West Blue, Ohara Sea Area.
In the distance, thick smoke billowed from the war-torn Ohara, causing Seven to be enveloped by a long-lost sense of failure once again: if he could have arrived earlier, he wouldn't have made this trip in vain like he was doing now.
What a failure; even with a god's-eye view, the course of history still does not bend to an individual's will.
"Sorry, Issho, we're late."
Issho gripped his saber, Gambler's Fireline: "Captain, there might still be survivors on the island."
Seven nodded heavily: "Prepare for battle."
Although they were late, saving whoever they could was better than nothing.
Whoever opposed the World Government, regardless of their purpose or whether they could succeed, he, Barzeb Seven, would definitely help support them.
The east blue emperor's speed surged as it sped towards the Ohara coastline from the other side of the Marine warships.
On a Marine warship, a lookout shouted loudly.
"Vice Admiral Sakazuki, an unknown vessel has appeared to the northeast. Shall we fire?"
"Fire!"
Following Sakazuki's command, the ten Marine warships turned their bows and opened fire at full capacity toward the unknown large ship with a dragon head and red sails.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
A dense curtain of cannonballs, like a wall of rain, sealed off every direction around the east blue emperor.
On the deck, Mihawk had just drawn the black blade yoru from his back when he saw Issho volunteer.
"Mr. Mihawk, leave it to me."
Issho held his saber, Gambler's Fireline; he drew the blade but kept it in its scabbard as gravity waves spread out like ripples, pulling the incoming rain of cannonballs straight into the sea.
Immediately after—
Countless purple gravity rings radiated from around Issho like a relay race, reaching the sky in the blink of an eye and forcibly dragging down two extraterrestrial meteors.
"Captain, Mr. Mihawk and I will hold off the Marines. Please bring the survivors from the island onto the ship."
"No need for such trouble."
The moment Seven drew his saber.
Red-black Haki transformed into tangible lightning, starting from musou isshin and covering the entire sea area in an instant with near-lightning speed.
musou isshin: 100% Haki amplification.
Among the Three Types of Haki, Seven's strongest was Conqueror's Haki. After being amplified by 100%, its power was world-shattering and terrifyingly formidable.
On the ten warships, over ten thousand Marines all rolled their eyes back and collapsed unconscious in a single breath, like Tarot cards being violently knocked over.
In just a single encounter.
Of the massive Marine fleet that had come to Ohara to execute the Buster Call, only Sakazuki and three other Vice Admirals remained standing.
The east blue emperor docked steadily at the shore; Seven looked at Mihawk and the other.
"Mihawk, Issho, I'll leave this to you."
"Yes, Captain."
Seven rushed toward the island to retrieve the books and find survivors. Mihawk, with a bamboo copter on his head, picked up Issho and landed on the shore from the deck.
By this time, the two meteors Issho had previously summoned had broken through the clouds and were crashing toward the Marine fleet.
"Look, everyone... the sky..."
The falling meteors grew larger as they approached, their massive shadows looming over the fleet, making it hard to breathe.
Momonga stood beside Sakazuki, his mouth feeling dry as his Adam's apple bobbed with difficulty.
"This... this... a meteor?!"
The Devil Fruits of the three monster Vice Admirals of the Marines were already overpowered, but compared to the shock brought by the meteors, they seemed somewhat gentle.
"Great Eruption."
Sakazuki shouted sharply, not forgetting to warn: "Watch out for the debris."
If the meteors were allowed to fall, the ten thousand unconscious Marines would be completely buried at the bottom of the sea.
A violent explosion rang out as Sakazuki smashed the two meteors into countless fragments, which splashed into the sea and stirred up numerous waves.
Sakazuki squinted his eyes, feeling that the white hair from earlier was an eyesore.
"Barzeb Seven!"
"Dracule Mihawk!"
"They really are together."
Regarding the news from Marineford, Sakazuki had initially thought it was a bit alarmist.
However, Barzeb alone had dealt with over ten thousand soldiers. Furthermore, with Mihawk and another purple-robed swordsman provoking them from the shore, Sakazuki was completely incensed.
"Barzeb! You deserve to die!!"
Sakazuki directly elementalized his lower body, activating a magma jet to charge from the Marine warship toward the shore.
"Meteor Volcano!"
Magma fists like a rain of meteors fell continuously from the sky, launching an all-out strike.
Issho swung his blade to meet the enemy, his layers of gravity waves clashing head-on with the violent magma.
"Gravity Blade: Fierce Tiger."
On the other side, the three other Marine Vice Admirals, led by Momonga, used Moonwalk to reach the shore and surround Mihawk.
"Dracule Mihawk, why would a man like you become a pirate?"
Although they had just parted, Mihawk already missed Captain Seven; if the Captain were here, he would surely have retorted fiercely on his behalf.
Since when do I need Marine permission for what I do?
Unlike him, who could only respond with his blade; a man of culture arguing would lose his grace.
Unlike the fierce battle on the shore.
Another Marine Vice Admiral, Kuzan, was sitting on a rock, chatting with a dark-skinned, tearful little girl with black hair.
"Absolute justice... sometimes turns people into weapons."
"I originally prepared a boat for you, wanting to see what kind of person the seed Saulo protected with his life would grow into."
"Now... you go with him."
As soon as he finished speaking, sizzling electric currents instantly condensed into a figure.
Looking at the figure before him, it was impossible to tell what emotions were behind Kuzan's sunglasses-covered eyes.
"Barzeb Seven."
"You should leave quickly. Once the World Government and the Marines receive the news, the one sent to reinforce us will surely be the new Admiral, Kizaru."
Kuzan was already resistant to executing the Buster Call, and Barzeb had once reached the Final Island, making him the pirate with the least ulterior motives regarding the Ohara scholars.
For the little girl, it could be considered a good destination.
"Thanks."
Seven had just picked up the dark-skinned little girl when he heard Kuzan ask a question.
"What is the name of your pirate crew?"
"The Morning Star Pirates. I'm the Captain, Mihawk is the vice-captain, and Fujitora Issho is a formal crew member."
"Morning Star?" Kuzan thought for a moment. "The brightest star in the night sky before dawn?"
"Yeah," Seven said casually. "The star that disappears from the sky after dawn."
"See ya."
After sending the little girl to the east blue emperor, Seven went back and forth several times, bringing back several Ohara scholars who were still breathing.
Then, several Flying Slashes rained down on Sakazuki.
"Mihawk, Issho, withdraw."
Mihawk unleashed a Flying Slash that repelled the three Vice Admirals and soared into the sky. Issho took advantage of the gap while Sakazuki was under attack to fly into the air by stepping on debris.
On the shore, Sakazuki's face was livid, and he even bit through the cigar in his mouth.
"Naturally evil pirate brat!"
Seven took Sakazuki's words as nothing more than incompetent rage. He had never lost a war of words in his life: Come on, let's hurt each other!
"Yo, Red Dog, is this how the Marines slaughter civilians to showcase their so-called justice?"
"You're a dog for others, yet you've developed a sense of superiority."
"Tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk."
"If I were you, I'd be too ashamed to wear that justice cloak. You really have thick skin; even I, a 'naturally evil pirate brat,' can't stand to look at it."
In mid-air, Mihawk kept his mouth shut and said nothing.
This is the stuff. Keep going, don't stop.
Issho, on the other hand, was full of shock. The Captain's other side... that mouth... was truly infuriating.
Sakazuki laughed out of sheer anger.
"If you have the guts, don't leave."
"Fine."
Seven drew his saber from his waist and rapidly unleashed Flying Slashes, while signaling Mihawk to sail away first.
The eruption of the Magma Fruit was too terrifying; they had to wait until the east blue emperor was far from Sakazuki's attack range before they could truly retreat.
Seven didn't want the newly bought east blue emperor to be damaged by magma on its first voyage. It wasn't that he cared about the 100 repair points, but rather that it would be bad luck.
At this time, Kuzan, who had been missing for a long time since the start of the Buster Call, finally made his late appearance.
"Sakazuki, I'll stop them."
Although a few small accidents had occurred during the execution of the Buster Call, he still had to keep up appearances. Otherwise, would he still be able to become an Admiral?
As Kuzan and Issho moved away from the two combatants, they also drifted further and further from the east blue emperor. Sensing the other's intention, Issho silently remembered this cold-on-the-outside, warm-on-the-inside Marine Vice Admiral of justice.
Unlike their "leisurely" duel.
On another part of the battlefield, Sakazuki was fighting desperately, almost like a demon, seeking only to kill Seven as quickly as possible.
"Great Eruption."
Whenever Sakazuki tried to launch a long-range attack to destroy the east blue emperor, it was always blocked by Mihawk's black blade yoru.
"Hound Crimson Lotus!"
Sakazuki's lava-transformed arm condensed into a hideous dog head, carrying scorching magma and an aura of destruction as it lunged fiercely to bite Seven.
Clang!
The sharp sound of the collision pierced the air.
Seven swung his blade rapidly, the edge precisely parrying the lava dog head and deflecting the lethal blow.
The next second, Conqueror's Haki Observation Kill suddenly erupted, forcefully suppressing Sakazuki's Observation Haki and causing his perception to instantly go blank.
In a flash, Seven's other fist, coated in Conqueror's Haki and Armament Haki, accurately slammed into the side of Sakazuki's face.
Bang!
The dull sound of the heavy impact was deafening.
With one blow, Sakazuki's cheekbone caved in and the corner of his mouth tore. Magma-like blood splattered from his distorted face.
He was sent flying dozens of meters like a broken Marionette, crashing heavily onto the ground.
Since the start of the duel, Seven's held-back Observation Kill had finally revealed its strategic power.
"A pity," Seven felt a bit regretful.
If he could learn old man Garp's Galaxy Impact, that punch just now would have put Sakazuki out of commission for at least half a year, rather than just injuring him as it did now.
While Sakazuki was still shaking his head, Seven had already unleashed dozens of Flying Slashes.
Puchi! Puchi! Puchi!
The Flying Slashes hit one after another. Although he looked like a bloody mess, Sakazuki still stood up as if nothing had happened and continued to fight Seven.
On the distant sea, Mihawk steered the east blue emperor, casually unleashing Flying Slashes to intercept the pursuit of the three Marine Vice Admirals.
Only two years after being invited to become the vice-captain of the Morning Star Pirates, he had already clashed with the three Marine Vice Admirals: Borsalino, Sakazuki, and Kuzan.
Captain Seven truly is a crew member of Pirate King Roger; he really has guts.
Combatant Issho... is also quite good.
Of the three crew members of the Morning Star Pirates, Mihawk had the leisure to critique the battle, Issho and Kuzan were engaged in a "leisurely" duel, and Seven and Sakazuki were fighting until their eyes turned red.
Even though Seven hadn't sustained any heavy injuries.
But maintaining Conqueror's Haki Coating and Conqueror's Haki Observation Kill simultaneously caused his Haki to be consumed at an exponential rate, leaving Seven panting heavily.
Seeing this, Sakazuki grinned with his blood-red mouth.
"Brat, is your stamina failing you?"
Seven gave a brilliant smile. He took a Senzu Bean from his system space and, while wiping his mouth, inconspicuously tossed the Senzu Bean into his mouth and swallowed it.
"Red Dog, your grandpa is coming for you."
Seven instantly recovered to full status.
musou isshin, coated in Conqueror's and Armament Haki, unleashed Flying Slashes enveloped in electromagnetic storms, becoming even more violent than before.
Sakazuki gritted his teeth. Without the support of Observation Haki, he relied on his battle experience to stubbornly block wave after wave of attacks.
"What a tank!" Seven muttered.
No wonder he could fight for so long during the Marineford War.
Sakazuki was like an unkillable cockroach; every time Seven knocked him away, he would almost always crawl back up the next second to continue the fight.
Tanks like this are truly annoying.
His health is ridiculously high, and his ATK is insanely high too; he's practically a perfect "hexagon warrior."
If one isn't careful, they'll end up either injured or crippled.
Seven used lightning to stimulate his body throughout the process, pushing his senses and Observation Haki to their limits. This was because his attacks could only injure Sakazuki, but the opponent's attacks... were lethal.
Who knows how much time passed.
The east blue emperor disappeared from view. Seven used the momentum to hover in mid-air, using one hand to conjure an electromagnetic storm that swept through the ten Marine warships, destroying their electrical systems.
"Bye-bye, Red Dog." Seven soared into the sky.
With a few flashes, he arrived at the other battlefield, unleashed several Flying Slashes toward Kuzan, then grabbed Issho and chased after the east blue emperor.
Leaving Kuzan behind, who watched the direction they disappeared in with an unknown state of mind.
The Marines, who were supposed to protect civilians, did not hesitate to launch a Buster Call, which was already extremely abnormal. Pirates saving several people from Marine cannon fire seemed even more surreal.
"The world truly is in chaos."
When Kuzan returned to the shore, Sakazuki was staring blankly at the ten warships on the sea that had completely stalled.
"Notify Marineford..."
Kuzan took over: "I'll do it."
...West Blue, east blue emperor.
Seven waved his hand to stop the Ohara scholars who wanted to express their gratitude. He flashed to the Captain's quarters and immediately pulled out a den den mushi.
This trip had only cost two Senzu Beans, and he had successfully invited Issho onto the ship, with an added bonus: four knowledgeable Ohara scholars.
But he had also directly fallen out with the World Government, so he had to notify his family to be careful.
"Uncle Rayleigh, I need a favor."
"Tell the crew members to hide quickly. I've taken out the Marine Buster Call fleet, and there's a very high probability the World Government will come after you."
"Nani?!" Rayleigh's expression turned grave.
"Seven, kid, you're really something!"
Sabaody Archipelago, Shakky's Rip-off Bar.
Rayleigh hung up the den den mushi and quickly whispered a few words into Shakky's ear.
Shakky was dumbfounded, even stopping her smoking: "I think... I need to go out and hide with you for eight or ten days."
Rayleigh didn't hesitate: "It's been a while since I've seen Jabba. Let's go stay at Amazon Lily for a few days, then go to Elbaf for a vacation."
The couple didn't hesitate at all. After sending the guests away, they packed light and left Sabaody Archipelago by ship.
Shakky's Rip-off Bar rarely closed during the day.
On the other side, aboard the east blue emperor.
Seven lay weakly in the bathtub, soaking. Although he had held a clear advantage in the battle against Sakazuki, that was the result of pushing his spirit to the limit and consuming two Senzu Beans to restore his full status.
If the fight had continued, he would have been the one to lose.
Sakazuki... is indeed tough.
Buzz, buzz, buzz, buzz, buzz...
After pressing the answer button on the den den mushi, Seven held the receiver away from his ear: "moshi moshi."
"Barzeb, what on earth do you want?"
Seven stared at the den den mushi and asked a soul-searching question: "Who are you?"
den den mushi: "Saint Topman Warcury of the Gorosei."
Seven realized: "Hello, hello."
den den mushi: "Barzeb, you obstructed the Buster Call. What exactly are you trying to do?"
Seven climbed out of the bathtub.
"First of all, I am very sorry, but I didn't affect the execution of the Buster Call. Ohara is now a pile of ruins."
"Secondly, as you know—"
"I'm not interested in history. And I only took one little girl. Please rest assured, I guarantee she will stay by my side for the next 30 years."
den den mushi: "Your guarantee is meaningless. Hand her over, and we can act as if this never happened. Otherwise, expect endless pursuit from the World Government and the Marines."
Seven rubbed his temples and sighed.
"In that case, I'll have no choice but to inform this sea of a certain 'Lord's' existence."
Red Line, Holy Land Mary Geoise.
Inside Pangea Castle, the Gorosei looked at each other, cold sweat continuously breaking out on their foreheads.
The den den mushi grinned: "How about we make a deal?"
Warcury: "Go on."
The Gorosei were gambling: gambling that Barzeb didn't actually know of that Lord's existence and that he was just being alarmist.
The den den mushi's tone drew out: "I—"
"Deal!"
Warcury glared with his beard bristling: "Barzeb, this matter is settled."
"Thanks."