CHAPTER 29
{Three months ago — Kexzaz Island}
The shoreline of Kexzaz Island was usually quiet at this hour. Wind brushed the tall palms, waves whispered against smooth stones, and the scent of salt mixed with morning dew. But today, the scenery cracked under the weight of heavy footsteps.
A pirate crew—loud, unorganized, and ugly in spirit—had just anchored their ship and were stomping toward the beach with greedy eyes. Their boots sank into the sand with each step, eager for trouble.
Standing between them and the village beyond the trees was one man.
Keptyn.
Clad in his sleek Alewk suit, its dark fabric shimmering faintly like rippling water, Keptyn stood calmly with hands in his pockets. His hair swayed with the sea breeze, and his expression was a mix of boredom and mild annoyance.
"For your own good," he said coolly, "I advise you to leave."
The pirates froze for a moment—then burst into laughter.
"Who lost a puppy here, huh?" the captain snorted from behind his men, brushing his beard aside as he grinned.
One of his lackeys swaggered forward, shoulders rolling aggressively. "Scram, kid. Before our captain decides to use you as a toothpick."
Keptyn didn't blink.
Then—slash.
The world flipped upside down for the lackey. His vision spun violently as he saw Keptyn still standing where he was… and the pirate's own body crumpled to the sand beside him before his consciousness faded to black.
The laughter died instantly.
The captain stepped forward, eyebrows raised with mild interest. "Huh… looks like you've got some skills. What do you say about joining my crew, kid?" he said, stretching out his hand with a greasy smile.
Keptyn stared at the hand like it was filthy. "I, Keptyn—the prince of this kingdom—would never stoop low enough to become one of your lackeys."
The captain's smile twisted into a snarl. "Then you die here, little prince."
His body began to bulge. Muscles shifted, bones cracked, and his skin hardened into glossy plates. His eyes turned red, and his limbs elongated. Within seconds, he had transformed into a towering prehistoric insect.
A giant Meganeura beetle.
"Behold! The Mushi Mushi no Mi: Model Meganeura!" he cackled, his voice buzzing with unnatural distortion. "No one who faces me leaves alive. If you lick my boots right now, maybe I'll let you hop away with one leg!"
His shell glowed a fiery red, heat radiating outward.
He stomped the ground—
BOOOOM!
The sand exploded beneath him as he launched forward like a cannonball.
"MEGATON BURST!!"
Keptyn exhaled slowly and lowered his stance.
"Lai Strike."
A single fluid motion. Steel flashed. His blade drew and slashed in one seamless arc, creating a shimmering crescent of sword-light.
CLANNG!
The shockwave rattled the beach. The force sent Keptyn flying backward, smashing through tree after tree until one finally stopped him.
The Meganeura captain laughed.
"Fool! You think your flimsy sword and a bit of haki can cut through an Ancient Zoan shell? Don't delude yourself. You're doomed!"
He leapt at Keptyn again, claws raised.
Keptyn rose to his feet, wiping dirt off his cheek. His breath steadied.
"I decide who I lose to—and today isn't one of those days."
Their clash resumed.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Sword against hardened shell. Keptyn was pushed backward with each impact, boots digging trenches in the soil.
"You are still a fool," the captain sneered.
Keptyn chuckled breathlessly. "If I can't even protect this island from some ordinary invaders, how the hell am I supposed to protect my crew?"
He tossed his sword aside.
Rolling up his sleeves, he coated his arms with Armament Haki—dark, sharp, and deadly.
"No matter what you try, you will still end up dead!" the captain roared, charging again.
Keptyn muttered under his breath, "My dream hasn't even begun. I'm not dying here."
He vanished.
A faint distortion rippled in the air—
The Night Steps, the ancestral martial technique of his family. His body moved like a shadow slipping between folds of darkness.
He reappeared behind the beetle captain.
THUD!!
A precise kick slammed into the base of the captain's neck, driving him head-first through several trees before finally stopping.
Groaning, the captain pushed himself up, brushing dirt and leaves off his shell. He wiped blood from his mouth, eyes narrowing.
"Looks like I underestimated you…"
Keptyn cracked his knuckles. "Bring it on."
The captain lunged—but this time something hissed.
A green fog leaked from his fist, spreading quickly. He snapped a nose mask over his face as he backflipped away.
"Heheheheh! You've already lost, boy!" he taunted. "That poison is a special mixture of venom and sleeping gas!"
Keptyn's body slowed… his vision blurred.
"Damn it… I thought he was taking a stimulant, not releasing poison…" he muttered as the world darkened. "I lost…"
His knees buckled.
The forest spun around him.