Ohara's Buster Call (2)

West Blue, on the turbulent sea.

The East Blue Emperor's speed dropped sharply. Seven stretched lazily, having powered the ship for half a day without feeling the slightest fatigue.

A 50% recovery rate was truly insane.

He even had a feeling: from now on, even if he only slept two and a half hours a day on the ship, he wouldn't feel drowsy.

Those ten thousand points were well spent!

Looking at Mihawk and Issho sitting in the open banquet hall, Captain Seven's eyes lit up as he began to manipulate his crew.

"Issho, do you believe that in this world, someone can have their life taken just by stating their name?"

Issho tilted his head, his clouded eyes seeming to try and make out the expression on Seven's face. "Since you're saying it, it must be true."

"Sigh." Seven feigned a sigh.

"You should have answered—'I don't believe it.' Otherwise, what I'm about to say won't feel as satisfying."

Mihawk, also sitting in the open banquet hall, suddenly felt this scene was oddly familiar.

It seemed two years ago, Beelzebul had used a similar approach: first whetting their appetite, then revealing secrets, followed by tempting them with fine food and drink, and finally inviting them aboard.

Damn, the Captain had set them up.

Mihawk clenched his fist without changing his expression: once they docked, he'd definitely find a chance to measure the Captain's two years of training results.

Otherwise, he wouldn't sleep a wink tonight.

Issho shook his head with a smile. "I don't believe it."

Seven grinned and gave a thumbs-up, praising Issho's cooperation.

"About eighty years ago, two brothers were walking through town when they ran into World Government agents. The agents asked their names. The older brother had just said his name when an agent shot him in the head."

"To save his own life, the younger brother lied, claiming he was just the older brother's friend, and survived."

"From that day on, the younger brother sensed a great darkness in this world that no one knew about. Guess what he discovered later?"

With the earlier experience, Issho smoothly chimed in with the question: "What did he discover?"

Seven shoved his hands in his pockets.

"The younger brother discovered that eight hundred years ago, when the World Government was first founded, there was a hidden, deliberately erased, blank century of history."

"It's a history written by the victors, where the losers' voices are barely audible. It concerns the founding of the World Government and the disappearance of the Ancient Kingdom, buried on the Final Island."

"As for the truth of that history..."

Under the expectant gazes of the two, Seven held back. "It's not yet time to reveal it."

Before they could protest, Seven continued.

"Our destination this time, Ohara, is where the younger brother from that story—now eighty-five-year-old Dr. Crow D. Clover—is located."

"If I'm not mistaken, the Buster Call fleet the World Government specially dispatched to eliminate the scholars of Ohara should already be there."

At the mention of a Buster Call, Mihawk's expression turned grim.

Douglas Bullet, a former member of the Roger Pirates known as the Devil's Descendant, had been captured by a Buster Call launched by the Navy just a year ago.

He was still locked up in Impel Down.

Issho shot to his feet. "Mr. Seven, is the World Government going to erase Ohara? Then we need to speed up."

Seven spread his hands, looking somewhat helpless.

"Mr. Issho, that's a Buster Call."

"It's a Buster Call made up of five Marine Vice Admirals, ten warships, and tens of thousands of fully armed Marines and CP Agents."

"And us."

"You, me, and Mihawk... just three people."

"Even just Vice Admirals Sakazuki and Kuzan of Marine Headquarters have Admiral-level strength, far beyond what the three of us can contend with."

"Not to mention the other three Vice Admirals and tens of thousands of fully armed soldiers."

"How the hell are we supposed to fight that?"

Issho strode over and grabbed Seven's arm. "Captain Seven, if we can't even save the scholars of Ohara, then how can we talk about changing the world?"

"Please speed up." Issho bowed deeply.

"I beg you!"

Seeing Issho about to kneel, Seven quickly stopped him. "Don't do that. I'll speed up, alright?"

As electricity surged into the drive, the East Blue Emperor's speed skyrocketed.

Though the manipulation had been a resounding success, Seven felt little satisfaction: at seventeen, he was about to face Sakazuki, the Navy's strongest combat force for the next twenty-plus years.

It was way too intense.

Damn it, this old man had a hell of a time finding a crew member.

Spending money and risking his life alike.

The sea wind howled past as Issho stood at the bow, his cloak fluttering behind him. Though no words were embroidered on it, Seven could see the most blazing justice.

Two years ago, Seven had wanted to come to Ohara just to witness it, and incidentally take the books from the Tree of All Knowledge to move them to the Thunder God Palace on Skypiea.

When Twin Snake Island invited Issho aboard the ship, Seven had his own scheme—

Issho was gentle and upright by nature, with an intensely strong sense of justice. Seven hoped that witnessing the Buster Call on Ohara would make Issho completely disillusioned with the Marines.

This would lay the groundwork for inviting Issho to join the crew later.

After all, Issho was a user of the Gravity-Gravity Fruit, someone who could summon meteors at will, and he also possessed one of the Supreme Grade Swords, Gambler Fireline.

How could such a powerful crew member be missed?

If Issho accepted the invitation, the Morning Star Pirates would have three Admiral-Yonko Level fighters, three Supreme Grade Swords, and three Great Swordsmen...

Across the entire sea, a pirate crew with such a lineup was a rare find, like a scorpion taking a dump—one of a kind.

Now, it seemed his wish had come true.

Maybe even a little too much.

"Two Admirals, huh... that's a real headache."

Akainu and Aokiji weren't like Kizaru, who upheld an ambiguous justice. Aokiji believed in burning justice, while Akainu clung to absolute justice, itching to kill every pirate.

After the Buster Call on Ohara.

Only after witnessing Akainu shelling a refugee ship did Aokiji's belief slowly shift to a lazy justice.

And the Buster Call on Ohara was the most powerful mobilization in Marine history.

It was clearly aimed at annihilating a nation.

Issho stood at the bow, his silhouette bleak, silently murmuring to himself: Forgive me for coercing you this way.

Across the entire sea, pirates daring to draw their blades against the Marines were as numerous as carp swimming upstream, countless.

But like this—

Facing two Marine Admiral-level combatants, three Marine Vice Admirals, and over ten thousand fully armed Marines, still daring to charge into the gunfire and draw their swords—Issho had never seen or heard of such a pirate before.

But today, Issho saw it.

Captain Beelzebul, if we draw our swords together today, I will never let you down in this life.

A faint smile curled at the corner of Issho's mouth. He suddenly felt a pang of regret: If only I hadn't closed these eyes...

On the shores of Ohara, ten Marine warships unleashed their full firepower, artillery plowing across the entire island.

"Vice Admiral Sakazuki, there's a refugee ship to the southwest. Should we... should we... fire?"

Sakazuki's face darkened.

"Fire!"

To completely eliminate the threat, Sakazuki did not hesitate to order: shell the ship carrying Ohara's refugees.

Setting the facts aside, it was hard to judge.

If any Ohara scholars had escaped on that refugee ship, and the World Government found out later, it would only lead to greater casualties.

But whether there were scholars on the refugee ship became impossible to verify after the Marines sank it.

Still, that scene of the Marines shelling a refugee ship carved a wound in someone's heart that would never heal.

On Ohara Island.

Marine Vice Admiral Kuzan stared at the refugee ship sunk by the Marines. The burning passion in his heart seemed to freeze at that moment, just like the frozen giant Sauron, no longer blazing hot.

Kuzan was about to speak when a flash of red-black Haki tore through the sky like lightning.

The red sails on the sea caught his eye. Kuzan sighed and sat down heavily.

"Too late."