As Sengoku and others were shocked by the youth and strength of Kong Tai and Kuina, Kong Tai, aboard a Marine ship, slowly landed on Bass Island, on the balcony of one of the two relatively intact royal palaces from Spring Island.
Seeing Kong Tai and Kuina return unharmed, Hachida and Li Ya both breathed a sigh of relief. At this moment, only Hachida and Li Ya were on the palace roof. As for Ah Hua and the other two, those three were too tired. As soon as they returned to Bass Island, they collapsed on their beds and had yet to wake up.
These three were indeed exhausted, having fought the CP organization for a long time, sustaining considerable injuries, and then sailing the Grand Line for a night. It was no wonder they were tired!
"Um, Silver-haired boss." Kαnshu伍.ξà
As soon as they landed, Firebird couldn't wait to stand up and said to Kong Tai, "I'll go pass this news to our president first."
"Mm!"
Kong Tai looked at the bloodshot eyes of Firebird, patted his shoulder, and said with a light smile, "Go ahead! And please send my regards to your president and myself."
"Understood."
Firebird quickly turned around and rushed into a room in the palace. ₭ànshū là
This piece of news would surely shock the world, not the news of Bass, but of Silver-haired Kong Tai. With such strength, the president would surely be as excited as he was! Even though they had exaggerated Kong Tai's strength as much as possible before, they had never expected this guy to possess strength comparable to the Four Emperors who ruled the New World!
Compared to Kong Tai's news, Bass's news was secondary. Wars were happening in this world every day, people, and even nations were perishing. People on the sea didn't care about such news; instead, they were enthusiastic about pirate news.
Although Bass's news was secondary, Firebird would not be perfunctory because it was a deal between their newspaper and Kong Tai. The news of Bass and Ore Island would spread worldwide instantly along with Kong Tai's news.
The World Government probably never dreamed that among the personnel who went with Kong Tai this time, there would be a frontline reporter from the World Economic News Agency! Kizaru knew that there was such a person on the island, but he didn't know who it was and didn't take it seriously, so he didn't pay attention or report it to Sengoku. This led to Bass's news spreading throughout the world without the World Government's knowledge.
They thought that if Ore Island was destroyed, the truth would be buried with it. This also allowed the Kingdom of Bass to survive the initial, most dangerous few days. During these days, the World Government took no action. This time, it was destined… destined for the World Government to make a huge fool of itself. The Buster Call was launched without rhyme or reason, and it was exposed that a Celestial Dragon had forcibly taken a princess and destroyed an affiliated nation, such a scandal. The biggest scandal was the sight of tens of thousands of emaciated Bass nationals and slaves appearing simultaneously at the Ore Island dock. And the countless bones beneath Ore Island. It was bound to weaken the World Government's authority.
No need to think so much; that was for later. At this moment, on the roof of the royal palace, Li Ya and Hachida looked at Kong Tai and Kuina with gratitude.
"Alright, we've been fighting for a day and a night and are starving. Is there any food?"
Kong Tai looked at Hachida and patted his shoulder, saying, "There's no need for gratitude. We just did what we thought we should do." As he spoke, he raised his wine gourd, shook it, took a sip, and then looked down at Hachida, saying, "Besides, you've paid us. If you're truly grateful, then send us more Bass wine when we leave!"
He finished the wine in his gourd, turned it upside down, and shook it, not a drop left.
"See, not enough to drink!"
"Hahahaha…"
Hachida looked at Kong Tai, his lips curling up into a smile. "The food is ready. As for Bass wine, Kong Tai, you can drink as much as you want. If it's not enough, we can even restart the winery and brew it for you."
After speaking, he led the way into the royal palace, gesturing for Kong Tai and Kuina to follow. Kong Tai stepped forward, walking alongside Hachida, slinging an arm around Hachida's shoulder and patting him. "You said it yourself! I'll have to clear out your wine cellar in Winter Island then."
"Haha! Drink all you want."
Seeing Hachida and Kong Tai walking arm in arm, Li Ya's face broke into a gentle smile. How long had it been since she was this happy? Thinking of this, she reached out and gently held Kuina's hand, saying with a light smile, "Kuina, can you tell me about your adventures at sea?"
After speaking, she looked at Kuina with anticipation. If Kong Tai was someone she admired, then Kuina was her idol. She was about the same age and was also a woman, yet she could follow Kong Tai adventuring freely on the sea, and most importantly, her strength was so formidable.
Kuina looked at Li Ya, her lips curving into a gentle smile. She patted Li Ya's head, just as Kong Tai had patted hers, the movement gentle and tender. She liked this feeling, this feeling of being thanked and admired by others.
"Okay!"
As she walked forward, she said, "Don't think we've only been at sea for less than a month. The things we've experienced this month have been incredibly exciting."
"Oh…"
Stars flashed in Li Ya's eyes. "Quick, quick, tell me, what was it like?"
"Have you ever seen a giant whale that can understand human speech and has a body full of steel passages inside?"
"Let me tell you!"
"…"
Hearing the laughter coming from behind him and feeling the atmosphere of hope for a new life from the countless citizens surrounding the royal palace, Hachida turned to look at Kong Tai, his eyes moistening slightly. All of this had appeared in his dreams countless times. He never thought that one day, his dreams would come true. Thinking of this, his gaze drifted to a nameless hill behind the royal palace. There was a grave there, a grave without a name or tombstone. Buried in that grave was the wife he loved most. He had buried his wife secretly, not even daring to erect a tombstone.
"It's over, everything is over."
His gaze seemed to pierce through time, and he saw his wife again, saw her beautiful and gentle smile, saw the prosperity of the Kingdom of Bass behind her, saw the smiles on the faces of countless citizens. He would definitely, surely be able to help Bass return to its former beautiful and prosperous state. Let Bass regain its glory… No… It should become even stronger.
Thinking of this, the moisture in his eyes gradually gave way to an unprecedented determination. He never thought of seeking revenge from the World Government, which was equivalent to seeking death, but the seed of hatred in his heart, and the seed of hatred in the hearts of tens of thousands of Bass citizens, would someday, along with countless people in the world who had experienced the darkness of the World Government, erupt violently… along with the tide.
Regarding the well-hidden seeds of hatred in Hachida and the hearts of countless civilians around the royal palace, Kong Tai could sense them, but he wouldn't bother with them, nor did he have the leisure to do so. It was all planted by the World Government, and one day, they would face retribution and destruction. The world was a cycle, and no one could change that. He was just an ordinary adventurer, wanting to travel the world and be the freest person in this world. Doing as he pleased. That was all.