Chapter 14: Why Sail Again?

Eight years before the Skypiea arc, Enel destroyed his homeland, Bika, and overthrew Gan Foor by force, crowning himself the new god of Skypiea.

But now, Enel, who is the same age as Seven, is still wasting time in his hometown of Bika.

As the saying goes, a step ahead means staying ahead at every turn.

Seven chose to ally with the Shandians and negotiate with Gan Foor’s people of Skypiea, combining diplomacy and force to seize control of the entire island.

Simply put, Skypiea is perfect as a base.

Above the White Sea, ten thousand meters above sea level, here one need not fear the World Government’s bounty or capture by Marines led by Garp.

Across the entire pirate world, no place is better suited for cultivation than Skypiea.

Moreover, there are unique natural phenomena native to Skypiea—wind shells, laser shells, impact shells—all possessing supernatural power, and all worth points!

Of course, on the condition that you become the crowned god of Skypiea.

“How about I become your god?”

Karpa froze in place. If Roger were to become their god, he might reluctantly accept it—but Seven, aside from being a good cook, seemed utterly unfit to be a deity.

“Seven, you know our traditions.”

The Shandians worship strength; to become their leader, one must defeat every warrior in the tribe and become the strongest warrior of the clan.

“Then what are you waiting for?”

Seven was no man to dawdle; securing Skypiea one day sooner meant one day sooner on the path of the strong.

“Come, fight.”

Thunderstorms filled the sky, lightning of white, yellow, blue, red, and purple interweaving like the end of the world—or the wrath of a god.

At sea, Seven summoned lightning from storm clouds to strike targets with precision.

Now, the storm came not only from above Skypiea but from the White Sea beneath it.

In short, thunder raged above and below.

In versions without Haki, the intimidation of Logia Devil Fruits far surpassed that of Zoan and Paramecia types.

The Gura Gura no Mi was among the very best.

A group of Shandian warriors who didn’t even possess Haki could be handled by the Thunder-Thunder Fruit alone—no Conqueror’s Haki needed.

Just like when Enel first appeared, the oppressive aura he radiated over everyone except Luffy.

Led by Karpa, the Shandian warriors stared in stunned silence; such divine spectacle instilled fear in many of them.

Yet still, some brave souls dared face the lightning’s glare and drew their blades.

“We’re not afraid of you!”

Fear is instinct; courage is humanity’s hymn… but in this unequal battle, courage alone won’t suffice.

In a single exchange, hundreds of Shandian warriors collapsed—this was only because Seven held back.

Otherwise, the Shandians would have been wiped out.

Devil Fruits are simply that unreasonable.

The storm of lightning faded. Seven sat down and resumed the crew’s internal feast.

“Mihawk, have you thought of a name for our pirate crew?”

Mihawk set down his cup: “Before we settle on a name, I want to know—”

“Barzab Seven, you’ve been to the final island, you know what ONEPIECE truly is—so why choose to sail again?”

Mihawk harbored many questions about this enigmatic man.

If he could, he’d crack open the man’s skull to see what secrets lay inside.

Seven drained his cup in one gulp, without pause, and unleashed Conqueror’s Haki, knocking every living thing on the island unconscious.

Only Mihawk remained unaffected.

Some words are only fit for those who are truly one’s own.

“Mihawk, I did reach Laugh Tale with the captain and the others. I witnessed the truth the world calls ONEPIECE.”

“But knowing ONEPIECE…

does not mean the journey ends, because freedom is not an answer—it is a state.”

“Like reading every map doesn’t mean you’ve felt every sea’s storm.”

“ONEPIECE showed me what the world could be—but it didn’t dictate that it must be that way.”

“True freedom isn’t choosing between two preset options—it’s forging a third path even Joy Boy never imagined.”

“I chose to sail to breathe the salty, free wind of the sea.”

“To raise a cup with new companions on unknown islands, just as we do now.”

“To prove that a man’s dream never ends, even when he knows the answer.”

“Even knowing everything, I can still embrace this imperfect world with the same curiosity and passion I felt on my first voyage.”

“So don’t define our voyage by the final island. Where we go is decided only by our will now and the wind ahead.”

“Mihawk, this is my freedom.”

Since the breakup of Roger’s crew, Seven had never before spoken so openly to another.

Perhaps this is what a companion truly means.

Mihawk raised his cup: “To freedom.”

“To freedom,” Seven replied, raising his cup.

“My dear first mate, now you can tell the captain what we’re calling our crew.”

“How about ‘Inazuma’?” Mihawk asked.

“Why?”

“Lightning during thunderstorms.”

Seven shook his head: “Too specific. Our crew isn’t just mine—it’s ours as a whole. No personality cults.”

“What about ‘Dawn’? It implies darkness is ending, and light and hope are coming.”

“Dawn… sounds unlucky.”

Mihawk tightened his grip on the cup slightly.

“Twilight? Dawnlight? Morning?”

Seven swirled his cup, silently grumbling: Morning? I might as well be Dehua!

Regarding the crew’s name, Captain Barzab Seven and First Mate Dracule Mihawk entered a heated debate.

“Freedom?”

“Too blunt.”

“Stars?”

“Too distant.”

“Sun?”

“Someone already used it.”

Finally, at some moment, Mihawk let out a cold snort, rose, and drew his black blade, Yoru—he finally understood. This man was doing it on purpose.

“Barzab, draw your sword.”

Seven quickly waved his hands, abandoning his plan to keep teasing Mihawk: “Look, you’re getting worked up again.”

“Think of another. I promise I won’t object.”

Mihawk took a deep breath, suppressing the urge to kill the dog of a captain: “What about ‘Morning Star’?”

“The lone, brilliant star that shines in the eastern sky just before dawn, enduring the long night, guiding the lost.”

“It represents hope, guidance, and steadfast waiting.”

Seven looked up at the brightest star in the eastern night sky and silently gave a thumbs-up.

“Mihawk, this name has serious artistic merit.”

“No wonder you’re a cultured man.”

“Then I, your captain, now declare: The Morning Star Pirates… are officially formed!!!”