Ahhh—
The Blue-Eyes White Dragon soared freely in the sky above the South Sea.
Two alternating, mournful wails echoed around the body of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon, the sound lingering endlessly.
Kid and Killer, the two brothers, were firmly grasped by the dragon's claws, lifted high into the air.
The cold and fierce wind from above made it nearly impossible for the two brothers to open their eyes! "This is a trial."
Storm's calm voice clearly reached the ears of Kid and Killer.
"Start climbing up from the dragon's claws!
"When you both successfully reach the dragon's back, you can ask me one question."
After saying this, Storm focused his energy on the nautical chart and compass in front of him.
This was the nautical chart that Kid and Killer had just voluntarily offered, recording the precise coordinates of the Sorbet Kingdom.
The destination of the "Blue-Eyes White Dragon" on this journey—
Sorbet Kingdom! Dragon Claw.
Kid and Killer exchanged silent glances and began to grit their teeth and climb upwards.
Climbing at such heights was undoubtedly an ultimate test of physique and willpower.
After nearly half an hour, Kid and Killer finally reached the dragon's back, panting heavily.
Before they could rest for a moment, Storm's voice once again reached their ears.
"Do you have any questions? Ask away!"
Killer remained silent, handing the opportunity to ask over to Kid.
Kid gritted his teeth and asked the question that intrigued him the most.
"This dragon! What's the deal with this dragon!? And what about that Nine-Tailed Fox from before!"
"Blue-Eyes White Dragon, that's its name. It is my important partner."
Storm responded briefly.
The next moment.
The Blue-Eyes White Dragon suddenly shook its body and performed a very flashy maneuver high in the sky.
Ahhh—
Kid and Killer screamed as they were flung away.
Just as they were about to "fly far away."
The dragon's tail gently curled, successfully encircling the two of them.
Still shaken, Kid and Killer held tightly to each other, comforting their frightened hearts.
At that moment, Killer posed a soul-searching question.
"Kid, does this count as going to sea?"
Kid grinned and chuckled awkwardly.
"Ah haha, it should, I guess!"
After a brief exchange, Storm's voice once again reached their ears.
"This time, the route is from the dragon's tail to the dragon's back."
Kid and Killer took a synchronized deep breath.
With the experience from the first climb.
The time taken for their second ascent was significantly reduced.
This time, it was still Kid who asked the question.
He no longer dwelled on the issues of the "Blue-Eyes White Dragon" and the "Nine-Tailed Fox," but instead inquired about something else.
"Yesterday, you poked me with a stick..."
As he said this, Kid felt a bit strange, but he steeled himself to continue.
"What was that stick, exactly?"
"Sea-stone."
Storm answered succinctly.
"You are a Devil Fruit user, and the sea, as well as all bodies of water, are your natural enemies."
"Sea-stone contains the essence of the ocean's power."
"Any Devil Fruit user who touches Sea-stone will lose the ability to use their powers."
Though the earlier dragon-climbing ordeal had been grueling and painful, Kid's heart still brimmed with excitement.
Storm's words had opened a door to a whole new world for him—knowledge utterly inaccessible on the isolated island of Belfast. This was precisely why Kid had chosen to follow Storm in the first place.
He and Killer had always planned to set sail together—
Those so-called "subordinates" who fled when facing strong opponents had already been discarded by Kid.
Loyalty that wasn't absolute was no loyalty at all! Kid wanted no such unreliable followers.
His original plan was to become captain himself, with Killer as his first mate.
But before they could set sail, Storm (and his casually conjured white-furred gorilla) had thoroughly beaten them.
In Kid's simple "gangster logic,"
acknowledging someone stronger as his leader wasn't shameful at all.
Might as well follow this new boss! Flying on dragonback was infinitely better than rotting away on Belfast until old age!
Unaware of Kid's inner thoughts, Storm finished explaining the basics of Sea-stone before abruptly dropping Kid and Killer off the dragon, forcing them to begin their third climbing session.
Since Storm intended to bring these two along on his inevitably brief South Blue journey,
he needed to address their combat training—a small repayment for their earlier "meal kindness."
Killer was decent enough,
but Kid was veritable "super potential stock!" Among the future Worst Generation members,
excluding the two special cases of "Sun God" and "Blackbeard,"
Eustass Kid and Trafalgar Law were undoubtedly the most promising rookies!
If only their luck held out...
This time, Kid and Killer completed their climbing drill much faster.
They began firing off questions one after another:
"Is Sea-stone very common?"
"Do you think the ocean is big? Climb!"
"...This dragon's so cool! Can I build a mechanical dinosaur too?"
"That depends on how you develop your Magnet-Magnet Fruit powers—though I doubt you've developed them at all! Climb!"
"...Huff...puff...how do I develop my Magnet-Magnet Fruit abilities?"
"How should I use your right and left hands? Should I chop them off for you? Climb!"
"...You carry a sword, but I've never seen you use it."
"Because my swordsmanship sucks...climb!"
After another round of climbing,
an exhausted Kid collapsed flat on the Blue-Eyed White Dragon's back.
Gazing at the sky, he asked between ragged breaths:
"Pirate...King...what must I do...to become Pirate King?"
"Pirate King?"
Storm, who had been sitting alone at the dragon's head, finally turned around at this question.
"Eustass Kid—is that your real name?"
"Yes."
"Full name?"
"That is my full name."
"Good."
Storm's demeanor shifted dramatically as he spoke coldly.
"Then you have no hope! None at all!"
"Why not?!"
Kid suddenly mustered a burst of strength from somewhere, propping himself up on the dragon's back.
"Gold Roger could become the Pirate King! Why can't I?!"
"Why can't you?"
Storm raised an eyebrow.
"The Great Pirate Era has lasted nearly twenty years.
"Someone has to become the Pirate King—why can't that someone be me?" If I said that, would you feel more inspired?"
Hearing Storm's words about "someone has to…," Kid did feel a surge of excitement.
If only he ignored Storm's heavily mocking tone.
"Pirate King? Gold Roger? Ha!"
Storm sneered before turning away, no longer looking at Kid and Killer.
"You can't even get the Pirate King's name right.
"Gold Roger? It's Gol D. Roger! Eustass Kid, are you a member of the D Clan? "You set sail as a pirate without even a 'D' in your name, yet you dream of becoming the Pirate King?!"
At Storm's words, Kid and Killer were left utterly bewildered.
Two young natives of the South Blue, what would they know about the legends of the "D Clan"?
"D… What is that?"
But this time, Storm refused to answer.
Seeing this, Kid and Killer fell silent, digesting the "Knowledge" they had just received.
Unbeknownst to them.
The Blue-Eyed White Dragon had already arrived near the waters of the Sorbet Kingdom.
"Those are warships on the sea, right? They're huge!"
From atop the dragon's back, Kid looked down at the ocean below and gasped.
"I've never seen warships back on Bellfast Island."
"That's because Bellfast Island isn't part of the World Government's affiliated nations."
Killer, leaning against the side, replied coldly.
"The 'righteous' Marines don't care about the lives of us non-affiliated people.
"If we ever see Marines on Bellfast Island, they'll only be there to hunt down infants and pregnant women!"
Most people in the South Blue would never forget what the World Government had done to them.
Back then, in their search for the possible "son of the Pirate King," the Marines had turned the entire South Blue upside down.
Every infant born within ten months of Roger's imprisonment—even pregnant women—had been subjected to rigorous inspections.
If there was even the slightest suspicion, the fate awaiting those women or infants was always the same—
Execution on the spot! As Kid and Killer were talking.
On the three massive warships below, the lookouts had already spotted the white dragon in the sky.
"A dragon! It's a dragon!"
On the deck of the central warship, an extravagantly dressed old man barked orders at the Marines beside him.
"Hurry up and shoot that dragon down! I'll present it to the exalted Celestial Dragons!"
The Marine officer nearby remained unmoved, calmly stating.
"King Beckley, that dragon is flying too high—it's beyond our warships' firing range."
"You can't even handle something this simple?"
King Beckley seemed deeply offended, angrily retorting.
"All the food and supplies you Marines enjoy are funded by the Celestial Tribute I pay! You're nothing but a bunch of useless trash!"
Just then.
King Bekley suddenly spotted the small, solitary dinghy drifting on the sea ahead of the warship.
He let out another shrill scream.
"That's him!
"Marines! Kill him!! That's the one who stole the Sorbet Kingdom from me!
"The merciless, tyrannical 'Tyrant'—
"Bartholomew Kuma!"
Serious suspicion.
There's a sign planted on the final island, Laugh Tale—
[No entry without the Human-Human Fruit, Mythical Zoan, Nika Model!]
——
Regarding the "World Government executing pregnant women and infants" mentioned in this chapter.
This is sourced from [Manga Chapter 551].
——