"“Dragon Lord! I swear I’ll never cross you again! Please, spare my life!!!”

In the prison yard of Konkey Island, the so-called “Grim Reaper,” a notorious king of assassins, was now kneeling before a young man, his face twisted in terror.

“Next time, keep a low profile. Who do you think you are, trying to take my place the moment you step in here? Did you really think I’d let that slide?”

With a swift motion, Macaulay swung his blade.

The assassin king was cleaved in two, blood splattering across the ground.

“Gulp!”

Thousands of hardened criminals swallowed hard, their souls seemingly fleeing to the heavens in sheer fright.

Macaulay tossed the blade to the ground and cast a cold gaze over the trembling newcomers. “From now on, when you see me, keep your heads down and stay in line. Got it?”

“Yes, Dragon Lord!”

Just then, heavy footsteps echoed through the yard.

A female general with sharp, commanding features and an air of authority strode in, her combat boots thudding against the ground. She stopped beside the prison warden and declared in a firm, resounding voice, “Macaulay, you’re free to leave!”

The warden’s face lit up with relief. “Congratulations, Dragon Lord! Rejoice, Dragon Lord! You’ve regained your freedom!”

Slap!

A sharp, stinging blow landed across the warden’s cheek.

The female general barked sharply, “You’re the warden, for heaven’s sake! How could you call a criminal ‘Dad’? This is a disgrace to the official image!”

Macaulay stepped out from the crowd of convicts, his face twisted in displeasure. “Danny, even when you hit a dog, you should consider its owner. Beating my man right in front of me—are you itching for a fight?”

Danny’s expression turned icy. She strode up to Macaulay, her voice low and dangerous. “Say that again if you dare!”

Macaulay smirked. “What? You want to hit me?”

“You got that right!” Danny raised her hand, ready to strike.

A group of convicts immediately closed in, their eyes blazing with anger. They shouted in unison, “If you want to hit our Dad Winter, you’ll have to go through us first!”

A flash of fury crossed Danny’s eyes. To avoid inciting a riot, she clenched her teeth and lowered her hand, her fist tightening at her side. Through gritted teeth, she spat out, “Be on the ship within ten minutes!”

With that, she turned on her heel and stormed away.

Macaulay turned back to the convicts and called out, “Listen up, my boys! I’m leaving now. After five years together, even a dog would grow attached, let alone you flesh-and-blood men. After I’m gone, you better behave yourselves. Listen to the warden, no escaping, no fighting, no causing trouble. Got it?”

“We hear you, Dad Winter!” Thousands of convicts responded, their eyes red with emotion.

“Dad Winter,” one convict shouted, “I’ve got over a billion dollars in Citibank. I’ll probably never get out of here. The password is six zeros. Please, Dad Winter, spend it for me. Don’t let the bank keep it!”

The world’s largest arms dealer, Joe Lace, approached Macaulay with a reverent demeanor, presenting a supreme black card with both hands.

“Don’t worry, old Joe, I’ll make sure to spend it all,” Macaulay quipped as he pocketed the black card with a sly grin.

“Father Winter, this is the Martin Token. Seeing this token is like seeing the Grand Master himself. Please, take care of the Martin for me, and don’t let it fall into decline!” Milner Ari, the Grand Master of Martin, offered a gleaming golden dragon-head ring with a solemn expression.

“Even though you, old Milner, got caught expanding your influence in Great Remy, I can see from our years together that your heart is in the right place. So, I accept,” Macaulay said, slipping the ring onto his thumb with a nod of approval.

“Father Winter, I have over a hundred properties across the country, all luxury estates worth more than a hundred million each. I’m giving them all to you. Please, look after the Emperor Group for me, and if possible, clear my name!” Danny, a hidden tycoon framed for drug involvement, handed over a hefty set of keys with a pleading look.

“Don’t worry, old Adora. Given that you’ve donated thirty billion for poverty alleviation, I’ll definitely clear your name and restore your freedom,” Macaulay assured, attaching the large set of keys to his belt with a determined air.

“Father Winter, I’ve kept over a hundred beauties on Dynamic Island, all skilled and independent. They must be so lonely since I’ve been locked up. If you have time, please go and comfort them. Here’s the Dynamic Token, seeing it is like…” Before Scott, the captured Japanese sword king, could finish, Macaulay kicked him to the ground, laughing and scolding.

“I’m not like you, you wild dog, mounting anything that moves, male or female,” Macaulay teased, sparking a round of thunderous laughter from the onlookers.

“I’ll take care of these major tasks for you first,” Macaulay declared, then turned to the warden with a softer tone. “I won’t go see old Mendy. I’m afraid he won’t want to let me go. Please, say goodbye to him for me.”

Old Mendy, a mysterious master, had been confined to Konkey Island for fifty years, marking his territory as if it were his own prison.

Five years ago, Macaulay, the esteemed heir of the Western Diana, was framed and thrown into prison. Powerful figures wanted him dead, so they locked him up in this maximum-security prison filled with the most dangerous criminals. If it weren’t for Old Mendy’s protection and the skills he taught him, Macaulay would have been killed long ago.

“Don’t worry, Dragon Father, I’ll pass your message to Old Mendy,” the warden said, his eyes brimming with reluctance.

“Alright, it’s time for me to leave. Goodbye, my children!” Macaulay waved his hand, turned around, and strode away.

Thousands of inmates, their eyes misty with tears, shouted in unison, “Farewell, Dragon Father!”

…

“You, come here!” As soon as Macaulay boarded the ship, Danny called out with a cold expression.

Macaulay sauntered over lazily, glanced at the four marriage contracts on the table, lit a cigar, crossed his legs, and exhaled a puff of smoke. “Just out of prison, and you want me to juggle four women? Have you considered my feelings?”

Danny shot him a fierce glare and explained coldly, “Your father sent me to fetch you and bring these four marriage contracts. You’re to choose one.”

“If you choose me, Danny, you’ll stay in the Eastern Territory and join the military.”

“If you choose Warren, you’ll go to the capital and practice medicine.”

“If you choose Nico, you’ll head to Paris to pursue business,” one voice suggested.

“If you pick Perry, you’ll go to Japan to train in martial arts,” another chimed in.

“I suggest you don’t choose me,” a sharp, disdainful voice cut through, “because I can’t stand the sight of a spoiled brat like you, the epitome of a playboy!”

“Without your grandfather Eden and your father Dale, you, Macaulay, wouldn’t even be fit to shine my shoes!”

Macaulay’s eye twitched as he pointed towards the prison, “Do you know who’s locked up in there?”

“Of course,” came the reply, “the king of assassins, a world-class drug lord, leaders of terrorist organizations, martial artists, warlords, and so on.”

“Then are you deaf? Haven’t you heard them calling me ‘Dad’? If even these people call me ‘Dad’, where do you get the audacity to act so high and mighty in front of me?”

Danny, visibly frustrated, retorted, “I bet it’s because you, the so-called ‘King of the Road’, cater to their tastes, feeding them daily with stories of the over a thousand girls you’ve been with. They probably love it, getting their daily dose of your so-called ‘spiritual nourishment’, hence the ‘Dad’ title. Am I right?”

She knew all about Macaulay’s sordid past.

She was convinced that the reason he was so adored by the inmates, all protecting him and calling him ‘Dad’, was because of his tales of conquest.

After all, men love to hear such stories.

“Your imagination is so vivid, it’s a shame you’re not writing novels instead of joining the army,” Macaulay said, half-amused, half-exasperated.

Danny declared proudly, “I, Danny, join the army seeking only to die on the battlefield for my country, with no need for a horse blanket to wrap my corpse!”

“Nico pursues business, aspiring to build thousands of mansions to shelter all the poor scholars under heaven, bringing them joy!”

“Warren is dedicated to medicine, aspiring to bear the world’s worries before others and enjoy its joys after them!”

“Perry pursues martial arts, dreaming of soaring to great heights and even daring to laugh at the likes of Jill for lacking true ambition!”

“Through relentless effort, I became a general at just twenty-seven, and all three of them have achieved remarkable success.”

“And you? A reckless playboy obsessed with car stunts and speeding, landing yourself in jail. Without your father’s support, you’d probably starve on the streets. What makes you think you’re worthy of marrying any of us?!”

“That’s why I’m breaking off our engagement!”

“Warren, Nico, and Perry have all asked me to relay this message: don’t even think about choosing any of them!”

Danny delivered her speech with the poise and authority of a queen passing judgment, her words flowing effortlessly yet cutting deep.

“Fine, I’ll grant your wish.”

Macaulay, visibly irritated, clenched a cigar between his teeth and snatched up the four engagement letters. With a series of sharp rips, he tore them to shreds.

With a flick of his arm, he sent the fragments scattering into the air like confetti. Then, pinching the cigar between two fingers, he turned to Danny, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

“Happy now?”

Bang!

Danny slammed her hand on the table, her face flushed with fury. “Who do you think you are, tearing up our engagement letters?”

“And who do you think you are, acting so boldly in front of me?” Macaulay shot back, his tone unyielding.

Danny felt as if her lungs were about to explode. “Jun Dao!” she barked. “Take this insolent playboy and knock him to the ground!”

“Yes, sir!” A tall, muscular man clad in camouflage gear clenched his fists and sneered, “I love putting spoiled brats like you in their place. Are you ready to get schooled?”

Macaulay flicked the ash off his cigarette and replied coldly, “I suggest you back off before you regret it.”

The soldier scoffed, “Dealing with a spoiled brat like you is as easy as kicking a dog!” With that, he charged forward.

Just as he was about to reach Macaulay, a thunderous roar erupted. “On your knees!”

An overwhelming aura, as heavy as Mount Tai, pressed down on the soldier. “Ahhh!!!” he screamed in agony, his knees buckling involuntarily. He crashed to the ground before Macaulay, his forehead hitting the floor with a sickening thud, blood splattering everywhere.

Danny stood frozen in shock!

Macaulay placed his foot on the soldier’s head, looking down at him with icy disdain. “So, are you going to behave now?”

“Yes, yes, I will!” the soldier stammered.

“And will you ever dare to show off in front of me again?”

“Never again, I swear!” the man pleaded, his voice trembling with fear.

“From now on, you better behave when you see me, got it?” Macaulay’s voice was cold and commanding, his eyes piercing like a hawk’s.

“Yes, yes, I got it!” the man stammered, nodding frantically.

“Get out of my sight!” With a swift kick, Macaulay sent the man sprawling across the ground. He then turned his gaze to Danny, his presence dominating the space around them. “And you,” he said, his tone dripping with authority, “do you still dare to act recklessly in front of me?”