"Oi, why is the World Government after you?"
The man looked up, his dirty face revealing a pair of dull, lifeless eyes, devoid of any vitality, and his lips were as cracked as parched land.
Seeing this, Seven brought food and water and placed them before the man: "Eat your fill before we talk."
Only those who have starved know the torture of being hungry and thirsty.
Usually, even if he were to kill someone, Seven would let them eat their fill first, mainly to ensure they had a good final meal and didn't become a hungry ghost.
Even though his hands were bound by Sea Stone handcuffs, it didn't stop the man from devouring the food voraciously.
This unsightly eating manner reminded Seven of how he used to be when he encountered kind villagers feeding him before joining the Roger Pirates.
One meal today, none tomorrow; he had no table manners back then.
The man finished two bowls of braised meat over rice in no time. "The chef on your ship has good skills."
"My name is Phoenix. I'm a doctor and a Space Human who ate the Space-Space Fruit."
"The World Government seems to have mastered a way to recover Devil Fruits. I guess they want to reclaim the Space-Space Fruit, which is why they caught me."
A doctor? Space-Space Fruit?
Seven pursed his lips, appearing indifferent on the outside, but his heart was pounding. It couldn't be the Ope-Ope no Mi that the World Government offered a 5 billion bounty for, could it?
If it really were the Space-Space Fruit, the CP leader wouldn't have drawn his gun to try and kill Phoenix after Mihawk appeared.
Then the truth was obvious.
The World Government would rather kill this guy than let him fall into someone else's hands.
Besides, the difference in this guy's behavior before and after was huge.
Someone who had lost the will to live would never eat like this; only those desperate to survive would wolf down food without restraint, clutching at every sliver of a chance to live.
And this explanation, the wording was so proper... it was as if it had been rehearsed repeatedly in advance.
Although there was no information about other Ope-Ope no Mi users in the sea besides Law.
This wasn't actually hard to understand.
For a Devil Fruit like this that could grant immortality, categorized at the level of a strategic nuclear weapon, the World Government would definitely erase all information about it.
This was immortality!
However, even if the doctor really was the Ope-Ope no Mi user, Seven estimated that the man probably couldn't perform the Immortality Surgery yet.
Just ten CP members could arrest this guy, so his strength was likely mediocre, probably not even as good as the current Seven.
"Master, may I ask your name?"
"Barzeb Seven."
"Master Seven, where are you all headed?"
Seven looked at the doctor with a smile.
"Don't ask where we're going. You're just a trophy I snatched from the World Government."
"Isn't it a coincidence? I'm also quite interested in the Space-Space Fruit. And even more coincidentally, I also know a way to recover Devil Fruits."
Hearing this, the doctor froze, and his already pale face instantly turned even whiter.
Even Mihawk, who was taking a sweet drink from an ice bucket nearby, froze in place.
Oh no, he was becoming even more interested in Seven.
The doctor had a bitter smile, looking like a broken man who had just escaped the wolf's den only to enter the tiger's mouth: "Master Seven, a man with the Qualities of a King like you actually knows about this too?"
"Just kidding."
Seven patted the doctor's shoulder: "From now on, the cleaning job on the ship is yours."
"Yes, Captain! I guarantee the work will be done."
After leaving the port, Seven's group continued toward Jaya Island.
Even if the doctor really was the Ope-Ope no Mi user, Seven wouldn't coerce him right now.
He was only fifteen.
Being twenty forever would indeed be wonderful, but being fifteen forever was a bit lacking.
At least he should wait until his body was fully developed and stopped growing before considering immortality.
Instead of wasting time here, it was better to head to the Gold Country as soon as possible and use that golden pillar to buy the divine artifact, musou isshin.
What if that fool from the Teyvat continent took musou isshin off the shelves?
Seven had to consider: could this be the only chance in his life?
Once missed, it would be gone forever... World Economic News Paper.
Morgans, the president of the news agency, stared sometimes at the faxed photo in his hand and sometimes at the den den mushi.
"Are there any clearer photos? This won't cause a sensation at all."
The den den mushi spoke, mimicking the person's expression: "3 million Berries, and I'll send you all the photos."
Morgans sneered: "3 million Berries? I think you've gone crazy for money."
The den den mushi: "Don't forget, he's a member of the Roger Pirates. Before I was knocked out by Conqueror's Haki, I took many photos that could make newspaper sales explode."
"Also, all ten CP members are dead, and he took the criminal away."
Morgans said faintly: "You don't even know the man's surname."
The den den mushi: "Does the surname matter? What do you think of Roger's surname?"
"I never sell fake news!" Morgans cursed. "He's just a small cook for the Roger Pirates. One price, 2 million. Take it or leave it."
The den den mushi: "Deal."
After receiving those high-definition photos from the den den mushi, Morgans stood with his hands on his hips and laughed wildly.
"Big news! This is big news!"
Morgans specifically chose one: the sky was filled with lightning and thunder, black and red Haki tore through the horizon, and Seven held a glowing blue sword. This was the cover photo.
He found another close-up: snow-white hair and a slightly youthful facial close-up.
"Barzeb Seven! Kingly qualities, Logia Rumble-Rumble Fruit, killed World Government agents, kidnapped a mysterious prisoner... Yes, write it like that."
"What code name should I give him?"
Morgans paced back and forth in his office, muttering: "demon heir is already taken by Bullet, and 'White Hair' doesn't sound very intimidating."
"Rumble-Rumble Fruit... Rumble-Rumble Fruit..."
"Raiden Shogun?"
"Forget it, let's call him the Thunder God."
After personally finalizing the draft, Morgans shouted: "Tomorrow's newspaper will definitely sell out!"
But before the official printing, Morgans took out a den den mushi to contact an old acquaintance, CP9 agent Lu Bian Yi Tiao.
"Lu Bian, I've found Beelzebul's whereabouts. 3 million Berries, and I'll send you the location immediately."
The den den mushi asked through gritted teeth: "Is Hawkeye Mihawk still with him?"
Morgans paused: "They're together? I haven't heard any news about them being together."
The den den mushi: "Good, thanks."
Loguetown, East Blue.
When Lu Bian Yi Tiao received news that Barzeb Seven had appeared on Sandy Island, he was completely stunned.
"What?!"
"You're a 'three-no' contestant with no Haki, no physical techniques, and no Devil Fruit ability—a non-combatant. How on earth did you enter the Grand Line?"
"How dare you!"
Thinking about how he had wasted more than a month in the East Blue like a headless fly, Lu Bian Yi Tiao's anger bar was instantly filled.
"Beelzebul, you really deserve to die!!!"