At the docks, the crew burst into laughter at the scene playing out before them. Among them were legends like Roger, Rayleigh, and Jabba, watching the spectacle unfold with amusement.
"What the hell!?"
Buggy's eyes bulged as he gawked at the kid who had suddenly appeared out of nowhere. He had no idea how the brat knew his name—but that didn't stop him from being thoroughly annoyed by the boy's overly familiar tone.
"Do I even know you?! You just come up and go all Sashi buri dana~ like we're old drinking buddies?!"
Already flaring up, Buggy mimicked Ozz's easygoing grin and singsong greeting with exaggerated fury. His performance was so on point it had Shanks doubled over, clutching his sides from laughing.
The other crewmates couldn't help themselves either—they threw their arms around each other's shoulders, roaring with laughter at the ridiculous exchange.
"Don't be like that, Buggy!" Ozz said, completely unfazed.
Face-to-face with a ship full of top-tier New World powerhouses, Ozz showed not a hint of fear. He wore a bright, infectious smile, eyes gleaming with confidence.
"My Observation Haki doesn't lie. We're absolutely gonna be great friends someday."
Ozz's black hair, nearly long enough to touch his waist, flowed in the sea breeze. Though there was still a youthful softness to his face, his features already hinted at a sharp, rugged charm. His smile alone could light up a room.
He was shirtless, faint scars and lean muscle showing across his torso. Dressed in plain military pants and boots, he wore no accessories—just a bundle of luggage slung casually over one shoulder.
Hearing the boy's bold claim, the ship's first mate—Silvers Rayleigh, the Dark King—narrowed his sharp eyes.
"He's that young... and already awakened Observation Haki? And a rare form at that."
"Like Redfield, perhaps?" Roger mused aloud.
He stepped forward, intrigued, resting both hands on the ship's railing. His gaze fell on the long-haired boy down on the dock, and he called out with a grin:
"Hey, kid! What brings you here?"
"To join you guys, of course!"
Ozz responded with a wide smile, his voice full of cheer. He knew these powerhouses well—and he knew exactly how to handle them.
"Call me Ozz—Enchanting Menace of the Sea!"
The crew exchanged confused glances, but before anyone could respond, Roger asked again, this time with a more serious glint in his eye:
"Alright then, kid. Tell me—why should we let you on our ship?"
This was no ordinary question. This was the question—the same one that had once marked the beginning of the Roger Pirates' journey.
The man who would go on to hide the world's greatest treasure at the ends of the sea, the Pirate King himself—Gol D. Roger—was smiling down at him.
And Ozz, of course, already knew the perfect answer.
He threw his head back and laughed:
"Hahahahahaha! Isn't it obvious? To turn the whole damn world upside down!"
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!"
For a moment, Roger and Rayleigh both froze.
Then their eyes met—and they broke into booming laughter.
That line.
That feeling.
It was like staring into a mirror of their own youth.
The spark of reckless freedom, the madness that dared to challenge the world—that same fire burned in this boy's words.
"If you're not afraid of dying," Roger said, waving his hand with a grin, "then get your ass on board!"
Just like that. On a whim. Roger had always been a man of instinct. He didn't need more than a gut feeling to make a decision—and his gut told him this kid was something else.
Rayleigh, for once, didn't object. He simply stood back and let his captain do as he pleased.
The rest of the crew, however, were a little less understanding.
"Captain, are we turning this ship into a damn daycare?" Jabba muttered, scratching his head.
"What can you do?" another crew member said with a resigned shrug. "That's the price of sailing with a reckless captain…"