Chapter 42

"My what?" Kong blinked, a question mark practically hanging over his head. He didn't even know he had a father—hell, he didn't know his mother either. The only family he'd ever known was his grandfather.

"Yes… but there's no time to explain," Kuma said, cutting the moment short. "As we speak, the full might of the Marines is closing in. The Three Admirals, Garp, and all of the Warlords… they'll be here soon."

His eyes remained fixed on Hancock, unsure if he could trust her.

"So, what do you want?" Kong asked with a frown, his eyes narrowing. Internally, he cursed the Marines he'd interrogated—none of them had mentioned anything about the full force of the Navy moving against him.

"A request," Kuma replied calmly, reaching into his coat and pulling out a folded wanted poster. He handed it to Kong, who took it and opened it… only to find the image of a pink-haired girl staring back at him.

"That's my daughter… protect her for me," Kuma said softly.

Kong raised an eyebrow, confused. Why would Kuma trust him, a stranger, with something so important? And more importantly—why couldn't he do it himself?

"I sold my soul to the devil. I can no longer protect her," Kuma said flatly, his voice void of emotion.

Kong's eyes drifted to the Bible in Kuma's hands, then back to his expressionless face. The way he spoke… it was like the soul behind the man was already gone.

"it sounds like a light task… What do you know about my father?" Kong asked, his gaze narrowing slightly.

Kuma paused, studying him for a moment before answering.

"You'll see his power soon. He's the leader of the Revolutionary Army. Now leave—before it's too late," Kuma said flatly.

Kong simply shrugged in response.

"You can be my crew member, but in secret. And big guy, your daughter will also join my pirate crew. I wouldn't want Boa to be the only female on board," Kong said with a smile, tossing a slip of paper to Hancock—it had instructions for how to contact his snail.

"She's ten years old," Kuma said flatly, a sharp glint flickering in his otherwise blank, robotic eyes.

Kong paused at that, his smile fading into a faint frown. Still, he gave a nod before shrugging and leaping back toward his ship, leaving the two of them behind.

Enel, who had been waiting for Kong's signal since the battle began, had instead taken it upon himself to start powering the ship, preparing it for takeoff when he heard the words being spoken. Sweat rolled down his face—despite his power, the thought of the Marines closing in made him deeply uneasy.

Suddenly, both he and Kong turned their gazes toward the horizon. Dense storm clouds had begun to gather in the distance. Instinctively, they both extended their Mantra toward the source. But even with their range, the pressure coming from that storm made it hard for them to perceive everything clearly—even Enel couldn't fully sense what was out there.

"Dragon," Akainu growled, his eyes cold with rage as he stared toward the thunderstorm that had suddenly formed in the distance.

"I have amazing kids… don't I?" Dragon said with a rare grin tugging at his lips—a stark contrast to his usual cold, stoic demeanor. But how could he not smile? He had recently seen Luffy with his own eyes, and now, even if from afar, he got to witness Kong in action.

He had even arranged for Kuma's daughter to join Kong's crew—a decision Kuma accepted, albeit with clear unease. Now, looking at Akainu, who had Kong's name scarred on his face, he almost wanted to laugh.

The entire ocean began to twist and churn under Dragon's overwhelming presence, the sheer pressure forcing one of the three Admirals to make his move—Aokiji stepped forward and froze the sea for as far as the eye could see, locking everything beneath a sheet of ice.

But Dragon remained unfazed. With a subtle shift in the air, fierce winds surged across the frozen sea, powerful enough to tip over the ships trapped in the ice.

Then, riding the storm, Dragon launched into the sky. A booming laugh echoed through the heavens as the storm clouds above rumbled violently. Under the horrified gaze of the three Admirals, the clouds took shape—four massive dragons emerged, each one distinct: a crackling lightning dragon, a sleek frost dragon, a blazing fire dragon, and a swirling air dragon, all born of the storm.

Fun fact about the Revolutionary Army: their true enemies weren't the Marines. No, they bypassed the military and struck directly at the heart of the World Government. While the three Admirals were undeniably powerful, the World Government had its own secret titans—beings equal to or even stronger than the Admirals. And those were the ones Dragon set his sights on.

High above the chaos, Dragon's eyes met Garp's. The old Vice Admiral stood still amidst the shifting tides, unmoved by the storm or the gathering power. For a long moment, the two locked eyes—father and son, warrior and rebel.

Then, Dragon exhaled a long breath and looked off into the distance… to where Kong had already disappeared, racing farther and farther away.

"I will show you the true peak of this world's power," Dragon said softly, secretly impressed. He hadn't expected Kong—and the mysterious man with him—to sense everything happening from so far away. Dragon had planned to get closer, to make sure Kong witnessed what was to come, but clearly, that wouldn't be necessary.

From the distance, Kong watched as Garp quietly removed his uniform and stepped forward to join the three Admirals. Garp was long past his prime, yet he still stood shoulder to shoulder with the strongest active forces of the Marines. It made Kong pause—if this was Garp now, how terrifying must he have been in his prime?

Leading the charge was Garp, who launched himself off the ship, rocketing toward the four lightning dragons descending from the sky. A blast of magma tore into the air, followed by a massive ice spike shooting upward, then a beam of golden light that pierced the sky.

What came next was a heaven-shaking explosion—so powerful that a nearby island, thankfully uninhabited, was completely erased from existence. The shockwaves rippled across the sea, reaching the Maxim with devastating force. Kong and Enel were nearly thrown off the ship, but they reacted swiftly, working together to stabilize it before it could be torn apart.

"T-that was your father?" Enel cried out in horror, eyes wide at the overwhelming display of power. Kong stood silent, a cold sweat running down his neck. That level of force… it would have one-shotted him countless times over. And the most terrifying part? Not a single trace of Conqueror's Haki had been used in Dragon's attack.

"Haha…" Kong let out a shaky laugh, eyes locked on the distant storm. He had just witnessed a glimpse—just a fragment—of the true power this world had to offer. If his father alone could unleash something like that… then how strong were the enemies he fought? How strong was Prime Garp, the marine hero who once stood toe-to-toe with Gol D. Roger?

"See what I meant? We're weak—down here is where the real monsters fight," Kong said with a laugh, his blood pumping with excitement. Something deep inside him refused to accept this gap in power. Not when he had come so far already.

"The plan's simple—let's find someone who knows Conqueror's Haki, Mantra, and any other technique worth learning. Once they teach us, we start training." His fists clenched as he spoke, the fire in his eyes burning brighter.

The fact that he ranked so low without fully tapping into his Conqueror's Haki ate at him. That wasn't going to stay true for long. He would rise to the very top—so high that others would have to break their necks just to look up at him.

"Let's go face an Emperor of the Sea. The weakest one, in my opinion, should be Big Mom," Kong said with a grin, causing Enel to nearly burst into tears. How was that considered training?

"We'll start with the weaker members of her crew," Kong continued. "We'll force them out, fight them, and climb our way up the food chain. It's the perfect way to test our strength and push our limits. If things get out of hand, we escape. I doubt she can fly after us." He laughed boldly, clearly excited by the idea.

Enel, meanwhile, questioned every life choice that had brought him here.