Why Sail Again

Eight years before the Skypiea arc, Enel destroyed his homeland Birka, then overthrew Gan Fall through violent means and crowned himself the new god of Skypiea.

But right now, Enel—the same age as Seven—was still wasting time in his home village of Birka.

As they say, a step ahead means a step ahead at every turn.

Seven chose to win over the Shandia people and negotiate with the Skypieans under Gan Fall's rule, using both peace and force in a two-pronged approach to take control of the entire sky island.

Truth be told, Skypiea was just too perfect as a base.

Above the White Sea, ten thousand meters above sea level, there was no need to worry about the World Government's bounties or the Marines led by Garp hunting you down.

Across the entire Pirate World, there was no better place to train than Skypiea.

Plus, there were Wind Dials, Laser Dials, Impact Dials, and other supernatural natural creations unique to Skypiea—all of them points, too!

Of course, the prerequisite was being crowned the god of Skypiea.

"How about I become your god?"

Calpa stood frozen in place. If Roger wanted to be their god, that might barely be acceptable, but aside from cooking well, Seven didn't seem to have the qualifications to become a god.

"Seven, you know our traditions."

The Shandia people revered strength. To become a leader, one had to defeat every warrior in the tribe and become the strongest Great Warrior.

"Then what are we waiting for!"

Seven wasn't one to dawdle. The sooner he took Skypiea, the sooner he could start down the path of the strong.

"Come fight."

Thunderstorms raged across the sky, white, yellow, blue, red, and purple lightning interweaving like the apocalypse descending or the wrath of a god.

Back on the sea, Seven summoned lightning from storm clouds in the sky to precisely strike his targets.

But now, the thunderstorm came not only from above Skypiea but also from the White Sea beneath the sky island.

In short, lightning surrounded them from both above and below.

In an era without Haki, the intimidation of a Logia-type Devil Fruit far surpassed that of Paramecia and Zoan types.

The Rumble-Rumble Fruit was among the best of them.

Against a group of Shandia warriors who didn't even have Haki, the Rumble-Rumble Fruit's power was more than enough—there was no need for Conqueror's Haki.

It was like the pressure Enel exerted on everyone except Luffy when he first appeared.

The Shandia warriors, led by Calpa, stared dumbfounded at the sight before them. Such divine might made many of them tremble with fear.

Even so, there were still brave warriors willing to face the lightning's glory, drawing their blades one after another.

"We're not afraid of you!"

Fear was an instinct of all living things; courage was humanity's anthem... but in this unequal battle, courage alone wasn't enough.

In just a single exchange, hundreds of Shandia warriors collapsed to the ground, and that was only because Seven held back.

Otherwise, the Shandia people would have been wiped out.

Devil Fruits were just that unreasonable.

The thunderstorm dissipated, and Seven sat back down to continue the pirate crew's internal banquet.

"Mi-san, have you thought of a name for the crew?"

Mihawk set down his wine glass. "Before we settle on a crew name, I want to know—"

"Barzeb Seven, a man like you has already been to the Final Island and knows what ONE PIECE is. Why did you choose to set sail again?"

Mihawk had many doubts about Seven, a man as enigmatic as a riddle.

If he could, he'd even crack open the guy's skull to see what secrets were hidden inside.

Seven downed a full glass of wine without pause, and his Conqueror's Haki erupted skyward, knocking out every living creature on the entire island.

Only Mihawk remained unaffected.

Some words were only fit for trusted ears.

"Mi-san, I did reach Laugh Tale with the Captain and witness the truth the world calls ONE PIECE."

"But knowing what ONE PIECE is...

doesn't mean the journey ends, because freedom isn't an answer—it's a state of being."

"It's like reading every sea chart doesn't mean you've experienced the waves of every ocean."

"ONE PIECE showed me what the world could become, but it didn't decree that it must become that.

True freedom isn't choosing between two predetermined options—it's forging a third course that even Joy Boy never imagined."

"I chose to set sail to breathe that salty, free sea breeze.

To raise a glass with new companions on unknown islands, just like we're doing now.

To prove that a person's dreams never end just because they know the answer.

Even knowing everything, I can still embrace this imperfect world with the same curiosity and passion as my first voyage."

"So don't define our voyage by the Final Island. Where we go is decided only by our will right now and the sea breeze ahead."

"Captain, this is my freedom."

Since the Roger Pirates disbanded, Seven had never opened up to anyone like this before.

Maybe this was what it meant to have a partner.

Mihawk raised his glass: "To freedom."

"To freedom." Seven lifted his glass in return.

"My dear vice-captain, now can you tell this captain what our pirate crew is called?"

"How about Inazuma?" Mihawk asked.

"What's the reasoning?"

"The lightning that flashes during a thunderstorm."

Seven shook his head: "Too pointed. The crew isn't just my crew—we're a whole. No hero worship."

"Dawnbreaker? It implies darkness is passing, light and hope are coming."

"Dawn... isn't that unlucky?"

Mihawk's grip on his glass tightened slightly.

"Dim Light? Morning Glow? Daybreak?"

Seven swirled his glass, muttering inwardly: Daybreak? Might as well call me Edward!

And so, Captain Barzeb Seven and Vice-Captain Jola Mihawk launched into a heated debate over the crew's name.

"Freedom?"

"Too blunt."

"Starlight?"

"Too distant."

"Sun?"

"Already taken."

At some point, Mihawk snorted, stood up, and drew the Black Blade Night from his back. He'd figured it out—this bastard was doing it on purpose.

"Barzeb, draw your blade."

Seven quickly waved his hands, dropping his plan to keep teasing the captain: "See, you're rushing again."

"Think of one more. I promise I won't object."

Mihawk took a deep breath, barely restraining the urge to cut down his dog of a captain: "How about Morning Star?"

"The lone star shining in the eastern sky during the darkest hour before dawn, holding firm through the long night, guiding the lost."

"It represents hope, guidance, and waiting."

Seven looked up at the brightest star in the eastern night sky and silently gave a thumbs-up.

"Captain, that name has a high level of artistry."

"Truly a cultured man."

"Then this captain now declares: The Morning Star Pirates... are founded!!!"