Chapter 56

They stayed in the capital of the Solbe Kingdom for three days.

After the new king, Baudog, fully took control of the kingdom and revoked the orders of the previous king, Bekoli, Seven accompanied Bear and Jin Ni to the southern region.

Bear and Jin Ni had lived in seclusion in the countryside for many years; the church held their happiest memories.

As for how to get from the capital to the church, that’s where Bear’s Meat Ball Fruit comes in.

The Meat Ball Fruit is a Paramecia-type Devil Fruit.

It excels in defense, offense, healing, and speed, making it one of the closest things to a perfect Devil Fruit.

The user generates meaty pads on both palms that can repel solids, liquids, gases, fatigue, pain, injury, heat, souls, slashes, cutting waves, shockwaves, energy…

The speed at which matter is repelled can be controlled by the user’s will, reaching up to the speed of light.

It can also repel living beings, achieving a spatial transfer effect similar to teleportation.

Bear was gently saying, “Captain, don’t be so tense, relax a bit.”

Seven completely emptied his mind, waiting to experience what this teleportation felt like.

When he was blasted upward and surrounded by bear-paw-shaped shockwaves, before he could even feel it, he was instantly flung to his destination along with the shockwave.

Immediately after, Bear and Jin Ni appeared.

“How was it? Faster than flying yourself?” Jin Ni asked with a grin.

Seven shrugged: “It’s pretty good.”

Compared to this passive teleportation, Seven actually preferred active flight—the real sensation of wind roaring past his ears.

Maybe he just lacked a sense of security.

He always preferred taking initiative, never passivity.

“Captain, where did we park the ship? The news footage was too blurry—I only remember it had a dragon-head red sail. I’m not sure if Bear-san can fit inside.”

When Jin Ni was around, Bear rarely spoke.

Seven smiled: “Bear-san can fit just fine. I’ve already told Mi-san to sail the ship to the nearest port—we can set sail as soon as it’s ready.”

Bzzzzzzzzz~

The moment Jin Ni pressed connect, the Den Den Mushi mimicked an exaggerated expression and tone.

“Bear! Bear!”

“It’s me, Jin Ni—little Ivan.”

The Den Den Mushi grinned wide: “Great! You’re safe! Where are you? I’ve got a friend who wants to meet you.”

Jin Ni instinctively looked up and saw Seven, the little bear, shrugging: “You decide.”

“Bear-san and I are still at the church—but hurry, Ivan, we’ve got to follow the Captain out to sea.”

The Den Den Mushi: “We’ll be there soon.”

Southern Solbe Kingdom.

Ivanov hung up the Den Den Mushi and smiled at his companion beside him: “Ryu, Bear and Jin Ni are still at the old place. Let’s go.”

Ryu’s forehead was slick with sweat—he finally realized why he’d felt this lingering sense of loss all along.

It was because Bear and Jin Ni had been snatched away.

Who?!! How dare they!!

Ryu was long used to Ivanov’s absurdly slow reaction time.

“Ivan, didn’t you just hear? They’re going to sea with the Captain?”

“Nani?”

Ivanov shook his oversized head, his brow knotted: “What do we do now? That guy Bear—he makes up his mind, and no one can pull him back.”

Bear was gentle, but stubborn.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have repeatedly refused Jin Ni’s proposals out of fear his bloodline might endanger her—Jin Ni, his companion of sixteen years.

Ryu felt a sudden relief.

“Let’s go. See them off—and meet their Captain.”

Losing two potential allies was painful, but the Captain who could win over Bear and Jin Ni made Ryu deeply curious.

Who exactly was this person who could pry open Bear’s long-closed heart, making him willing to leave his homeland and sail the seas?

Outside the countryside church.

Bear and Jin Ni were handing out supplies to nearby villagers, simply because they had a generous Captain who gave them a hundred million Berries as a bonus.

He called it “crew benefits.”

Seven stood with his hands in his pockets, leaning against the stone pillar by the church door, quietly watching this peaceful scene.

When he left Songkou and sailed with Roger, no one had come to see him off—truly, Bear-san, you always use your warm, burning heart to dispel the cold around you.

Changing Bear and Jin Ni’s fate, fulfilling Seven’s inner obsession, brought not only immediate combat power but immense strategic value.

After all, he’s one of the top two Warlords of the Sea in the original timeline—and with Bear here, there will never again be a situation like Ohara… where we arrived too late.

Of course, first we must take Bear on a tour.

Once back on the ship, Seven planned to give Jin Ni the Door-Door Fruit.

If Jin Ni was willing to eat it, the Door-Door Fruit combined with the Meat Ball Fruit would grant true freedom—to go anywhere, anytime.

The Door-Door Fruit can open doors anywhere.

Including air, human bodies, fire—even conceptual things—and it can create an independent green alternate space for absolute safety: concealment, movement, and logistical storage.

Together, they would make the Morning Star Pirates—

A ghost force impossible to track, impossible to surround, impossible to exhaust.

Capable of deploying core combat strength to any corner of the world in minutes—

Including the World Government Summit, Marine Headquarters, and Mary Geoise, for decapitation strikes or strategic deterrence.

If Jin Ni refused to become a Devil Fruit user, they’d wait for the next crew member to choose.

But it had to be in their own hands—someone like Dr. Phoenix, the Surgery Fruit user, was far too hard to trust.

With the Morning Star Pirates’ current crew composition, it was time to sail into the New World, plant their flag, and seize an island as their base.

By the time Bear and Jin Ni finished, Seven had already built a bonfire at the church entrance, roasting sizzling beef legs, fish, and Sea King meat.

Jin Ni circled Seven several times.

“Captain, where did you get all this meat?”

They’d returned empty-handed—yet in the blink of an eye, here was a full feast.

Seven smiled without answering, and pulled out a large barrel of milk like magic:

"Behold—your Captain is gifted. I ate the Human-Human Fruit, Mythical Zoan: Form of Raijin, the Great Deity Mikoto-no-Minokami."

Rather than hide it, better to reveal it openly—in the pirate world, space abilities, though rare, are still within the realm of acceptance.

In a normal world, Seven would never expose his space ability—the System Warehouse.

“Huh?” Jin Ni sat beside Bear.

“I always thought you ate the Logia Thunder-Thunder Fruit—so you ate the Human-Human Fruit, Mythical Zoan?”

Seven handed Jin Ni the roasted beef leg: “Keep it secret, okay?”

He wasn’t lying out of malice—he was just giving an excuse for his Lunaria bloodline. No one had ever seen him eat the Thunder-Thunder Fruit anyway.

Laozi ate the Human-Human Fruit, Mythical Zoan: Thunder God Form. Believe it or not, your problem.

As the three sat around feasting, a sudden voice rang out—

“Looks like we arrived just in time.”

Bear’s family