Enel looked at Kaku, amused, and asked, "Seven Warlords? You mean like that crazy woman from Amazon Lily?"
"Exactly," Kaku nodded.
Enel snorted in disdain. "That old man Garp kept talking about how strong the Seven Warlords and the Four Emperors were. I've seen the power of the Four Emperors; I'll admit that's something terrifying. But the Seven Warlords? They're nothing special."
Kaku couldn't help but laugh. "Don't be so quick to dismiss them. Mihawk is known as the world's greatest swordsman. His swordsmanship is at an incredibly high level, and even you might not be able to defeat him. Now I understand why the baboons on this island are so skilled in swordsmanship. If this castle belongs to Mihawk, it's very likely they learned from him."
"Tch, greatest swordsman or not, do you really think he's stronger than Takumi?" Enel waved his hand dismissively. "Our captain also wields a sword, and his skills are exceptional. He can even block an attack from a Yonko without breaking a sweat. That so-called Mihawk is just trash compared to Takumi."
Takumi: "..."
Kaku: "?"
"Yahahaha!" Enel laughed loudly, holding up his drink but not yet sipping it.
In a flash, Takumi appeared behind him and delivered a solid punch to the back of Enel's head. "When did I ever call Mihawk trash?"
A large bump instantly appeared on Enel's head. He shouted in frustration, "You didn't have to hit me! Don't you know that hurts?"
"It hurts you, not me," Takumi teased nonchalantly.
Enel's scalp tingled as he muttered, "You've got a bad habit of hitting me, don't you?"
"It's your own fault," Kaku chuckled, waving his hand. "You can't keep your mouth shut, can you? Look at me—I've never been hit by Captain Takumi since I joined the crew."
Enel glared at Kaku. "You long-nosed fool, you're asking for a beating!"
"I'm just telling the truth," Kaku said, then shifted the conversation. "But you said Takumi easily blocked a Yonko's sword strike… Is that true?"
"Of course it's true!" Enel snorted. "It happened in Water 7, before you joined the crew."
"Water 7?" Kaku paused, his face showing a sudden realization. "I remember hearing that members of the Whitebeard Pirates showed up around that time. Are you talking about Whitebeard?"
"Yes, that's right! That sickly old man," Enel replied casually.
Kaku laughed, shaking his head. "Sickly or not, if the Whitebeard Pirates heard you call their captain that, they'd definitely beat you up."
Enel shrugged indifferently. "Doesn't matter. As long as it's not Whitebeard himself, I'm not afraid of anyone. Yahahaha."
Kaku thought about arguing but decided against it. However, the fact that Takumi had blocked Whitebeard's sword strike was a surprise he hadn't expected.
As he processed this, Kaku gave Takumi another thoughtful glance.
Enel smirked, "What are you looking at? Whitebeard thinks highly of Takumi. The two of them even had drinks together. You could say they're drinking buddies."
"What? He's drinking buddies with one of the Four Emperors?" Kaku was shocked. "From what I know about Whitebeard, he considers those he likes as his 'sons.' I bet Takumi turned him down, but still became his drinking buddy?"
"Of course!" Enel said proudly. "Even Whitebeard shows Takumi respect. What do you think? Isn't our captain amazing?"
"Amazing indeed," Kaku chuckled. "I never expected Captain Takumi not only knows Garp the Hero but is friends with legends like Rayleigh and now Whitebeard too. Looks like I've really joined an incredible crew."
"Exactly! Most people can only dream of joining a crew like this. You should consider yourself lucky."
Enel had barely finished speaking before Takumi gave him another punch.
"Quit your yapping," Takumi said, exasperated.
Kaku silently watched Takumi and Enel's interaction, feeling conflicted. Initially, he'd been confident about his undercover mission, but now, he was starting to doubt himself.
With a resigned sigh, Kaku changed the subject. "Mihawk is usually a lone wolf. If anyone's contacting him, it's probably someone from the World Government or the Marines. But that call didn't sound like it came from either of them. Could it have been a friend of his?"
Enel looked at Takumi, asking directly, "Was it?"
Takumi punched him again. "I don't know."
Though in reality, Takumi had recognized the voice instantly.
The caller was none other than one of Mihawk's few friends, and someone Takumi had crossed paths with a few times—Shanks, one of the Four Emperors.
It was quite the coincidence. Of all times, Shanks had to come now. This world really was small.
After taking his third punch, Enel rubbed his head, grumbling, "If you don't know, then just say so. You didn't have to hit me… I thought you knew everything."
Takumi ignored him and returned to his seat, calmly continuing his dinner.
Enel muttered, "You really are… well, whatever. I, Thunder God, am too generous to hold a grudge."
Takumi rolled his eyes and resumed eating.
Kaku chuckled. "Or maybe you're just scared?"
"Hey!" Enel raised his hand, lightning crackling at his fingertips.
Kaku didn't wait for Enel to release the lightning; he quickly put down his utensils and ran off before the strike could hit.
"You think you can outrun me?" Enel yelled, chasing after him without hesitation.
Takumi, as calm as ever, paid no attention to the chaos outside the castle. After finishing his dinner, he headed to his room to rest.
The next few days were peaceful.
Kaku and Enel, who had been growing stronger with their training, had beaten most of the baboons on the island into submission. The weaker baboons fled at the sight of them, while only a few of the stronger ones still dared to challenge them.
On the tenth day after the mysterious call, a pirate ship with a Jolly Roger displaying a skull with three scars over its left eye docked on Kuraigana Island.
As the ship made landfall, Enel, who had been chasing a few baboons, sensed it immediately.
Meanwhile, Takumi, who was lounging in the castle, taking a nap, didn't notice at all.
"Hmm? Some strong folks just showed up," Enel smirked. "Looks like a bunch of unlucky fools. Perfect timing for me to test the results of my training!"