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Chapter 455: Father and Son Join Forces, Entering the Dungeon Again
After muttering that idiotic nonsense about resurrecting Roger just to beat him up, Garp was promptly cursed out and chased down the mountain by Sengoku.
Kizaru had slipped away at some point, likely heading back to his office to finish clipping his nails.
Morning came quickly to Foosha Village.
Blake leaned against the bar counter, scrolling through his system panel with a freshly brewed cup of green tea by his hand. The door was pushed open.
It was Dragon.
Monkey D. Dragon, the Supreme Commander of the Revolutionary Army. Though the World Government had never publicly disclosed his bounty, everyone knew his head was among the most valuable in the world.
Today, he wore a simple, deep-green cloak, the crimson tattoos on his face striking in the morning light. Following closely behind him was Bartholomew Kuma—the former Tyrant and Warlord of the Sea with a frozen bounty of 296 million Beri. The towering, two-meter-tall behemoth was stooped over, holding the hand of a pink-haired little girl.
Bonney clutched a freshly bought lollipop, looking around at the tavern's interior with wide-eyed curiosity.
Bringing up the rear was Emporio Ivankov. The Revolutionary Army commander, boasting a bounty of 210 million Beri, was a blinding sight. The massive purple afro and a face heavily caked in makeup that was larger than normal proportions made quite the statement in the quiet morning tavern.
"Good morning, Lord Blake," Dragon greeted, his tone even and unreadable.
"Here to redeem your tickets?" Blake took a sip of his tea.
"I'd like to open a three-man mid-tier dungeon. Myself, Kuma, and Ivankov."
Ivankov leaned over the counter, his massive head nearly colliding with the hanging lamp. "Dragon-boy said we should pick a world with a higher difficulty this time! Preferably one that can comprehensively upgrade our physical stats and combat experience!"
Blake glanced at him. "You haven't been in a dungeon before?"
Ivankov puffed out his chest, striking a pose with his pinky raised. "Hee-haw! I am an indispensable commander of the Revolutionary Army! I was merely occupied in the Kamabakka Kingdom, busy creating miracles for my lost little lambs. I simply didn't have the time to deal with—"
"He got mobbed by a swarm of overly enthusiastic Newkama trainees and barely made it out alive," Dragon deadpanned, finishing the sentence for him.
Ivankov's face instantly flushed the color of bruised liver. "Dragon-boy! Don't go exposing my secrets in public!"
Blake ignored their internal gossip. He swiped across the system panel, bringing up the list of available mid-tier dungeons. Scanning the options, his eyes stopped on a specific entry.
Hunter x Hunter: Chimera Ant Arc.
Blake looked up at Dragon. Then at Kuma. Then at Ivankov.
Three combatants. One possessed the Rinnegan and Six Paths-level taijutsu; one had the Paw-Paw Fruit with conceptual-level defense; and the last had the Horm-Horm Fruit, capable of altering bodily functions at will.
He weighed the difficulty of the Chimera Ant arc in his mind. The Ant King Meruem, his three Royal Guards, and the swarm of Squadron Leader-level Chimera Ants.
It's a good fit. The difficulty was high, but it wouldn't force them into an unwinnable death trap. Furthermore, the Nen power system of that world would provide massive benefits to a coordinated, combat-oriented organization like the Revolutionary Army.
"Got one," Blake said, flipping the holographic screen around so the trio could read the title and summary.
"Chimera Ants. A biological weapon species that evolves by devouring other organisms. Your objective is to stop the Ant King from consuming humans and completing his ultimate evolution."
Dragon stared at the text for a few seconds. "What's the combat ceiling of this Ant King?"
"In that specific world? He's basically the absolute peak," Blake replied, setting his tea down. "But the three of you combined should be able to take him."
"Should!?" Ivankov shrieked, his voice jumping an entire octave.
Kuma stood silently to the side, looking down at Bonney who was tugging on his coat.
"Leave Bonney in Makino's care," Dragon suggested.
"I'll keep a close eye on her," Makino's gentle voice called out from behind the bar.
Bonney looked up at her father. "Is Daddy going to fight bad guys again?"
Kuma crouched down, using his massive left hand to gently rub his daughter's head. "Yes. I will be back soon."
Bonney took a crunch of her lollipop, then nodded with utmost seriousness. "Then you have to do your best, Daddy. And no getting hurt!"
Ivankov was already wiping away tears in the background. "So touching! Absolutely moving! This is the true power of fatherly love—"
"Shut up," Dragon and Kuma snapped simultaneously.
Just as Blake was preparing to activate the teleportation array, the back door of the tavern slammed open with a loud bang.
Three little brats tumbled inside.
Leading the charge was Luffy—seven years old, user of the Gum-Gum Fruit, with his signature straw hat knocked askew over his ear. Right behind him was Ace—ten years old, gripping his iron pipe with an expression that screamed 'I'm definitely not here to beg.' Bringing up the rear was Sabo—the ten-year-old blonde noble, covered head-to-toe in mud and grass stains.
The trio looked like a complete disaster, radiating a strange, pungent odor that smelled like a mix of wild boar blood and swamp mud.
"Blake!" Luffy bounced up from the floor, his eyes sparkling. He thrust out his hand. Sitting in his palm was a misshapen, weirdly patterned fruit.
A Devil Fruit.
Blake glanced down at it. "Where did you get that?"
"We snatched it!" Luffy grinned widely, looking incredibly proud of himself. "There was this guy in the East Blue named Buggy. One of his grunts was just about to eat this thing, but Ace knocked him out cold with his pipe!"
"I spotted him acting all shady first," Ace corrected quickly, though he couldn't stop the corner of his mouth from twitching upward.
"And I was the one who grabbed the fruit from his hand after he dropped it," Sabo added, dusting off his hands.
Blake took the Eagle-Eagle Fruit and set it on the bar.
"Hey, Blake! Last time you said one fruit gets us one ticket, right?!" Luffy's eyes were completely glued to the glowing teleportation array materializing behind Dragon. "We want to go in with my dad!"
Dragon turned his head. His expression remained completely stoic, but Blake noticed his grip on the tickets tighten ever so slightly.
"No," Dragon said flatly.
"Why not?!" Luffy's neck stretched out half a meter due to his rubber powers, looking like an angry snake.
"You're too weak." Dragon's tone left zero room for negotiation.
"The enemies in this dungeon will literally eat you," Blake chimed in from the side. "Chew you up and swallow you whole."
Ace took a step forward. "We won't hold you back."
"Yes, you will," Dragon countered.
Sabo attempted a more diplomatic approach. "Mr. Dragon, we can handle reconnaissance and logistics—"
"Unnecessary."
Luffy didn't care about logic anymore. He stretched his rubber arms out, wrapping them securely around Dragon's waist and hanging on for dear life. "I'm not letting go unless you let us come!"
"Your grandfather hits much harder than I do," Dragon said, looking down at the human barnacle attached to him.
"Grandpa isn't here!" Luffy shot back righteously.
Dragon fell silent. He turned to look at Blake.
Blake shrugged. "You're the paying customer. You're the boss."
Dragon stayed quiet for five agonizing seconds. "If they die in the dungeon, what happens?"
"You buy insurance." Blake held up a single finger. "One hundred million Beri ensures these three brats exit the dungeon alive and in one piece."
Dragon looked down at Luffy. Then at Ace and Sabo. The three boys were glaring at him with the exact same stubborn, relentless intensity. It was a look he was entirely too familiar with—because he used to look exactly like that when he was young.
"…Add the cost of three tickets," Dragon finally sighed.
Luffy erupted into cheers, nearly ripping Dragon's cloak off in his excitement. Ace's lips curled into a grin before he quickly forced it down into a scowl. Sabo offered a polite, sweeping bow.
Blake processed the Eagle-Eagle Fruit and deducted an additional two million Beri from Dragon's VIP card.
The six-man dungeon raid team was set.
Dragon, Kuma, and Ivankov.
Luffy, Ace, and Sabo.
Blake fully activated the array. A pale golden light surged from the floorboards, enveloping the six figures.
"Objective: Assassinate the Ant King, Meruem."
"Time Limit: None. However, if you drag this out too long, the Ant King will complete his evolution. At that point, even all of you combined might not be enough to kill him."
"Good luck."
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