The Shichibukai are seven powerful pirates recognized by the World Government. They are an extremely dangerous force that holds both freedom and status in its hands.
Undeniably, every Shichibukai possesses catastrophic destructive power and immense combat strength comparable to that of a nation. Even the Marine Headquarters finds their existence troublesome and believes they are difficult to eliminate, which is why they chose the Shichibukai approach, which is akin to appeasement.
Roy's casual talk about taking down a Shichibukai and then taking over is undoubtedly a pipe dream to most people. If the Shichibukai were really that easy to take down, they wouldn't be able to be considered one of the three major powers of the Grand Line, along with the Marine Headquarters and the Four Emperors.
But to everyone present, such arrogant words seemed perfectly reasonable. Roy's subordinates, needless to say, would not doubt even if Roy said he would become one of the Four Emperors today.
Although Garp disliked Roy, he had to admit that this annoying brat had indeed reached the level of Shichibukai. Coupled with his temperament and skills, it was not impossible for him to take down a Shichibukai.
Once Roy becomes Shichibukai, his previous Wanted Poster will be lifted, and all the crimes he committed will no longer be investigated by the World Government. The next time he sees Roy, he might really just have to avoid seeing him altogether.
"Someone as ambitious as you would actually be willing to become Shichibukai?" Garp stared at Roy, as if trying to see something in his face.
"Haha, Vice Admiral Garp thinks too highly of me. I'm just a newcomer who has just entered the Grand Line. How could I dare to go against such behemoths as the Marine Headquarters and the World Government? After becoming Shichibukai, I can live my peaceful life in peace." Roy's eyes were clear, and he didn't seem to be faking it.
Garp has always been straightforward and honest, with no ulterior motives, so he couldn't tell whether Roy was being sincere or not. He could only mutter to himself, "Sigh, if only Tsuru were here."
As they watched Garp's warship disappear from everyone's sight, those who had reached their physical limits cheered with all their might, each feeling as if they had survived a catastrophe.
Although Roy was there to keep them in Sea-Suppressing Needle, the enemy was none other than the Marine Hero Garp. Not to mention these rookies, even the Four Emperors' pirate crews would be terrified. The fact that they had been able to fight until now was a testament to their mental fortitude.
Now that I think about it calmly, they actually managed to repel an attack from a naval bigwig like Garp. Although there were some factors that are not widely known, being able to do this is something to be proud of. They can brag about it to others without any shame. Who else can have such an impressive record?
Others might not feel it much, but Roy's Senior Executive felt it deeply. They had to join forces to defeat a Marine Vice Admiral, and if it weren't for the combined power of the two giants, it would have been hard to say who would have won.
Roy not only defeated a Marine Vice Admiral in three seconds in a one-on-one fight, but also battled Marine Hero Garp for a long time. Such strength is simply astonishing.
It's in the nature of pirates to admire the strong. Not to mention the veteran crew members, even Dorry and Brogy, who just joined the ship, have raised their awe and loyalty to Roy to two levels. They originally thought that what Roy showed last time was his full strength, but they didn't expect it to be just the tip of the Iceberg.
Even Augustine and Solomon, those two goofballs, had already hugged each other and wept bitterly, too excited to speak. In their eyes, this was a scene they had witnessed in history.
"Captain, is it really okay to say this out loud? Two Vice Admiral are a good bargaining chip at Marine Headquarters, but to the World Government, they are nothing more than pawns that can be discarded at any time." Reiju walked over to Roy with her smooth, jade-like long legs and said worriedly.
"Don't worry, compared to the stubborn Marine Headquarters, the World Government is actually easier to deal with. Moreover, to those high and mighty figures of theirs, we pirates are nothing more than a nuisance. As long as we offer enough benefits, they might even be more than happy to cause trouble for the Marines." Roy lingered his gaze on Reiju's legs for two seconds without showing any emotion before casually looking into the distance.
"Lord Roy, aren't the World Government and the Navy on the same side?" Xia asked, chin in hand, completely confused by Roy's words.
"Besides the intelligence agencies and the Shichibukai, the three core institutions of the World Government are the Marine Headquarters, Impel Down, and Enies Lobby. However, the Marine Headquarters has developed too rapidly. In fact, many civilians only know about the Marine Headquarters and ignore the existence of the World Government. This is naturally unacceptable to the World Government, which considers itself the dominant power."
"Although the Marine Headquarters itself may not have any particular intentions and is only dedicated to fighting pirates, the World Government is essentially a group of politicians who always like to think about things in a dirty way. Fearing that the Marine Headquarters will become too powerful, they will naturally try to suppress it in secret. In fact, in my opinion, the existence of the Shichibukai is precisely to check and balance the Marine Headquarters."
Roy's men all nodded blankly. It was really difficult for them to understand these things. They looked like they didn't know what Roy was talking about, but it sounded very impressive. They were practically staring at each other.
"Lord Roy's insight is truly profound. Germa was originally Affiliated Nation of the World Government, so they had certain channels to learn about that behemoth. But even so, I have never thought about this matter in depth. Perhaps this is the difference between vision and ambition." Reiju bit her lip lightly and couldn't help but think this.
"Kaoru, how are the wounded?" After all, the enemy is the Navy's elite force, and it's impossible to achieve victory without any casualties. Fortunately, they have Kaoru's Life Link, otherwise most of the seriously injured pirates wouldn't have made it to the end of the battle.
"Phew, most of the wounded are in stable condition. There are only a few who have completely lost their vital signs, and I can't do anything about them." A Sea Kings's carcass was already laid out on the battlefield. Obviously, the little girl had extracted the Sea Kings's life force and infused it into the wounded. The fact that she couldn't save everyone made the little girl somewhat sad.
"Don't be sad, you've done very well." Roy didn't criticize her too much. This little girl had been training very hard. From only being able to absorb the life force of small creatures at the beginning, she could now even absorb the life force of Sea Kings, which was enough to prove her abilities.
"After burying our brothers, let's prepare to set off for our next destination: Alabasta."
Roy had no intention of trying to win Chopper over. In fact, they were never meant to be; Chopper's nature was simply too kind. Take this situation, for example. If Chopper knew that Roy's last resort was the lives of all the island's civilians, he would definitely risk turning against Roy to make Roy abandon this insane idea.
"What a terrible brat. It's a pity he's not the successor to [d]'s will." Kureha stood atop the snow-capped peak, watching Roy and the others depart.