Chapter 63: The East Sea Emperor Returns to the East Sea

After leaving the South Blue, the East Sea Emperor sailed along the Reverse Mountain current and entered the East Sea for the first time.

At the bow, Seven stood with hands in his pockets, his cloak billowing in the wind, gazing at the calm sea ahead while reflecting on the two recent battles.

“Swordsmanship and Armament Haki—Mihawk is stronger.”

“Conqueror’s Haki, Observation Haki, and physical prowess—I’m stronger.”

“Black-haired Karp is truly formidable.”

“But the fact that I managed to cut Karp and make him bleed means I’ve at least reached the level of Axe Emperor Monka. Yeah, solidly an Emperor-tier strength.”

As for who is stronger between the Emperors and the Admirals—

That question is just as hard to answer as: Who is stronger, Whitebeard or Akainu?

Whenever these two questions arise, it’s almost 100% certain that conflict will break out.

As the two best-rewarded bait questions from his past life, even after being reborn in the Pirate World, Seven still couldn’t give a precise judgment on them.

But if you changed the question to: Who is stronger, Rocks or Whitebeard?

Then the answer would be easy.

From this, it’s clear that the Emperors and the Admirals are likely of equal power tier.

Parenthetical armor plating: it’s likely.

At the Emperor-tier level, battles rarely end quickly unless one reaches Rocks’ strength and can casually slash an Admiral to death.

Rocks, after all, has verifiable battle records.

Even the civilian Admirals are still Admirals!

Yet even at his peak, Rocks, despite having Roger, Karp, Whitebeard, Luffy, and Kaido on his side, couldn’t touch Imu, who was possessed by Satan Saint.

In the end, Imu turned him to darkness, enslaved him, and he was ultimately defeated by Roger and Karp working together, then finished off by the Speed Boost and Lin Saint.

In other words, Seven still lacks the strength to face Imu directly.

If he had enough points to buy every item directly sold in the System Mall and fully integrate all the experience from the Unthinking Slash, he might finally be able to confront Imu.

【Fruit Awakening: 100,000 points】

【Conqueror’s Haki Defense: 100,000 points】

【Observation Haki: Predict the Future: 50,000 points】

【Observation Haki: Mind Reading: 20,000 points】

【Armament Haki: Internal Destruction: 20,000 points】

Just enhancing the three Haki types would cost nearly 200,000 points; adding Fruit Awakening brings it close to 300,000.

Three hundred thousand points equals selling five and a half powerful Mythical Zoan Devil Fruits on the trading platform.

Selling Sky Island Shells, assuming prices don’t crash and there’s enough supply, would take fifteen full years to gather 300,000 points.

Of course, that’s just the theoretical maximum time.

Seven could train part of the higher realms of the three Haki types himself.

And the trading platform, besides selling Devil Fruits and Sky Island Shells, also offers missions—like the bounty on Momonosuke and the Deserting King, which together could earn Seven 20,000 points.

Thus, surpassing Imu in power is no problem—just a matter of time.

It was precisely because of this time issue that Seven suddenly felt an absurd sensation:

It seems the main cast’s cheats are even stronger?

The Straw Hat kid became an Emperor after two years at sea; according to Seven’s pre-transmigration progress, he’d become Pirate King in at most three years, then face Imu directly?

“Damn it, I think I got a fake cheat.”

If even the cheats can’t match the main cast, the older generation of pirates are even less of a match.

Kaido, called the strongest creature on land, sea, and sky, spent years scheming and training from his days as a rookie in the Rocks Pirates, eventually seizing Wano.

Yet after just two years at sea, the Straw Hat kid did a few sit-ups and turned into Nika.

Kaido had barely finished boasting that Haki surpassed all else when Nika Luffy defeated him.

Where the hell do you even go to complain about this?

Complaining aside, Seven sincerely, from the bottom of his heart, thanked the System—otherwise, how could he have advanced so drastically in just two years?

“Captain! Captain! Big news!”

Jin Ni burst through the door beside Seven, hugging six freshly bought newspapers.

“Captain, the great pirate Golden Lion escaped from Impel Down’s underwater prison!”

Seven took the newspaper from Jin Ni.

【First pirate in history to escape from Impel Down’s underwater prison, user of the Paramecia: Paramecia Fruit, captain of the Flying Pirates, legendary great pirate Golden Lion…】

“Tsk tsk tsk—topped with the Supreme Ship’s Helm, severed both legs—Shiji is a ruthless man.”

Once, Golden Lion stood alongside Roger and Whitebeard as one of the three legendary pirates.

Now, Golden Lion is a battle-damaged version.

The Supreme Ship’s Helm came from when Roger’s crew and the Flying Pirates clashed. Roger refused Golden Lion’s offer of alliance, and a naval battle ensued—just as Golden Lion was about to win—

A sudden storm sank most of the Flying Pirates’ fleet, and the ship’s helm crashed down, piercing Golden Lion’s head with perfect accuracy.

Because removing it recklessly would risk his life, the helm became a permanent part of him.

Now, to escape Impel Down, Golden Lion cut off his own legs…

His strength is surely no longer what it once was.

Honestly, Seven really wanted to get Golden Lion’s Paramecia Fruit, but had no guaranteed way to obtain it.

The Black Gorilla Fruit two years ago was pure luck—Seven just got incredibly lucky.

But not being able to now doesn’t mean he won’t be able to later; after marking Golden Lion in his mind, Seven pulled out his compass and called to Mihawk, who was steering.

“Mihawk, let’s head to Loguetown first.”

Mihawk gave a slight nod in response.

Two years ago, it was in Loguetown that countless people—including Seven and Mihawk—witnessed the execution of Pirate King Roger, marking the dawn of the Great Pirate Era.

And now, returning to the East Sea.

Seven’s main goal was to retrieve Ace, Captain Roger’s sword; his secondary goals were to recruit some intern crew members and take Da Xiong on a tour of the East Sea.

So that later, when Da Xiong sent him flying back, he’d already be familiar with the area.

As the weakest of the four seas, the East Sea has produced no shortage of famous figures, including but not limited to—

Captain Roger, Karp, and the grandfather-grandson trio of Dragon and Luffy; Zoro, Nami, and Jesus Usopp.

The Arrogant King Fan Aka, Axe Emperor Monka.

Sword God Joseph, Sword Saint Johnny.

Sword God, Sword Saint

And the legendary bandit king Xig, who single-handedly killed over fifty Emperors.

Counting Seven, the East Sea is teeming with talent.

But the time point of Seven’s transmigration sits right between the post-Rocks era and the Great Pirate Era; most of the new generation haven’t even been born yet.

The Arrogant King Fan Aka is only five years old now.

A five-year-old brat—what could he even do on a ship? Even cheering for Seven would be too quiet.

Like Robin, the only intern crew member of the Morning Star Pirates, who spends most of her time on board reading with her mother.

Sometimes, Seven couldn’t even imagine it.

In the original timeline, how helpless must eight-year-old Robin have felt, evading the World Government alone?

When Seven was eight, though he was already selling fish balls at Hou Sha Town, at least he didn’t live in daily fear of arrest.

Being cornered by street thugs is nothing compared to being hunted by the World Government.

And this is just the tiniest fraction of the crimes committed by the World Government.

…

After two years away, returning to Loguetown, Seven felt a deep sense of things remaining, yet people changed.

Of course, it wasn’t just Seven who felt this way.

Lu Bianyi, former CP9 agent, froze at the bar counter, stunned for a long time after hearing that the newly risen Emperor Barzab Seven had arrived in Loguetown aboard the East Sea Emperor.

“Barzab…”