Ohara Buster Call (End)

West Sea, Ohara waters.

In the distance, Ohara was shrouded in thick smoke and blazing gunfire, and Seven once again felt the sting of failure he hadn't tasted in a long time: if he'd arrived sooner, he wouldn't have made this trip for nothing.

What a failure. Even with God's Perspective, the course of history still refused to bend to individual will.

"Sorry, Isshin. We're too late."

Isshin gripped his paired saber, Gambler Fireline. "Captain, there might still be survivors on the island."

Seven nodded firmly. "Get ready to fight."

Late as they were, they'd save whoever they could.

Anyone who opposed the World Government—no matter their motives or chances of success—Barzeb Seven would have their back.

The East Blue Emperor surged forward, racing past the Marine warships toward the Ohara coastline.

On a Marine warship, the lookout shouted.

"Vice Admiral Sakazuki, an unknown vessel spotted to the northeast! Shall we open fire?"

"Fire!"

At Sakazuki's command, ten Marine warships swung their bows around and unleashed a full barrage at the unknown dragon-headed, red-sailed ship.

Boom—boom—boom—

A dense curtain of shells, like a rainstorm, sealed off every direction around the East Blue Emperor.

On the deck, Mihawk had just drawn Black Blade Night from behind his back when Isshin stepped forward.

"Mr. Mihawk, leave this to me."

Isshin held Gambler Fireline, drawing the blade but not unsheathing it. Gravity Wave rippled outward like layers of rings, dragging the incoming storm of shells straight into the sea.

Then—

Countless purple gravity rings radiated from Isshin, reaching the sky in a relay race, forcibly pulling two extraterrestrial meteors downward.

"Captain, Mr. Mihawk and I will hold off the Marines. Please bring any survivors aboard."

"No need for all that trouble."

The moment Seven drew his blade—

Red-black Conqueror's Haki materialized into crackling Thunder, starting from Dream One Heart and spreading across the entire sea at lightning speed.

Dream One Heart: 100% Haki amplification.

Among the Three Types of Haki, Seven's strongest was Conqueror's Haki. Amplified by 100%, its power was earth-shattering, terrifying beyond measure.

On the ten warships, over ten thousand Marines rolled their eyes back, toppling like violently knocked-over tarot cards. In a single breath, they all collapsed, unconscious.

In just one exchange—

The massive Marine fleet sent to execute the Buster Call on Ohara was reduced to only Sakazuki and three other Vice Admirals still standing.

The East Blue Emperor docked steadily at the shore. Seven looked at Mihawk and Isshin.

"Mihawk, Isshin, they're yours."

"Yes, Captain."

Seven charged onto the island to retrieve the books and search for survivors. Mihawk, with a Flying Bamboo Dragonfly on his head, grabbed Isshin and leaped from the deck to the shore.

Just then, the two meteors Isshin had summoned earlier broke through the clouds, hurtling toward the Marine fleet.

"Look! The sky... above..."

The falling meteors grew larger as they approached, casting a massive shadow over the fleet, crushing the air from everyone's lungs.

Momonga stood beside Sakazuki, his throat dry, his Adam's apple bobbing with difficulty.

"This... this... a meteor?!"

The Devil Fruits of the Marines' three monster Vice Admirals were already absurdly powerful, but compared to the sheer shock of a meteor, they suddenly seemed almost gentle.

"Great Eruption."

Sakazuki barked the order, not forgetting to warn, "Watch out for the debris."

If the meteors crashed down, the ten thousand unconscious Marines would be buried at the bottom of the sea.

A violent explosion rang out. Sakazuki shattered the two meteors into countless fragments, which splashed into the sea, churning up waves.

Sakazuki narrowed his eyes. That flash of white hair was so glaring.

"Barzeb Seven!"

"Dracule Mihawk!"

"So they really are together."

The intelligence from Marine Headquarters had seemed alarmist to Sakazuki at first.

But now, with Barzeb alone taking out over ten thousand soldiers, and Mihawk and that purple-robed swordsman on the shore provoking him, Sakazuki was seeing red.

"Barzeb! You deserve to die!!"

Sakazuki directly elementalized his lower body, igniting magma jets as he launched himself from the Marine warship toward the shore.

"Meteor Volcano!"

Like a meteor shower of magma fists, they rained down from the sky, launching an all-out bombardment.

Issho swung his blade to meet the enemy, layers of gravity waves clashing head-on with the raging magma.

"Gravity Sword: Fierce Tiger."

On the other side, Momonga and three other Marine Vice Admirals used Geppo to step through the air to the shore, surrounding Mihawk.

"Dracule Mihawk, a man like you—why stoop to piracy?"

Though they'd only just parted, Mihawk already missed Captain Seven. If the captain were here, he'd surely fire back with sharp words.

What this old man does—does he need Marine permission?

Unlike now, where he could only respond with his blade: a cultured man trading insults lacked dignity.

Unlike the fierce battle on the shore.

Another Marine Vice Admiral, Kuzan, sat on a rock, chatting idly with a grimy, tear-streaked black-haired little girl.

"Absolute justice...

Sometimes turns people into weapons."

"I originally prepared a ship for you, wanting to see what kind of tree would grow from the seed Sauron gave his life to protect."

"Now... go with him."

As his words faded, crackling electricity instantly coalesced into a human figure.

Gazing at the figure before him, Kuzan's eyes, hidden behind his sunglasses, betrayed no readable emotion.

"Barzeb Seven."

"You'd better leave quickly. The World Government and Marines have received word—the one coming to reinforce us will surely be the new Marine Admiral, Kizaru."

Kuzan had always been reluctant to carry out the Buster Call, and Barzeb, having once reached the Final Island, was among all pirates the least threatening to the Ohara Scholars' goals.

For the little girl, it was a decent place to end up.

"Thanks."

Seven had just picked up the grimy little girl when Kuzan asked a question.

"What's your pirate crew called?"

"The Morning Star Pirates. I'm the captain, Mihawk's the vice-captain, and Fujitora Issho is a full crew member."

"Morning Star?" Kuzan mused. "The brightest star in the night sky, just before dawn?"

"Yeah." Seven said casually. "The star that vanishes from the sky after dawn."

"See you."

Delivering the little girl to the East Blue Emperor, Seven made several more trips back and forth, bringing a few still-breathing Ohara Scholars off the island.

Then, several Flying Slashes rained down on Sakazuki.

"Mihawk, Issho, fall back."

Mihawk unleashed a Flying Slash, routing the three Vice Admirals, and shot straight into the sky. Issho, seizing the gap while Sakazuki was under attack, kicked off rubble and flew into the air.

On the shore, Sakazuki's face was ashen, even the cigar in his mouth bitten clean through.

"Naturally evil pirate brat!"

Seven dismissed Sakazuki as impotently raging. Wasn't this just trash talk? He'd never lost a verbal fight in his life: Come on, let's hurt each other!

"Yo ho, Red Dog, so this is how the Marines show their so-called justice—by slaughtering civilians?"

"Playing the dog for people, and you've got a superiority complex out of it."

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk."

"If I were you, I wouldn't have the face to wear that justice cloak. Takes your thick skin, huh? Even I, this naturally evil pirate brat, can't stand to watch."

Midair, Mihawk pressed his lips together, saying nothing.

That's the flavor. Keep going, don't stop.

Issho was utterly stunned. The captain's other side... that mouth... truly infuriating.

Sakazuki's rage turned to a cold laugh.

"If you've got guts, don't run."

"Fine."

Seven drew his Paired Saber from his waist, slashing out a Flying Slash at lightning speed, while signaling Mihawk to set sail and leave first.

The Magma-Magma Fruit's eruption was too terrifying; they had to wait until the East Blue Emperor was far from Sakazuki's attack range before truly retreating.

Seven didn't want his newly purchased East Blue Emperor to get smashed by magma on its maiden voyage. It wasn't about the 100 repair points—it was bad luck.

Just then, Kuzan, who'd been missing since the Buster Call, finally arrived, late as ever.

"Sakazuki, I'll hold them off."

Though a few minor hiccups had occurred during the Buster Call's execution, appearances still had to be maintained—otherwise, what kind of Admiral would he be?

Kuzan and Issho, while distancing themselves from the two combatants, also drifted further from the East Blue Emperor. Sensing the other's intent, Issho silently committed this outwardly cold yet inwardly warm Marine Vice Admiral to memory.

Unlike their health-conscious duel.

On another battlefield, Sakazuki fought with near-mad desperation, bent solely on killing Seven as quickly as possible.

"Great Eruption."

Every time Sakazuki tried to launch a long-range attack to shatter the East Blue Emperor, Mihawk intercepted it with a swing of Black Blade Night.

"Dog Bite Red Lotus!"

Sakazuki's magma-arm solidified into a snarling dog's head, wrapped in searing lava and the aura of destruction, lunging viciously at Seven.

Clang~

The sharp ring of impact pierced the air.

Seven swept his blade, the edge precisely parrying the magma dog's head, deflecting the lethal strike.

The next second, Conqueror's Haki Observation Kill erupted violently, overwhelming Sakazuki's Observation Haki and plunging his perception into a blank void.

In a flash, Seven's other fist, coated in Conqueror's and Armament Haki, slammed accurately into the side of Sakazuki's face.

Thud~

The dull, heavy impact was deafening.

Under that single blow, Sakazuki's cheekbone caved in, the corner of his mouth split, and magma-like blood splattered across his twisted face.

Like a broken puppet, he was sent flying dozens of meters, crashing heavily to the ground.

Since the fight began, Seven's withheld Observation Kill had finally revealed its strategic might.

"A shame." Seven felt a flicker of regret.

If he'd learned Old Man Garp's Infinite Fist Bone, that punch alone would've put Sakazuki down for half a year, instead of just leaving him injured like this.

While Sakazuki was still shaking his head, Seven had already unleashed dozens of Flying Slashes.

Shink~ Shink~ Shink~

The Flying Slashes landed one after another. Though he looked like a bloody mess, Sakazuki got up as if nothing had happened and continued clashing with Seven.

On the distant sea, Mihawk piloted the East Blue Emperor, casually cutting out Flying Slashes to block the pursuit of three Marine Vice Admirals.

Having accepted the invitation to become Vice-Captain of the Morning Star Pirates only two years ago, he'd already crossed blades with the three great Marine Vice Admirals—Borsalino, Sakazuki, and Kuzan.

Captain Seven truly lived up to being a crewmate of Pirate King Roger. He had guts.

Fighter Issho... wasn't bad either.

Among the three crew members of the Morning Star Pirates, Mihawk had the leisure to critique the battle, Issho and Kuzan sparred in their health-conscious duel, and Seven was locked in a bloodshot frenzy with Sakazuki.

Even though Seven hadn't taken serious damage.

Maintaining both Conqueror's Haki Infusion and Conqueror's Haki Observation Kill simultaneously drained his Haki exponentially, leaving him panting heavily.

Seeing this, Sakazuki grinned, his mouth bloody.

"Brat, running out of steam?"

Seven flashed a bright smile, took a Senzu Bean from his system space, and while wiping his mouth, discreetly popped it in and swallowed.

"Red Dog, Grandpa's coming for you."

Seven instantly returned to full condition.

Dream One Heart, coated in Conqueror's and Armament Haki, and Flying Slashes wrapped in Electromagnetic Storms, grew even more ferocious than before.

Gritting his teeth, Sakazuki—without the aid of Observation Haki—relied on combat experience to stubbornly block wave after wave of attacks.

"Thick blood!" Seven muttered.

No wonder he'd lasted so long in the Summit War.

Sakazuki was like an unkillable cockroach. Every time Seven sent him flying, he'd almost immediately get back up and keep fighting.

A Blood Bull like this was truly annoying.

Ridiculously tanky, with attack power that was damn high—basically a six-sided warrior.

One slip, and you'd be injured or crippled.

Seven had been using lightning to stimulate his body the whole time, pushing his senses and Observation Haki to the limit, because his attacks could only wound Sakazuki, but the other's attacks... were lethal.

No one knew how long passed.

The East Blue Emperor vanished from sight. Seven hovered midair, channeling an Electromagnetic Storm with one hand, sweeping it across ten Marine warships and destroying their electrical systems.

"Bye-bye, Red Dog." Seven shot into the sky.

In a few flashes, he arrived at another battlefield, slashing several Flying Slashes at Kuzan, then grabbed Issho and chased after the East Blue Emperor.

Kuzan was left standing there, staring at the direction they'd disappeared, his state of mind unknown.

The Marines, who were supposed to protect civilians, had actually resorted to a Buster Call—already an extreme anomaly. That pirates had saved several people from the Marines' bombardment made it even more absurd.

"What a chaotic world this is."

When Kuzan returned to the shore, Sakazuki was staring blankly at the ten warships that had gone completely silent on the sea.

"Notify Marine Headquarters..."

Kuzan cut in: "I'll handle it."

West Blue, aboard the East Blue Emperor.

Seven waved off the Ohara Scholars who wanted to thank him, flashed to the captain's quarters, and immediately pulled out a Den Den Mushi.

This trip had only cost two Senzu Beans to successfully invite the man of destiny aboard, with a bonus: four learned Ohara Scholars.

But he'd also openly clashed with the World Government, so he had to warn his family to be careful first.

"Uncle Rayleigh, I need a favor."

"Tell the crew to hide quickly. I took out the Marines' Buster Call fleet, so the World Government will almost certainly come after you."

"What?!" Rayleigh's expression turned grave.

"Kid Seven, you really know how to stir things up!"

Sabaody Archipelago, Knockoff Bar.

Rayleigh hung up the Den Den Mushi and quickly leaned in to whisper a few words to Shakky.

Shakky was stunned, even forgetting to puff on the lady's cigarette burning at her fingertips. "I think... I need to go hide out with you for a week or two."

Rayleigh didn't hesitate. "It's been a while since I saw Gaban. Let's head back to Amazon Lily for a few days, then go vacation in Elbaf."

Without a moment's hesitation, the Rayleigh couple sent their customers away, packed light, and sailed off from Sabaody Archipelago.

The Knockoff Bar was unusually closed during the day.

Meanwhile, aboard the East Blue Emperor.

Seven lay weakly soaking in the bath. His fight with Sakazuki had given him a clear advantage, but only because he'd pushed his spirit and energy to the limit and downed two Senzu Beans to restore full strength.

If the fight had continued, he would have been the one to lose.

Sakazuki... was really something.

Buzz buzz buzz buzz~

After pressing the Den Den Mushi's answer button, Seven held the receiver away from his ear. "Moshi moshi."

"Beelzebul, what exactly are you trying to do?"

Seven stared at the Den Den Mushi and asked the soul-searching question: "Who's this?"

The Den Den Mushi: "Saint Warcury of the Gorosei."

Seven caught on. "Hello, hello."

The Den Den Mushi: "Beelzebul, you interfered with the Buster Call. What do you want?"

Seven climbed out of the bath.

"First of all, I apologize, but I didn't hinder the Buster Call's execution. Ohara is already a pile of rubble."

"Secondly, as you know—

I have no interest in history. I only took one little girl. Rest assured, I guarantee she'll stay by my side for the next thirty years."

The Den Den Mushi: "Your guarantee means nothing. Hand her over, and we can pretend this never happened. Otherwise, brace yourself for endless pursuit by the World Government and the Marines."

Seven rubbed his brow and sighed.

"In that case, I'll have no choice but to reveal the existence of a certain someone to this sea."

Red Line, Holy Land Mary Geoise.

Inside Pangaea Castle, the Gorosei exchanged glances, cold sweat beading on their foreheads.

The Den Den Mushi grinned. "How about a deal?"

Saint Warcury: "Speak."

The Gorosei were gambling: betting that Beelzebul didn't actually know about that person's existence, and that she was just bluffing.

The Den Den Mushi drew out its tone. "Im..."

"Deal!"

Saint Warcury bristled. "Beelzebul, this matter is settled."

"Thanks."