Ozz closed his left eye, slowing his breath as best he could. His Observation Haki locked tightly onto the tall figure amid the crowd of Marines.
His finger settled gently on the trigger.
Then—without hesitation—he pulled it.
"Single-Shot Style: Fate's Kill!!"
As someone who aspired to surpass even the most dramatic Devil Fruit users, Ozz would never let his flair for theatrics fall behind. Even if it was just a basic Haki-assisted shot, it had to sound like the stuff of legend.
A sharp squelch rang out.
Blood burst into the air like a crimson flower, drifting downward in scattered arcs before vanishing into the sea.
The falling figure was unusually tall—much more so than the Marines around him. Lanky, almost, and visibly stunned. His wide eyes held disbelief, helplessness.
And then—he hit the ocean.
"Kuzan!" someone shouted.
A Marine who'd been mid-combat nearby let out a roar and launched into Geppo, dashing across the air in a desperate rescue attempt.
This was no ordinary recruit. Aboard Vice Admiral Garp's ship, even the veterans knew Kuzan's potential—and his Devil Fruit ability. He couldn't be allowed to fall here. Not like this.
"...My power..."
Sinking slowly beneath the waves, Kuzan felt a stabbing pain in his thigh. His limbs were leaden, his chest tight with the pressure of drowning.
One horrible possibility surged to the forefront of his mind.
"Who the hell uses Seastone bullets… on a recruit?!"
Right before he hit the water, though, he caught a fleeting glimpse of the shooter.
Someone with long, dark hair.
"Tch. Must be a guy thing... I aimed with Observation Haki and still missed!"
Ozz had wanted to hit a very specific spot. But he'd been slightly off—enough that the future history-making female Admiral he'd had his eye on wouldn't be happening now.
He clicked his tongue, annoyed at the missed opportunity.
Still—he wasn't the type to put all his eggs in one basket.
Wasn't it better to share the wealth?
All for the sake of gender balance in the Navy! To correct the centuries-long male dominance! This was about the future of equality on the high seas!
And in that sense, Ozz had already become a king—well before Roger.
You want to know what kind of king Ozz wanted to be?
The King of Viral Hits!
"Swords and brawls just aren't my style," he muttered. "The high ground sneak shot—that's where the real art is."
Watching Ozz's increasingly refined marksmanship, Betam—who was still focused on intercepting cannonballs nearby—couldn't help but feel both proud… and a little cold sweat down his back.
This kid really didn't hold back.
The chase continued in a tense deadlock. But overall, thanks to the sheer number of monsters on the Roger Pirates' side, they held the advantage. Bit by bit, they widened the gap, pulling ahead of the Navy fleet.
"Boom—boom—!"
Another set of shots rang out.
"Oh, come on! That damn Armament Haki again?!"
Ozz groaned.
He'd used Observation to read the path of the bullet perfectly—again. But the guy had Haki-hardened his pants, deflecting the shot like it was nothing.
Unbelievable.