March 29
"I can never get enough of Gran Tesoro," the World Noble said with a lazy smile, gazing back at the glittering golden city that was now shrinking in the distance.
He had just left the floating metropolis behind, but his fondness for its wealth and luxury lingered. The man's features bore the unmistakable look of inbreeding—shallow eyes, an unnatural smugness etched into his expression. A transparent bubble helmet encased his head, sealing him off from the filthy air others breathed. After all, how could a Celestial Dragon be expected to inhale the same atmosphere as commoners?
He sat back in his seat like a king, completely relaxed. There wasn't a trace of tension in his posture—no hint of caution or fear. Dozens of Marines surrounded him for protection, yet he barely acknowledged them. In his eyes, they were nothing more than background decoration.
Why would he care? Who in this world—under heaven itself—would ever dare to even look at him the wrong way?
Feeling bored, the World Noble lazily reached for his Den Den Mushi—not that he lifted a finger himself, of course.
One of his guards, already anticipating the command, handed it to him with both hands. Another stepped forward to hold the speaker to his mouth, as if the noble's breath was too sacred to move on its own.
Despite being surrounded by lifeforms trained to serve his every whim, he occasionally humored the idea of doing things himself—rarely, and never without complaint.
"Oh, Father," he said softly, voice dripping with casual entitlement. "I just left Gran Tesoro. I plan to make a few stops… maybe buy a few slaves before returning home."
He spoke the words like they were the most mundane thing in the world. For him, it was… like going to the store to buy some fruits.
Oh? And what do you plan to do with them, son?" the World Noble father asked through the Den Den Mushi, a hint of amusement in his voice, clearly intrigued.
The younger noble leaned back, eyes half-lidded in thought, before answering with a tone as casual as if he were discussing the weather.
"I want to see if a slave is willing to remove the unborn child from her womb and eat if she is pushed," he said, a twisted sort of curiosity bleeding through his words. " … she has to have a good face, I don't want to do it with anything less. She also has to be gentle."
He scoffed at the thought, his lip curling in disgust. The idea of being around anything not perfect by his standards repulsed him. To him, beauty wasn't just a preference—it was a requirement.
The guards said nothing. They'd heard worse. And in the world of the Celestial Dragons, this was normal.
"Oh, son, that might be a wonderful experiment," the father replied over the Den Den Mushi, his voice warm with twisted pride. "You're always so creative."
There wasn't a hint of concern in his tone—only excitement, as if his son had mentioned picking out a new pet rather than enslaving living people.
"Do tell me what you find," the father continued, voice calm and delighted. "Those creatures are truly the best test subjects."
Around the young World Noble, silence ruled the ship. Every Marine and crew member aboard wore the same mask—blank, emotionless expressions locked in place. Not a twitch of disgust, not a flicker of thought crossed their faces.
To show even the slightest reaction would risk offending a Celestial Dragon… and that was a death sentence.
"Oh, what a pain. A storm…" the World Noble muttered with a sigh, watching the looming thunderclouds gather on the horizon.
The skies ahead were already dark, streaked with lightning. Rain lashed the waves, and thunder echoed in the distance. It was nothing unusual for the New World—one moment, calm and sunny, and the next, a violent tempest. The weather here followed no rules.
"How annoying this place is," he grumbled, clearly inconvenienced by nature itself.
He snapped his fingers. Within seconds, several Marines rushed to his side. Without hesitation, they lifted his luxurious chair—still seated comfortably in it—and carefully carried him inside the ship. Not a single one dared to let the noble feel even the slightest discomfort. One wrong jolt, one frown from him, and their lives could be over.
"This isn't a normal storm—all hands on deck!" a Marine shouted, his voice cutting through the rising wind.
Panic spread quickly among the crew as they looked up. The storm clouds weren't just thick—they were suffocating. They blanketed the entire sky, swallowing the horizon and drowning the daylight in darkness. It looked like night had fallen, even though it was still midday.
The rain began to fall harder, and the waves rose with it. Thunder roared across the heavens like a war drum.
"Is everything okay, son?" the voice of the father asked over the Den Den Mushi, his tone suddenly tense. He could hear the shouts and chaos in the background, birthing great concern in his voice.
"Yeah, it's just a storm," the young noble replied casually, reclining as a pair of Marines fed him grapes one by one. "It's a bit big—it made it look like it's nighttime."
"That's bad luck…" his father muttered darkly over the Den Den Mushi. "Tell those Marines that if even a single hair on your head is harmed… their entire bloodline will pay the price."
The moment those words came through the line, the noble turned his head slightly—just enough to give a passing glance to the Marines standing nearby.
That single look made their faces pale. No words were needed. They understood the weight behind it… and the horror of what would follow if they failed.
One of the Marines quickly turned and rushed off, desperate to ensure that everything went smoothly. But the very next moment… BOOM!
The sound of thunder tore through the air like an explosion, so loud and sudden it shook the ship.
"What was that?!" the World Noble shouted, flinching in his seat.
His voice cracked with panic, eyes wide as he looked around, startled by the deafening noise that had rattled the air itself.
"That was thunder, sir," a Marine said quickly, bowing low in respect, doing everything he could to keep his voice steady.
"You useless lifeforms!" the father's voice roared through the Den Den Mushi, filled with fury. "Can't you do anything right?!"
But suddenly, his words began to distort—breaking up mid-sentence.
"useless lif… zzzt… do you know… rrkk…"
The storm's intensity was interfering with the signal. Thunder roared again overhead, and the static only grew worse. The line crackled, strained, and began to cut out entirely.
The World Noble stared at the Den Den Mushi, unnerved—not just by the fading signal, but by the growing sense that something was very, very wrong.
"I'd rather be training," Enel muttered softly, his eyes fixed on the swirling storm clouds below.
It was his doing—the entire storm, handcrafted with his devil. Every bolt of lightning, every thunderous roar had been shaped by his power, all to create the illusion that a World Noble had simply vanished at sea. There had to be no survivors and no traces. Just another mystery swallowed by the New World.
Of course, it had to be perfect. If anyone came investigating, the storm had to look completely natural—untouched by man.
"You're fast enough to fly back in minutes," Kong said, rolling his eyes as he stepped off the Maxim. "You'll miss nothing."
He dropped effortlessly through the air, arms crossed, watching the chaos unfold below. The storm thrashed the noble's ship violently, tossing it in the waves like a toy. Lightning speared the sea, and several bolts struck the vessel itself, scorching wood and tearing through the deck as the storm closed in.
The waves grew more violent, crashing into the ship with bone-shattering force. Heavy rain poured from the sky in sheets, flooding the decks faster than the crew could react. Lightning struck without pause, ripping through the hull, setting parts of the vessel ablaze before the rain could put the flames out.
It was chaos—pure and absolute. The ship began to tip, groaning under the force of the storm, nearly flipping over entirely. But before it could be swallowed whole, a blur shot down from the sky.
In a flash of movement too fast for any human eye to follow, Kong snatched the World Noble from the collapsing wreck. With the noble unconscious in his grip, Kong shot back into the sky, disappearing into the storm clouds like a bolt of lightning.
Below, the clouds raged on. The storm tore the ship apart, waves swallowing the Marines one by one. Screams were lost beneath the roar of thunder. Lightning continued to rain down, tearing the sea open as if the heavens themselves were angry.
There were no survivors. At least, almost none. And the storm didn't stop there.
It surged forward, now drifting toward Gran Tesoro. The golden city, once radiant, was struck by the edge of the tempest. Rain battered the buildings, winds tore through the streets, and lightning scorched anything in its path. Though the heart of the storm didn't linger long, the damage was done. Several ships were destroyed, many people were left injured, and some were swept away into the unforgiving sea, lost to the storm's fury.
***
We tracked the storm responsible for the destruction of the Marine ship assigned to protect the lost World Noble," the kneeling Marine reported, voice steady despite the pressure. "We found no signs of foul play. We scanned the surrounding sea thoroughly, but the ship's remains were missing. Only a few Marine bodies were recovered."
The Father of the missing World Noble stared down at him, frozen in disbelief. Then his face twisted. "You… you dare to lie to me?" he roared.
His fury exploded without warning. With a savage kick, he struck the Marine in the chest, sending him sprawling. He stepped forward and began stomping on the man's face, again and again, venting his rage like a child denied a toy.
To him, it wasn't assault. It wasn't cruelty. It was punishment delivered to a lesser lifeform—one that had failed him.
"The blood of the creator of this world flows through our veins!" the Celestial Dragon roared, voice shaking with fury. "Do you think a mere storm would dare to kill us? We are gods! My son is alive!"
He paused, glaring down at the disfigured Marine beneath his foot. Blood stained the floor, but he didn't care—he didn't even acknowledge it.
His gaze swept to the rest of the room, landing on the nearby soldiers, and they instinctively took a fearful step back.
"Find my son," he growled, his voice like venom. "Or all of your families shall pay the price."
No one dared to argue. And so, the Marines were forced to begin the search. They combed the sea, filed reports, deployed ships—but none of it was sincere. Deep down, they already knew the truth. The so-called lost world noble was dead, swallowed by the sea.
Still, they played the part… not to find the noble, but to avoid enraging the Celestial Dragon any further.
As for the so-called lost World Noble? He was enjoying a full-course meal, seated comfortably at a long table with plates of fine food before him. Across from him sat Kong, relaxed, one arm draped over the back of his chair, wearing a calm, almost amused smile.
"You've got guts, taking me hostage like this," the noble said arrogantly between bites. "So, how much do you plan to demand for my release?"
He didn't ask in fear—he asked with pride, as if his worth was beyond measure. The entitlement in his tone dripped from every word, like the world still bowed to him, even now.
"I was thinking… one million berries," Kong said thoughtfully, resting his chin on his hand. "Don't want to ask for too much and risk them saying you're not worth it."
The noble's palm slammed against the table with a sharp thud, the force rattling the plates and silverware. His face twisted in outrage.
"You dare?!" he barked, eyes wide with disbelief. "Demand 10 billion berries!"
To him, it wasn't a negotiation—it was a matter of pride. That low number wasn't just insulting—it was blasphemy. Did this savage not understand who he was? To ask for less was to claim he had little value, and that alone was a greater offense than the kidnapping itself.
"Really?" Kong asked, his expression shifting into one of mild confusion. "I doubt even the Admirals would pay that much for you. I mean… they act like they respect you, but in truth?"
He leaned forward slightly, eyes narrowing. "They probably couldn't care less."
"You fool!" the noble snapped, rising from his seat. "The Marines are nothing more than our dogs!"
His voice rose with fury, his face red with rage as Kong's words were pretty much a curse thrown at him. Unable to control his anger any longer, he raised a hand, fully intending to slap Kong across the face.
"Oh, I say they're not," Kong replied calmly, his tone still light. "So how about a bet?"
He leaned forward slightly, locking eyes with the World Noble, whose face was already beginning to turn redder with rage.
"I'll prove to you the Marines don't give a damn about you," Kong continued. "To them, you're nothing more than a spoiled brat they're forced to babysit."
The noble's lips curled, but he said nothing yet—his pride boiling under the surface.
"But if I'm wrong," Kong added with a friendly smile, "I'll turn myself in. I'm not doing this to mock you. I'm doing it to open your eyes. If the Marines prove me wrong—if they treat you the way you think they do—then I'll surrender without a fight."
"Then just you wait. Once this is all over, I shall have you as my slave," the World Noble said without a hint of fear or doubt.
Kong nodded with a smile, saying nothing as he stood up and stepped outside. Waiting for him were Enel and Beru, both wearing serious looks… well, Enel had a serious look, while Beru had an unintreasted look.
"What is wrong with you? Why didn't you tell me what it meant to deal with a World Noble!" Enel shouted, clearly shaken by the news he had gotten from Zed.
Not even Whitebeard would dare mess with those guys—yet here was Kong, throwing himself straight into their world without hesitation, without knowing the power of the world government. They were strong, yes…but surely the world government didn't survive ruling 800 years off the marines might alone, right?
"Don't worry. If before I was the strongest person in the world… then now, I should be the super-strongest person in the world," Kong said with a grin. "You guys worry too much."
He waved off their concern with a casual tone that didn't match the weight of what they were dealing with.
"Anyway, I got word that all the members of the Worst Generation are gathering at the Sabaody Archipelago. Let's go welcome my brother to the New World." Kong's smile remained, but deep down, he wasn't as carefree as he looked. He knew Luffy too well.
The idiot had a way of stumbling into danger he couldn't always walk out of—and Kong was simply going over there to help Luffy out. After all, as the big brother, it had always been him helping his 3 younger brothers out of their reckless behavior. They were not as smart and careful as him, but it was understandable; he had his 100x cheat.