The King's Other Half

"Ugh! Ahhh!"

Keel sat bolt upright, drenched in sweat, panting heavily as if still shaken.

He quickly looked around and found that it was a very, very large room. Just how large? Enough to accommodate a giant.

On a huge bed not far away, Loki was leaning against the wall with his hands behind his head, his head slightly raised, staring at the ceiling.

Loki heard the noise and turned to look.

"You're awake?"

"Here it is?"

Keel pressed his throbbing forehead, managed to catch his breath, and then asked.

Loki said he didn't know at first, but since Kaya had just come by, he now understood the situation.

In short, Kaya created a world in the shadow of God Valley as the Quincy's headquarters.

Basically, there are a lot of Quincy gathered here.

The two of them lost consciousness due to excessive exhaustion after the battle and were brought in by others.

Upon hearing this, Keel slowly exhaled, "Invisible, and that terrifies me."

Um?

Loki raised an eyebrow at these words. "That's not right, is it? It's others who are afraid of us, isn't it? We defeated the World Government!"

"Loki, what did it feel like when you were using that power more deeply?" Keel suddenly asked.

"What does it feel like..." Loki thought for a moment, "It feels like I'm expanding, my strength, my body, and my fighting spirit have all expanded together."

Aren't you scared?

"So why should we be afraid? We've become so much stronger! If we hadn't become Quincy, would we even be qualified to stand on the battlefield of God Valley!"

"I... I don't know how to say it." Keel looked at his palm, his tone inexplicable. "It was fine at first, but in the final moments, it felt like my consciousness was overwhelmed, and I lost myself."

This is why Keel has mixed feelings.

He was the first to become Quincy, and he used Quincy abilities with considerable restraint.

The X-Axis is terrifying, but he doesn't have the grand ambitions of Rocks. As a pirate, money and alcohol are enough for him; what more could he want?

However, after this incident, especially after his abilities were fully unleashed and he entered his final form.

He felt as if he had transformed from a human into a god.

God's thinking is different from that of humans; this is a difference in species. If you insist on comparing them to something, it's as if you've become Celestial Dragons!

Aren't the Celestial Dragons like that? Arrogant, believing themselves to be the most noble, and looking down on all other races.

As pirates, no one considers themselves a good person. Burning, killing, and plundering are basic operations. Pirates have a very clear sense of self.

However, after becoming Quincy, he felt both amazed and afraid of this power.

That feeling... it's like I'm no longer myself. If this continues, I might forget what my name is or what I'm fighting for.

Keel told Loki his thoughts.

Loki was silent for a moment, then scoffed, "What a stupid idea! Always affirming the winner! Denying the loser! Getting stronger and then being all fussy, isn't that just being pretentious!"

After saying that, Loki simply turned over, ignoring Keel, as if he were going to sleep.

Keel forced a smile, a strained one. Perhaps he was overthinking things.

However, unless absolutely necessary, it's best to use the Quincy, especially the power of the Schrift, sparingly.

"Kaya is planning to select a few Quincy as his Schutzstaffel, and we've been chosen. Apparently, there are three spots available," Loki suddenly changed the subject.

"Show some respect, that's His Majesty!" Keel corrected, but didn't reply, and continued to lie down and sleep.

"What does it matter!" Loki laughed. "Kaya came here and then left, saying he was going out to find his King's Half."

West Blue, a certain island

Inside the village engulfed in flames, a man struggled to his feet, his face covered in blood, surrounded by corpses.

A small island in a corner of the West Blue has had its former peace and tranquility brutally torn apart, with thick black smoke obscuring the sky.

The sudden arrival of pirates was tantamount to the end of the world for the civilians who had lived there for many years.

The pirates opened their mouths wide and laughed wildly, their ferocious faces illuminated by the firelight, like demons sticking out their tongues and cruelly licking the blood from the corners of their mouths.

"There's only one left."

"Who's coming? I've already washed the knife."

"Boss, let me handle this! I haven't killed enough yet; I want to see this guy's expression before he dies!"

"What a twisted sense of humor, Watanabe ~"

The man simply knelt on the ground, his gaze blank, staring blankly at the village that had been destroyed beyond recognition.

He's dead. Everyone else is dead except him.

The sight nearly drove him mad; his body trembled slightly, and he breathed heavily through his mouth and nose, like a blower.

The wind direction on the island appeared to have changed, and vortices formed in the air, swirling around the area.

For no apparent reason, the man remembered an old man in the village who often talked in a mystical way, saying that the gods protected the people.

Where is God now?

Hey! I don't like the way you look at me!

The man was kicked to the ground by a pirate. He clutched his stomach and gasped for breath.

A pirate approached, sword in hand, and laughed loudly.

"Let me tell you a secret, those two women who just died were your family members, right? I killed them! Hahahaha!!"

"Stop talking nonsense! Send him to hell!"

Hell? He was in hell right now!

He looked down and suddenly saw it: a pink and white flower right beneath him.

Despite the flames all around and the scorching, blackened earth, a small flower still survives, swaying gently in the wind, fragile yet tenacious.

At this time, the flow of spacetime seems to slow down.

A figure suddenly appeared in front of the man, surrounded by the pirates. He looked up in a daze, his eyes blinded by the sight.

The sky inexplicably cleared, and sunlight pierced through the dark clouds, shining down. The person standing in the light shone brightly, so brightly that it was impossible to look directly at them.

That's life; it's always unpredictable. Even in despair, there's always a glimmer of hope, just like how you saw this flower, and how I met you.

Kaya stood there, his voice soft.

The man looked at Kaya, his face dazed, as if everything had become unreal, as if it were all a dream.

Unbelievable! How could my luck be so good? Could it be that I'm finally being blessed by this world? Kaya's heart was far from calm.

After turning Shuri into Quincy, Kaya went to see Loki and Keel, then left the Wandenreich and departed from God Valley.

He casually wandered around the West Blue, but unexpectedly, he sensed a faint, attractive aura emanating from the island he had just passed.

My mind, which had been slightly drowsy and groggy, was now crystal clear.

He looked down at the ragged, blond man kneeling before him.

Before the other person could react, his eyes could clearly see many Reishi in the air automatically gathering towards the man's body.

Because the man himself is unaware of it, the Reishi merely linger around him, but cannot be absorbed or utilized.

From this perspective, Reishi is truly pitiful.

But this is the first time I've encountered someone like this. They're not Quincy, but an ordinary person who can instinctively attract Reishi to approach them.

This is an effect that only Kaya himself could achieve among all Quincy.

In other words, this is the person he's looking for.

In this world, subtly transformed by Reishi particles, naturally born... a Quincy!

The surrounding pirates were both surprised and furious at this sudden turn of events, Kaya ignored them and went straight to ask them questions.

Tell me your name.

"... Haschwalth."

"Very good. Now, you can say one of your wishes, although I can guess what it is."

"Kill... they."

Aaaaaaah!!!

The sudden screams, mixed with the sound of bones being shredded like in a meat grinder, sent chills down one's spine.

The pirates' bodies were torn to shreds, and chunks of flesh and blood were scattered everywhere.

But not a single drop of blood touched Kaya or the man; the other man was completely stunned.

Kaya reached out and helped him up.

"From this day forward, your soul will be with me, and you will be the heir to the Wandenreich!"