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The Seven Warlords of the Sea are a group of powerful pirates officially recognized by the World Government. In the eyes of the world, they, along with the Four Emperors and Marine Headquarters, form the three major forces maintaining the balance of power in the Grand Line.
However, in Storm's opinion, this classification was somewhat laughable.
At this stage, there was no doubt about the strength of the Marine Headquarters and the Four Emperors. Their dominance was absolute. But the Seven Warlords of the Sea? That was another matter entirely.
People spoke of them as if they were fearsome monsters, their reputations built on years of legend and infamy. Yet, when Storm analyzed their actual combat achievements, he found them underwhelming.
Many of these so-called "elite pirates" had already suffered defeats at the hands of the Four Emperors. Some had barely escaped with their lives, their reputations tarnished by humiliating failures. While escaping from an Emperor's grasp was no small feat, being known as "a loser to the Four Emperors" was hardly something to boast about.
Still, the Seven Warlords of the Sea held a unique advantage—a direct line of communication with the World Government. This fact alone made the title valuable, even if some of its members were weaker than their reputations suggested.
Normally, a pirate could only become one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea through an official invitation from the World Government. However, there were always exceptions.
Take Marshall D. Teach, for example.
At this moment, the infamous Blackbeard was still playing the part of a loyal member of the Whitebeard Pirates, waiting for the right moment to strike. Unlike most, Blackbeard did not wait for an invitation from the World Government—he recommended himself by delivering a valuable bounty in exchange for a seat at the table.
Storm had considered this method as well. However, there was a major flaw in this approach.
His strength was sufficient, but his reputation was lacking.
He needed a more direct and aggressive strategy.
The simplest way to become one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea?
Defeat an existing Warlord, take their title, and let the world take notice.
At this stage, the current roster of the Seven Warlords of the Sea closely resembled what Storm remembered from the first generation of the system.
Dracule Mihawk, "Hawk-Eye the Strongest Swordsman"
Boa Hancock, "Snake Princess" of Amazon Lily
Jinbe, "Knight of the Sea"
Donquixote Doflamingo, "Heavenly Yaksha"
Gekko Moria, "Demon Lord of the Shadows"
Crocodile, "The Desert King"
That made six.
As for the seventh…
Storm's eyes shifted to the man standing beside him—Bartholomew Kuma.
At this moment, Kuma had not yet officially joined the ranks of the Seven Warlords of the Sea. However, history dictated that he would soon be offered a position due to his unique strength and abilities.
The actual seventh member of the Seven Warlords of the Sea was an individual Storm had little recollection of...
Hanafuda, the Lizard King.
Unlike the others, Hanafuda was the only Zoan-type Devil Fruit user among the Seven Warlords of the Sea.
Storm's memories of him were hazy, but one thing was certain—this so-called Lizard King would eventually lose his title after suffering a swift defeat at the hands of Portgas D. Ace upon his entry into the Grand Line.
But at this moment, Ace had yet to set sail.
Which meant that Hanafda was still securely holding his title as a Warlord.
A perfect target.
"Defeat one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea?" Kuma's deep voice broke the silence. His brow furrowed slightly.
"That would be… difficult, wouldn't it?"
Kuma understood that each Warlord had a legendary reputation before joining the system. None of them were weaklings—each had a storied history, earning their place through strength, cunning, or political maneuvering.
To take down a Warlord meant challenging an established power, one that had the backing of the World Government.
But Storm merely gave him a strange look.
"Difficult?" he repeated, his voice tinged with amusement.
"Have you misunderstood your strength?"
Kuma looked slightly taken aback.
"In my opinion," Storm continued, crossing his arms, "even you are qualified to be one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea."
Kuma's expression remained stoic, but his mind was processing Storm's words carefully.
He knew his power. He had been training since childhood, had eaten the Paw-Paw Fruit, and possessed superior combat skills.
Yet, could he be considered on the same level as the Seven Warlords of the Sea?
Storm certainly thought so.
In fact, when he compared Kuma to some of the existing Warlords, the difference in strength was staggering.
Take Crocodile, for example.
Despite being the ruler of Alabasta, the man had been defeated by Monkey D. Luffy—a rookie who had just entered the Grand Line!
At the time, Luffy was far from the Sun God he would eventually become. He was just a young pirate with a 'Rubber-Rubber Fruit', which had no natural advantage against Crocodile's sand abilities.
Yet, despite all this, Crocodile lost.
"You're stronger than some of them, Kuma," Storm pointed out with a smirk.
Kuma hesitated. Was that really true?
If he—a man who had just suffered defeat at Storm's hands—was qualified to be one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, then what did that mean for Storm himself?
"Yes, you are," Storm confirmed.
"Kuma, do you want to become one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea?"
"…No."
Kuma shook his head. "I have no interest in such a title."
Storm shrugged. "Fair enough. Then let's move forward with my plan."
A small clay sphere formed in his hand as he continued, "The Seven Warlords of the Sea are mostly scattered across the Grand Line—some in the first half, some in the New World."
"Jinbei, the Sea Knight, was currently allied with the Whitebeard Pirates."
"Doflamingo, the Heavenly Yaksha, ruled over Dressrosa."
"Both of them were in the New World, separated by the Red Line."
"That means," Storm said, a slow smile creeping onto his face, "they're off-limits... for now."
As for the others…
Hawkeye Mihawk resides on Kuraigana Island.
Snake Princess Hancock rules over Amazon Lily in the Calm Belt.
Gekko Moriah is hidden in Thriller Bark.
Crocodile is in Alabasta.
And lastly, the "Lizard King"—this Shichibukai is also active in Paradise, residing on Banaro Island.
On this blue clay planet, Storm marked the approximate locations of each of the Seven Warlords of the Sea. He had studied geography at the Marine Academy, and while he couldn't guarantee absolute accuracy in the placement of the islands, he could at least ensure the general correctness.
Storm's primary targets were the five Shichibukai active in Paradise. He decided to name this plan the "Seven Warlords Hunting Operation."
This operation aligned with the "finding helpers" strategy Storm had reported to Admiral Kuzan. In truth, the "helpers" Storm originally referred to were pirates operating in Paradise. Given his current identity as an undercover agent within SWORD, the only allies he could feasibly recruit were pirates.
Looking at the entire ocean, those with the strength, credentials, and daring to challenge the Four Emperors—weren't they precisely the Seven Warlords of the Sea?
Storm's original vision was to collaborate with some of the Seven Warlords to break into the New World and challenge the Four Emperors!
On the other hand, actively seeking out the Seven Warlords allowed him to hunt the trophies from them.
Winning trophies to enhance his power and recruiting suitable subordinates to expand his forces.
It was a win-win scenario!
However, he hadn't expected that after leaving Impel Down, he would end up flying straight to the South Blue…
The "Seven Warlords Hunting Operation" was put on hold.
But in reality, not entirely.
Even though he hadn't yet encountered an official Shichibukai, hadn't he just met Bartholomew Kuma, the soon-to-be Warlord of the Sea?
Kuma studied the marked locations on the clay planet, clearly impressed by Storm's intelligence-gathering capabilities.
"The Sea Knight and Heavenly Yaksha are in the New World. Don't think about them for now."
Storm erased the New World section from the clay planet, leaving only Paradise.
"We're in the South Blue now, close to the Calm Belt. Beyond that lies Paradise."
Then, he turned to Kuma.
"I have a question, Kuma. Your Paw-Paw Fruit ability should allow for long-distance travel, right?"
Kuma flinched slightly.
Storm even know about this?
But thinking back to the extensive knowledge Storm had displayed thus far, Kuma quickly dismissed his surprise.
"Yes. My ability allows me to travel across vast distances," Kuma confirmed."
Raising his right hand, he revealed the fleshy paw pad on his palm—soft, bouncy, almost adorable.
"Travelling across islands is also possible. However, I can only send people to locations I have personally visited."
Storm nodded. That aligned with the 'intelligence' he had.
Kuma's Paw-Paw Fruit allowed him to directly "repel" objects or people to their destination with pinpoint accuracy.
The only limitation was that Kuma had to have physically visited the location beforehand.
What a coincidence…
Kuma had traveled the world with the Revolutionary Army.
That experience made his Paw-Paw Fruit ability even more invaluable than one could imagine!
"Excellent," Storm said, satisfied.
"Amazon Lily, Banaro Island, Thriller Bark, Kuraigana Island, Alabasta… have you been to all five?"
In Storm's understanding, Kuma should have visited these islands. Otherwise, how else could he have later sent the Straw Hat Pirates to their respective training grounds so precisely?
"Except for Amazon Lily and Thriller Bark," Kuma admitted.
"I have been to Banaro Island, Kuraigana Island, and Alabasta."
Amazon Lily, hidden within the Calm Belt.
Thriller Bark lost in the Devil's Triangle.
It made sense that Kuma hadn't visited those places yet.
Storm analyzed the situation.
With the three islands, we can reach...
Lizard King.
Hawkeye Mihawk.
Crocodile.
Just then, Kuma asked in a low voice:
"If you could go on a trip… where would you like to go?"
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