Chapter Four: The King of the Coastal Waters

Character: Mengqi D. Shu Mingyuan
Chakra: (30/500)
Rank: Novice Ninja
Justice Points: 45
Acquired Jutsu: Lightning Release: Chidori (evolution conditions unmet), Clone Technique
Ninjutsu Value: 50
Taijutsu Value: 18

Shu Mingyuan gazed at the translucent window that popped up before his eyes, a smile blooming on his face. Over the past month, he discovered through diligent training that his chakra could be increased through exercise—a revelation that filled him with wild joy. He had trained himself nearly to madness, finally managing to raise his chakra by over eighty points, thus becoming a novice ninja.

His ninjutsu value had also climbed from ten to fifty, making the power of his Chidori nearly five times stronger; his taijutsu value had soared from two to eighteen, endowing him with the physique of nine grown men. The price for this progress was that the stretch of forest behind the fishing village had been almost single-handedly devastated by his relentless training.

Upon reaching the rank of novice ninja, the system activated a lottery feature, unlocking all currently accessible ninjutsu and taijutsu techniques. He was entitled to a free draw as a reward for his advancement.

This reward could not be accumulated. If the host failed to redeem it within three days, the system would randomly choose a jutsu as the reward.

Shu Mingyuan sighed inwardly. How wonderful it would be if these rewards could be stacked! When he had amassed enough Justice Points and was wavering between A-rank and S-rank techniques, the activation of these categories by the system would mean multiple opportunities to master even more powerful arts.

But he was overthinking it—the system would never allow such exploitative behavior.

So, Shu Mingyuan pressed to confirm the lottery, and in the end, the system awarded him a technique as lackluster as the Clone Technique. This particular clone only possessed ten percent of the original’s strength and could be dispelled with a single touch. Yet he hoped that, just like in his favorite anime, the people here would remain blissfully oblivious, making this seemingly simple technique as effective as a godsend.

Seated in the cabin, Shu Mingyuan rowed toward the other side of the island.

This was Dawn Island—the very island where Luffy resided. According to his memory, this was the year Luffy would set sail from here to begin his journey as a pirate.

Shu Mingyuan’s plan was simple: he wanted Luffy as his companion. Compared to other pirates, Luffy was more of an adventurer chasing his dream on the open sea. He was simple-minded, stubborn, but possessed a fiery heart and a fearless loyalty to his friends. Such a person was the perfect choice for a brother-in-arms, and there would be no fundamental conflict between them.

He would pursue his dream of becoming King of Hunters, while Luffy aimed to become King of the Pirates. If memory served, Windmill Village should be on the other side of the island, but he wasn’t sure if Luffy had already set out to sea.

Lost in thought, he didn’t notice the massive shadow silently emerging below the surface, blanketing the nearby waters and sending schools of fish fleeing in panic.

Sensing a disturbance above, Shu Mingyuan poked his head out and finally spotted the enormous shape gliding beneath the waves.

“The Lord of the Coastal Seas!”

Without hesitation, Shu Mingyuan’s mind conjured up the image of that colossal sea beast lurking near Dawn Island in the anime, the creature that had crushed so many dreams of setting sail.

For the people here, the Lord of the Coastal Seas was like a dreadful nightmare.

“What luck, to run into it now! My fortune is truly lacking,” Shu Mingyuan muttered to himself, clearly remembering how Luffy had once punched this oafish beast away with ease.

Standing at the bow, Shu Mingyuan watched as the dark shape surged closer, resembling a gaping maw. Beneath the waves, the enormous, indistinct creature drew near, while the young man remained utterly unafraid.

Crackle, crackle—

The sound of Chidori rang out, lightning flickering brilliantly. The electric glow enveloping his left hand was even denser than a month before, electric serpents slithering and hissing, their venomous tongues flickering. At his fist, it was as if a silver sun burned, the power of thunder and lightning so intense that even the surrounding air sizzled.

“Chidori! Thunderclap!”

The shadow rose with increasing speed. Shu Mingyuan shouted, smashing his left fist onto the sea’s surface. Instantly, a torrent of lightning erupted, countless electric serpents writhing as a blanket of silvery-blue current covered the waters.

A guttural roar echoed from beneath the surface, and the huge shadow that had loomed beneath the boat suddenly fled, leaving behind a floating mass of fish, shrimp, and other sea creatures, their corpses releasing a roasted aroma.

He hadn’t expected them to be cooked so thoroughly.

The Lord of the Coastal Seas surfaced ahead, raising the water as its immense, serpentine neck rose above the waves. Its eyes glowed blood-red, like spinning wheels; its massive maw bristled with razor-sharp teeth protruding from its lips. The neck alone was over thirty meters long—just one look would send chills down anyone’s spine.

Shu Mingyuan had no doubt about the lethality of those teeth. As the only small Sea King in these waters, the Lord of the Coastal Seas had devoured countless ships and pirates. The bandit Sig, with a bounty of eight million, had been bitten in half by this very beast; even Red-Haired Shanks, one of the Four Emperors, had lost an arm to its jaws.

That bite was nearly always fatal.

With a thunderous roar, the Lord of the Coastal Seas lunged at him, jaws agape.

“Hey, big guy, you can hit me, but don’t wreck my boat!” With a leap from the bow, Shu Mingyuan soared into the air, lightning coiling around him, dazzling electric serpents darting everywhere.

He reached a height level with the beast’s gigantic head, just as its gaping jaws came within inches of him.

The crimson eyes glinted with savage malice, and the beast swallowed the figure before it in one gulp!

Yet in the next instant, its expression stiffened—there was no familiar rush of blood and flesh, nothing like the prey it had consumed before. It was as if the target had… vanished, and all it had swallowed was a mouthful of air.

“Up here, big guy. Stop searching.” A light laugh drifted from above. Using Chidori’s instantaneous burst, Shu Mingyuan flashed to the top of the Lord of the Coastal Seas’ head. At the same time, the clone he had summoned popped like a bubble.

This uncanny scene was thanks to the Clone Technique the system had randomly awarded him after he became a novice ninja.

Seeing Shu Mingyuan reappear, the Lord of the Coastal Seas was clearly startled.

How could someone it had just eaten suddenly materialize again?

“Abomination!”

Shu Mingyuan landed on its head, Chidori rampaging in his hand, lightning seeming to cleave the beast’s hide. The skin on its head was charred and blistered by the electric current.

With the force of wind and thunder, Shu Mingyuan’s Chidori carved a huge gash across the monster’s hide, blood pouring out in torrents.

ps: Thank you, Wei Liang Tu Mou Yi Qian Zhi Ban, for your recommendation votes over the past two days! I will do my best to continue writing!