"Twenty years?"
Bleeding at the corner of her mouth, the young Charlotte Linlin froze for a second when she heard Ozz's words.
Then a thoughtful look flashed in her eyes.
Twenty years later she would only be in her early forties. With her physique and soul based power her fertility would still be perfectly fine. Using a Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit to exchange for a son strong enough to conquer the world.
You really could not say that was a bad deal.
She looked at Ozz again. There was a strange gleam in her eyes.
"Hey Ozz. Are you for real?"
"You would really have a child with me? As long as I keep this figure and face?"
For someone like her, controlling body fat, maintaining youth, even affecting her own lifespan was not hard at all. Especially for Linlin, who could manipulate souls. Keeping her current beauty in middle age was completely doable.
What she needed to confirm was that Ozz was not playing with her.
Why did it have to be twenty years later?
"I have never broken anything I promised."
Ozz thought to himself that it was not going to be his problem anyway. It would be the problem of the him who lived in this split timeline. So he had no psychological burden at all.
"As for why twenty years later, you do not have to worry about it."
"…"
After a short silence Charlotte Linlin stood up holding her wound. Her figure was still hot, still wild.
She stared hard at Ozz for a long time.
Only then did she grip Napoleon and walk away.
As she left she looked back and spoke one last sentence.
"This Devil Fruit will count as a favor I owe you. The matter will only be settled when you fulfill your promise."
Ozz's expression was faintly amused.
He watched the little giant like Linlin leave, shrugged, and said inwardly.
Not my problem.
When the young Linlin left, only Ozz, Gick, and the two kids were left there.
Ozz had actually been ready to go already. Good thing he noticed these two pitiful kids in the last moment.
He thought for a bit.
Then he looked at the two Devil Fruits in his hands. After making his decision he tossed the Paw Paw Fruit over.
"Kuma. Call it payment for giving me face."
In Ozz's opinion one Azure Dragon fruit was already plenty for the old man. The Paw Paw Fruit was broken level strong but honestly it was not that useful to him.
And this silly honest little Kuma looked very pleasing to the eye. In the original timeline he had been very polite to him too.
So Ozz just gave it.
Otherwise this version of Kuma, Ivankov, and Ginny would probably have died miserably in God Valley.
"Eh eh!"
Kuma scrambled to catch it. He raised both hands high, fumbled several times before he finally held it. His panicked movements improved Ozz's mood and he actually felt like chatting.
"Now that you have a fruit, get out of here."
"This place is going to turn into hell very soon."
"Ah. Yes."
…
Gick however was staring at the Azure Dragon Fruit in his hands, his eyes glued to it. His heart could not calm down for a long time.
"Um. Captain Ozz. I know this might sound dumb but I still want to ask."
"Why give me something this precious?"
"Why?"
Ozz pinched his chin and glanced at Gick's very serious face.
He said casually.
"Because I am your grandson."
"Actually I used a Devil Fruit ability to return here from the future."
"…"
Ozz said it very offhandedly, like it was no big deal. But when the words fell into Gick's ears, it was like thunder in broad daylight.
I. I I I.
My Captain Ozz is my grandson.
It took him a long while to accept this under Ozz's repeated persuasion. But he still could not hold back his curiosity.
"Then your grandma is?"
"Grandma?"
Ozz gave him a speechless look.
"That does not exist. You stayed single your whole life."
"???"
"I am the one you picked up. Not your real grandson."
"So it is only a foster grandson." (disappointed face)
Which was logical. Gick did not have enough confidence to believe that his bloodline could produce a world class monster like Ozz.
But very quickly his curiosity turned to the future.
Ozz did not talk too much. He only told him that after the God Valley battle, when Gick went home, he would probably meet the newborn Ozz.
After that he only needed to raise him and wait to be carried.
Gick nodded with a thoughtful face.
Ozz assumed he was just shocked and needed time to digest it. So he patted him on the shoulder and grinned.
"So I am not your brother. Old man."
Gick's mouth twitched.
Only now did he realize that he had actually been calling his own grandson brother.
But because the respect he felt for Ozz was too deep, even after learning the truth he could not just flip his attitude. He did not even dare to get mad.
He only hugged the Azure Dragon Fruit and walked beside Ozz in a sulky way.
Ozz noticed that Gick had tucked the fruit into his shirt.
"What is wrong. You are not going to eat it?"
"I grabbed this fruit for you on purpose. This fruit belongs to a future sea emperor."
"Then how does this fruit compare to the one you are eating now?"
Gick did not know much about Devil Fruits. He was a pure close combat fighter. He did not understand awakening or creative development.
Ozz actually thought about it seriously.
At his current stage the Teleport Fruit was definitely the most comfortable. It matched his style perfectly and its ceiling was very high.
But the Azure Dragon Fruit was indeed cool and the boost to the body, the elemental control, all of that, in Ozz's hands, could be developed to absurd levels. Not to mention the Azure Dragon awakening would be even more broken.
So.
"I feel both of them are great. Each has its own strengths."
Gick heard this, touched the Azure Dragon Fruit in his arms, and smiled too.
So.
It really is a very powerful fruit.
Actually when he heard that, Gick already decided not to eat it.
He knew his own ceiling. His talent was average. He would not be able to fully develop a top level fruit.
Better to keep it for when he met his grandson.
If someday his grandson could not find a suitable fruit, he would still have this as insurance.
In Gick's mind it was all very natural.
Since it was his grandson and this grandson was a monster, then of course he should have the best Devil Fruit.
If he himself could not become the king among monsters, then at least he should become the king of raising monsters.
Gick too
was a man with dreams.
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