Although the World Government had yet to formally announce the creation of the "Seven Warlords of the Sea"...
Preparations had long been underway behind the scenes to suppress the growing number of powerful individuals rising across the Grand Line.
And in that effort, they spared no means to promote the name of Donquixote Doflamingo.
Even pirates in the New World had now come to know the name Donquixote Doflamingo.
East Blue.
A nameless little island, inside a tavern.
In the midst of clinking cups and the buzz of lively conversation, a red-haired young man in a straw hat was devouring his meal, head down, eating with single-minded focus.
As he shoveled food into his mouth, his mind wandered.
Where should he go to find new crewmates?
Just then, a nearby table of burly men who were drinking and chatting drew his attention with their discussion of recent events.
"Hey, did you guys see the news?"
"Yeah! That big shot Black Gun Ozz some kid actually managed to escape from him!"
"Ozz? Who's that? Is he famous?" one of the men asked with an air of genuine ignorance, apparently clueless.
The man next to him jumped at the chance to show off. He had personally witnessed that legendary "sky-splitting slash" back in Loguetown and ever since that day of existential doubt, he had become a full-blown Ozz-fanatic.
"You don't know? Let me tell you Black Gun Ozz used to sail under the Pirate King Roger himself! That guy's a certified monster..."
Shanks adjusted the brim of his straw hat.
He had perked up the moment he heard Ozz's name, ears twitching like a fox catching wind of prey.
But the more he listened to the man's over-the-top storytelling, the more his expression turned... odd.
"They say he once fought all the Navy's top brass by himself and was entrusted with secret missions by the Pirate King himself..."
Shanks knew Ozz. Those things were... well, technically true. Barely. But then it started getting ridiculous.
"And get this, there's a secret behind why he's called Black Gun," the storyteller continued with dramatic flair.
"Is it... because his gun is, uh, black?" someone offered hesitantly.
"Use your brain!" the storyteller snapped, before leaning in with exaggerated seriousness. "They say... he usually fights with blades or his fists, but when he uses that gun on his back that's when he's truly unstoppable."
"You guys know that Navy monster Aokiji, right? One of the three who ganged up on Ozz and still couldn't take him down? His leg? Rumor has it Ozz shot it and nearly shattered it. If he hadn't dodged in time, it'd be gone!"
"Whoa…" The others nodded sagely, not understanding but still swept up in the hype.
"So… is Ozz, like, a good guy or a bad guy?"
"Uh... he guards stuff. So I guess… a good guy?"
Shanks: "…"
His mouth twitched. He couldn't take it anymore and finally got up to buy a copy of the newspaper.
But as his eyes scanned the pages, his usual lazy gaze sharpened.
He had the same thought now as many others across the sea:
That old bastard Doflamingo... he's the real deal.
Having spent years aboard the same ship as Ozz, Shanks was one of the few people alive who truly understood the man's strength having been on the receiving end of it more times than he cared to count.
And precisely because of that firsthand experience, he knew how insane it was for any youngster to survive after Ozz went after them with intent to kill.
If Ozz had ever truly decided to kill him... Shanks knew in his heart, without Rayleigh or others to step in, he would not have lived to tell the tale.
"Donquixote Doflamingo, huh?
Another rising titan of the new era... Looks like we'll have to fight one day."
He clenched his fist beneath the table, eyes blazing with unspoken resolve.
Once his strength was at its peak, he would challenge that Doflamingo to a duel and see once and for all who was truly worthy of being called the King of the New Era.
Yes.
He had long stopped daydreaming about inheriting the title King of the Next Generation.
Roger had said it himself: Ozz was a man of the old era.
There was no way someone that monstrous could still exist in this new world...
East Blue.
Another nameless little town.
Thanks to his Chop-Chop Fruit powers and the clout he'd built from his days aboard the Roger Pirates, the future infamous pirate Buggy was currently enjoying life as a big fish in a very small pond.
He was also holding a newspaper.
"Ozz…"
The name leapt off the page, sending a jolt through him. A familiar name, one that struck a chord deep in his chest.
But as he read on, his expression morphed into disbelief.
"Na... nani!!"
His jaw dropped, tongue stiffening mid-word. His entire body burst apart in midair, fragmented by sheer shock.
"Someone from the new generation... stood toe-to-toe with Ozz and made it out alive?!?"
"No… no way! That's gotta be fake news! Are they not afraid of pissing Ozz off?! What won't these newspapers write?!"
The ironic twist of fate was that, in a sea full of clueless hype-men and exaggerated rumors...
The only one actually seeing things clearly was Buggy.
Maybe it was because Ozz had always protected him growing up. Buggy probably knew Ozz better than anyone else on the high seas.
To him, Ozz was practically invincible.
Sure, the legends of Whitebeard or Golden Lion or the Pirate King himself those made sense. They were on the same level.
But some rookie from the new generation? And with no outside interference? And Ozz couldn't kill him?
"Hey!! You bastards!! You think my buddy Ozz is some pushover, huh?! You think he's weak enough to let some brat get away?! I'm pissed now, dammit!!"
"All hands on deck!! Take down every seagull you see carrying a newspaper!!"
"Yes, Captain Buggy!!"
PS: (One more added to the blacklist.)
The Grand Line, First Half.
On a quiet sea, in a solitary boat...
A young man with a black blade sat alone, eyes narrowed in intense focus. His aura pulsed with killing intent.
"Sabaody Archipelago, huh…"
"You slipped through my fingers back in Loguetown. But this time… you won't escape."
He folded the newspaper and set it aside. Tightened his grip on the oar. The small boat surged forward as he rowed with determination.
This young man was none other than one of the most promising newcomers on the seas.
The future World's Greatest Swordsman.
And the founder of a new sword style to follow the great traditions of one-sword, two-sword, three-sword styles...
The originator of "Small-Blade Style" Young Dracule Mihawk!
After witnessing Ozz wield that blade Ace and unleash a slash that split the skies...
He knew immediately.
This was the next milestone in his swordsmanship journey.
As the renowned prodigy of the blade, a legacy of the Pirate King and Dark King Rayleigh themselves...
Mihawk believed with every fiber of his being:
If he could surpass Ozz in a duel of blades.
Then he would have taken a decisive step toward becoming the world's undisputed greatest swordsman.
"To cross blades with you will be an honor…
I can already feel it this will be the duel that changes everything.
I await our meeting, Dotor Ozz!"