Chapter 71: The King of the Next Era

Impel Down, the Great Sea Prison.

Over a month ago, the Great Pirate Gold Lion escaped, instantly turning Impel Down, hailed as an impregnable fortress, from the world's number one prison into a laughingstock within the World Government.

Only a little over a month has passed.

News that Gold Lion was captured alive by the captain of the Morning Star Pirates, Barzab Saint Saint Saiwen, spread across the entire sea, and Impel Down naturally received the message.

"Commander, Commander Yuzhi Xiliu."

"Big news, Gold Lion has been captured alive."

Yuzhi Xiliu, the current Warden of Impel Down, took the newspaper handed to him by a subordinate guard, seeing only the massive headline on the front page—

【The Old Era Ends, The King of the Next Era】

【The Legendary Great Pirate Gold Lion, Defeated】

The several battle photos below the headline were taken from very tricky angles.

There was Gold Lion lying in a dirt pit, covered in mud and blood, his gaze vacant as he looked upward, and Barzab Saint Saint Saiwen, holding a purple-bladed greatsword, surrounded by purple Lei Ting, looking down from above.

A flame ignited in Yuzhi Xiliu's pupils.

"Leave."

After the guard left, Yuzhi Xiliu opened his desk drawer and placed the freshly printed newspaper alongside several previous ones.

Seeing the bounty posters of the three Great Swordsmen of the Morning Star Pirates again, a mad smile played on Yuzhi Xiliu's lips.

"This is the place I should go."

In this sea, the Morning Star Pirates, possessing three Great Swordsmen and three Supreme Grade Blades, are recognized as the ultimate sanctuary for all swordsmen.

Whether swordsmen possessing Devil Fruit abilities, or those who are even more pure swordsmen.

Want an opponent? Want to become stronger?

The Morning Star Pirates can satisfy you!

Yuzhi Xiliu had even heard rumors: after the Donghai Dihuang's expedition to the East Blue, all pirates in the East Blue went mad, with joining Barzab Saint Saint Saiwen's ranks as their dream.

The work at Impel Down is certainly excellent, allowing one to vent inner brutality on prisoners, but joining the Morning Star Pirates is even more boundless for Yuzhi Xiliu.

Yuzhi Xiliu was extremely tempted, wishing he could fly directly before Barzab Saint Saint Saiwen.

However, going rashly is somewhat unsafe.

What if, what if he is rejected by Barzab Saint Saint Saiwen then, wouldn't it be a joy in vain?

It is said that during the Morning Star Pirates' East Blue expedition, not even a single crew member... not even an apprentice crew member was recruited, showing how high Barzab Saint Saint Saiwen's standards are.

This point makes Yuzhi Xiliu even more tempted.

Trash is not worthy to travel with us.

Strength, Yuzhi Xiliu admires.

State of mind, Yuzhi Xiliu approves.

So the question arises, what kind of pledge of loyalty must be offered to bring his talent to the Morning Star Pirates and become the sharpest sword under Barzab Saint Saint Saiwen?

While Yuzhi Xiliu fell into deep thought, the sword Lei Yu hanging at his waist strangely flashed with red light.

"Are you also yearning?"

"Then let us act."

Yuzhi Xiliu prepared some food and wine and came to the sixth level of Impel Down, the Infinite Hell.

The prisoner held on the sixth level—Douglas Bullet, a descendant of demons, was once a member of the Luo Jie Pirates alongside Barzab Saint Saint Saiwen.

Yuzhi Xiliu was not crazy enough to release Bullet, he just wanted to probe for some information from Bullet.

"Barzab Saint Saint Saiwen? Not familiar."

In Bullet's eyes, Impel Down, Enies Lobby, and the Marines are all dogs of the World Government; if not for the abundant food, he would be too lazy to pay attention to this guard.

What level are you? Do you deserve to speak to me?

Do you think you are Luo Jie?

Yuzhi Xiliu, with a cigar in his mouth, flashed confusion in his eyes while handing over a newspaper; not all prisoners in Impel Down have the freedom to read newspapers.

Bullet drank the entire bottle of wine in one gulp, then picked up the newspaper and glanced at it.

"Nani?!"

"Gold Lion captured alive?"

"This is... Little Bai Mao?"

After a brief silence, Bullet's laughter was indistinguishable as either joy or mockery, laughing until even tears came out.

"Gold Lion, you have grown old too."

Bullet believed that Gold Lion must have been defeated due to his age and having severed his own legs.

Otherwise, how could that weak and frail Little Bai Mao from the Luo Jie ship back then defeat Gold Lion, who was a legend standing alongside Luo Jie?

Conqueror's Haki is not all-powerful.

The scene before him led Yuzhi Xiliu to conclude: Bullet and Barzab Saint Saint Saiwen have an average relationship.

He did not believe Barzab Saint Saint Saiwen became this strong in just two years; during the time on the Luo Jie Pirates, Barzab Saint Saint Saiwen must have hidden his strength.

Such a person, not hesitating to hide his strength and show weakness, must have some unknown grand ideal, which makes Yuzhi Xiliu even more fascinated.

Before leaving the sixth level of Infinite Hell, Yuzhi Xiliu specifically left a message.

"One month ago, Vice Admiral Sakazuki, now Admiral Akainu, and Admiral Aokiji, led ten thousand Marines to launch the Buster Call on Ohara."

"Barzab Saint Saint Saiwen defeated the Marine Buster Call fleet and rescued an Ohara survivor without a scratch."

What level are you, to deserve being a member of the Luo Jie Pirates alongside my captain?

Hearing this, Bullet opened his mouth but did not know what to ask; although the news was hard to believe, judging from Little Bai Mao's ability to defeat Gold Lion, it is highly likely true.

Both were Buster Calls, executed by the same Marines, yet the results were worlds apart.

Barrett, exhausted, was captured and imprisoned in Impel Down.

Little Bai Mao still roams free outside.

There was still time to capture the Golden Lion alive.

"What a failure, Luo Jie!!!"

Placing the newspaper solemnly at the foot of the wall, Barrett, as if having found his goal anew, felt a blazing fire reignite within his heart—that was his dream—

Since he could not defeat Luo Jie, then he would defeat the one who inherited Luo Jie's will, Little Bai Mao Barzab Saint Saint Saiwen.

In doing so, he would prove that his life, Barrett's life, was never inferior to anyone else's.

"Barzab, wait for me!"

The New World, the Moby Dick.

The newspaper handed over by his good son Ma Ma Ma Erke caused Whitebeard to wear an expression of "just as I thought"; that Golden Lion fellow had not only been soloed by the dream son Saint Saint Saiwen but had also been captured alive.

"Father."

"Young Saint Saint Saiwen has changed far too much."

"If I hadn't known him for so many years, I would suspect that the current Barzab is a different person entirely."

Seizing a rare opportunity to tease Father, Ma Ma Ma Erke leaned in, feigning a tone of deep emotion.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, the king of the new era, eh? Father, with only you remaining of the three legendary pirates, do you feel any pressure in your heart?"

Whitebeard displayed his signature smile.

"La la la la~"

"You brat, go prepare the banquet!"

If Saint Saint Saiwen were allowed to continue growing for a while, Whitebeard believed he might be defeated then, but certainly not now.

If the dream son dared to come now, Whitebeard would dare to let that boy stay and become his son.

"What a fine inheritance."

"Pity that fellow Luo Jie got there first."

Unlike other pirate crews that roamed everywhere to seize territory, the Whitebeard Pirates planted their flags only to protect—to protect their homeland, to protect the friends who had once helped Whitebeard.

Of course.

The subordinate fleets would also go to plunder wealth; otherwise, where would the Whitebeard Pirates' expenses come from?

The Moby Dick once again opened its banquet.

Amidst the singing and dancing crowd, the black fatty Teach wore a full smile, his heart long accustomed to the grand events Little Bai Mao Barzab repeatedly stirred up.

He had even breached the Ohara Buster Call; capturing the Golden Lion alive was very reasonable indeed.

However, judging by Little Bai Mao's current development trend, could his life, Teach's life, which he had tread as if on thin ice, still reach the other shore?

The Dark-Dark Fruit remains unheard of; who knows, in another ten years, Little Bai Mao might have unified the four seas and ascended the throne of the Coronation World King.

Indeed, the circumstances between people differ greatly.

Once, Little Bai Mao was famous throughout the four seas, while he, Teach, could only play house in the Whitebeard Pirates, acting the part of the desireless, honest, and loyal good son.

Hmph, Teach sneered in his heart.

If you have the ability, go kill Wang Zhi!

It was precisely because of Wang Zhi back then that Teach, his mother, and the former world's number one beauty, Xia Qi, were sent to God's Valley, becoming prey in the Celestial Dragons' hunting game.

Barzab, aren't you the king of the new era?

Go kill Wang Zhi!