Chapter 34: Lovers Finaly Become a Couple

Sacred Land Mary Geoise.

Located at the very top of the Red Line, it was established eight hundred years ago when twenty kings formed the World Government and relocated their entire families here as the residence of the Celestial Dragons.

Pangu City serves as the power center of the World Government, where World Government meetings are held and the Five Elders conduct their daily work and rest.

Watching Kizaru depart, Satan Saint rubbed his temples.

Five Devil Fruits were paid to redeem the descendant of Im-sama, Saint Elaine.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I propose raising Barzab Seven’s bounty. The surgical fruit user he abducted has vanished without a trace—he may have already achieved immortality.”

“As for whether to launch a Holy War…”

Volchuri Saint, with his mustache, interrupted:

“Barzab Seven is not of the D. Clan, and from current evidence, he, like the other members of Roger’s crew, has not revealed the secret of the final island.”

“We could attempt to recruit him.”

“The immediate priority is to suppress the news and minimize its impact. If word spreads, the pirates across the Grand Line… will become a problem.”

If everyone started kidnapping Celestial Dragons, the World Government’s plans would be utterly disrupted.

“I second that.”

“I second that.”

Satan Saint changed the subject: “Should we send someone to soothe Saint Elaine? Or should we forbid him from leaving Mary Geoise for now?”

“Place him under house arrest.”

“I second that.”

“I second that.”

Sabaody Archipelago, waters.

On the deck of the luxury yacht, Seven casually collected the ransom and tossed the Pig Celestial Dragon toward Kizaru.

“Pleasure doing business.”

With that, Seven shot straight into the sky.

Fighting Kizaru properly could wait—Seven urgently needed a quiet place to list the ransom on the trading platform.

Watching Seven vanish into the distance, Kizaru murmured, “That’s terrifying.”

Though he didn’t know what Seven had discussed with the Five Elders, the Elders’ post-event attitude suggested the matter was closed.

When did the Five Elders become so reasonable?

Or is their aggression… only directed at the Marines, while they grow mild toward pirates?

No wonder Seven said: from another perspective, the Marines are the World Government’s lapdogs.

“Moshi moshi,” Kizaru reported progress to both the Five Elders and Marine Commander-in-Chief Sakazuki.

“Saint Elaine has been successfully rescued.”

Sakazuki: “Good work. I’ll submit your promotion report.”

Five Elders: “Escort Saint Elaine safely back to Sacred Land Mary Geoise, and we’ll approve your promotion report.”

After hanging up the Den Den Mushi, Kizaru’s expression turned extraordinarily vivid—he seemed to have found a way to get promoted and raise his salary at Marine Headquarters.

Too bad he met Barzab Seven too late.

If he’d known him a few years earlier, he might already be a Fleet Admiral.

But Fleet Admiral is the peak—Marine Commander-in-Chief is a job that kills you without compensation, not for the average man.

Kizaru tossed Elaine onto the deck, sat down, and waited for the unconscious Marine to wake up. Returning to Marineford for a meeting wasn’t an excuse to slack off.

Meanwhile.

Seven returned to the hotel room, picked up Tazolo and Stella, and flew toward the Sky Island.

The gains from this trip were astonishing.

Five Devil Fruits, five excellent swords, and most precious of all: Tazolo and Stella.

The only thing Seven regretted was that, aside from the Door-Door Fruit and the Mythical Zoan he specifically requested, none of the five Devil Fruits had strategic-level abilities.

The five Devil Fruits were:

Paramecia: Door-Door Fruit.

Paramecia: Power-Power Fruit.

Mythical Zoan: Burning-Burning Fruit, Thunder Bear Form.

Zoan: Ox-Ox Fruit, Plow Ox Form.

Zoan: Bird-Bird Fruit, Owl Form.

Back on the Sky Island, Seven instructed Xia Ni to arrange accommodations for Tazolo and Stella, then instantly teleported to the dome of Lei Shen Palace.

The Door-Door Fruit has immense strategic value.

Had Elaine not been Im’s descendant, the World Government would never have handed him over.

The Mythical Zoan Thunder Bear should be tied to thunder—useful as a combat asset.

The Owl Form and Power-Power Fruit still have some utility: owls can fly, and the Power-Power Fruit grants a naturally superior body.

“Plow Ox Form… damn it!”

It is well known that Devil Fruits are born from humanity’s desire for power—this collective yearning coalesces into physical fruit, granting superhuman abilities to those who consume them.

So… it’s not hard to understand why someone might wish to become a plow ox.

After brief thought, Seven listed the Owl Fruit and Plow Ox Fruit on the trading platform.

【Owl Fruit: 3,000 points, exclusive for night owls, essential for late-night gaming】

【Plow Ox Fruit: 5,000 points, love him? Make him plow the field!】

Only moments after listing them, Seven saw other world users’ complaints about the earlier Fly Fly Fruit:

【Wanted: 20,000 points for the Gura Gura Fruit. Pirate merchant Wang, stop dumping trash】

【Wanted: 20,000 points for the Gura Gura Fruit. Merchant Wang, what the hell is the Fly Fly Fruit?】

【Wanted: 20,000 points for the Mero Mero Fruit. Digging mouse… I’m dying laughing.】

“Tch.” Seven closed the system interface: “These idiots don’t understand the value of the Fly Fly Fruit.”

Turning your enemy into a fly—how satisfying.

Had he had enough points, Seven would have kept the Fly Fly Fruit to shove into enemies’ mouths later.

The four Devil Fruits listed totaled 16,000 points; if sold successfully, netting 14,400 points after tax.

Enough to buy the dream ship: the East Sea Emperor.

Compared to Sky Island shells, selling Devil Fruits for points is clearly faster—perhaps in under two years, he could obtain Conqueror’s Haki defense.

Currently, Seven possesses:

Slip-Slip Fruit, Power-Power Fruit, Door-Door Fruit, Mythical Zoan Thunder Bear.

He had already decided how to distribute these four Devil Fruits: Power-Power Fruit to Sandia warrior Karpa, Slip-Slip Fruit to Xia Ni…

Gan Full still had no suitable Devil Fruit.

The Mythical Zoan Thunder Bear should be consumed by a crew member with sufficient physical strength.

As for the Door-Door Fruit, this strategic-level Devil Fruit must remain in the hands of his own people.

The immediate priority is to find crew members quickly.

Lei Shen Palace · Side Courtyard

The evening breeze brushed through the wind chimes hanging beneath the corridor, their delicate chimes mingling as Tazolo and Stella leaned together.

These days of hardship felt like a dream he could not wake from.

One moment, they had been torn apart by Celestial Dragons; the next, they were rescued by Lei Shen and brought to this mist-shrouded, heavenly place.

“Xia Ni said this is the Sky Island.”

Stella’s voice was as light as a feather, still tinged with disbelief.

“Mm.” Tazolo replied.

This agonizing ordeal had worn away much of Tazolo’s youthful naivety.

He understood that no kindness comes without reason—Lei Shen had saved them for a purpose.

But before that, Tazolo felt he had something more important to do.

“Stella, marry me, okay?”

Having known despair, one learns to cherish.

What would have become of them if Lei Shen hadn’t rescued them?

Stella would have been taken, turned into a Celestial Dragon’s plaything, while he would have been branded a slave, drained of his last breath in endless torment.

How could he stand here now, making a lifetime vow to the girl he loved?

Stella looked into Tazolo’s eyes, tears slowly filling her own. She nodded fiercely, voice choked but crystal clear.

“Mm!”