CHAPTER 44
Keptyn's Welcoming Battle
The port had descended into pure chaos.
Cannon smoke rolled across the stone docks like low fog, mixing with the sharp scent of gunpowder and seawater. Crates burned. Ships groaned as their moorings snapped. Government officers fell one after another as the Pride Pirates and the Destruction Pirates—led by Brick Band and his crew—pushed forward like a tide that refused to break.
Steel rang against steel. Flintlocks cracked. Shouts of pain and fury overlapped until the air itself seemed to vibrate.
"Boom!"
Keptyn twisted backward mid-run, his boots scraping sparks off the stone as he launched into a clean backflip. His coat fluttered sharply behind him as the short, plump brother of the trio charged forward, teeth clenched, cannon-arm already glowing with unstable energy.
The man didn't even notice Keptyn's movement.
Keptyn's leg snapped upward in a perfectly timed arc.
"Flash Kick."
The air screamed.
"Gbammm!"
The kick landed flush against the man's skull. Bone cracked audibly, the shockwave snapping his head sideways before his feet even left the ground. The short brother slammed down hard, his body bouncing once before going still. His broken jaw clacked together uselessly as he tried—and failed—to scream, knocking himself unconscious in the process.
Dust drifted around him.
"Hehehehehe… love your move there."
Ren's laughter cut through the battlefield like a blade. He stood a few steps away, shoulders relaxed, eyes sharp with amusement.
"It is my pleasure, Captain," Keptyn replied calmly, straightening his collar as if he hadn't just incapacitated a man in one strike.
"Hahahahaha!" Ren slung an arm over Keptyn's shoulder, grinning wide. "But did you just want to show off? You could've finished him on the way."
Keptyn's lips curved faintly. "First impressions matter."
Ren laughed harder, the mood around them lightening for just a moment amid the carnage.
"Hey, guys."
Ren's voice shifted—firm, commanding.
The Pride Pirates instinctively turned, pulling slightly away from the heart of the chaos. Smoke curled around them as Ren stepped forward, chest rising slowly with controlled breaths.
"Welcome our crew's helmsman," Ren said proudly. "His name is Keptyn."
The pride in his voice was unmistakable.
Keptyn reached up and removed his mask. His sharp eyes scanned the crew once before he bowed deeply, movements refined like an elegant noble rather than a pirate.
"It is my honor to join your crew," he said. "You may rely on me."
Silence followed.
Not rejection—consideration.
Then, one by one, subtle nods passed through the group. Acceptance, unspoken but absolute.
Ren smiled.
"Hey, Brick," Ren said, rolling up his sleeves as his muscles tensed beneath his coat. "Tell your boys to leave the port. I want to deal with these minions before the main dish arrives."
Brick Band stepped forward, chest swelling with pride. "With all my dignity," he declared loudly, "I hereby order the Destruction Pirates to follow any word from King Ren!"
His admiration was obvious—raw and almost embarrassing—but it still paled in comparison to Bartolomeo's devotion to Luffy.
"If anyone dares disobey—" Brick's voice dropped, heavy with menace. "—they die."
"Ay ay, Captain!" his crew roared, retreating behind the Pride Pirates.
The Pride Pirates collectively stiffened.
A faint irritation passed through them.
"Huh…?"
Keptyn tilted his head slightly. "Captain," he muttered, "are you sure you're not just trying to aura farm?"
"Hem-hem…" Ren coughed theatrically, sliding his arm off Keptyn's shoulder.
Then—
"Clannnkkk!"
Government officers snapped into formation, boots slamming into place as flintlocks were raised in unison. Their line hardened into a barricade, muzzles aimed straight at Ren. Though cannon fodder in this battle, their training was evident—hands steady, eyes focused.
"Don't take another step, Ren the Destroyer," a massive officer barked as he stepped forward. "Or we'll destroy the destroyer himself."
Ren stopped.
Slowly, his expression darkened.
"Firstly," he said, walking forward, boots crunching against broken stone, "I hate being ordered."
The pressure around him subtly changed.
"Secondly," his lips curled into a grin sharp with
mockery, "who the hell gave me that cringe name? Did I destroy your mother's womb or something?"
He leapt.
The air shattered beneath his feet.
"COMET SMASH!"
Crimson-red energy flared violently around his fist, roaring outward like a living thing. The heat alone cracked the ground before the impact landed.
"BOOOOOOM!"
The explosion swallowed the barricade whole.
Stone dried and fractured instantly, turning brittle and black. When the smoke cleared, there was nothing left—no bodies, no weapons—only ash drifting slowly through the air, glittering faintly in the sunlight.
Ren stared at his fist.
A small crack lined one fingernail.
"…Hmmm," he murmured, Observation Haki buzzing faintly. "If I tried controlling that mid-swing, I might've been the one turning to ash."
Then he smiled.
"But it worked out."
His chest rose with a slow breath.
"I've got another one," he thought. "Just needs training… adaptability. Still—"
His gaze shifted toward the sea.
"That aura from before… yeah, that one won't be easy."
He finally noticed the silence.
"Huh?"
Both the Pride Pirates and the Destruction Pirates stood frozen, mouths wide open.
"…Even though I've seen it before," Kris muttered, eyes narrowed sharply, "it still freaks me out."
"Heyyyyy… wakeeee meee upppp!" Brick staggered forward, eyes sparkling like stars. "Did I just witness Ren the Destroyer use his move?!"
"Yes, boss!!" his crew shouted in unison, eyes glowing just as brightly.
Ren chuckled softly.
"The main dish is almost here," he said, eyes fixed on the horizon. "Brick, you and your boys handle the last guy and his minions."
Brick straightened instantly. "Yes, boss! You heard him, boys—don't let Boss Ren down!"
The sea churned ominously.
Something strong was coming.