Chapter 15

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.

Smoker nearly fell into the sea, his body tipping forward from the momentum, but at the last second, his smoke arm retracted, returning him to normal just before disaster struck.

Meanwhile, Kong grabbed Smoker's weapon mid-air, right as it was falling through his body. Smoker's attack should have landed. But Kong had moved his body, turning the parts that Smoker would have hit into a liquid, shifting himself around the attack with ease.

Then, in a dramatic gasp…

"AHH! YOU KILLED ME!" Kong shouted, staggering back, clutching his chest where the weapon had supposedly impaled him.

Gasps and murmurs erupted among the watching Marines. Kong lay floating on the water, with a Seastone weapon piercing straight through his chest, yet he looked completely fine.

Smoker's eyes narrowed. That shouldn't be possible. But as the stunned Marines watched closely, they finally saw what had actually happened, Kong grinned and smoothly pulled the weapon out of his chest.

There was a gaping hole in his body, But almost instantly, it closed back up under his will. The realization hit them all at once. Kong hadn't survived the attack, He had never been hit at all.

Kong burst into laughter, thoroughly enjoying the stunned and disbelieving expressions on the Marines' faces. His laughter only served to enrage them further, some even stepping toward the water before stopping themselves, realizing they couldn't exactly walk on it to chase him down.

Smoker, however, didn't react like the others. Instead, he took a cautious step back, his eyes locked on Kong, who was now equipped with his own weapon.

Kong casually twirled the Seastone staff in his hands, testing its weight, before looking up at Smoker with a smirk.

"Hey, Smoke Guy, how about you join my pirate crew?" he asked casually as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Smoker's eyes narrowed dangerously. "What?"

"Why be a Marine when you can be free like a pirate?" Kong continued with a light smile.

"Think about it—no higher-ups breathing down your neck, you do what you want, follow your heart, and chase after the greatest treasure out there. Best of all, you get to see the world, truly understand the vastness of this place we call home." Kong spoke smoothly, a grin on his face as he jumped back onto the ship, landing lightly on its edge while locking eyes with Smoker.

"Why be a Marine that chains you down," he continued, "when you can be a pirate, free to dream?"

Smoker's expression didn't waver. "Cut the speech." His voice was firm. "The answer is no."

Kong sighed dramatically, genuinely disappointed.

"What a waste," he muttered, shaking his head. "Why limit yourself when you could spread your wings and fly?"

Smoker remained silent, but Kong didn't stop.

"Helping people? Shanks is the best pirate I've ever met," Kong continued. "He's humble, cheerful, and willing to lend a hand to anyone he considers a friend."

His tone shifted, a subtle edge creeping into his voice.

"As for Marines…" His eyes locked onto Smoker. "I doubt anyone who serves under the Celestial Dragons could ever hold a candle to Shanks."

Smoker's fists clenched. Even though he refused to say it, Kong's words hit something deep.

"So… you do agree," Kong mused, watching Smoker's reaction with a knowing smirk.

"Let's compare our sense of justice for a moment," he continued, his voice smooth yet sharp. "In my eyes, someone who truly enforces justice wouldn't allow slavery to exist, yet here we are. Slavery is still alive, thriving under the protection of those with so-called 'royal blood.'"

His gaze darkened slightly, a glint of something deeper, something personal, flashing in his eyes.

Kong had seen a Celestial Dragon before. He knew what they were. He knew what they could do. That was how his eldest brother died.

Finding the One Piece wasn't his only dream. He didn't just want to sail the seas, find treasure, or challenge the world's strongest. no, there was something else. One day, he would slaughter those pigs…

His grin widened slightly as he tilted his head. "So tell me, Smoker—what do you think?"

Silence… Smoker didn't respond. Because what could he say? Everything Kong had said was true. He agreed with it. But he was too afraid to say it out loud.

Kong let out a light chuckle. "We're all pirates, you know. The Marines are just a different kind of pirate, and their captain is the World Government. Like it or not, we're the same. The only real difference is that we pirates live true to our hearts while you Marines wear the mask of righteousness to keep the world under control."

Before Smoker could react, Kong suddenly moved, his body vanishing in a blur of speed. In the blink of an eye, he landed on solid ground and, without hesitation, grabbed the only Marine who had remained standing after his earlier display—the woman with glasses.

She struggled fiercely in his grip, thrashing and trying to break free, but Kong's hold was firm, his strength easily overpowering her resistance.

"Calm down, I just need some money," Kong said with an easy smile, his grip on the Marine woman firm but not painful. "It's not like I have any interest in killing anyone. If I did, you all would have died already."

His voice was light, almost playful, but there was an underlying weight to his words, one that made the remaining conscious Marines tense.

"The smart thing to do here is to just hand over the base's wealth and avoid making me mad," he continued, flashing a grin at the woman in his grasp. She gritted her teeth, glaring up at him with defiance. Kong met her glare with amusement.

"You're not going to harm anyone," she stated, her voice steady despite the tension in her body. Kong paused for a second, then let out a dramatic sigh, shaking his head.

"True," he admitted, a smirk playing at the edges of his lips.

"But I'm offering a trade," he continued, his tone turning sharp. "Those Marines I have hostage? I'll exchange them for your treasure. But if they lose their worth to me…"

His smirk twisted into something colder, darker—a slow, creeping smile that carried an unmistakable edge.

"Then you can't blame me if I decide to get rid of them, right?" he asked, his voice dripping with mock innocence. "What good is a hostage if they can't do their job?"

The woman paled slightly, her earlier confidence wavering under his words. For a moment, she hesitated, but in the end, she had no choice. With a clenched jaw and reluctant movements, she finally led him toward where the base's treasure was stored.

"Monkey D. Kong…" Smoker stood still, watching Kong's retreating figure, his grip tightening around his weapon. His teeth clenched as he turned to contact HQ, preparing to report everything that had just happened.

But by the time backup arrived… It was already too late. The Marine branch had been completely cleaned out. Every last treasure had been taken, and, to make matters worse, the pirates who had been captured and locked away had been freed—joining Kong aboard the very Marine ship they had stolen.

As for the woman in glasses, She was left cursing Kong's name. Before he had left, he had mocked her, grinning as he casually told her that if she had refused the trade, he would have just kicked the hostages off his ship and left them to drown.

That final insult seared itself into her mind, fueling a new determination within her. Now, both she and Smoker had a new goal in life, To bring down Monkey D. Kong.