"All hail King Pedro!" the subjects shouted 12 times, while the new King of America bowed to the Nation again the same number of times. The coronation was special, surpassing the records of divine figures from the red-and-black kingdom in a single edition of the Libertadores: King Zico, in 1981, and Prince Gabigol, in 2021, both with 11 goals. It's a mark in history: 12 goals in the net, a red-and-black record, and a trophy in Gávea.

However, Peter's consecration in 2022 was not easy. Like his namesake apostle, Peter needed great faith to overcome adversity. Considered the first follower of Christ among the 12 apostles, the fisherman Peter walked on water in a raging sea, believing in the presence of his Lord who was right in front of him. The biblical passage (Matthew 14:28-14:30), however, tells that, when he looked away, the apostle began to drown and asked for help from Jesus, who was still in front of him, who saved him from imminent death. The striker for the "Mais Querido" (Most Beloved) wasn't as bold as his namesake, but he never lacked faith and confidence that he would make history wearing the Holy Mantle.

Flamengo's striker started this Libertadores on the bench. He played in five of the six group stage matches, winning four and drawing one. He also scored twice (at Talleres in Argentina and Universidade Católica at Maracanã). Against Sporting Cristal-PER, he started in a match in which the Mais Querido had already qualified and made his mark. But there was much more to come.

Only in the second decisive round of 16 clash, under coach Dorival Júnior, did Pedro start in the team dubbed the "World Cup Team," and exploded for the home crowd that packed Maracanã stadium against Tolima. His four goals put him among the contenders for the competition's top scorer, qualified Mengão, and cemented his place in the club's history books as the first player to score four times for the red-and-black team.

In the next stage, he scored the decisive goal in the second leg of the quarterfinals, against Corinthians at the Maracanã. However, in the semifinals, he once again placed his name alongside the greatest in history. With a hat trick in the first leg against Velez Sarsfield and a goal in the return leg, Pedro equaled Pelé and Zico. Yes, that's right! The 2022 King of America is the second Brazilian player, along with the King of Football, to score three times in a Copa Libertadores semifinal. Soon after, with the only goal in the victory that confirmed Flamengo's third final in four years in the competition, the top scorer reached the same 16 goals as Zico in South America's top championship.

A Flamengo fan since childhood, Pedro has demonstrated his love for Flamengo in every post-match interview. The striker was a true Nest-boy from the ages of 10 to 13. His early departure from the club may have been his first downfall, just like the apostle of Christ. At that time, the striker ended up defending the colors of a Rio de Janeiro rival. But destiny has no shortcuts, and it was already written: today, Pedro is a Libertadores champion with Flamengo, being crowned the King of America and becoming the competition's top scorer of the 21st century!