though once plagued by chaos, business here was now booming. The black-market enterprises that had rooted themselves in this area were raking in massive profits, artificially inflating Sabaody's GDP to heights it had no right to reach.

In theory, these operations were owned by various underground factions, tangled in a web of shared ownership and complicated stakes.

But Ozz… was the principle.

"…Interesting."

It was no surprise that Little Sha had developed a taste for gambling, given she ran a casino and had that naturally slick, swept-back hairstyle.

Sitting at a table with her legs crossed and a luxury cigar in her mouth one of the most expensive in the world she lounged back lazily, pushing her chips forward in a grand sweep.

Around her, onlookers had long stopped pretending they weren't invested. They weren't even playing, yet their expressions twisted with the highs and lows of the game.

Without a care, Sha plucked the cigar from her lips, let it disintegrate into dust with a flick of her fingers, then lit a new one and blew out a plume of smoke.

It wasn't her money, after all. Why would she care?

No matter how many billions she wasted, it still wouldn't come close to the trillions in debt hanging over her head.

Ozz had money to burn.

So when she lost a few more billion belly in a single round, she didn't even blink just waved the waiter over and asked for tens of billions more in chips.

"Oi, Doflamingo what the hell are you doing here?"

As the dealer changed, Sha narrowed her eyes, raising her head with a blank expression.

Across from her, the previous player a renowned businessman was awkwardly standing and giving up his seat to a tall blond man in a cloak.

Gold earrings glinted at his ears. Gone was the usual formal suit. Instead, he wore an open shirt, tight pants, and soft-soled shoes.

"Fufufufufu… just wanted to thank Lord Ozz in person. After all, that was quite the generous gift."

"Is that so? You really are a good little dog, aren't you?"

For reasons even she couldn't explain, just seeing Doflamingo's face put Sha in a foul mood. Every inch of him rubbed her the wrong way. She couldn't resist taking a jab.

But Doflamingo didn't rise to the bait. As his fingers twitched, the dealer clearly controlled by his strings began dealing cards again.

Still, he couldn't resist firing back with that trademark sneer:

"To someone who could kill me as easily as swatting a fly… bowing my head doesn't seem so unreasonable.

And you, Crocodile how many moves do you think you could last against the Black Emperor?"

"Tch…"

Sha's lip curled. That comment brought back memories of the day she was effortlessly crushed by Ozz. The image still lingered in her mind like a scar.

But unlike Doflamingo, she liked to think she had a bit more spine.

If Ozz hadn't personally extended an olive branch, she likely would've chosen death over submission.

And just for that…

She could hold her head a little higher than Doflamingo.

The match began.

One backed by an infinite goldmine, throwing around money like it was pocket change wealth practically equal to Ozz himself.

The other, a booming tycoon with partial ownership of the casino they were gambling in.

Neither lacked money, and neither held back.

Doflamingo used his strings. Crocodile used her sand. The two opponents cheated without shame, keeping the game neck-and-neck.

And between rounds, Doflamingo finally revealed the real reason he'd come to Sabaody.

"Word is some underground factions are getting bold skimming off the top.

So Lady Sami reached out to me. As the biggest middleman in the business, nothing gets past me."

"Yeah, I heard about that…"

Sha's face darkened.

"No matter how many times we warned them that betrayal meant death, some idiots just can't help themselves. All for a few more belly?"

During Ozz's stay on Sabaody, Sha and Sami had been running the show. While Sha wasn't much of an accountant, she'd heard plenty from Sami.

She honestly thought Ozz would've handled it himself.

But instead, he'd sent in this smug pretty boy.

"Fufufufu… for profit, people would gladly dance on the edge of a guillotine."

Doflamingo leaned forward, sunglasses reflecting a faint red gleam.

"Looks like we'll be sailing on the same ship for a while, huh?

Let's get along, Crocodile~"

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