Chapter 1162
Chapter 1162
"A man?"
Yamato rolled the words around in her mind, suddenly recalling the small golden figure she'd encountered earlier. She frowned. "You mean that man who always blows smoke? He feels like an Incense Burner."
"That's Admiral Kuro!" Lida snapped. "Hey, show some respect! My Kuro is an Admiral!"
"Admiral?!" Yamato blinked in surprise, instinctively turning to Robin. "Robin, you hear this?"
Though they'd known each other only briefly, Yamato believed Robin was the smartest among Luffy's crew.
"Wait, Admiral?!" Nami exclaimed, her voice rising. "Wasn't he just a Vice Admiral?!"
She distinctly remembered Kuro being a Vice Admiral. Sure, he was terrifying, but only Luffy—the idiot—ever got his rank wrong. After their last visit, Luffy had raved about fighting an "Incense Burner Admiral", but Nami was certain he'd meant Vice Admiral. Now the Navy itself was calling him Admiral?
Robin tilted her head thoughtfully. "We’ve heard others refer to him that way. We’ve been here a long time, so it’s natural we’d miss updates from the outside world. It seems certain—Golden Lion is now an Admiral."
But who had stepped down? Vegapunk? Tatsumaki in Mariejois? Or Lucius Kro, the ever-steady one? None of them particularly interested Robin. But Golden Lion… Even during her Revolutionary Army days, she’d heard rumors about him.
Headquarters viewed Kas as the Revolutionary Army’s nemesis, his infectious ideas and rhetoric sabotaging their operations. Yet ideologically, they shared no conflict. The Navy’s primary enemy was pirates, while the Revolutionary Army opposed the World Government—specifically its Cipher Pol branch. When they crossed paths, both sides avoided confrontation deliberately.
Encountering Kas forced the Revolutionary Army to halt their operations. They couldn’t afford to clash, but Kas had repeatedly destroyed their plans to overthrow other kingdoms. And his superior, Kuro, naturally became a focal point of their watch list.
Uninvestigated, those tensions remained dormant. But once investigated? The Revolutionary Army only learned later that Golden Lion had lingered in the East Blue for nearly a decade.
According to Revolutionary Army intelligence, Golden Lion—fourteen years ago at just fourteen years old—was already formidable enough to stand out on the Grand Line. Yet he never left the East Blue, grooming Kas into the man he became. Adding to that, King Swap in Dressrosa was also no mystery to Robin. Even before entering Wano Country, Dressrosa’s global influence had made Robin skeptical of the Navy’s neutrality.
The Revolutionary Army’s sources claimed the King was Golden Lion’s personal choice. King Conqueror David’s governance philosophy even drew their attention. Initially, they’d believed David’s conquests were too brutal, labeling him a warmonger. War meant bloodshed and poverty for citizens, creating fertile ground for rebellion.
They planned to overthrow him, but after surveying his territory, they found themselves disheartened.
Wrong. They’d toppled many regimes ruled by tyrants. Wars drained both money and lives, leaving nations in ruin. Yet Dressrosa thrived?
Not only did its homeland flourish, but the conquered territories also lived up to David’s promises, enjoying the same quality of life as Dressrosa itself. He’d fused the best aspects of each region into a diverse, thriving nation.
How was this possible?
The Revolutionary Army aimed to improve people’s lives, but the World Nobles stood in their way, their existence devastating ordinary citizens. Without Heaven’s Gold, King wouldn’t have taxed so ruthlessly. Even replacing him with a just ruler might bring temporary relief, but eventually, the heavy taxes would return.
Dressrosa was different. They taxed, waged wars, and conquered—but thrived more than anyone else.
Some Revolutionary Army members even began wavering, secretly defecting to Dressrosa. Robin heard these reports from comrades before entering Wano Country.
All traceable to Golden Lion—Lucius Kro.
To date, he’d personally groomed two figures: Kas and David, both of whom had caused the Revolutionary Army endless headaches. Yet his actions also disrupted the World Government, leaving them uncertain of his true allegiance. One thing was certain—he was far more complex than he appeared.
Not the simple "Old Era’s Bane" portrayed in propaganda—the Navy’s Justice who defeated countless Grand Line pirates. He was far more nuanced.
A terrifying man, both in combat power and ideology.
In contrast, Blackbeard—now one of the new Four Emperors and Luffy’s nemesis—seemed less threatening in Robin’s eyes.
"Admiral!" Nami gasped at Robin’s words, clutching her head in horror, her face paling. "If he’s an Admiral, that’s even scarier! That man was already terrifying enough. I don’t want to fight him—we’d die!"
Robin swept her gaze around the floating "Iwato Chamber", its underground levels now airborne. The massive hole Yamato had smashed through earlier revealed the sky rising endlessly beyond. Walls blocked every escape route except that single opening, now guarded by Klah and X Drake, who even blocked the upward passage.
"Admiral?" Yamato gripped her bat, her eyes flicking to Lida first, then Klah. She charged forward.
"Move aside—don’t get in my way!"
Not because she sought the easier route, but because she’d clashed with Lida earlier and knew the woman was no pushover. Fighting her would waste time. Worse, she had a premonition—hurting Lida might unleash something far worse.
The werewolf, however, was a perfect weak spot.
...
Fifth level. A vast chamber, its interior decorations reduced to rubble. The ceiling had been smashed open, leaving it nearly outdoors. Two figures clashed on the ground below.
"Gomu Gomu!"
A vibrant voice roared. Instantly, a jet-black figure shot toward a Dragonman, slamming a fist into his skull, sending half his body reeling backward.
The black object was a fist—retracting rapidly to a rubbery, Luffy-shaped ball. He crouched, legs springing, his upper body heaving as he gasped for breath. "Haaah! How’s that, Kaido?!"
The Dragonman was Kaido himself. Baring his razor teeth, he slowly raised his head, his jaw—now sporting a fresh gash—cracking audibly. Gripping his Wolf’s Spirit Thundercloud, he swung with tremendous force. "Diamond Darts!"
A wisp of energy slashed out, not a blade but a crushing impact from the club. It slammed into Luffy’s rubbery form, denting him inward—but only briefly. The force rebounded skyward, shooting through the ceiling’s hole into the heavens.
The "rubber ball" shrieked. "That hurt!"
Luffy’s body swelled like an inflated balloon, his feet bouncing rhythmically on the ground, his Haki-infused form glowing faintly. Gas-like energy formed pauldron patterns on his shoulders, resembling guardian deities at temple gates.
"Brat!" Kaido snarled, grinding his teeth.
Ten days!
They’d fought nonstop for ten days!
He never imagined that Luffy—the one he’d knocked out with a single blow and tossed into a cell—would emerge with Conqueror’s Haki Infusion during their second clash. Back then, Luffy still hadn’t been his match. Without Yamato’s intervention, he’d have killed him. The crew had survived another stretch like rats. Now, their third confrontation—Luffy had fought him evenly for ten full days!
Even forcing Kaido into his Full Power form, ten days of relentless battle had drained his physical strength, reverting him to his ordinary hybrid form. Yet the kid still stood, showing no sign of collapse—his stamina seemingly endless.
(End of Chapter)
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