Skypiea, open-air banquet hall.
Though covered in blood, Mihawk remained seated, drinking alone as if nothing had happened.
He was not drinking out of frustration.
After all, he was only nineteen.
It was perfectly normal that he could not defeat Kizaru, who was in the prime of his life.
He was drinking because Seven had knocked out all the natives of Skypiea, leaving no one to help treat his injuries.
Following Mihawk’s gaze, one could see Seven and Kizaru seemingly arguing about something.
“Brother, the world shouldn’t be like this.”
“Little brother, please stop talking.”
Kizaru had never imagined that he, a Marine Vice Admiral and a senior officer about to be promoted to Admiral, would end up cooperating with a wanted criminal of the World Government.
This brat was even trying to incite him into rebellion.
It was simply outrageous.
After suddenly learning the buried truths of history, the justice Kizaru had always upheld suffered a massive blow.
His entire mind was still somewhat dazed.
Two voices clashed constantly in his head.
He’s been to the final island.
What he said must be true.
The World Government is trash.
So what?
Pirates will always be pirates.
He didn’t want to become a pirate either.
Wasn’t it because the World Government and the Marines were useless that he had to become one just to survive?
Have you forgotten the justice in your heart?
Kizaru rubbed his brow.
His unsteady breathing was as heavy as his current mood.
All he wanted now was to leave this devil in front of him and be alone for a while.
“Little brother, are your people reliable?”
“Relax.”
Seven took a few photos from his chest pocket.
“The photos are all here.
We don’t plan on heading down to the Blue Sea anyway, so just put your heart back in your stomach.”
“Brother, I only have one request.”
Kizaru burned the photos.
“Say it.”
“Brother, you know what the World Government is like.
For the sake of these weak Sky Islanders, I hope you won’t leak any information about Skypiea.”
“All right.
I promise.”
Thinking of the gold Seven had promised him, heat rose in Kizaru’s heart.
In half a day, he had earned enough money for the rest of his life.
This trip had not been in vain.
Technically, he could try to kill Seven.
Then all the gold in the City of Gold would become his.
How to put it?
This brat was not easy to kill.
And Kizaru was not the kind of person who could do that.
Unclear justice was still justice, after all.
“Little brother, where’s the prisoner you abducted?”
“He ran.”
Seven spread his hands helplessly.
“While you and Mihawk were fighting, that guy slipped away.”
Kizaru looked rather conflicted.
“Then I’ll go after him.
Catching one is better than catching none.”
He could not miss out on the gold, but he still wanted that Admiral promotion too.
By promising Seven not to leak information about Skypiea, he was indirectly telling him: as long as you don’t leak those photos, I won’t leak this information.
As for the photos that had been destroyed…
Who was he trying to fool?
Kizaru firmly believed that this sly brat definitely had more photos of them raising cups and drinking together.
He had really lost his mind.
Why had he attended a pirate banquet?
Now he was being blackmailed with photos.
With gold paving the way, Seven and Kizaru, who was about to be promoted to Admiral, reached a series of cooperation agreements.
These included, but were not limited to, not exterminating one another when encountering Marines and sharing intelligence between both sides.
Before leaving, Kizaru spoke again.
“You’re sure you won’t be active on the sea for a while?”
“Relax.
I keep my word.”
Watching Kizaru leave, Seven picked up a bucket of water and woke the unconscious people of Skypiea one by one.
“Old Gan, Mihawk is injured.
Pick some nurses to help treat him.”
“Of course, Lord Thunder God.”
Gan Fall nodded in response.
That sleazy-looking enemy had vanished, so he must have been driven away by Lord Thunder God.
As expected of Lord Thunder God!
Seven returned to his seat and began reflecting on the wrong decisions he had made lately.
He should have given up on recruiting the doctor as a crewmate much earlier.
The Op-Op Fruit certainly had extremely high strategic value.
But now that the man had escaped back to the sea amid the chaos, if the World Government captured him again, he might expose Skypiea’s existence.
“I really shouldn’t have been softhearted back then.”
Just as Seven was feeling regretful, a sneaky figure suddenly darted over.
“Captain, is that guy gone?”
Seeing who it was, Seven kicked him.
“You little bastard!
You even fooled me?”
The doctor dodged while grinning apologetically.
“Doesn’t that make it more convincing?
That guy definitely won’t expect that even you were tricked by me.”
“At least you’ve got some brains.”
Seven snapped in annoyance, “You’d better find a way to hide.
The World Government will never give up on the Op-Op Fruit.”
The doctor’s eyes dimmed instantly.
“So you already knew.”
“Then why didn’t you hand me over?
If you turned me in, you could at least get the Marines to revoke your wanted order.”
Seven rolled his eyes.
“I may be a pirate, but pirates still have to understand righteousness.
Besides, for pirates like me, a Marine wanted poster is a badge of honor.”
A bounty was the Marines’ alternate form of recognition toward pirates.
Across the entire sea, only Captain Roger and Whitebeard had pirate bounties exceeding five billion berries.
As for Rocks, the World Government had erased his information because of the God Valley Incident.
Seven patted the doctor on the shoulder.
“Find somewhere to hide.
Preferably don’t even let me know where.
I’m afraid one day I won’t be able to resist grabbing you and taking you to the World Government for the reward.”
“Understood, Captain.”
…
Three days later, in the golden city of Shandora.
Before the enormous stone tablet, Seven touched the newer inscription on its surface.
The sight brought back the scene of his arrival on Skypiea with the captain two years ago.
Beside Seven, Mihawk was wrapped from head to toe in Supreme Grade Bandages.
“What does it say?”
Seven shook his head.
“I can’t read the earlier text either.
The later part was spoken by Captain Roger and carved by Oden.”
“I have come here and will guide this text to the ends of the earth.
Pirate: Gol D.
Roger.”
Mihawk frowned.
“D?”
Seven explained, “The captain’s real name was Gol D.
Roger.
When the World Government reported his deeds to the world, they publicly called him Gold Roger, deliberately hiding the D in his name.”
“The D Clan… was once a faction opposed to the World Government in the past.”
“The World Government hates D and fears D.
That is why they chose to erase the existence of the D Clan from the world’s sight.”
Seven grinned.
“In other words, even if we turn the world upside down, since we aren’t members of the D Clan, the World Government might even try to recruit us.”
Mihawk fell silent.
After a long while, he asked, “I want to go down.
Do you have a way?”
Even someone as strong as Mihawk could very likely be smashed into paste if he jumped from ten thousand meters in the air.
Seven spread his hands.
“Mihawk, you still won’t even call me Captain.”
Training could never stop, especially for a proud man like Mihawk.
Whenever Seven spotted an opening, he immediately began his mind games.
Faced with this situation, Mihawk drew Yoru from his back.
“Beelzebub, draw your sword.”
Seven drew his own blade in response.
“Let’s change locations.
Don’t damage the inscription.”
In truth, Seven had already prepared an item that would allow Mihawk to descend to the sea safely: a Flying Bamboo-Copter.
Why not buy the Flying Cloak?
The Flying Cloak was certainly more stylish, but it cost a full 1,000 points, while the Flying Bamboo-Copter only cost 500.
Also, Seven had a wicked sense of humor.
Just imagine.
The cold, aloof Mihawk wearing a Flying Bamboo-Copter on his head and flying around like Doraemon.
Wasn’t that a vivid image?
After a true contest between men, Seven took the Flying Bamboo-Copter from his pocket.
“Mihawk, put this on your head.”
…