Chapter 113: Who Are You Looking Down On?

Though his expression remained blank, Seven’s heart was bursting with joy—no wonder he was the Marine Admiral’s adopted son; this bearing was truly unmatched.

Since you’ve come, don’t expect to leave.

Thank you, Marine Hatchery, for sending such talent.

Before Seven could speak, Rosinante had already offered an irrefutable reason.

“Captain, my dream is to become a great pirate like you. I happened upon this Devil Fruit—please let me join your crew.”

The Golden Lion froze in place.

Something felt deeply wrong—extremely, extraordinarily wrong.

Are today’s young pirates just that lucky?

Just now, that kid only brought news of a Mythical Zoan Fruit; now this one shows up carrying an actual Devil Fruit.

Is Barzab favored by fate, or are these pirate brats impossibly lucky?!

Seven took the package Rosinante offered—inside was a fruit with spiral patterns.

【Would you like to acquire the Logia Smoke Fruit...?】

【No】

Is this really the so-called Strategist Admiral Sengoku? To spend so much for his precious son?

The Smoke Fruit, the first Logia Fruit to appear in the manga, has the weakest offensive power among Logia fruits.

Beyond elementalization, it can solidify smoke to trap or attack enemies, and allows high-speed movement via smoke propulsion.

In the original timeline, the user was Smoker.

Two and a half years ago in Loguetown, Seven had seen twelve-year-old Smoker—never imagining he’d steal this boy’s future destiny.

Fate is truly mysterious.

“Welcome aboard.”

Rosinante bowed slightly.

“Thank you, Captain. I’ll leave you to your duties.”

Watching Rosinante close the door and leave, Seven couldn’t help but smile—if every undercover agent could bring a Devil Fruit...

Then please, don’t stop! The Marines and World Government, send more!

I, Barzab, can handle it.

The Golden Lion finally snapped out of his shock.

“Captain, what is this fruit?”

“Logia Smoke Fruit.”

Upon hearing this, the Golden Lion sighed—no doubt: Barzab was truly destined.

How else could such an absurd thing happen? Two kids came for an interview—one brought news of a Mythical Zoan, the other delivered a Logia Fruit.

Surely, there won’t be another?

Soon, Vergo entered, bowing first to Seven, then to the Golden Lion.

“Captain, Senior Golden Lion.”

“I’m Vergo, from the North Blue, nineteen, skilled in martial arts, and awakened Armament Haki.”

The Golden Lion exhaled in relief—good, at least this one didn’t bring a Devil Fruit.

Once is luck, twice is fortune, but not thrice—those first two were one-in-a-million chances; now things have returned to normal.

Yet Vergo quickly added:

“Captain, before I came, I received word that a Devil Fruit appeared in Flevance...”

At these words, Seven smiled faintly.

“Welcome aboard, Vergo.”

“Thank you, Captain.”

Vergo bowed and withdrew; only outside the door did he wipe the sweat from his brow, exhaling deeply, filled with profound gratitude.

Young Master, loyalty!

Inside the office, the Golden Lion could no longer sit still—he rose and leaned over the desk, staring intently at Seven.

Is this what it means to be the Chosen One?

Set sail and immediately encounter Mihawk and Tashigi—great swordsmen; take a casual trip to the South Blue and return with Buggy, the user of the Gura Gura Fruit, plus Jinbei as a bonus.

Even the Golden Lion himself, in a sense, had voluntarily sailed to the East Blue to deliver himself.

Even the kid Shiryu came to join willingly.

Just captured Beehive Island, and three randomly selected pirate brats brought three Devil Fruits...

The Golden Lion suddenly had a bold thought: during the Edoh Sea Battle, when he held overwhelming advantage, why did a monstrous wave suddenly rise, allowing Roger’s crew to escape?

Could it be because of this kid?

Very likely—what other explanation is there?

The sea didn’t stir a moment before, nor a moment after—only when Roger was nearly captured did the Flying Pirates’ fleet get wiped out by a colossal wave.

What the hell—how can a man fight fate?

Worse still—did Roger become Pirate King because this kid was on his ship?

Divine Race... Chosen One...

So it wasn’t that I, the Golden Lion, lost to Roger—it was just that Barzab wasn’t on the Flying Pirates?

The Golden Lion grunted, turned without looking back, and left the office—he needed silence, alone, to think.

Fate’s trickster—damn it all!

Left alone, Seven sat bewildered.

“I pulled out the helm—why is Senior Shi Ji acting so strange?”

The look the Golden Lion had just shown—Seven recognized it well. It was the same as the devout worshippers in churches, bowing in reverence.

Did pulling the helm damage Senior Shi Ji’s brain tissue, making him act like this?

Seven shook his head, stored the Smoke Fruit in his system storage, and murmured with lingering regret:

“Pity there were only three.”

The Marines, the World Government, and other factions should send more undercover agents—only three? Who are they looking down on?

Do they think I, Barzab, can’t handle it?

If seventeen or eighteen undercover agents came, the points from selling Devil Fruits on the trading platform alone would let me clear the entire direct-sale page.

Skip straight to the Dual Fruit Awakening stage.

“Three Devil Fruits, plus three extra laborers... Not bad at all.”

After assigning tasks to Tashigi, Seven called Fuzi Fu again.

“Where is that Mythical Zoan Fruit?”

At the question, Fuzi Fu carefully unbuttoned his shirt and pulled out a wrinkled, yellowed parchment map from his inner pocket.

“Captain, on Lei Shen Island.”

“I planned to go there, but Lei Shen Island is perpetually shrouded in thunderstorms—you need a special umbrella to land.”

Seven took the map and glanced over it briefly.

Whether the Mythical Zoan’s location was real or not, Buggy would love this treasure map—and the World Government was good at faking things.

Made it look exactly real.

Before choosing Beehive Island as their base, Seven had considered Lei Shen Island—but it suited only him; the rest of the crew would suffer.

Constant thunderstorms—only someone like Seven, who ate the Thunder-Thunder Fruit, would be unaffected, even feel comfortable.

Rumor says Lei Shen Island was likely the awakening site of the previous Thunder-Thunder Fruit user—worth occupying as a training base.

When the Morning Star Pirates entered the New World, they briefly docked at Lei Shen Island—meaning with Buggy present, they could go there anytime.

Seven took the parchment and nodded.

“Do well. Go on.”

“Yes, Captain.”