"What's this?"
Luffy casually caught the letter Kuma had thrown over, stuffing food into his mouth as he glanced down to read it.
The others also rose and gathered behind him, except for Zoro and Robin, who had already eavesdropped.
Both wore grave expressions, looking deep in thought.
They all knew that Luffy's father was Dragon, the World Government's number one criminal. With that connection, he shouldn't have been offered a position among the Shichibukai.
What they did not know was that Bartholomew Kuma had once been a Revolutionary Army Executive.
To the Five Elders, the benefits someone could bring mattered more. As for their identity, who would know as long as they did not announce it?
At worst, they could quietly erase them after they had been used.
"An invitation to become one of the Shichibukai?" Luffy read the contents of the letter aloud.
"Nani?!"
At that, Franky and the others behind him instantly widened their eyes!
The Shichibukai, Marineford, and the Four Emperors were known as the three great powers of the sea!
The feared title of Shichibukai, once so far beyond their reach, was now about to fall into their hands?
And the one being invited was their goofy captain?
"Hey, hey, hey, is this for real?!"
"These are the Shichibukai!"
Usopp's eyes went wide as his gaze swept back and forth over the letter. No matter how he looked at it, he could not believe the World Government had invited Luffy.
"Do you know what this means, Luffy?!"
Usopp grabbed Luffy by the shoulders and shook him repeatedly, his face full of excitement.
"Only pirates powerful enough to dominate an entire region receive invitations like this! If you become a Shichibukai, the Marines will never hunt us again, and we'll gain tremendous fame and status!"
"Only