Shanks swore,
if he ever challenged Aos to a one-on-one again, he'd be a dog.
Grimacing as he lay sprawled on the bed, the big lump on the back of his head throbbed with a burning pain, keeping him from sleeping well at night. He'd been grumbling nonstop about how Aos never knew his own strength.
But Aos clearly didn't take it to heart. Not long after Shanks woke up, he showed up with Buggy to visit.
"Don't be so petty, Shanks. Taking a beating is a kind of growth too.
Besides, it's not like I did it on purpose~"
Aos sat with one leg slung over the other, chin propped on one hand against the table while the other hand gnawed on a giant drumstick, smiling as he spoke.
"Yeah, and Aos helped you get the hang of Armament Haki, didn't he?"
Buggy chimed in from the side.
Aos kept smiling,
but he'd absolutely done it on purpose.
If he didn't rough him up now, twenty years down the line Shanks would be a nightmare to fight.
Peak-tier Conqueror's Haki + Observation Kill + Future Sight, plus a crew not a whit weaker than Roger's—this guy Shanks would be just as busted as Aos.
Better to stash some dirt now, so they'll have something fun to talk about the next time they meet.
Shanks, however, didn't seem to appreciate his "good intentions." Acting like a sulky kid, he turned his head away and refused to look at Aos—
only to bump the lump on the back of his head, making him bare his teeth in pain all over again.
"Quit pouting. Meat—want it or not?"
Seeing Shanks still throwing a fit after being out cold an entire day, Aos simply held out the giant bone-in drumstick.
"Don't want it."
"Really don't want it?"
"Don't want it."
"Then I'll just eat it. The galley's out of ingredients anyway—we'll have to wait till we dock tomorrow to restock."
Hearing that, Shanks ground his teeth. "I'm not hungry. Do whatever you want!"
Gurgle gurgle gurgle…
"Pfft…"
Aos and Buggy both fought to keep straight faces, which only made Shanks blush harder. All he could do was clench his teeth and snarl out his displeasure.
"Cut the chatter, you two! I said I won't eat, so I won't. I'd rather starve—drop dead on the deck—get swallowed by a Sea King—than eat!"
"Alright, alright. I'll just leave it here. Eat it yourself if you get hungry."
Seeing Shanks had no intention of turning around, Aos shot Buggy a look; Buggy got it instantly.
"Yeah, Shanks, you get some rest."
The two walked to the door and opened it—but instead of leaving, they quietly shut it again,
standing by the doorway to make it sound like they'd gone.
Not knowing Observation Haki yet came back to bite Shanks. The moment he heard the door close, he rolled over and reached for the meat.
He'd been tortured by the smell for ages and was only holding out on pride.
Now that the two had "left," he could finally fill his belly.
"Pfft…"
What he didn't expect was that just as he turned to grab the meat and go to town, a smothered snicker cut him off.
Startled, Shanks snapped his head toward the door—
and there they were, two figures by the door wearing the same wicked grin.
His face went as red as a baboon's backside on the spot!
"You two bastards!!"
"Hahahahahahahaha!!!"
...
During the days sailing with the Roger Pirates, it really had been a fascinating voyage.
Aos had to admit that much.
Late in Sea Circle Calendar 1496,
ever since Kozuki Oden boarded, the Roger Pirates followed the guidance from the Poneglyphs and headed straight back into the Grand Line,
passing through the Calm Belt, Sky Island, Water Seven, the Bridge Kingdom…
They saw so much along the way, and had so much fun. Everyone fully enjoyed the pleasures of the journey.
"Yo-ho-ho-ho, yo-ho-ho-ho…"
Even knowing farewells were coming, Aos still felt happy.
This stretch of youth—he would never forget it for the rest of his life.
After coating at the Sabaody Archipelago, they barely lingered before setting course for Fish-Man Island beneath the sea.
Aos had wanted to check out Sabaody's legendary auction house and slave market, gawk at those "protected-species" Celestial Dragons, and maybe take a bubble bike for a spin.
But Captain Roger's illness couldn't be dragged out, so they could only leave with regret.
Especially when they passed one particular street—those pitiful, scantily clad girls had beckoned to him more than once.
After so many years at sea with a bunch of rough men—yes, there was Lady Toki aboard now, but she was a married woman,
and a married woman who'd just had a child at that.
Aos declared,
A crewmate's wife is off-limits.
Now that he was in his teens, Aos often felt a generous urge to "help" those fallen girls with his own treasure—but Buggy and Shanks hauled him back in tandem.
Sigh…
Fine, then wait. Worst case, after the crew disbands next year, he'd come back for a proper stroll.
He looked back several times, reluctant to part, before finally steeling himself to return to the ship.
The coated Oro Jackson eased downward toward the seafloor.
It's worth noting that when Roger and Oden listened to the Voice of All Things, Aos tried to sense it too—only to hear nothing.
He couldn't help wondering if the Voice of All Things was an inborn talent rather than part of Observation Haki.
Otherwise, someone like him—a monster among Observation users—shouldn't have heard nothing at all.
Bored, Aos sat by the rail and kept "fishing" with Conqueror's Haki.
The discovery delighted him!
From now on, no fear of starving to death at sea.
Just one glare, and a whole swath of fish would float up belly-up—eat as much as you want.
Even Sea Kings, mighty as they are in the water, when faced with high-level Conqueror's Haki, would either faint or freeze in terror, ready for the chopping block.
After about half a day,
the graceful silhouette of a gorgeous undersea island came into view.
Having grown up in the New World, this was his first time here.
Once ashore, Roger and the others were soon warmly received by the newly crowned King Neptune.
Not that he dared be anything but warm—after all, they were one of the New World's overlords. Little Fish-Man Island couldn't afford to offend them.
Along the way they even met a tiny shark mermaid—Shyarly—Arlong's sister, the fortune-telling NPC of Fish-Man Island from the original story.
Aos wasn't interested, though. Whether it was short-term Future Sight or visions decades ahead, he didn't think anyone was more adept at it than he was.
At most she'd divine the birth of Shirahoshi, that's all.
Upon re-entering the New World, the calendar had already turned to S.C. 1497.
This was the year the Roger Pirates reached Laugh Tale—the very completion of their round-the-world voyage.
And it was also when Aos, the carried freeloader, got dragged along for the win.