Eight years before the Skypiea arc, after Enel destroyed his hometown of Birka, he overthrew Gan Fall by force and crowned himself the new God of Skypiea.
But Enel, who was now the same age as Seven, was still wasting away back home in Birka.
As the saying went, one step ahead meant staying ahead.
Seven chose to win over the Shandia people and negotiate with the Skypieans under Gan Fall's rule, using both peaceful and forceful means to take over all of Skypiea.
The truth was, Skypiea was simply too perfect a place for a base.
Ten thousand meters above sea level, atop the White Sea, it was a place where they didn't have to worry about being hunted by the World Government or arrested by the Marines led by Garp.
Across the entire Pirate World, there was no better place to train than Skypiea.
And then there were Wind Dials, Laser Dials, Impact Dials, and other unique natural creations of Skypiea with supernatural powers. Every one of them was worth points!
Of course, that all depended on him being crowned God of Skypiea.
"How about I become your god?"
Calpa froze. If Roger wanted to become their god, he might have been able to accept it. But aside from being a good cook, Seven didn't seem to have what it took to become a god.
"Seven, you know our traditions."
The Shandia people revered strength. Anyone who wanted to become their leader had to defeat every warrior in the tribe and prove himself the strongest among them.
"Then what are we waiting for?"
Seven wasn't one to dawdle. The sooner he took over Skypiea, the sooner he could begin his path to strength.
"Let's fight."
Thunder roared across the sky. White, yellow, blue, red, and purple lightning flashed together, like the end of the world—or the wrath of the gods.
Back when they'd been on the sea, Seven had summoned lightning from the storm clouds overhead to strike his targets with precision.
Now, the lightning filled not only the sky above Skypiea but also the White Sea beneath it.
In short, they were surrounded by lightning from above and below.
In a world without Haki, the fearsome power displayed by Logia Devil Fruits far surpassed that of Paramecia and Zoan types.
The Rumble-Rumble Fruit was among the most powerful of them all.
The Shandia warriors had no Haki, but the Rumble-Rumble Fruit's power was more than enough to deal with them. There was no need to use Conqueror's Haki.
It was like the overwhelming pressure Enel had brought to everyone except Luffy when he first appeared.
The Shandia warriors, led by Calpa, stared at the scene before them, dumbfounded. Many of them were seized by fear at the sight of such a miracle.
Even so, there were still brave warriors willing to face the lightning's dazzling might. They drew their blades one after another.
"We're not afraid of you!"
Fear was instinctive, while courage was humanity's finest song...but courage alone wouldn't win a battle this one-sided.
In a single exchange, hundreds of Shandia warriors fell unconscious. That was only because Seven had held back.
Otherwise, the Shandia people would have been wiped out.
Devil Fruits simply didn't play fair.
The lightning faded from the sky. Seven sat down and resumed the Pirate Crew's feast.
"Mihawk, have you thought of a name for the Pirate Crew?"
Mihawk set down his wine glass. "Before we settle on a name, I want to know—"
"Barzeb Seven, a man like you has already been to the Final Island and learned what ONE PIECE is. So why did you choose to set sail?"
Mihawk had many questions about Seven, a man who seemed like a mystery.
If he could, he'd even like to pry open the man's head and see what secrets were hidden inside.
Seven drained his glass in one go. Without a moment's pause, his Conqueror's Haki surged skyward, knocking every living thing on the island unconscious.
Only Mihawk remained unaffected.
Some things were meant for one's own people to hear.
"Mihawk, it's true that the Captain and I reached Laugh Tale and witnessed the truth that the world calls ONE PIECE."
"But knowing what ONE PIECE is...
doesn't mean the journey is over. Freedom isn't an answer. It's a state of being."
"It's like reading every sea chart in the world. That doesn't mean you've experienced the waves of every sea."
"ONE PIECE showed me what the world could become, but it never said the world had to become that way.
"True freedom isn't about choosing between two options that have already been decided for you. It's about forging a third course—one even Joy Boy had never imagined."
"I chose to set sail to breathe in the salty, free air of the sea.
"I did it to meet new companions on unknown islands and share a drink with them, just like we're doing now.
"I did it to prove that people's dreams never end just because they've learned the answer.
"Even knowing everything, I can still embrace this imperfect world with the same curiosity and passion I felt on my first voyage.
"So don't let the Final Island define our journey. Where we go is decided only by our will in this moment and the sea breeze ahead of us."
"Mihawk, this is my freedom."
Since the Roger Pirates had disbanded, Seven had never opened up to anyone like this before.
Perhaps this was what it meant to have a companion.
Mihawk raised his glass. "To freedom."
"To freedom." Seven raised his glass in reply.
"My dear Vice Captain, can you tell your Captain what our Pirate Crew is called now?"
"How about Inazuma?" Mihawk asked.
"What does it mean?"
"Lightning that appears during a thunderstorm."
Seven shook his head. "Too specific. This Pirate Crew doesn't belong to me alone. We're all in this together. No personality cults."
"What about Dawnbreaker? It means the darkness is about to pass, and light and hope are on their way."
"Break...doesn't that sound unlucky?"
Mihawk's hand tightened slightly around his glass.
"What about First Light? Dawn? Daybreak?"
Seven swirled the wine in his glass, thinking to himself, Daybreak? Then I might as well call it Dehua!
Captain Barzeb Seven and Vice Captain Dracule Mihawk then launched into a heated debate over the Pirate Crew's name.
"Freedom?"
"Too straightforward."
"Stars?"
"Too distant."
"Sun?"
"Someone's already taken it."
At last, Mihawk gave a cold snort and stood up, drawing Black Blade Night from his back. He finally understood: the man was doing this on purpose.
"Barzeb, draw your sword."
Seven hurriedly waved his hands, abandoning his plans to keep messing with Mihawk. "Look at you, getting worked up again."
"Think of one more. I promise I won't object."
Mihawk took a deep breath, fighting the urge to cut down the bastard Captain. "How about the Morning Star?"
"The brightest star in the eastern sky, shining alone in the darkest hour before dawn. It holds fast through the long night and guides the lost.
"It stands for hope, guidance, and watchfulness."
Seven looked up at the brightest star in the eastern night sky and silently gave Mihawk a thumbs-up.
"Mihawk, that name has a real artistic touch."
"You truly are a man of culture."
"Then I hereby announce: the Morning Star Pirates...are founded!!!"
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