Chapter 14

Upon arriving at Polestar Islands, Kong was greeted by dozens of Marines, all with their weapons aimed directly at him. He only grinned at the sight.

"So, you're Kong," a voice called out. Standing at the front of the group was a man with a cigar between his lips. He reached behind him, pulling what seemed to be a sword from his back.

But as soon as it was fully drawn, It wasn't a sword at all. The weapon had no blade, instead resembling a staff with a sword's hilt.

"Oh?" Kong smirked. "I'm so famous. Just started my journey as a pirate yesterday, and I'm already known by so many people."

The man said nothing. Instead, His lower body turned into smoke. And in an instant, he launched himself forward, rocketing straight at Kong.

"Oh, you eat a logia-type devil fruit… That's the Moku Moku no Mi right?" Kong mused, reaching up to block the staff-like weapon with his arm. He had read about this Devil Fruit, along with nearly every other one out there.

This guy's fruit allowed him to become a Smoke Human. But Smoker didn't attack with brute force. He didn't need to. Instead, he ensured his weapon made contact. The moment it touched Kong, His body weakened instantly. A sudden, crushing exhaustion washed over him like he had been completely submerged in water. His knees almost buckled from the sheer weight of it.

Smoker lunged forward, grabbing for Kong's shirt. Kong reacted instantly, narrowly dodging his grip before jumping back to create distance. Smoker pressed the attack, closing the gap fast, but without his weapon making contact, he was no match for Kong.

Even if that thing touched him, Kong was still stronger than Smoker. That's why, despite the shock of experiencing the same weakness he would feel underwater, Kong still reacted fast enough to avoid being caught.

Smoker narrowed his eyes. "How are you able to move with such skill after being touched by Seastone?" His voice carried genuine shock, for Kong's actions were not normal.

"As a kid, I tried to see if there was a way to train hard enough to use my Devil Fruit underwater," Kong said with a grin. "Of course, it didn't work…"

He rolled his shoulders, shaking off the lingering weakness. "But it did have some nice benefits—I built up a resistance to water."

Thanks to his 100x cheat, every bit of training had given him 100 times the reward. It didn't take long before his body adapted, making him far more resistant than a normal Devil Fruit user.

If not for that, he would've dropped to the ground completely helpless the moment Smoker's weapon touched him.

"Well, let's not take any risks," Kong muttered, his eyes narrowing toward the dozens of Marines aiming their weapons at him.

A moment later, One by one, they all collapsed. Marines dropped to the ground, fainting on the spot, completely overwhelmed by the sheer force of his presence.

All except one. A woman with glasses stood among the fallen, her expression filled with confusion as she looked around at her unconscious comrades.

Kong raised an eyebrow. For her to still be standing after that meant she had incredible willpower—far beyond the average Marine. Then again, he had held back. If he had gone all out, the pressure he released wouldn't have just knocked them out—it would have broken their minds.

"With this new element called Seastone… looks like I can't be careless," Kong smirked, cracking his knuckles. "So, come at me, Smokey."

Smoker, still visibly stunned, gritted his teeth before bursting forward. His smoke spread outward, thickening and hardening as it surrounded Kong, cutting off any possible escape.

But Kong only laughed. With effortless movements, he weaved through Smoker's attacks, dodging each attempt with ease. Smoker's frustration grew as he tried harder to catch him, but Kong was clearly toying with him, staying just out of reach, always a step ahead.

Smoker finally shifted his lower half back into legs for more stability, determined to end this chase. That was his mistake.

In a flash, Kong moved. Before Smoker could react, his pants were suddenly yanked down. For a moment, there was complete silence.

Then, those few Marines who had either resisted Kong's pressure or weren't targeted in the first place got a clear view.

Kong's laughter filled the air, loud and uncontrollable, while Smoker's eyes turned bloodshot with rage.

The Marine captain slowly turned, his glare locking onto Kong, who was doubling over in laughter at the edge of the ship, clutching his chest and pointing at the scene before him.

The other Marines stood dumbfounded, staring at Smoker's boxers, which, to their surprise, had a surprisingly detailed theme.

Kong wiped a tear from the corner of his eye, still catching his breath.

"Give me a moment, I promise I'm normally not like this," he said between chuckles. Ever since he had eaten his Devil Fruit, Kong had developed a more playful side. Most of the time, he could suppress it, keeping himself composed. But in combat? That's where it spilled out the most—where he loved to toy with his enemies.

"Okay, it should be clear by now that you're not my match. So, let's make things simple…" Kong said with a wide grin, casually stretching his arms. "I want all of the treasures from the Marine base on this island."

Smoker snorted. "Like hell, you will." Without hesitation, he blasted forward, smoke trailing behind him.

Kong fell backward, seemingly losing his balance as he tumbled toward the sea below. The watching Marines gasped in shock, but that shock quickly turned into pure disbelief.

Kong never hit the water. Instead, he landed on top of it, laughing as he casually.

"W-what?!" Some Marines stepped forward, their eyes nearly popping out of their skulls. Of course, Kong could do this. By manipulating his density, he could make himself light enough to walk on water.

"KONG!" Smoker's voice thundered across the deck, veins bulging across his forehead in pure frustration. Kong just grinned, laying back on the surface of the sea as if it were the most comfortable bed in the world.

That was the last straw. Smoker's arm dissolved into smoke, launching forward with blinding speed, his weapon aimed directly at Kong.

With a single touch from that Seastone-coated weapon, Kong would sink straight into the ocean. But, Something went wrong. The moment Smoker's attack reached Kong, His arm phased straight through him.

Smoker's eyes widened in shock. His attack, which should have been solid, simply passed through Kong's body, like he was nothing but air. Before he could react, his own arm shot straight into the sea.