LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 23: Chapter 23
"Captain! Your injuries!" a doctor cried out in horror, checking Kong's injuries.
Honestly, if not for Kong's absurd recovery rate—thanks to his cheat—he would've been dead long ago. Even ignoring the fresh wounds Akainu had left him with, he was already carrying a massive gash across his stomach, deep enough that his organs threatened to spill out.
Yet, Kong barely seemed fazed. Through sheer control over his density and body manipulation, he managed to keep everything in place, suppressing the worst of his injuries.
Then there were the finger-sized holes riddling Kong's body, some dangerously close to his heart. Deep cuts, torn muscles—the list of injuries went on.
A normal person from Earth would need years to recover from the sheer blood loss alone, let alone the internal damage. Even in this world, where people bounced back from wounds that should have been fatal, it would take days of proper treatment. But Kong? With his accelerated healing, he should have been recovering within minutes.
That was… if the injuries ever stopped coming.
His body never got the chance to fully heal before another battle reopened wounds or carved new ones into him. And to make matters worse, they lacked the proper medical equipment to treat him. But the biggest issue?
Kong hadn't slept once since setting out to sea.
Even with his insane recovery rate, his body needed rest to heal at full force. Yet he refused to listen to his body, forcing himself forward while his body just kept going, barely holding together under the strain.
"Captain, you need to sleep. You've gone far too long without rest—how do you expect your body to recover from this?" The ship doctor said helplessly, his frustration clear.
Kong waved him off with a lazy motion. "Just seal the wounds. I could go 120 days without sleep," he muttered with a bored yawn.
Was he exhausted? Of course. But sleep wasn't an option. Not here. Not around people he didn't trust.
'I should have tried to master the art of power sleeping…' Kong thought lazily. He remembered reading about it—how taking short naps throughout the day could replace normal sleep. If he recalled correctly, even Batman supposedly mastered it. With his 100 times cheat, then a short 1-minute nap would be equal to almost 2 hours, so he should try mastering it.
"Fine," the doctor muttered, getting to work on sealing Kong's wounds.
They were in a small village for now, but they wouldn't stay long. The Marines would come knocking soon enough. The plan was simple, call for the ship anchored on the nearby island and make a quick escape.
Fortunately, their departure didn't take long. With no Marines in sight, they managed to slip away from Alabasta undetected. Still, Kong knew he'd be back—he wasn't leaving without the Warlord.
"Captain, is it true you fought Akainu?" one of the pirates asked, still in disbelief.
Kong, however, was too exhausted to answer. His body screamed for rest, his eyelids heavy, but he refused to let his guard down. He didn't trust these pirates enough to sleep.
"I'll be right back," Kong said after some thought. Without another word, he vanished in a blur, leaping toward the small island up ahead.
Once there, he wasted no time. Digging a deep hole, he covered himself up and finally allowed sleep to take him.
"Did he just run off to use the bathroom?" one of the pirates asked, puzzled.
The crew, equally confused, decided to search for him. Hours passed, but Kong was nowhere to be found. It wasn't until later that night that the ground suddenly erupted. Dirt and debris flew as Kong burst out of the earth, fully recovered and brimming with energy.
"Captain!" The nearby pirates recoiled in shock as Kong suddenly emerged from the ground.
Ignoring their horrified expressions, Kong stretched with a satisfied grin, feeling refreshed and back at full strength—though his stomach quickly reminded him of another pressing issue.
"Alright, let's go," he said with a smile, casually brushing off the stunned reactions of his crew.
***
Sengoku gripped Garp's shirt, his voice filled with frustration. "Garp! What are you not telling me?"
For once, Garp wasn't laughing. The news of Kong defeating Akainu had sent shockwaves through Marine Headquarters. Sure, Kong had used a dirty trick, and he was nowhere near Akainu's level in raw power, but the fact remained—he had won. That alone was alarming.
But what truly unsettled them wasn't just the victory—it was Kong's Conqueror's Haki. The sheer force of his will had altered the very weather. Only the rarest and most powerful figures in history had ever displayed such dominance. It was undeniable proof that Kong's willpower was among the strongest in the world.
"He wants to overthrow the World Government," Garp said with a heavy sigh, shocking Sengoku, who let go of him, clutching his chest in disbelief.
"When he was a kid… a Celestial Dragon killed his brother," Garp continued, his voice unusually solemn. "Ever since then, Kong has held a deep hatred—not just for the World Government, but even for me."
Garp's mind drifted back to that moment—the way Kong had looked at him, not just with anger, but with pure disgust. It wasn't just hatred for the World Government. To Kong, Garp was part of the system that allowed such things to happen.
Sengoku paused at those words before letting out a long sigh. He too harbored a deep disdain for the World Government—especially the Celestial Dragons. But unlike Kong, he and Garp understood the sheer power that the government wielded. Their hands were tied; all they could do was maintain what little balance existed in the world.
"Stay away from Akainu," Sengoku said quietly. "I'm afraid he might explode after this."
Garp sneered at the warning. Sure, he was only a Vice Admiral, but that was by choice—he had refused the position of Admiral to avoid being shackled by the Celestial Dragons. He might have been old and well past his prime, but he wasn't so weak that he needed to fear Akainu.
***
"Captain, a ship is heading toward us," a pirate called out to Kong, who was in the middle of doing push-ups. Kong sighed, stood up, and turned to look—but he paused.
It wasn't a ship. It was a boat.
The black boat resembled a coffin, with candles burning with eerie green flames at its edges. It was barely large enough for a single person. At the center stood a mast shaped like a crucifix, with dark sails and a single seat, occupied by a man sitting with his legs crossed.
Kong locked eyes with the man and instantly smiled, recognizing him immediately. This was none other than the world's greatest swordsman, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea—Dracule Mihawk.
In a flash, Kong appeared before Mihawk, who was silently sizing him up. But Mihawk's gaze lingered on Kong's face, particularly where Luffy bore his signature scar.
"You look a lot like your brother," Mihawk remarked, his tone neutral.
Kong raised an eyebrow. "You met Luffy?" His eyes narrowed. Luffy wouldn't stand a chance against this man.
Mihawk, noticing Kong's shift in expression, narrowed his own eyes slightly.
"Your brother lives," Mihawk said, and Kong visibly relaxed, if only slightly.
"I sensed your Conqueror's Haki… I never expected it to belong to a kid," Mihawk remarked, his voice calm but edged with curiosity.
Kong chuckled, then casually sat down—right on top of the water, effortlessly balancing himself. "Your eyes are dead," he stated bluntly. "Lifeless. No drive. Let me guess… after reaching the top, nothing else could bring you the same thrill. Now you're just drifting across the sea, bored out of your mind."
Mihawk's sharp eyes narrowed at Kong's words, the faintest hint of intrigue flickering across his face.