"Captain Barzeb, I'm Rosinante, the Silent Man who ate the Calm-Calm Fruit."
Though Seven's face stayed blank, his heart was blooming with joy—truly the Fleet Admiral's foster-son; the bearing was on another level.
Since you've come, don't even think about leaving again.
Many thanks to the Marine incubation base for delivering such talent.
Before Seven could speak, Rosinante had already given a reason that could not be refused.
"Captain, my dream is to become a great pirate like you. This Devil Fruit I chanced upon—please let me join your crew."
Golden Lion froze on the spot.
Something felt off—very off—twelve degrees off.
Today's rookie pirates are this lucky?
The last brat only brought news of a Mythical Zoan; this one shows up carrying an actual Devil Fruit.
Is Barzeb kissed by fate, or are these rookie monsters just absurdly blessed?
Unhurriedly, Seven took the parcel Rosinante offered: a spiral-patterned fruit.
[Convert Logia smoke-smoke fruit?]
[No]
This is the "Strategist" Fleet Admiral Sengoku? Willing to pay such a price for his precious son?
Smoke-Smoke, the first Logia shown in the manga, ranks dead-last in ATK among Logias.
Besides full elementalization, it can solidify smoke to trap foes or attack, and propel the user at high speed.
In the original timeline the user was Smoker the "Smoke-Hound"
Two-and-a-half years ago at Loguetown, Seven had seen twelve-year-old Smoker; never thought he'd steal the kid's future luck.
Fate truly works in mysterious ways.
"Welcome aboard."
Rosinante bowed slightly.
"Thank you, Captain. I'll leave you to your business."
Watching him close the door, Seven couldn't stop the corners of his mouth from curling—if every undercover agent brought a Devil Fruit…
Then by all means don't stop, Marines and World Government—send more!
I, Barzeb, can handle it.
Golden Lion finally snapped out of his daze.
"Captain, what fruit is that?"
"Logia Smoke-Smoke."
Golden Lion exhaled: Barzeb was undeniably heaven's favorite.
Otherwise how could two interviewees deliver news of a Mythical Zoan and an actual Logia?
Surely there couldn't be another—
Moments later Vergo walked in, bowed first to Seven, then to Golden Lion.
"Captain, Senior Golden Lion."
"I'm Vergo, nineteen, North Blue, expert in hand-to-hand, Armament Haki awakened."
Golden Lion relaxed—at least this one didn't bring a fruit.
Lightning doesn't strike thrice; the first two had been freakish one-in-a-million luck—now reality was back.
But Vergo quickly added:
"Before I came, word came that a Devil Fruit appeared in Flevance…"
The words landed; Seven smiled.
"Welcome, Vergo."
"Thank you, Captain."
Vergo bowed and stepped out, wiping cold sweat only once the door shut—gratitude flooding his heart.
Young master—loyalty!
Inside the office Golden Lion couldn't sit still; he strode to the desk and stared at Seven.
This is the treatment of Heaven's Chosen?
Set sail and run into Great Swordsmen like Mihawk and Fujitora; swing by the South Blue and come home with Paw-Paw user Kuma, plus Ginny as a bonus.
Hell, even he, Golden Lion, had practically delivered himself to the East Blue.
And Shiliew's kid had volunteered.
They'd barely captured Hachinosu Island, picked three random rookies, and netted three Devil Fruits… Golden Lion was struck by a wild thought: at the Edwar Sea Battle he'd held every advantage, yet freakish waves had let the Roger Pirates escape.
Could it have been because of this brat?
Very likely—how else to explain it?
The sea stayed calm before and after, yet the moment Roger was nearly caught, the Flying Pirate fleet was smashed by towering waves.
How do you fight the heavens?
Worse—had Roger become Pirate King only because this boy had been on his ship?
Race of Gods… Chosen of Destiny… So he, Golden Lion, hadn't lost to Roger—only because Barzeb hadn't been on the Flying Pirates?
Golden Lion grunted, stalked out without a word; he needed somewhere quiet to think.
Damn destiny!
Seven was left sitting in bewilderment.
"The helm's already pulled out—why's Senior Shiki still muttering like a mystic?"
The look in Golden Lion's eyes had been familiar—like pious worshippers in church.
Had pulling the helm damaged Shiki's brain, making him all mystical?
Seven shook his head, stored the smoke-smoke fruit in his system space, and sighed:
"Pity—only three."
Marines, World Government, everyone—send more undercover agents. Just three? Who are you looking down on?
Am I, Barzeb, not worth the investment?
If seventeen or eighteen infiltrators arrived, the points from auctioning their fruits alone could empty the shop's direct-sale page.
Fast-forward straight to dual-fruit awakening.
"Three fruits plus three free laborers… oxen and horses—not bad at all."
After delegating tasks to Fujitora, Seven called Who's-Who again.
"Where's that Mythical Zoan?"
Carefully, Who's-Who unbuttoned his shirt and pulled a crumpled, yellowed parchment from an inner pocket.
"Captain—it's on Raijin Island."
"I meant to go in, but the island's shrouded in endless Thunderstorms; you need special umbrellas to land."
Taking the map, Seven gave it a cursory look.
Whether the Mythical Zoan was real or not, Buggy would love the treasure chart—and the World Government sure knew how to forge; it looked genuine.
Before picking Hachinosu as base, Seven had considered Raijin, but the island suited only his own training—far too harsh for the crew.
Perpetual lightning storms—only a Rumble-Rumble user like him would feel at home, even comfortable.
Rumor claimed Raijin was where the previous Rumble-Rumble user had awakened; occupying it as a training ground was tempting.
When Morning Star Pirates entered the New World they'd briefly anchored at Raijin—with Kuma around, they could return anytime.
He tucked the parchment away and nodded.
"Work hard from now on—dismissed."
"Aye, Captain."