Chapter 71

Impel Down, an underwater maximum-security prison.

More than a month ago, the great pirate Gold Lion escaped, turning Impel Down—the so-called impregnable prison—into a joke within the World Government.

Only a little over a month had passed.

News that Gold Lion had been captured alive by the Morning Star Pirates’ captain, Barzab Seven, spread across the entire sea, and Impel Down naturally received the report.

“Captain, Shilu.”

“Big news—Gold Lion was captured alive.”

Shilu, the current Chief Warden of Impel Down, took the newspaper handed to him by his subordinate guard and saw the massive headline on the front page—

【The Old Era Ends, the New Era’s King】

【Legendary Pirate Gold Lion Defeated】

The several battle images beneath the headline were captured from extremely unusual angles.

One showed Gold Lion lying in a muddy pit, covered in dirt and blood, his gaze vacant as he stared upward; another showed Barzab Seven, wielding a purple-bladed tachi, surrounded by violet lightning, looking down from above.

Shilu’s pupils ignited with a flame.

“Leave.”

After the guard departed, Shilu opened the drawer of his desk and placed the freshly printed newspaper alongside earlier editions.

Seeing again the wanted posters of the three great swordsmen of the Morning Star Pirates, Shilu’s lips curled into a mad smile.

“This is where I belong.”

Across the sea, the Morning Star Pirates—possessing three great swordsmen and three supreme-grade swords—were universally regarded as the ultimate sanctuary for all swordsmen.

Whether swordsmen with Devil Fruit abilities or purer sword masters.

Want an opponent? Want to grow stronger?

The Morning Star Pirates can satisfy you!

Shilu had even heard rumors: after the Emperor of the East Blue’s voyage through the East Blue, every pirate there went mad, all dreaming of joining Barzab Seven’s crew.

Working at Impel Down was certainly excellent—it let him vent his brutality on prisoners—but joining the Morning Star Pirates offered Shilu far greater horizons.

Shilu was deeply tempted, wishing he could fly straight to Barzab Seven’s side.

But rushing there would be unwise.

What if, just in case, Barzab Seven turned him down? Wouldn’t that be a hollow joy?

It was said that during the Morning Star Pirates’ East Blue voyage, not even a single intern had been recruited—clearly, Barzab Seven’s standards were extremely high.

This only made Shilu more eager.

Trash aren’t worthy to walk beside us.

Strength—he respected it.

Mindset—he approved of it.

So the question arose: what kind of token of loyalty must he offer to bring his talent to the Morning Star Pirates and become Barzab Seven’s sharpest blade?

As Shilu sank into thought, the sword at his waist, Rain of Thunder, suddenly flickered with eerie red light.

“You crave it too?”

“Then let’s move.”

Shilu prepared some food and alcohol and descended to the sixth level of Impel Down’s Infinite Hell.

The prisoner held in the sixth level—Demon’s Descendant Douglas Barret—had once been a member of Roger’s crew alongside Barzab Seven.

Shilu wasn’t mad enough to release Barret; he merely wanted to extract some information from him.

“Barzab Seven? Don’t know him.”

In Barret’s eyes, Impel Down, Enies Lobby, and the Marines were all puppets of the World Government; if not for the plentiful food, he wouldn’t bother with this guard.

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

Do you think you’re Roger?

Shilu smoked a cigar, his eyes flickering with confusion as he handed over the newspaper—not every prisoner in Impel Down had the privilege of reading.

Barret downed the entire bottle of alcohol before picking up the newspaper and glancing at it.

“Nani?!”

“Gold Lion captured alive?”

“Is this… Little White Hair?”

After a brief silence, Barret’s laughter was indistinguishable between joy and mockery—until he laughed so hard tears streamed down his face.

“Gold Lion, you’ve grown old.”

Barret believed Gold Lion had lost only because he was old and had severed his own legs.

Otherwise, how could that frail little white-haired boy from Roger’s crew have defeated Gold Lion—the legend who stood shoulder to shoulder with Roger?

Conqueror’s Haki isn’t omnipotent.

This scene led Shilu to conclude: Barret and Barzab Seven had a mediocre relationship.

He didn’t believe Barzab Seven had grown this strong in just two years—in Roger’s crew, Barzab Seven must have hidden his true power.

Someone who concealed his strength to appear weak must harbor some grand, unknown ambition—this only deepened Shilu’s fascination.

Before leaving the sixth level of Infinite Hell, Shilu left behind a single message.

“A month ago, the admiral who arrested you—Sakazuki, now Admiral Akainu, alongside Admiral Aokiji—led ten thousand Marines in the Ohara Massacre.”

“Barzab Seven defeated the Marine Massacre Fleet and rescued an Ohara survivor without a single casualty.”

What level are you? Do you even deserve to be called a crewmate of my captain?

Hearing this, Barret opened his mouth but didn’t know what to ask. The news was unbelievable, but given that Little White Hair had defeated Gold Lion, it was almost certainly true.

The same Massacre, carried out by the same Marines—yet the outcomes were worlds apart.

Barret had been captured and imprisoned in Impel Down.

Little White Hair still roamed free.

And had time to capture Gold Lion.

“What a failure, Roger!!!”

Carefully placing the newspaper against the wall, Barret felt as if he’d rediscovered his purpose—his soul ignited once more with blazing fire: his dream—

If he could not defeat Roger, then he would defeat Little White Hair Barzab Seven, the inheritor of Roger’s will.

To prove that Douglas Barret had never been weaker than anyone.

“Barzab Seven, wait for me!”

…

New World, Moby Dick.

The newspaper delivered by his “good son” Marco made Whitebeard’s face wear an expression of “I knew it”—Gold Lion had not only been soloed by his dream guy, Seven, but captured alive.

“Old Man.”

“Seven’s changed too much.”

“If I hadn’t known him for years, I’d swear the current Barzab Seven isn’t even the same person.”

Rarely getting a chance to tease his old man, Marco leaned in, feigning deep contemplation.

“Tsk tsk tsk—the New Era’s King, Old Man. Of the three legendary pirates, only you remain. Any pressure?”

Whitebeard wore his signature grin.

“La la la la~”

“Brat, go prepare the feast!”

If Seven continued growing for a while longer, Whitebeard believed he might one day lose—but not yet.

If that dream guy dared show up now, Whitebeard would gladly make the boy his son.

“What a perfect legacy.”

“Too bad Roger got there first.”

Unlike other pirate crews scrambling to seize territory, Whitebeard’s crew planted flags only to protect—to guard their homeland and friends who had once aided Whitebeard.

Of course.

His fleet still plundered wealth—otherwise, how would Whitebeard’s crew fund its expenses?

The Moby Dick once again opened its feast.

Among the singing, dancing crowd, the fat black man Tichi wore a broad smile—he had long grown accustomed to Little White Hair Barzab Seven’s repeated grand events.

He’d already stormed Ohara’s Massacre; capturing Gold Lion was perfectly reasonable.

But given Little White Hair’s current trajectory, could Tichi’s precarious life ever reach the other shore?

The Dark-Dark Fruit remained utterly silent—perhaps in ten years, Little White Hair would have unified all four seas and crowned himself King of the World.

Indeed, people’s fates differ greatly.

Once, Little White Hair had become famous across the seas, while Tichi could only play house in Whitebeard’s crew, pretending to be a harmless, loyal, honest son.

Hmph, Tichi sneered inwardly.

Got the guts to kill Wang Zhi?

It was Wang Zhi who, years ago, had sent Tichi and his mother, along with the former world’s most beautiful woman, Xia Qi, to the Valley of the Gods, turning them into prey in the Celestial Dragon’s hunting games.

Barzab Seven, aren’t you the New Era’s King?

Go kill Wang Zhi!