The rising flames dyed the evening sky a deep, blood red.
The Red Force slowly sailed into the distance. The Red Hair Pirates laughed and cried as they raised their cups together, drinking and shouting blessings for Uta, sending her off in their own way.
Ozz was not someone who cried easily. He simply sat atop the mast, gazing from afar at the burning Elegia.
Little Uta had already woken up. She was crying and screaming that she wanted to go back to the ship, but there was nothing she could do.
"Parting for the sake of a dream, huh. That is a kind of freedom on the sea too."
Ozz chuckled, leaning his back against the mast. With a casual flick of his hand, the imposing Seagull King spread its wings and soared into the sky, clutching a Den Den Mushi camera in its claws as it climbed higher.
Through its lens, the image froze.
Ozz sat atop the highest mast of the Red Force. Below him, the Red Hair Pirates held their cups high. In the distance, the kingdom of Elegia had been completely obliterated, swallowed in a sea of crimson fire.
"Reporting, sir. In the kingdom of Elegia we only found two survivors. The country is gone. We also confirmed the presence of the Red Hair Pirates' ship. Do we open fire?"
The scout ran across the deck in a panic. From the moment they received the call to now, they had been rushing here at full speed.
Yet in the end, they had still arrived too late.
The Music Kingdom, Elegia…
Had been erased.
"…"
Faced with the soldier's question, the Marine commander looked in the direction of the Red Force. After a brief silence, he spoke.
"All hands, do not make any move whatsoever."
"Na… ni?"
The soldiers looked stunned, not understanding at all, but they had no choice except to obey. They could only watch as that pirate ship slowly sailed away.
The Marine officer was angry too. How could he not be?
But it was useless.
He had been in the Marines for many years. He had seen this kind of thing more times than he could count. When someone bore the status of a Celestial Dragon and was also a pirate, a place like Elegia being wiped out was just… wiped out.
Just like God Valley back then.
What else could they do? Attack a Celestial Dragon for the sake of civilians who had already been slaughtered?
Even setting aside the fact that it was impossible, if they really tried, there would not be a single survivor among the Marines involved in this operation.
This was the World Government.
As for Ozz, he had clearly noticed the large number of Marine warships, but did not take them to heart at all.
Instead, it was Shanks who ended up drinking too much afterward. Maybe parting with the girl he had raised all these years hurt too much.
"Hehehe… hic… Hey, Ozz, where did that scar on your chest come from? There is actually someone on this sea who can hurt you?"
"This thing…"
Before Ozz could answer, Shanks pointed at the three scars over his own eye.
"Let me tell you, this one here is…"
Half drunk, half awake, Shanks clearly planned to get completely wasted tonight. He had drunk so much that he could not even speak clearly.
Ozz, however, knew the story well. Those scars were from Teach. After all, a man who would one day become an emperor of the sea was never going to rely on only his Devil Fruit power. There was no way he could sit on one of the only four thrones of the New World without extremely powerful Haki.
Ozz's hand drifted to the cross-shaped scar on the left side of his own chest. In a sense, that was related to Teach's father. It had been left by a great pirate from the Rocks Pirates.
…
Very soon.
As the News Coo spread its wings and flew out over every sea, a piece of news shook the world.
"Elegia Erased: Black Gun and Red Hair"
"A Nation in Flames, An Era Out of Control"
"Shocking Truth: This Is The Reason Behind The Annihilation"
In the New World, within the Duramos Kingdom.
In the luxuriously decorated royal palace, an old man in glasses was sprawled over a desk, reading the newspaper.
"Your Majesty, it is time for your meal."
Old Gick waved his hand impatiently, telling the maid not to bother him. He frowned as he stared at the picture in the paper, one hand holding a magnifying glass.
"That brat, there is less and less news about him these days. He used to be on the front page every day."
Smacking his lips, the old man sounded very displeased.
The next second, his movements froze completely. His eyes locked onto the figure in the photo, and he slowly moved the magnifying glass over Ozz's bare chest.
The cross-shaped scar there stood out clearly on Ozz's body.
"This…"
"Someone actually hurt Ozz? Which bastard did this?"
His mouth was harsh, but when it came to Ozz, his only grandson, Old Gick was soft to the core. Ozz had never had scars on his body before.
He stomped around the palace, swearing up a storm. He was so angry he lost his appetite.
…
East Blue, Cocoyasi Village.
Bugg y and his men had set up camp outside the village. Wrapped in bandages, he was holding the newspaper his underlings had just delivered.
Suddenly, it was as if he had seen something impossible. Bloodshot veins spread across his eyes, which bulged so wide they looked like they might pop out. His tongue practically stuck straight out.
"Th… th… this… What is this, why is Ozz with that bastard Shanks?!"
Buggy nearly fainted from rage.
What made it worse was that in the photo, Ozz was sitting on Shanks's ship, and the deck behind them was piled high with treasure chests.
His brain instantly filled in countless imaginary scenes.
Things like:
Ozz helping Shanks plunder treasure, Ozz disappointed in him and choosing to support Shanks instead, deciding to help Shanks become Pirate King in his place…
He was so jealous it hurt.
For the first time, a tiny crack appeared in Buggy's heart. For the first time he felt a faint sense of regret that he had not accepted Ozz's offer back then, when Ozz had said he would help him become Pirate King.
"Damn it."
"I had a chance, I really had a chance to stand shoulder to shoulder with that bastard Shanks!!!"
…
"Impossible. There is no way Mr. Ozz is that kind of person."
Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
In the officers' lounge, Doll slammed the newspaper onto the table, the more she read the angrier she became. Her palm came down hard.
The table was split cleanly in two.
In the conference room, Sengoku and Garp were also discussing the matter.
"Elegia has been destroyed."
"Looks like it was Black Gun and Red Hair."
But Sengoku clearly had access to more detailed intelligence. He made his judgment without hesitation.
"It should be related to the Music Demon King, Tot Musica."
"Still, they went too far."
Before the two could continue, Doll barged in. Sengoku felt a headache coming on.
"Doll, this is not something the Marines can intervene in. We also believe Ozz Saint is not the sort of man who would wipe out a country for fun. But the fact that public opinion is blaming him…"
"That probably means he agreed to it himself."
After that, Sengoku briefly explained to Doll the relationship between Shanks and Ozz.
Doll was stunned for a moment, then quickly came to a conclusion.
"It has to be Red Hair Shanks's fault."
That gentle man who had taught her how to use Haki, who had eaten food with her and toured Marineford with her, that refined, calm, handsome Mr. Ozz…
How could he possibly be the type to casually wipe out a kingdom?
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The tides are shifting, and secrets linger in the dark... Step into the shadows early on P@treon, where the next chapter awaits before the world sees it.
[email protected]/_theon
Change @ to "a"