East Blue, Windmill Village Islands.
Orange Town.
Buggy was hiding in his secret base, staring at a newspaper he had just snatched from a News Coo's pouch, chuckling to himself.
One moment Buggy was laughing out loud, afraid others wouldn't know, and the next he was covering his mouth to stay silent, afraid of being discovered.
"Shanks, that idiot. If we hadn't changed our minds back then and invited Seven onto the ship, maybe we would be emperors of the sea too!"
Buggy smoothed out the crumpled newspaper, placing the latest issue alongside the one where Seven's bounty broke one billion and the one from two years ago.
"Seven, I knew I wasn't wrong about you."
"Becoming an emperor of the sea in just two years—truly worthy of being my, Buggy's, brother! Ho ho ho ha ha ha ha!"
After laughing twice, Buggy quickly covered his mouth.
"I almost forgot. Seven crushed the Marine Buster Call fleet. The World Government and the Navy will definitely come looking for us old-timers to settle the score."
"For the sake of safety and treasure maps..."
"...it must never be leaked: that I am Seven's good brother, and even more so, that I was once a member of the Roger Pirates."
Back when Seven's bounty first broke one billion, Buggy had thought about going to join his good brother. Looking at it now, it was better not to go.
A Buster Call fleet... just thinking about it was terrifying.
Only a man as gutsy as Seven would dare to charge forward with only two crew members.
"Better to stay in the East Blue. As long as I don't run into that old man Garp, Lord Buggy is the coolest kid in the East Blue. I can go wherever I want to dig for treasure."
At almost the same time.
The bounties of the three crew members of the Morning Star Pirates, as well as the news of Barzeb Seven becoming the second emperor of the sea, Swirl across the entire ocean.
New World, Wano Country.
Onigashima.
As the base of the Beasts Pirates, most of Onigashima's daily affairs were presided over by King of Disaster, the Lead Performer under Kaido.
As for Kaido, he was usually drinking and weeping.
"Lord Kaido."
King gently placed the freshly printed newspaper in front of Kaido: "An extraordinary fellow has emerged on the sea, known as the second emperor of the sea."
"Hmm?" Kaido raised his head, his eyes narrowing slightly.
"A seventeen-year-old brat also deserves the title of emperor of the sea? Wait until I go catch him and bring him back to be a Performer."
Kaido stood up and took three steps before turning back to ask: "You brat, why aren't you stopping me?"
King said expressionlessly: "Barzeb Seven, Captain of the Morning Star Pirates, has a bounty of three billion. Vice-Captain Mihawk has two billion, and Fujitora Issho has two billion."
"Lord Kaido, the three of them combined have a higher bounty than our entire pirate group. Their strength has been certified by the Marine Buster Call."
"He was also a member of the Roger Pirates, just like Oden."
Kaido sat down dejectedly.
"Bad brat."
"Once I deal with Oden and take over all of Wano Country, I will definitely catch all three of them... However, how did this kid Barzeb change so much?"
King became interested: "You know Barzeb?"
Kaido shook his head: "Didn't the newspapers from two years ago publish it once?"
Seeming to notice the change in his younger brother's mood, Kaido muttered: "Though he also has white hair, he's definitely not of the Lunarian Tribe. He doesn't have wings on his back."
"Of course, it might also be a variant."
"In a couple of years when Oden is handled, I'll personally go catch him. You'll know then."
King nodded: "Thanks, Lord Kaido."
Kaido leaned back: "We're brothers, it's boring to say such things. Where's Yamato?"
"Still throwing a tantrum?"
After thinking it over several times, King still spoke up to advise him.
"Big Brother Kaido, Yamato is still a child. You can't use adult standards to demand things from a child of her age."
Years ago, if it hadn't been for Kaido's rescue, as a descendant of the Lunarian Tribe, King might still be having his blood drawn as a lab rat by the World Government.
Therefore, King... Abel really saw Kaido as his own elder brother. Unfortunately, this big brother's head wasn't very good, and he had no idea how to raise a child.
Kaido grumbled: "She's my daughter, she should be extraordinary. When I was her age, I was already on the battlefield."
Well, King sighed silently.
"I'm going to get busy."
"Go on, kid."
After King left, Kaido picked up the newspaper, his eyes fixed on the front-page headline: Barzeb's head of white hair.
"It really might be one of Abel's clansmen. In that case, I must catch you."
Unlike Kaido, who was intent on catching Seven to be a Performer, another great pirate—
Charlotte Linlin, the Captain of the Big Mom Pirates known as BIG MOM, was fantasizing about having a few children with Barzeb.
"Mamamama..."
"Katakuri, send an invitation to Barzeb. Invite the three members of the Morning Star Pirates to come to our Totto Land for a tea party."
Hearing this, Katakuri's head throbbed. Being stuck with a Mama who loved finding husbands to have children with was truly speechless.
"Mama, Barzeb is only 17 years old."
Big Mom laughed until her whole body trembled: "Mama here gave birth to Perospero at 18. A 17-year-old lad has plenty of vigor; he's just the right age for having children."
"Even if Barzeb doesn't work out, aren't Dracule Mihawk and Fujitora Issho there? All three of them can't refuse, right?"
"Fine," Katakuri nodded in agreement.
He would send the invitation normally, no problem. But whether they came or not was not up to his will. A man like Barzeb... probably wouldn't come, right?
If he really did come, it might very well be a disaster for Totto Land. A man who was so lawless that he broke through a Buster Call was definitely no pushover!
The Marine's bounty posters for the Morning Star Pirates, as well as the news about the second emperor of the sea in the newspapers, had a massive impact.
From a subtle perspective.
Previously, when Barzeb Seven was mentioned, whether it was Marines, pirates, or civilians, they had either never heard of him or their first impression was that he was a crew member of Pirate King Roger.
But after the Ohara Buster Call incident, when Barzeb Seven was mentioned, everyone's first impression was—
That white-haired man who braved the Buster Call, the second emperor of the sea, the Captain of the Morning Star Pirates, the great pirate with a three-billion bounty.
To use entertainment industry terms, Seven didn't have much fame or works before.
Now, he was Buster Call certified!
The last great pirate to cause such a stir on the sea, Douglas Bullet, known as the demon heir, had failed to pass the Buster Call certification.
Simply because Bullet was captured by the Buster Call.
Whereas Barzeb Seven not only cleared the Buster Call without injury but also rescued a little girl from it (as for the other three scholars, only Kuzan knew).
Sakazuki was involved in both Buster Calls.
Comparing the two, the gold standard of Buster Call certification became apparent. Anyone who saw Barzeb would give him a thumbs up: This man has guts!
Of course, praise was just praise.
Civilians would still secretly spit: Damned pirate, don't you come over here