Chapter 17: Looks Like I Got Played

The crystal-clear wine in the cup, emitting a fresh fruity aroma, made Kizaru unable to resist raising his glass.

One drink won’t hurt, right?

There can’t possibly be World Government or Marine spies up here, ten thousand meters in the air.

“If not for the World Government’s bounty, I think we might have become friends.”

Barzab Seven feigned surprise: “Friends with the Marines?”

“Like Captain Roger and Marine hero Garp? Mr. Borsalino, really, could I?”

Click~ Click~

G. Full quickly pressed the image shell, taking photos and recording video simultaneously while using a sound shell to record audio.

Having done all this, he turned and walked away with effortless grace.

Seeing this, Kizaru’s signature lewd grin slowly froze on his face; though he didn’t know what those shells were, he felt something was off.

“Looks like I got tricked.”

Barzab Seven didn’t respond to that, but changed the subject.

“I heard you’re good friends with Monkey D. Dragon. Could you introduce me to him?”

At these words, Kizaru narrowed his eyes and rapidly recalled all information about Barzab Seven.

Joined Roger’s crew at age nine.

Disappeared alongside Roger when the crew disbanded last year; after Roger surrendered, Barzab Seven vanished. Until last month, he appeared in Loguetown, then raided the World Government’s prisoner transport at Shengtingdao Port.

How did he know about Monkey D. Dragon’s whereabouts?

Was there a traitor in the Marines?

Could it be that Barzab Seven shares Dragon’s ideals, and seeks to establish some alliance through me as a middleman?

“What a hassle!”

Kizaru drained his cup in one gulp: “I’m a Marine. Capturing you is my duty.”

“Understood.” Barzab Seven drew his blade.

“Marines hunting pirates is only natural.”

“Big Brother Borsalino, I hope our fight won’t damage our friendship.”

Kizaru’s eye twitched: Friendship your ass!

You act like we’ve known each other for years—we just met today, for god’s sake!

Hearing the conversation collapse, Mihawk didn’t wait for Barzab Seven to move—he slashed out a flying cut, sword in hand, charging at Kizaru.

Black Blade Yoru had been starving for a worthy opponent of Marine Admiral caliber.

Originally, Mihawk planned to bid Barzab Seven farewell after the banquet and return to the sea to challenge other great swordsmen, reuniting two years later.

He never expected a skilled fighter to come to him.

Since he’s here, there’s no reason to let him go.

Kizaru casually drew Totsuka no Tsurugi and effortlessly blocked Black Blade Yoru, his movements fluid as flowing water.

At thirty-four, Kizaru was in his prime.

Even without consuming the Gura Gura no Mi, his swordsmanship had already reached the level of a great swordsman.

In the original timeline, during the Sabaody Archipelago incident, Kizaru once wielded Totsuka no Tsurugi and sparred with the elderly Rayleigh... using a health-preserving sword technique.

Out of respect for Mihawk, Barzab Seven did not immediately join the fight, but took the recently taken photo from G. Full’s hands.

The photo showed: Barzab Seven seated in the main seat, Kizaru and Mihawk on either side, all three raising their cups in toast.

Honestly, it was easy to misunderstand.

“Old Full, where’s the doctor?”

G. Full blinked: “Lord Lei Shen, didn’t you tell him to come to me for an octopus balloon and hide in Qinghai?”

Barzab Seven rubbed his temples: “Never mind.”

That doctor... really is obsessed with survival.

Whatever. He’s not my kind. Barzab Seven decided to respect others’ fates and let go of his savior complex.

On the Grand Line, great pirates are as numerous as fish crossing a river; finding like-minded crewmates won’t be hard.

As for immortality.

At fifteen, Barzab Seven shouldn’t be considering immortality; it may seem like a blessing, but in his view, it’s an eternal prison.

The weight of life lies in the unknown.

Barzab Seven cherishes every thrilling, exhilarating moment of life: setting sail, discovering treasure, outwitting enemies, drinking with comrades.

If life were infinite,

then every thrill of adventure, every joy of victory, even the relief of narrowly escaping death, would be diluted.

Eternity would dilute the value of every moment, rendering everything dull and mundane.

Alright, Barzab Seven couldn’t keep pretending.

Mainly because he’s only fifteen—he should wait until his body matures before even thinking about immortality.

Otherwise, wouldn’t he be a bit... short?

Besides, who can be sure Barzab Seven won’t gain immortality later?

He’s a precious plot device.

“Lord Lei Shen, we can fight too.”

G. Full volunteered eagerly; Barzab Seven was deeply satisfied: “There’ll be plenty of chances for you to fight later.”

Sending warriors who can’t even use Haki to face a Marine Admiral isn’t bravery.

That’s suicide.

Better to let them witness firsthand what true high-end power on the Grand Line looks like.

“Old Full, take your people farther away.”

At this time, Kizaru hasn’t yet become a Marine Admiral, and Mihawk hasn’t been crowned the world’s greatest swordsman—but at this level, even the shockwaves of their battle could kill sky islanders.

Former Marine Admiral Zephyr once commented on Kizaru: He relies too much on his Devil Fruit.

Kizaru’s weakness is indeed over-reliance on his fruit, but his strength is that the Gura Gura no Mi has almost no flaws.

Fundamentally, the techniques Kizaru uses with his fruit could be developed and mimicked by Barzab Seven—lightning and light share too many similarities.

On the battlefield, Mihawk grew fiercer with every strike.

And Kizaru’s rising battle spirit suddenly struck Barzab Seven as profoundly strange—

Is the slacker actually getting fired up?

If his partner weren’t Mihawk, Barzab Seven would’ve launched a surprise attack immediately—whether it hit or not didn’t matter; the point was overwhelming odds.

But Mihawk was different.

Mihawk was too proud.

Knowing Mihawk’s nature, Barzab Seven respected his choice: one-on-one duel.

Among the future three Marine Admirals,

Aokiji fought Garp on the Hive Island, Akainu battled to the death in the Marineford War, and both fought ten days and nights over the Admiral title.

But Kizaru...

During the Marineford War, Akainu was gravely wounded, Aokiji lightly injured, and Kizaru’s robe merely slightly soiled.

At Sabaody Archipelago, he kept saying “So scary!” and knocked out a Supernova with one kick.

It seemed Kizaru had never truly fought for his life, hence the joke: “Paycheck’s good, Four Emperors get crushed.”

Of course, Mihawk was the same.

But at nineteen, Mihawk was likely no match for Kizaru.

When Mihawk was thrown back for the third time,

Barzab Seven raised Yume Isshin, wrapped in Conqueror’s Haki, and clashed it against Totsuka no Tsurugi.

This strike was all-out.

Thanks to the idiot from Teyvat, Barzab Seven had the chance to face divine radiance directly, allowing his Conqueror’s Haki to evolve at an absurd speed.

In the Pirate World, Conqueror’s Haki wrapping is the key to becoming a top-tier power.

Future master Kaido once said—only Haki can surpass all else.

The immense force transmitted through Totsuka no Tsurugi, and the purple blade wrapped in Conqueror’s Haki, shattered Kizaru’s understanding.

“Conqueror’s Haki wrapping?”

Kizaru forgot his catchphrase, wishing he could murder the Marine and World Government intelligence system.

What the hell is the Meeting King doing?!

A man with monstrous strength, Conqueror’s Haki wrapping, and a top-tier Logia ability—his bounty is barely under 100 million?

Kizaru: *******

Barzab Seven grinned widely.

“Big Brother, sit down and chat?”

Aside from Yume Isshin, Conqueror’s Haki wrapping, and innate strength, Barzab Seven truly had nothing else to show against a Marine Admiral.

Better to cut his losses while ahead.

If he aroused suspicion, another huge battle would be unavoidable.

Barzab Seven and Mihawk together could keep fighting Kizaru for a while, but they shouldn’t fight on the sky island’s territory.

Sky island land is already extremely scarce—if the battle’s shockwaves severed the island, the loss would be catastrophic.

Seven currently only wanted to develop in peace: there was no need to fight the Marines to the death.

If Kizaru was determined to keep fighting, then so be it—he had fought for his life before, over the past fifteen years, through stops and starts.

If you die, your cock points to heaven; if you live, you live forever.

Kizaru glanced toward the distance—the direction where the Skypieans and Shandians stood.

Seven read the unspoken thought in the other’s eyes: “That’s easy.”

Crimson-black Haki rippled outward in concentric waves, instantly spreading across the entire island, knocking unconscious every living thing except Mihawk and Kizaru.

Seeing this, Kizaru pushed off and leapt backward into the air.

Just two criminals—not a mission that needed to be completed. No one knew he had encountered Barzab Seven, and he had already reported the situation to Admiral Zhan Guo.

“Barzab Seven, what do you want to talk about?”