After all, Hawk Eye's swordsmanship was basically his own swordsmanship, and his Conqueror's Haki was even stronger.
Round it up a little and you could say they were tied for first place.
That was how Ozz saw it anyway. In his mind, once he made it public that he was "also a swordsman," there probably would not be a single person in the world who dared object if someone called him the "World's Greatest Swordsman."
Hawk Eye, that guy, would probably be the first to raise both hands in agreement.
Because that would mean Ozz had officially accepted the identity of a swordsman. Once the title of World's Greatest Swordsman landed on Ozz's head…
Mihawk would have a brand new target to chase again.
Just the thought of it was enough to make Hawk Eye excited.
Ozz, however, did not feel excited at all. If anything, he felt a little bitter.
"What You are telling me, Master, that you are the World's Greatest Swordsman"
Young Zoro's jaw dropped. Then he remembered that earth shattering strike from before and felt that, actually, it made perfect sense.
With swordsmanship like that, being number one in the world did not sound strange at all.
Kuina also stared blankly at Ozz, her eyes sparkling like little stars.
Her life's goal was standing right in front of her. Her heart was full of longing and admiration.
"Well… how should I put it. Strictly speaking, that title of World's Greatest Swordsman does not belong to me yet."
Ozz chuckled.
He was never going to openly admit to that troublesome title.
"I am not the World's Greatest Swordsman."
"When I said your dream is to 'replace me,' what I meant was this. My good friend, the current holder of the title of World's Greatest Swordsman…"
"Hawk Eye Mihawk, has always wanted to cross blades with me and settle things purely as swordsmen."
"If, in the future, one of you really does become 'the greatest in the world,' then the one he wants to challenge will no longer be me, but you."
Ozz casually gave an explanation and denied their guess, but the two kids were still fired up, gripping their swords tightly.
Zoro did not believe it. How could someone as strong as Ozz have anyone he could not beat
"Then if you say you are not the strongest, why does that Hawk Eye keep challenging you Are you weaker than he is"
Kuina's mind circled around the same doubt. Her eyes were fixed on Ozz, but the answer she got was…
"I actually am… a sniper."
…
After randomly blowing apart the dojo's staircase for no good reason, Ozz left behind a generous repair fee, said his farewells to everyone, and prepared to leave.
He had seen the scenes he wanted to see, and the regrets he wanted to mend were more or less settled.
He was the freest man in the world. There was no way he would let himself be tied down to one little village.
"Hey"
He had not gone far when a shout came from behind.
Having survived their brush with death, Kuina and young Zoro came chasing after him, panting heavily as they saw Ozz walking away with a huge sack of food on his back.
"Ozz sir"
"Master, are you really leaving"
Ozz turned back slowly and nodded with a gentle smile.
He was not the type who was good at looking after children. He had already stayed longer than he planned.
But kids were kids. The moment Zoro understood that Ozz was really going to leave, tears welled up in his eyes. He was too stubborn to say anything like "please stay," so he just shouted at the top of his lungs.
"One day, I will catch up to you and become the World's Greatest Swordsman"
Seeing this, Ozz smiled.
For a moment, it was as if he saw his younger self, crying as he watched Captain Roger walk down the gangplank and leave the ship.
"Well, since you have called me Master, and I have hardly managed you at all…"
With a snap of his fingers, a long, black, luxurious blade appeared in Ozz's hand. He walked over and shoved it into Zoro's arms.
"This is the sword I used when I was young. One of the twenty one Great Grade Blades, Dark Crow Shadow."
"Kuina has Wado Ichimonji from her father. I cannot let you lose at the starting line."
"When you someday become the World's Greatest Swordsman, return this sword to me."
After speaking, he reached out and ruffled Kuina's hair as well.
"And you too. Do not you dare let this little brat surpass you in the future, Kuina."
"Ha ha ha ha"
"Stop talking I am definitely going to surpass Kuina"
Watching Ozz step out onto the surface of the sea and walk farther and farther away, Zoro drew Dark Crow from its sheath.
The dark blade reflected his determined face as he silently swore to himself.
He would carry this sword and…
Become the strongest swordsman in the world.
…
A gentle sea breeze blew across the water.
Every so often, waves swelled and crashed, sending up spray.
Yet whenever those waves were about to touch a certain figure, they quietly smoothed out.
Step. Step. Step.
With a huge sack of food on his back, Ozz strolled across the surface of the sea, munching on a sandwich with one hand and checking an Eternal Pose with the other.
He moved forward at an unhurried pace.
His long hair was lifted by the wind. When he glanced up by chance, he saw a seagull in the distance, a bundle of newspapers strapped to its back as it flew straight toward him, as if it had a specific target in mind.
Ozz simply smiled.
Seeing the joyful look on the seagull's face, he immediately recognized who it was.
"Is this not the Seagull King Long time no see."
"Gaa"
The bird soaring in the sky, still carrying newspapers as always, was none other than the Seagull King Ozz had released back then.
It was clearly in much better shape than before.
Calling it a seagull hardly felt accurate anymore. Its presence was sharp and imposing, more like an eagle or a hawk than a gull.
"You have really made something of yourself. I heard you even awakened Conqueror's Haki."
"Gaa"
The creature known to the outside world as a "walking natural disaster," the Seagull King, was docile as a kitten in front of Ozz.
It cried once, then tapped its beak meaningfully against its back, indicating it could transform and let Ozz ride on top if he wanted.
Ozz did not accept.
If he wanted to save effort and hurry to his destination, he could have long since spammed his teleportation and arrived instantly.
But travel…
Travel was about enjoying the journey.
Understanding Ozz's intent, the Seagull King simply perched on his shoulder instead, serving as a very fancy ornament.
At the same time, it pulled out a newspaper from its bundle and handed it to Ozz to relieve his boredom.
"East Blue news, huh. It has been a while."
Each sea had its own information channels. Unless the news was truly world shaking, Paradise rarely ran stories from the New World.
Ozz did not really understand the exact mechanics, but this was one of the reasons the people of the Four Seas and Paradise were such country bumpkins.
Many so called Supernovas would rampage through the Four Seas and the first half of the Grand Line, cutting down gods and Buddhas, and then get so overconfident they forgot how high the sky was.
Then every year a fresh batch of "Supernovas" would have their spirits crushed in the New World and start doubting their life choices in front of the Four Emperors.
It was the same with East Blue papers. There were reports about the New World, but only a few. Most of the content was focused on East Blue itself.
One headline in particular caught Ozz's eye.
"The Great Pirate Clown Buggy Attacks Cocoyashi Village"
"Motive Unknown"
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