Knockoff Bar, second floor.
"So, you've become Skypiea's god?"
Rayleigh looked stunned. Seven had appeared out of nowhere two years ago, then quickly vanished without a trace. He'd assumed the kid had fallen into the World Government's hands.
He never would've guessed that Seven had gone to Skypiea, won over the Skypieans and the Shandia people, and crowned himself god.
"These gold coins came from that huge pillar in Shandora, didn't they? The one over ten meters in diameter and more than sixty meters tall?"
"Seven, congratulations on striking it rich!"
Ignoring Rayleigh's starry-eyed, envious expression, Seven turned to Shakky, who was staring at him in shock.
"Auntie Xia, thanks for all your hard work."
Shakky took a while to recover before nodding. "Kid, if this deal goes through, I'll be able to take at least half a year off."
After settling the commission and the details of the deal, Shakky stepped aside and began contacting buyers with a Den Den Mushi.
Seeing this, Rayleigh hurriedly lowered his voice.
"Seven, lend me some Berries later, will you? I still have gambling debts to pay off."
"No problem, but—"
Seven grinned. "Uncle, I happen to be planning to build a ship and set sail. How about this? I'll give you all these gold coins."
Rayleigh's expression immediately tensed.
Seven continued, "All you have to do is tell me where the Golden Jackson is."
"How about it?"
Two years ago, Seven never would've dared to sail openly aboard the Golden Jackson. It would undoubtedly have drawn the attention of the Navy and the World Government.
What are you trying to do?
The Navy just executed the King of the Pirates, and now you're sailing out on his ship? What exactly are you up to?
But now? Who gave a damn?
Rayleigh stared at Seven for a long, long time, then finally let out a sigh.
"Better not, Seven."
"You know how the tallest tree catches the most wind. If the Golden Jackson returns to the sea, the Navy and the World Government will definitely launch a Buster Call."
"Besides, that ship's huge. You can't sail it by yourself!"
Seven didn't press him. If he learned where the Golden Jackson was, he'd definitely take it. If Vice Captain Rayleigh wasn't willing to tell him, he could ask again another time.
After all, the Morning Star Pirates currently had only a captain and a vice captain. They really were short on crew.
"Would two hundred million Berries be enough?"
At that, Rayleigh happily reached out to pat Seven on the shoulder, then awkwardly realized his hand couldn't reach anymore.
At 1.88 meters tall, Rayleigh looked like a child next to Seven, who stood 2.6 meters.
"You... got taller."
Seven turned the tables and patted Rayleigh on the shoulder. "I'm only seventeen. I'm still growing. I might even be over three meters tall by the end of the year."
Then Seven bent his knees and crouched down. "Well, Uncle Rayleigh, here's your last chance."
After finally managing to pat Seven on the shoulder, Rayleigh smiled with satisfaction. "You brat, you really have changed. How about we find somewhere and trade a few blows?"
So what if the kid was tall?
There were plenty of big dumb brutes in the New World.
Today, the old man would make sure he understood: no matter how tall he got, Uncle Rayleigh would always be his uncle.
"Sure." Seven beamed.
"I remember there's a deserted island east of the Sabaody Archipelago. How about we go there and trade a few blows?"
If Seven and Rayleigh sparred on the Sabaody Archipelago, they'd inevitably attract the attention of the Navy and the World Government.
Seven didn't mind; he wasn't staying on the Sabaody Archipelago. But for Uncle Rayleigh's retirement, a deserted island was undoubtedly the best choice.
"A deserted island? Is that really necessary?"
"Three hundred million Berries." Seven held up three fingers.
Rayleigh casually picked up a double-edged sword. Partly, he wanted to pay off his gambling debts. But he was also itching for a fight and figured he might as well teach the kid aboard the ship a lesson.
When it came to beating up a kid, sooner was better.
As soon as they left the bar, Seven picked Rayleigh up like a chick and shot straight into the sky, flying at high speed toward the deserted island.
Halfway there, Rayleigh looked helpless. "Seven, I could've swum there, you know."
An explanation was the last bit of dignity he had left.
After they'd been flying for a while, Rayleigh finally realized what was going on. "This isn't elemental transformation?"
Seven smiled without answering.
Of course it wasn't elemental transformation. With the Flying Cape, he could save a little stamina.
After all, Rayleigh was only fifty-six at this point, not yet in his twilight years and still at the tail end of his prime. A Great Swordsman with all Three Types of Haki—he was an excellent opponent.
East of the Sabaody Archipelago, on an unnamed deserted island.
Silvers Rayleigh held his double-edged sword and was just about to speak when he saw Seven raise one hand. He pulled a purple-glowing katana out of thin air.
Rayleigh furrowed his brow. "This sword... even Observation Haki can't get near it?"
"Careful, Uncle."
As soon as Seven finished speaking, he charged in at blinding speed, Paired Saber Dream One Heart in hand. Afterimages trailed behind him.
Rayleigh raised his double-edged sword, coated in Armament Haki, and casually blocked the attack.
It looked effortless, but the enormous force from the purple katana left his arm numb.
"You're... really strong."
Clang! Clang! Clang!
In a split second, Rayleigh blocked three attacks, each one more shocking than the last. He couldn't help remembering something Seven had once said aboard the ship, years ago:
Overwhelming strength works wonders.
They used the force of their clash to leap apart. Rayleigh shook his numb arm. "Overwhelming strength really does work wonders. All right, kid. Uncle's getting serious."
After coating his blade in Armament Haki, Rayleigh wrapped his wrist in red-black Haki, which quickly spread along the blade—Conqueror's Haki Infusion.
It felt a little unfair to use this against a kid, but Seven's unreasonable strength was... tough to deal with.
Rayleigh really wanted to ask him: What have you been eating these past two years? How did you get so strong? Growing that much was one thing, but how could you be this powerful too?
But the next moment—
When Rayleigh saw the red-black Haki spreading from the hilt all the way to the tip of Seven's purple katana, his jaw nearly hit the ground. His usually calm and perceptive eyes were wide as saucers.
"What a monster!"
Seventeen years old, and already able to use Conqueror's Haki Infusion.
Even Roger hadn't reached such heights at Seven's age.
Back when they were both aboard Roger's ship, Rayleigh had known Seven had awakened Conqueror's Haki. But he'd never imagined that power could become this overwhelming.
It even seemed to surpass his own!
Rayleigh pulled off his cloak, his fighting spirit rising. Gripping his double-edged sword in one hand, he launched a fierce attack.
The two blades, both coated in Conqueror's Haki, clashed with a deafening boom. They were inches apart, yet an invisible force locked them in place, preventing either from advancing.
Visible red-black ripples spread outward in layer after layer.
Wherever they passed, exposed rocks shattered into dust. Cracks spread wildly through the ground from the point of impact, like a spiderweb, plunging into unfathomable depths.
Centered on the two swords, dazzling sparks of energy surged wildly, like a neutron star about to explode.
The sky abruptly dimmed. The once-clear heavens were torn apart by black-and-red Haki.
The pressure from their clash of Conqueror's Haki enveloped the entire island like a tangible force. Even the sea breeze ground to a halt, leaving only the two earth-shaking auras reverberating through the world.
The island's seabirds and lizards, the News Birds passing overhead, and even the fish in the waters around the deserted island were all knocked unconscious.
Not even the Sea Kings were spared.
Despite Rayleigh's increasingly fierce attacks, Seven still didn't use Observation Haki Killer.
They were just sparring, not fighting for their lives.
Besides, of course he'd save his ultimate move for his enemies.
During the hours he sparred with Vice Captain Rayleigh, the cultivation experience for Thoughtless Sword in Seven's mind finally pushed its fusion progress past the two-and-a-half-percent threshold.
26%
Seven had only one thought in his mind: release the Sword Intent gathered within his body and use Dream One Heart to unleash Thoughtless Sword.
Using the momentum of the clash to leap backward into the air, Seven took a deep breath.
"Uncle Rayleigh, this move has a name."
They'd been fighting for hours without calling out the name of a single move. To explain it in Mihawk's terms: if I don't call out the name, it's just a normal attack.
"Come on, Seven! Show me what you've got!"
Before you continue