"...You secretly kept a piece?"
Kong glanced around nervously.
They were inside a Bubble Lift, suspended in the middle of the Red Line, where theoretically, no one could see what was going on.
But the transparent capsule made Kong feel exposed.
Even if the people above and below looked like ants, he was still worried that someone might spot the Pure Gold in Kizaru's hand.
"Secretly? Come now."
"This is my war trophy. Besides, no one's noticed… yet."
Kizaru's smile right then looked more devilish than ever to Kong.
At their level—Kizaru and Kong both—no one reached the top relying on brawn alone.
Maybe Garp, but he was a muscle-bound anomaly.
Even without spelling it out, the implications were clear as day:
Kizaru had kept some Pure Gold for himself.
And now, he was showing it to Kong—on purpose.
Everyone had a price.
And Kizaru had just found Kong's.
The fact that Kong didn't immediately report him, and instead looked around in worry, spoke volumes.
By strict standards, this was already betrayal—and a rather serious kind at that.
"Say it. What do you want?"
Kong's voice sounded like he'd aged a dozen years in an instant.
His mind was already racing, trying to guess Kizaru's true objective.
The Commander-in-Chief title?
Kong dismissed the idea quickly. The Army and Holy Knights were firmly in the Five Elders' hands, and the Navy only followed orders from its own Admiral.
His position as Commander-in-Chief was more ceremonial than anything—highly revered, but largely toothless.
So not the job…
Was it his strength?
Though he had once lost to Redfield, Kong had still been a genuine powerhouse, capable of handling pirates with billion-berry bounties even now.
But the Navy had plenty of fighters just as strong—or stronger—than Kong these days...
Thinking of this, Kong's mouth twitched slightly.
If there was anything Kizaru couldn't—or didn't dare to—do outright, or any reason he couldn't openly mobilize the Navy's top combat power, it could only be one thing:
An attack on the Celestial Dragons… or even the Five Elders.
Would someone really hold a grudge for decades and still be willing to burn something as priceless as Pure Gold to get back at his enemies?
"Tch. I don't know what you're thinking, but I feel like I've been insulted somehow..."
Kizaru grumbled as he clutched the glowing piece of Pure Gold, annoyed by the way Kong was staring at him—like he was some kind of ghost.
With the light from the Pure Gold now hidden, Kong was finally able to clear his mind.
"I never thought you had this much nerve… Aren't you afraid I'll resist the temptation and report you to the Five Elders?"
Kong muttered, still unable to believe what he'd just witnessed.
That was Pure Gold!
How could Kizaru dare to hide one, let alone show it off so casually?
"Why would I be scared?"
Kizaru snorted with amusement.
"This is normal operational 'loss,' isn't it?"
Hearing that, Kong couldn't help but laugh out loud.
Back when Kizaru wasn't even a high-ranking officer, every time he returned from sea, the ship's cannonballs and supplies would all be mysteriously "used up."
And whenever someone tried to hold him accountable, his answer was always the same—"normal wear and tear."
Eventually, among those who knew him well, it became a running joke—nothing escapes Kizaru.
"As for reporting me to the Five Elders… are you really going to do that?"
Kizaru grinned, tossing the Pure Gold into Kong's hands with utter confidence.
Kong gave a bitter laugh.
If he did report Kizaru, there was no doubt the Five Elders would be thrilled, rewarding Kong handsomely for his loyalty.
But let's be real—Pure Gold wouldn't be part of that reward.
Time spares no one.
Even if Kong had never heard that exact poem, his body reminded him of its truth every single day.
His Haki was fading, bit by bit.
His muscles weakening no matter how much he trained.
Sometimes, he feared that his desperate efforts to stay strong were only accelerating his decline.
Even Whitebeard, who was younger than him, had become a withered shell.
So what hope did Kong, the former Fleet Admiral, really have?
Perhaps that's why, even after a lifetime of loyal service to the Five Elders and the World Government, Kong found himself helpless before a small piece of glowing gold.
"I think I finally understand… why DeLocas chose to betray us,"
Kong murmured, nearly entranced as he stared at the fragment of Pure Gold in his hand.
Kizaru, meanwhile, wasn't the least bit worried that Kong might take the gold and do nothing in return.
All it would take was a whisper in the right ears—that Kong had kept a piece of Pure Gold for himself—and the Five Elders or other Celestial Dragons would take care of him without Kizaru lifting a finger.
To the Five Elders, already in possession of a full piece of Pure Gold, a former admiral like Kong might still be valuable…
But a traitor who kept Pure Gold without reporting it?
No matter how powerful or decorated he was—he was as good as dead.
---
"Hmph. Speaking of DeLocas, all these years I'd assumed he was long dead."
Kizaru's tone turned icy, his eyes fixed coldly on Kong.
Knowing Kizaru's personality, there was no way he'd ever let a grudge go just because the other guy had joined CP0.
Back then, it was Fleet Admiral Kong who personally vouched for DeLocas to Kizaru, swearing on his own reputation that DeLocas would die on a mission soon enough.
Kizaru had long forgotten about that promise due to how much time had passed. When Delokas resurfaced, he didn't even connect the dots right away.
But now, with Kong accidentally mentioning it himself, those long-buried memories came flooding back to Kizaru.
"I apologize... You know I couldn't go against the Five Elders' orders. So? What do you want this old sack of bones to do? Don't tell me it's assassinating a Celestial Dragon."
Kong replied awkwardly. But under Kizaru's faintly mocking gaze, he realized how absurd it sounded to say such things after choosing Pure Gold.
At a loss for words, Kong could only grit his teeth and speak.
Whatever prestige he once held as Kizaru's superior and half-mentor—it was all crushed today.
"I haven't decided yet. I'll let you know when I do."
Kizaru shrugged casually. As the Supreme Commander of the military and a known Five Elders loyalist, Kong's value was unquestionable.
And to "buy" such a high-level chess piece with just one chunk of low-grade Pure Gold—Kizaru was getting a bargain, no matter how you looked at it.
Still, when it came to how to best use Kong without wasting the opportunity, Kizaru didn't have an immediate plan.
"You haven't even decided, and you're already willing to give up Pure Gold just to bribe me?"
Kong looked at Kizaru in disbelief.
Although the Five Elders had never seen the original state of the Pure Gold, quite a few people in Marineford had back then.
To Kong, the fact that Kizaru managed to squirrel away even this one piece was already pushing the limit.
Anything more and the Five Elders would definitely notice.
If this was to bribe him into assassinating the Five Elders, Kong could at least understand the cost.
For a moment, he even considered escape routes he might use after pulling it off.
But Kizaru's response was simply:
"What else would I use it for? Do I look like someone who needs Pure Gold?"
Kizaru pointed to his youthful, almost boyish face.
Even the notorious Stussy the Witch had admitted to being envious of how young he looked.
The nickname "Ageless Admiral" was well-earned.
To train Life Return to this level required not just talent, but also physique, enlightenment, and luck—all at once.
Looking at Kizaru's youthful appearance—even younger than Kong's own grandchildren—Kong couldn't deny the logic in what he said.
"...Then consider this: I owe you a favor. And maybe even my life. I won't ask about your plans. When the time comes and you need this old body, just call me."
Kong responded decisively.
The moment he accepted that Pure Gold, his life had basically been sold to Kizaru.
The "favor," though, came from Kizaru's willingness to give it first. He could've used it purely as bait to force Kong into service.
But instead, he offered it freely.
Knowing Kong's character, that favor was worth nearly as much as his life.
"Your life I'll take—fair trade. The favor? Keep it. You taught me once, after all."
Kizaru waved his hand dismissively.
He wasn't the type to squeeze someone dry like a cutthroat merchant.
Kong breathed a small sigh of relief.
Giving up your life but not your pride—it sounded cold. But it also meant that if he risked his life for Kizaru once, he'd no longer be in debt.
As he tucked the Pure Gold into a hidden inner pocket, Kong felt much calmer.
And whether it was the effect of the Pure Gold beginning to work, or just a psychological placebo, his aging body seemed to gain a new vitality.
Even his heartbeat felt stronger.
It was like he'd gone back several decades, to the height of his power.
Sensing that slow, steady resurgence of power, Kizaru nodded approvingly.
Previously, the only people in the chat group who had tried Pure Gold were still relatively young. The only older one, Elder Zhang, had been too busy with rebel affairs to really show the effects.
Of course, if we're talking about chronological age, Kizaru himself was also quite old.
But thanks to mastering Life Return to its peak, his biological age and actual age were worlds apart.
°°°
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