Are you the kindergarten boss?

Sephiroth landed in front of the fountain at the entrance to Water 7 amid crackling sparks. Electricity danced through his silver, lightning-bound hair, startling the flocks of white doves in the square into flight.

Since this appearance had become famous worldwide, ordinary people merely looked him over with curiosity instead of scattering in terror as they had when he first arrived somewhere.

"Lord Shining!"

Perona floated over and threw her arms around Sephiroth's neck, letting herself hang from him.

She was getting better and better at it.

The two strolled through the city on the water, which resembled Venice on Blue Star.

Brook, who had no equipment to speak of, remained incorrigible and ran off to a certain unmentionable establishment...

Sephiroth was actually willing to budget for that. He couldn't very well let Brook harass women all over the streets.

He hadn't thought much of it while watching the anime in his previous life, but in reality, a skeleton opening his mouth to say, "May I see your panties?" was simply too outrageous.

As for the Thunderhawk, it was hovering overhead under the Bunbus' watch. There was nothing to worry about.

"Here, strawberry ice cream."

"I want Lord Shining to feed me-"

Sephiroth and Perona had known each other for nearly three months, and already looked like an unbearably sweet couple.

"All right..."

"Ah-"

What Sephiroth and Perona had was actually mutual love at first sight-or rather, mutual attraction at first sight.

Sephiroth could honestly say that he felt possessive and protective toward Perona.

For Perona, Sephiroth's elemental appearance hit all the right buttons. It was much like a rebellious teenage girl's hopeless infatuation with a flashy delinquent.

"Bulu rentals~ Only 3,000 Beli an hour~"

The attendant, wearing frog-shaped glasses, waved enthusiastically.

Looking at the strange creatures swimming in the canal, with horses' heads and walruses' bodies, Sephiroth gently took Perona's wrist, then swept her into a bridal carry.

"Hold tight!"

Before his words had faded, Sephiroth landed on a Bulu's back with her. Six 500-Beli coins flew onto the attendant's table.

"We'll rent this one."

A gust lifted Perona's Gothic skirt. As she hurriedly pressed down its lace hem, she realized Sephiroth already had her cradled in his arms.

"Ready to go!"

"Waaaah-"

The Bulu darted cheerfully beneath St. Briss Bridge, startling the seagulls sneaking bites of Water Water Meat.

"Turn right! Right!"

Perona directed the Negative Hollow navigator lying on the Bulu's head, but the miniature ghost suddenly slumped forward in a pose of utter despair.

Having so much fun, Perona had decided to steer the Bulu herself, though her method suited her personal style perfectly.

When they shot out of the side canal, they found themselves facing the whale-and-anchor emblem of Tom's Workers-and a lemonade stand the Bulu had knocked over.

Floating in the air with Perona in tow, Sephiroth felt that going anywhere with her really did make it easy to get up to antics that fit this world's style.

A blonde beauty doing tally work at the dock witnessed the entire incident. Dressed in business attire, she adjusted her glasses.

"Miss Kalifa... you'd better not stare," a blond man in blue work clothes warned her. "That's a notorious pirate worth 400 million."

"Thank you for the reminder, Mr. Paulie."

... The next day.

As usual, Sephiroth took Perona out to have fun.

When Kizaru appeared outside the dessert shop's window atop ripples of light, Perona jumped in fright, and the cotton candy in her hand happened to stick to Sephiroth's lightning cowlick.

The smell of toasted cotton candy spread through the air.

The Marine Admiral slowly pushed up his sunglasses, their reflected glare concealing his expression.

"Moshi moshi~ Are you [Satellite Shining] himself?"

With that leisurely, casual drawl, Admiral Kizaru flickered over and sat down in the seat beside Sephiroth's booth.

"That's me. Are you the kindergarten boss from Futaba Kindergarten?"

"..."

Even Kizaru short-circuited at that remark.

"Lord Shining! He's an Admiral!"

Even with her blind faith in Sephiroth, Perona didn't believe he could match Kizaru when faced with an Admiral.

"Sorry, Admiral Kizaru looks like someone I know."

"I see... Becoming a kindergarten principal after I retire sounds rather nice~ But I'm here about something else today. Would you be willing to become a Shichibukai?"

Admiral Kizaru's words brought the people around them to their senses, and most fled. A handful of particularly bold ones stayed, hoping to hear more inside information.

In a corner, someone who looked like a reporter snapped photos frantically.

"I see. I'd be happy to accept the invitation, but Admiral Kizaru, the pressure you're giving off doesn't suggest you're only here to deliver a message."

Normally, a single Vice Admiral was enough to extend an invitation to the Shichibukai.

-So that last visit was an invitation?! Two Vice Admirals and an Admiral candidate-who would ever think that was an invitation?!

"Indeed. Young people these days really are frightening~"

-There's the 'how scary' warning.

"I used to command G-2 Base. That should explain things, Rumble-Rumble boy."

"Understood-first, I agree to become a Shichibukai."

Sephiroth had learned about Shichibukai appointments from Perona. Usually, a Vice Admiral extended the invitation, and if the candidate agreed, World Government officials would come afterward to work out the details.

"Second, this isn't a good place to cut loose. Innocent people would get hurt."

"Oh my, I didn't expect you to be such a kindhearted young man. How rare."

Sephiroth transformed into lightning. Kizaru became a streak of golden light.

Both vanished in an instant.

When they reappeared, they were above the sea dozens of kilometers from Water 7. Since both could fly, terrain meant little to them.

Sephiroth had his own plans for this fight.

After all, he had never fought one of the world's strongest before. Given a relatively safe opportunity, he was willing to give it a try.

There was a vacant Shichibukai position, he wasn't particularly dangerous, and he had agreed to join. Then there was Kizaru's personality.

Sephiroth felt that his opponent probably wouldn't try to kill him.

But he couldn't rely entirely on that. Before the fight, he had already gathered eight satellites in the stratosphere, ready to flee to the other side of the planet at any moment.

"I'm starting to like you, young man. You know how to play along. But I wonder-have you ever been kicked at the speed of light...?"

When Kizaru's light-speed kick swept across the sea, Sephiroth had already dodged it.

For some reason, Kizaru's attacks-or at least this light-speed kick-weren't actually moving at the speed of light.

Otherwise, even using Emotion Absorption to read his "intent" and evade in advance wouldn't necessarily have been enough to dodge it.

His opponent really was holding back. Sephiroth hadn't sensed any Armament Haki.

"Speed is weight."

Kizaru turned into light to evade the dozens of crisscrossing lightning strikes Sephiroth launched to test him.

"How frightening. The Rumble-Rumble Fruit."