Luffy Twin Brother: The Monkey King

Kong launched himself forward, rocketing toward Cricket and the others. The morningzg was fast approaching, and the crew was already preparing to set sail. He had no time to waste.

Meanwhile, an hour after Kong's departure, a man known as Marshall D. Teach—Blackbeard—stood in the blood-soaked bar, listening to the murmurs and whispers of the shaken patrons. One name echoed through them all: Kong.

Teach's eyes narrowed as he picked up a discarded wanted poster, his expression shifting to one of intrigue.

"He looks just like that Straw Hat brat I saw before…" Teach muttered, scanning the bounty. His eyes widened slightly at the number beneath the familiar grin.

1 billion berries.

A slow, toothy grin spread across Blackbeard's face.

"If I knew that Straw Hat's brother had such a high bounty, I would have captured him," Teach mused, turning to leave the blood-stained bar. From the scattered bits of information he gathered, Kong was traveling with Luffy, and both were heading to Sky Island. All Teach had to do was find them first.

With that thought in mind, he and his small crew of three set off, sailing toward their next target.

Meanwhile, aboard the Straw Hat's ship, the crew prepared for their dangerous ascent.

"Luffy, are you sure we shouldn't wait? Bellamy did beat the two of you up pretty badly," Nami said, concern in her voice.

Luffy, standing at the ship's edge, stared out at the ocean with an uncharacteristically serious expression.

"Kong wouldn't lose. He'll catch up to us, even without the Knock-Up Stream to help him," Luffy said, his voice unusually calm yet resolute.

Hearing the conviction in his words, the crew nodded, setting aside their doubts. With the help of Masira, Shoujou, and their crews, they focused on their true goal—reaching Sky Island.

As the Straw Hats set sail, Masira's ship guided them toward the location they needed to be. Meanwhile, deep in the forest, Kong was a blur, rocketing forward at speeds incomprehensible to the average human. He weaved effortlessly through the dense trees, his sights set on one goal—catching up.

Out at sea, on a humble raft, Teach and his small crew steadily approached Luffy and the others, their presence unnoticed for now.

Back on the shore, Cricket sat by the water, a cigarette between his lips as he stared out at the ocean. His mind drifted to the odd group that had just stormed through his life. A crew bound for the sky, a man with the will to shake the world—it was almost too much to believe.

But his quiet contemplation shattered when the orb he had been holding suddenly shot into the air. Cricket's eyes widened in shock. He barely had time to react before he spotted Kong soaring through the sky, snatching the orb mid-flight while, in the same motion, dropping the stolen gold back down.

"Good luck, old man!" Kong shouted, his voice carrying over the waves before his foot touched the water. With a sudden burst of speed, he rocketed forward, chasing after the piece of himself he had left behind.

Cricket stood there, momentarily speechless, before shaking his head with a small, knowing smile.

Meanwhile, out at sea, the Straw Hats found themselves face-to-face with Blackbeard and his crew.

"Kong's already at a billion?" Luffy muttered, his expression falling as he processed the staggering difference between their bounties. But he had no time to dwell on it—the sniper aboard Blackbeard's ship had already taken aim.

"Where is Kong? You small fries are nothing compared to him," Blackbeard sneered, his grin widening with anticipation.

Van Auger, his ever-calm sniper, raised his rifle and took a shot. Luffy, expecting nothing from an ordinary bullet, initially stood his ground, confident in his rubber body's immunity.

But the bullet was fast—too fast.

Luffy's instincts screamed at him, and at the last second, he jerked his head aside. The bullet whizzed past, grazing his cheek and drawing blood. His eyes widened in shock, as did the rest of his crew.

"That was close," Zoro muttered, hand gripping his sword, ready for the next move.

Van Auger was already lining up another shot, his expression unreadable. But before he could pull the trigger…

Boom.

The sea beneath them rumbled violently. A sudden, crushing pressure filled the air, forcing everyone to freeze in place. Van Auger's hands trembled slightly, his aim faltering. Even Blackbeard's grin faltered as he felt an unmistakable force behind him.

Conqueror's Haki.

And not just any Haki—one powerful enough to distort the air itself.

The knock-up stream began to surge, sending monstrous waves crashing outward. As Blackbeard turned, his eyes met the incoming blur of motion—Kong, racing across the water at impossible speed, his presence alone sending a wave of dominance through the battlefield.

Everyone turned to see Kong sprinting toward them, his eyes cold and sharp as he took in what had just happened. But before he could reach them, the knock-up stream surged beneath the Straw Hats' ship, launching them skyward.

Kong reacted instantly. Instead of fighting the current, he surged forward, lowering his density to ride the violent stream. Blackbeard and his crew were sent tumbling toward the sea below, but Kong didn't spare them a glance—his focus was locked on the ascending column of water.

"Luffy, look at this!" Kong laughed as he effortlessly caught up to their ship, riding the column like a natural. Luffy's eyes widened in awe, excitement flashing across his face.

"I wanna try that!" Luffy shouted, ready to jump off and join him—only for Zoro to yank him back by the collar.

"Watch—" Zoro started, but his words were cut short.

A massive shadow loomed overhead.

A Sea King, yanked from the depths by the knock-up stream, came crashing down toward Kong. The crew tensed, expecting a collision—but Kong moved without hesitation. His body subtly adjusted, his instincts guiding him as he shifted to the right at the perfect moment, narrowly avoiding the falling beast.

For a brief second, his eyes flashed with understanding. His training was working.

Ever since fighting Bellamy's crew, he had begun developing something, an awareness beyond sight, beyond thought. He had yet to fully grasp it, but now, he felt it clicking into place.

Now, he just had to master it and command it at will.

"Your ship is about to fall off!" Kong shouted toward them.

Nami's eyes darted around in search of a solution. In an instant, she grasped the situation, realizing that the ship could be guided just like navigating the sea—except this time, she had to ride the violent air currents instead of ocean waves.

"Adjust the sails! Follow the wind!" she commanded, her voice sharp and confident.

The crew scrambled into action, and soon, the ship steadied as it left the chaotic knock-up stream, riding the hot air and powerful updrafts straight into the sky.

Kong's eyes widened in shock as he watched the ship ascend, gliding smoothly through the air.

'She figured that out on the spot?' Kong thought, impressed. 'She's using the hot air from the knock-up stream, combined with the wind currents to stabilize the ship… Smart.'

Without wasting another second, he pushed forward, moving swiftly to keep up.

"Luffy, look what I can do!" Kong called out, effortlessly riding the steam with his hands.

"Try lying down on it!" Luffy shouted back, grinning.

Without hesitation, Kong flipped midair, landing smoothly on his side, propping his head up with one hand while lazily facing the ship.

Luffy, Chopper, and Usopp clapped together in amazement, their eyes sparkling.

"Cut the knock-up stream," Zoro suddenly said, his voice serious, but filled with interest

Kong raised an eyebrow, considering it for a moment. With a shrug, he pulled out a sword, ready to slice through the powerful updraft—until a shoe slammed directly into his face.

"The hell is wrong with you?!" Nami yelled furiously, glaring at both Kong and Zoro. She dropped Zoro with a solid punch, leaving him groaning on the deck.

Kong flinched slightly at the sight, a brief image of Uta flashing through his mind. But Nami… somehow seemed even scarier… The rest of the ascent was much quieter.