Giant Kingdom, Elbaf.
Elbaf is one of the homelands of the Giant Race. The entire country is built around the adam tree as its core, divided into a three-layered structure from top to bottom: the Celestial Realm, the Solar Realm, and the Underworld.
Jabba, a former member of the Roger Pirates and known as the Pirate King's left arm, is currently living in seclusion in the Solar Realm, where he found a wife from the Giant Race.
Outside the treehouse where Jabba lived in seclusion, Rayleigh put down the newspaper, his tone full of sighs.
"Shiki... was captured alive by Seven."
Jabba had long grown accustomed to this.
Since Seven set out to sea again this year, news about Little Seven could be seen in the newspaper almost every other interval.
It was either his bounty rising or him causing some earth-shattering event. To use the words Seven used to describe Roger back then, this is called—
Pirate Top Stream.
"Little Seven didn't show his face or reveal his strength before. It's only been three years since we parted, and he's suddenly left Shanks and Buggy in the dust."
"Yeah."
Images of the two little guys fighting flashed before Rayleigh's eyes: "They'll be happy for Seven too."
"I almost forgot the main business. Last time at the Sabaody Archipelago, I heard Seven say that Roger has a son. He followed Roger's request and gave him to Garp... to be his grandson."
"Pfft~" Jabba spat out a mouthful of old wine.
"Nani?!"
"Roger has a son?"
"Why give him to Garp to be his grandson?"
"This..." Jabba complained, utterly speechless. "Compared to Garp like this, it makes us look like we're a generation lower in seniority."
Rayleigh explained with a smile.
"In Little Seven's words, none of us were suitable. The reason Roger entrusted Garp was also because he trusted Garp's character."
Jabba didn't dwell on this topic further.
Taking advantage of Shakky and Jabba's wife Lipuri's absence, Rayleigh gestured exaggeratedly with both hands.
"Brother, how on earth did you do it?"
When they first arrived at Elbaf and saw Jabba's wife Lipuri with a big belly, both Rayleigh and Shakky were stunned—
The heights were completely disproportionate; Jabba could practically swim around inside.
Jabba pursed his lips proudly.
"It's not that big of a deal."
"Let me tell you... ababa ababa..."
Rayleigh nodded in sudden realization, his expression becoming extremely colorful. "Tell Seven about this later; that kid has money now."
"Hehe." Jabba nodded.
The two then resumed an exchange full of expressions and shared interests of men until Lipuri and Shakky returned, and Jabba quickly changed the subject.
"Sigh, the Giant King Harald has done a lot of dirty work for the World Government over the years."
Rayleigh had already switched back to a serious demeanor.
"These are internal matters of Elbaf; it's not good for us to interfere. The person Roger is waiting for... I'm not sure if it's Seven."
Jabba poured Rayleigh a glass of wine.
"I remember when we were on the ship, Seven said he wanted to be the king of the world. What was a joke back then might actually be realized now."
At that time, everyone including Jabba thought it was just three little brats bragging.
Buggy even said he wanted to be the Pirate King.
They never imagined that the little brat from back then would now be steadily advancing toward the throne of the king of the world.
Sometimes Jabba even wondered if he was getting old and couldn't keep up with the times. Little Seven is only seventeen this year, yet his achievements are enough to rival old guys like them in their fifties.
"Come, come, drink."
...The first half of the Grand Line, Paradise.
The cabin of the east blue emperor.
Seven, carrying a food box, was trying to persuade the pirate group's trophy, Golden Lion, to eat.
"Don't worry, Senior Shiki. I specifically used lighting and shadows when taking the photos; no one can see you naked. Surely the legendary great pirate Golden Lion isn't someone who can't afford to lose?"
Golden Lion looked up.
"Where are my swords?"
Seven smiled slightly: "To correct you, including the two famous blades oto and Kogarashi, as well as yourself, you are all my trophies now."
"You're a senior in the pirate world; surely you know this bit of common sense?"
On this sea where the strong prey on the weak, losers are merely the trophies of the winners, to be disposed of at will.
After speaking, Seven passed the food from the box through the feeding window one by one.
Golden Lion seemed persuaded. Ignoring the Sea Stone handcuffs on his wrists, he grabbed the seafood fried rice and stuffed it into his mouth, then took a few swigs from a wine bottle.
"No wonder Roger invited you onto his ship back then; he was a guy who knew how to enjoy himself."
Seven sat on the floor: "As a chef, it's my honor to receive your recognition."
No matter what titles the outside world gave Seven—be it great pirate, Emperor of the Sea, or King of the next era—at his core, Seven was still a chef.
A chef who wouldn't waste food and could cook it into something delicious.
"Got any cigars?" Golden Lion's craving kicked in.
Like a magic trick, Seven pulled out a box of cigars and handed them over, followed by a flame igniting at his fingertip.
Seeing this, Golden Lion froze for a few seconds.
"Jiehahahaha~"
"So that's how it is, so that's how it is!"
Golden Lion believed he had finally discovered the true reason why Beelzebul's strength had improved by leaps and bounds in just a few years.
White hair, flames—aren't those the hallmarks of the legendary divine race, the Lunarian Tribe?
Besides that, there could be no other reason.
"Beelzebul, where are the wings on your back? They weren't cut off by the World Government, were they? Hmm?"
"Jiehahaha~"
Seven silently manifested the flaming wings behind him.
"As expected of a legendary great pirate and a senior of the pirate world, you actually saw through it."
The sight of the flaming wings made Golden Lion realize: since Beelzebul dared to reveal his identity without reservation, he definitely didn't intend to let him go.
As for being recruited by the other party?
Looking at the entire sea, who didn't know that Golden Lion Shiki has never been inferior to anyone in his life? How could he yield to a pirate junior?
"It's nothing much. The World Government released a bounty for the Lunarian Tribe a few years ago; most pirates of the older generation know about it."
"Beelzebul, give me a quick end."
Seven waved his hand to disperse the smoke around him.
"Look at you, getting impatient again."
"Doesn't a legend like you wish to return to your hometown? Are you really going to bury your bones in a foreign land like this?"
To prevent Golden Lion from committing suicide, Seven had taken great pains, not only using Sea Stone handcuffs but also removing all sharp objects from the cell.
Who told him that he currently had no way to 100% obtain the Float-Float Fruit?
This was a top-tier Paramecia Devil Fruit, also worthy of being called strategic-level.
The core ability of the Float-Float Fruit is to remove the constraints of gravity, allowing oneself to fly and making non-living objects float through touch.
Golden Lion once used his fruit ability to control dozens of islands, keeping them suspended at an altitude of ten thousand meters for a long time, and could control floating objects to launch large-scale air raids.
Mobility and strategic significance were maxed out.
If he could obtain the Float-Float Fruit, whether for consignment on the trading platform or for internal use by the pirate group, the improvement for Seven would be enormous.
Selling it for 60,000 points wouldn't be an exaggeration, right?
"Hometown?" Golden Lion snorted coldly.
"My hometown was destroyed long ago. As for you, Beelzebul, if I can escape, I will definitely wipe out the entire East Blue."
In Golden Lion's life, East Blue men seemed to be his fated nemesis. Roger was one thing, since he was a man he recognized.
That damn Garp is from the East Blue, and the Little White Hair Beelzebul in front of him is also from the East Blue.
Men from the East Blue are truly annoying.
"Then keep it up!"
Seven left a sentence and turned to leave. His current plan was to find a way to obtain the Float-Float Fruit as soon as possible to avoid any complications.
As for whether this would expose the fact that Seven could recover Devil Fruits—he would have to at least recover it first before considering that question.
Returning to the deck, Seven looked at the surging sea. Compared to the steady routes of the four seas, the weather in the Grand Line was truly extremely harsh.
By the helm, Kuma was steering.
"Captain, we don't have a log pose for Small Garden; we can only try our luck."
Seven smiled, "Kuma-san, let me take the helm."
"My luck has always been very good."