章 276: Finding Ginny

[ Third Person POV ]

Mariejois

"This isn't going to work. Ken," Dragon remarked as he looked at his battered companion.

"What do you mean it's not going to work? We don't have much of a choice!" Ken snapped.

"What I mean is, if we keep this up, saving Ginny will be the least of our problems," Dragon remarked as he stared at the Castle.

Ken also turned to look at the castle as well. It had been the source of that terrifying Conqurer's Haki that came in waves, and although it had stopped in the meantime, it didn't mean that the duo had stopped keeping a weary eye on any suspicious activities coming from the castle.

"I don't think we should worry about that. I'm sure that the Commander will figure something out should whatever is in there come out," Ken replied, slightly confident.

"I like your confidence, boy. However, I doubt that things are going to be that simple," the former Fleet-Admiral remarked. "Aren't you aware that he's currently fighting two of the Five Elders? Your Adoptive father isn't with you either. This isn't a fight that you all are going to win."

"That's what they all said last time when we visited this place," Ken smirked for the first time in a while, "Look what happened then."

Kong snorted as he was about to lower his knees to start attacking again.

However, he immediately leaped back before looking at Dragon annoyedly.

"Stop trying to rush into a fight head-first and listen," Dragon chided Ken, "we're trying to save Ginny and get out, and that's what we're going to do."

"I don't even know where to start," Ken shrugged, "I literally got lost trying to look for her. Finding her is like finding a needle in a haystack; there are so many people who are locked up."

While they were talking, Kong kicked the ground and lunged right for Dragon. Dragon disappeared right from Ken's eyes before Kong's fist could punch where he last stood. Dragon eventually reappeared on Ken's other side, the wind continuing to dance around him lightly.

"I overheard some talks about a very important prisoner being held in the custody of the Manmeyer Family. You should try their family manner to see whether you'll be able to find a hit. Now hurry!" Dragon instructed before disappearing and dodging Kong's next attack.

Kong's fist punched into the ground that Dragon had been standing on before removing his fist from the ground and glaring at Ken.

"What exactly makes you think that I'm going to let my prisoner leave Scott free? I see your time in rebellion has numbed your common sense a tad bit, Dragon," Kong remarked.

Dragon reappeared right behind Kong before landing a kick right on his hind knee. Kong ended up kneeling on it, and before he could even react, Dragon appeared right in front of him before kicking Kong square on the jaw with his knee and sending him across the field where they fought.

Dragon then turned to Ken.

"You don't need to worry about him. I'll hold him off until you grab Ginny; now go!" Dragon ordered before disappearing and reappearing right behind the risen Kong.

Kong had already anticipated this and swung his arm backward in an attempt to clothesline Dragon to the ground, but Dragon immediately vanished before appearing to the side and kicking Kong at an exposed rib.

The kick had managed to stagger the former Fleet Admiral, but it was far from being able to deal any significant damage.

However, Ken saw this as a reassurance that Dragon knew what he was doing. So he quickly dissolved into lightning and promptly resumed his search for the young woman known as Ginny.

Ken had little to no knowledge of the Manmeyer Family. Moreover, everyone who had happened to be outside, be it Celestial Dragon or slave, passed out because of the Conqurer's Haki that the Castle had radiated earlier.

Moreover, it didn't help that Dragon hadn't given him a map of Mariejois so that he find where the Menmeyers stayed.

"I'll just have to break into every house I see," Ken muttered as he leaped over the walls of a palace wall.

Upon landing, he immediately touched the ground and dispersed lightning around the entire palace. This technique was supposed to help him get a general feel of who was in the house and where they were.

It acted like an echolocation of some sort.

"hm...nothing from this place, but there is someone who's conscious within the house. I'll ask them where the Manmeyers are," Ken remarked as he started making his way into the Palace.

Like the people outside, the people who were in the palace had all passed out. Although some were beginning to stir slowly, it was going to take a while before they were fully cognitive like they were earlier.

Ken quickly found the door leading to the room, only to find a child crying alone while he sat on the ground.

The child, upon hearing the sudden commotion, looked up at Ken.

"Identify yourself! I've never seen you around before!" The child immediately demanded as he tried to cover up the snot he had made from all the crying.

Ken looked disappointed as he turned to walk away. What would a kid know about Mariejois?

"Stop! I said STOP!!" The child yelled as bits of Conqurer's Haki emanated from him.

Ken froze as the minuscule Conqurer's Haki hit his back.

'This brat...' He couldn't help but be amazed that an individual who had the qualities of a Conqurer could be found within Mariejois.

After all, when did the Celestial Dragons ever fight?

"What is it? I don't have time for your nonsense....unless you know where the Manmeyer family resides," Ken remarked as his cold eyes bore into the child's.

"Watch your tone! I am a scion of the Ethanbaron Family! My grandpa is an Elder of the World Government, and he can kill you in an instant!"

"Ethanbaron? Why would I care?" Ken asked before he turned to leave.

"Wait! I know where the Manmeyer Family is! Just don't leave me here alone!" The child exclaimed upon seeing that Ken was going to leave regardless.

"Just point it out to me; I don't really want to be walking around with a kid," Ken remarked.

"Do you see that large mansion over there? There's an even bigger mansion that's past that. That's where the Manmeyer family lives, but you gotta be careful! I heard that the Family head isn't a nice man," the kid remarked.

Ken looked at the child, pleasantly surprised; he hadn't expected the child to be so cooperative and helpful.

"Can I please go with you? Everyone suddenly just dropped to the ground! I don't know what to do! I promise I won't disturb you!" The child asked sincerely.

"You don't even know me. Haven't your parents ever told you not to trust strangers?" Ken asked.

"My parents told me to always keep an eye on whoever doesn't openly fear us and revere us because those are the ones who want to kill us!" The boy replied innocently.

Ken was confused.

"That doesn't mean that you follow them wherever they go," Ken argued.

"I know! But I can't just sit here and cry all day, now can I?" The child replied.

"You realize that I'm a bad person, right? I'm a pirate," Ken replied.

"Really?! Then you can tell me stories while we go to Manmeyer's Family manor!" The child replied.

Ken was confused.