NOVEL NEXT Chapter 16: Chapter 16
"Where to, Captain?" The group of freed pirates called out, looking toward Kong, who was leaning back, casually counting the wealth he had just stolen.
As for these random pirates, Kong didn't care to remember their names. They were nothing more than temporary passengers.
The moment he found Luffy, he planned to ditch them.
"We can't stay here—it's too dangerous," Kong said lazily, flipping through a handful of beli before tucking it away. "Find somewhere not too far off to sit back and relax."
A wide grin spread across his face. "I wanna see if I'll get a nice bounty after all this."
But there was more to it than just curiosity. Kong had a plan. He needed to find a blacksmith—someone skilled enough to forge brass knuckles using Seastone.
Sure, his Devil Fruit allowed him to ignore Logia users' intangibility by shifting his body into liquid, but that wasn't always practical. He wanted another way to deal with them, a method that didn't rely on his Devil Fruit's unique properties.
And Seastone was the perfect solution.
In the meantime, he also needed to keep an eye out for news on Luffy. Knowing his twin, it wouldn't take long before he stirred up trouble and got a bounty of his own.
And so, on just the third day of his journey, Kong had already Gained a dozen temporary crew members. Amassed 400 million beli from the Marine base. Collected various books he had stolen. Acquired Seastone, soon to be reforged into a new weapon.
****
Boom!
Cannonballs tore through the air, whistling as they narrowly missed a Marine ship—but the strangest part? The attack came from another Marine ship. It was Marines versus Marines.
At least, that's how it looked. In reality, the ship under fire was none other than the one Kong had stolen—the very same Marine vessel he was currently sailing aboard.
They were on the run. With nearly every Marine force in the East Blue now after him, Kong and his temporary crew had no choice but to flee.
"Full sail ahead!" Kong called out, standing atop the mast, arms crossed, a wild grin stretched across his face as he overlooked the dozens of Marine ships closing in fast. "We can't stay in the East Blue any longer!"
"You heard the captain! Head for Reverse Mountain!" one of the pirates called out, scrambling to adjust the sails as their ship raced forward at full speed. But suddenly, The world shifted. For a moment, everything turned gray, like the very color had been drained from existence.
Then—crackling black-red lightning erupted through the air, filling the sky, and streaking outward from Kong, who stood atop the mast with a smirk as he gazed down at the pursuing Marine ships.
A shudder ran through the crew.
"W-what was that?" one of the pirates stammered, horror creasing his forehead as beads of sweat dripped down his face.
They all turned their gazes toward the dozens of Marine ships. Only to see that none of them were firing anymore. Instead, their vessels drifted aimlessly, slamming into one another, their crews motionless.
"Focus," he ordered, unbothered by their shock. "I don't know if stronger Marines will come knocking soon."
His eyes gleamed with amusement. Day 6 of being a pirate, and so far? It was even more fun than he expected. The thrill of being chased, the rush of outmaneuvering the Marines… It was exciting.
But Kong wasn't going to hold back. If the Marines wanted to capture him, They were going to have to go all out.
So, they pushed forward, their ship cutting through the waves as they neared the Red Line—but as expected, more Marine ships appeared, forming a blockade to stop them.
Kong, grinning as always, ordered his temporary crew to open fire. Each time a Marine ship was disabled, they moved in quickly, looting it clean of all supplies before moving on. Kong, not wanting his men to suffer unnecessary deaths, made sure to knock out all the Marines on board instead of outright killing them.
With this approach, their journey remained relatively safe, with only a few minor injuries among his crew.
Four days later, Kong found himself standing at the bow of the ship, staring up at a massive mountain, its sheer size forcing him to tilt his head all the way back in an attempt to see its peak.
But, It was impossible. The mountain was simply too large, its towering presence making him open his mouth wide in shock. They had finally reached their destination, Reverse Mountain.
"…I wish Luffy was here to see this," Kong muttered, a flicker of disappointment crossing his face.
What was the fun in all of this if he didn't have his real crew to witness it with? Moments like these were meant to be shared, yet here he was, standing alone at the bow of a ship full of temporary allies, staring up at one of the most breathtaking sights in the world.
Before he could dwell on the thought, a sudden, violent wave slammed into the ship. Kong stumbled, barely keeping his footing as the entire vessel lurched beneath him.
"Hold on! We're going to crash!" a pirate screamed, his voice raw with panic. The crew snapped their heads forward, and what they saw sent a wave of terror through them.
They were heading straight for the Red Line. Kong's eyebrows lifted slightly, his sharp eyes locking onto something ahead. With his enhanced vision, he caught sight of something hidden in plain view, A narrow, twisting waterway cutting through the Red Line itself. It took another moment before the rest of the crew noticed it too.
"How is that even possible?" Kong muttered, eyes wide with shock as he watched the impossible sight before him. The ocean was flowing up the mountain, a raging, twisting current defying gravity itself.
"I guess this is why they call it Reverse Mountain," he said, still trying to wrap his head around the sheer insanity of it. But he had little time to process it.
"Steer up the mountain! Don't get us killed," Kong called out with a grin, stepping onto the bow of the ship to get a better look at the raging waters ahead. The pirates, though still rattled, snapped into action, carefully adjusting their course to ensure they didn't slam into the Red Line's walls.
With the ocean itself pulling them upward, their only real job was to keep steady and avoid drifting too close to the treacherous edges of the waterway.
As they climbed higher and higher, Kong's eyes gleamed with excitement. This sight, this feeling, It was unlike anything he had ever experienced before.