"Heh!"
"So it's you guys who stole my ship, is it?"
"You dare provoke me, can you afford the consequences?"
Just then, a mocking voice descended from the sky, reaching the ears of Hody Jones and Vander Decken IX, pulling them out of their shock.
The two looked up at the sky, and upon seeing the silver-haired figure suspended in the air, clad in moon-white attire, their pupils constricted simultaneously.
They had considered the possibility of silver hair, but due to their limited knowledge, it seemed unlikely. However, seeing the figure materialize before them, a single thought echoed in their minds.
"We've kicked a steel plate."
As if remembering something, Hody Jones quickly averted his gaze, looking towards the periphery of the ruins. Seeing countless fish-men lying incapacitated on the ground, his heart lurched as if it would stop beating, a suffocating sensation spreading through his entire body.
"Haoshoku Haki."
As an ambitious fish-man, although he had never witnessed a top-tier world-class fighter in action, he had heard of this type of Haki that could induce dizziness.
But…
His gaze moved upward, gradually encompassing Fish-Man District. In his perception and sight, not a single fish-man stood.
"Is this what a top-tier world-class fighter is like?"
He knew such fighters were powerful, but he had never seen one.
Even knowing about Haoshoku Haki, having never encountered it, he couldn't have imagined its vast range.
After all, Fish-Man District housed no less than 50,000 fish-men.
In his original plan, no matter how powerful the silver-haired individual was, he would be exhausted under the siege of 50,000 fish-men.
Then, he would step forward, kill the silver-haired one and his companions, and become the hero of Fish-Man Island.
Who would have known that with a single blast of Haoshoku Haki, all 50,000 fish-men in Fish-Man District would be rendered unconscious.
"This is..."
"Too powerful!"
At this moment, even his normally wild and tenacious heart plummeted to the depths.
He was confident in his own strength, but not so much as to truly contend with a top-tier world-class fighter.
If they were in seawater, he would have confidence, but now, on land, it was different.
How could he fight?
"Ah..."
Just then, a scream of extreme pain erupted from his right.
The voice was familiar; he knew it was Vander Decken IX's.
Suppressing his rising panic, Hody Jones turned his head towards the other side of the palm print. Indeed, the figure floating in the air had, at some unknown point, appeared beside Vander Decken IX.
And Vander Decken IX, under whatever technique the silver-haired individual had used, was being held by an invisible force, struggling in mid-air, emitting cries of agony.
The space around his body rippled like water, concentric circles forming a vortex, continuously contracting and distorting. Vander Decken IX within was also unnaturally contorted along with the space.
He could see the soul-piercing terror etched on Vander Decken IX's twisted, contorted face.
"This man."
No longer glancing at Vander Decken IX, Hody Jones turned his gaze to Kong Tai, locking eyes with Kong Tai's pale blue eyes, filled with mockery and indifference, for the first time.
Those eyes were beautiful, exquisite. Yet, at this moment, reflected in Hody Jones's vision, they stole his breath.
He felt an immense pressure, as if he wasn't looking at eyes, but at the entire starry sky.
He knew with certainty that this matter would not end easily. From Kong Tai's immediate killing of his companion to Vander Decken IX's agonizing screams, it was clear that Kong Tai would not spare him.
Honestly, he regretted provoking this man with a bounty of 2.5 billion with such impulsiveness.
However, it was too late for regrets.
The oppressive aura emanating from Kong Tai's cold gaze did not crush him. Instead, it ignited the ferocity within his body.
He was not a good person by nature; he was a bloodthirsty great white shark fish-man.
His eyes fixed on the silver-haired brat opposite him, Hody Jones reached into his pocket, pulled out a box, opened it, and raised it.
Without hesitation, he tilted his head back, opened his mouth wide, and poured all the red pills from the box into his mouth.
This was E.S., a forbidden drug.
He had stolen it from Ryugu Palace years ago.
One pill doubled his physical strength, two pills tripled it, and so on.
The pirates he had eliminated on Fish-Man Island in the past only required one pill. He didn't know how many pills were in the box, but now he had taken them all.
Clearly, the appearance of Kong Tai had made him sense the scent of death.
With his life at stake, he could no longer afford to be cautious.
*Bang—!*
*Bang—!*
*Bang—!*
As soon as the pills entered his stomach, Hody Jones felt as if time around him had slowed. He could clearly hear his heart beating.
Then, a terrifying surge of power erupted from his stomach like a volcanic eruption, instantly spreading throughout his entire body.
His entire body swelled violently, increasing in size by a whole fold.
A searing pain converged from all parts of his body, rushing directly into his brain, forcing him to roar to the heavens, his voice no longer human, but demonic.
His eyes turned blood-red with white pupils, radiating a madness that made those who witnessed it tremble.
His once jet-black hair seemed to lose its life, rapidly turning gray, and then, shockingly, becoming a withered white.
A white paler than his skin.
As if instantly drained of vitality, approaching the end of his life.
But his body, at this moment, was filled with power.
His bulging muscles exuded waves of heat, causing the surrounding air to distort.
Looking down, Hody Jones, now a completely different person, stared intently at Kong Tai. He crouched down, and with a "bang,"
The force transmitted from his legs caused the ground to instantly crack and collapse.
His body, like a cannonball, shot rapidly towards Kong Tai.
"Die, brat!" Upon reaching Kong Tai, Hody Jones raised his fist, now several times larger, and swung it directly towards the head of Kong Tai, who appeared like a child before him.
With this punch, he felt that no one in this world could withstand it.
At this moment, he felt like the strongest person in the world. The boundless power surging from his body gave him the sensation that he could punch through Fish-Man Island.
This world-destroying power inflated him infinitely, and his confidence grew without bounds. He felt that if the person standing before him were not the silver-haired brat, but Whitebeard, the holder of the title "World's Strongest," he would not be afraid.
"Forbidden drug."
Kong Tai witnessed everything Hody Jones did.
He did not intervene.
There was no need.
No matter how much drug this guy took, he couldn't break through his inherent physical limitations to reach the Admiral level.
And even if he did reach the Admiral level, without the enhancement of Haki, he would be nothing more than a punching bag before him.
Gazing at the fist before him, which seemed to move at a snail's pace to others but was like a slow-motion for him, Kong Tai extended his hand, covering his index finger with a layer of pink gas, and gently poked forward.
*Bang—!*
He easily blocked the punch.
"What? Is this all the strength you have?"
The madness on Hody Jones's face was like a thunderous blow, or like being doused with ice water in winter. Staring at Kong Tai, who had blocked his full-force attack with just one finger, his face was filled with disbelief, as if he had seen a ghost, filled with horror.
"Impossible, impossible, impossible."
Staring at the handsome yet slightly youthful face up close, Hody Jones roared loudly, "Ah! What kind of monster are you? How can you be so strong?"
Looking at Hody Jones, Kong Tai's lips curled upwards, revealing a mocking smile.
"An ant like you, thinking you can become a true powerhouse by taking drugs?"
Shaking his head, he didn't give Hody Jones a chance to resist.
His space domain appeared, instantly enveloping Hody Jones.
Allowing this guy to follow in Vander Decken IX's footsteps.
His role had been played out enough; his sinful life would end here.
Soon, the cries of agony disappeared, leaving behind only two blood-red lumps of flesh twisted together like noodles.
Well... they looked like two lumps...
Clearly, Kong Tai had offered them no dignity.
Having coldly killed the sole subordinate of Vander Decken IX, Kong Tai disappeared with the shrunken Thousand Sunny.
After killing Hody Jones and Vander Decken IX, Kong Tai's mood had clearly improved significantly.
Although no one knew that Hody Jones was the murderer of Queen Otohime, he himself knew.
He did not seek to be a hero to everyone, nor did he seek everyone to be grateful and respectful towards him like Bass and Alabasta.
It was enough for him to be his own person, his own hero.