"What kind of god are you? Stop pretending, and come out before I cut you down,"
Moonlight said coldly, drawing his Kusanagi sword.
"You ignorant fools, how dare you…" the voice continued to echo, ethereal and grand, but Moonlight was already losing patience. He slashed his sword and shouted, "Come out!"
Whoosh!
A crescent-shaped slash of sword energy ripped through the air, cutting through everything in its path with unstoppable force. In an instant, a ten-square-meter section of the forest was blown away, with trees, grass, and even the ground itself torn up and sent flying. Behind the disturbed foliage, various animals were revealed—lions, dogs, deer, leopards, and, strangely enough, a bizarre figure in the midst of them all.
This figure was a short, chubby man trapped inside a chest, looking utterly ridiculous and grotesque. He stared at Moonlight in shock.
Seeing this, Luffy and his crew were equally stunned.
"What kind of rare creature is this?" Luffy wondered, stepping forward to examine him closely.
"That looks like a chest," Usopp frowned.
"Strange, did the chest grow a person, or did the person grow from the chest?" Nami speculated.
"People are born from people, demons from demons, and chests from chests. Nothing surprising about that," Zoro said matter-of-factly.
"Well said!" Moonlight couldn't help but give him a thumbs-up.
"Really?" Strangely, Luffy, Usopp, and even Nami appeared to take Zoro's words seriously, all staring at the chest-man with a mix of confusion and fascination.
"Bullshit! My name is Kamon, and I'm a human! It's just that…" Kamon snapped, but when he saw Moonlight's cold smile, and recalled the terrifying slash from earlier, he shrank back, speaking more respectfully. "Sirs, I really am a human being. One day, I accidentally fell off a mountain and got stuck in this chest. My body couldn't move, and over time, the chest somehow merged with me. That's why I look like this now!"
"Huh?"
"That's possible?"
"Are there really people that dumb in this world?"
"How interesting!"
The four were taken aback, staring at Kamon in disbelief. Even Moonlight, who knew about Kamon's predicament, was surprised when he saw it with his own eyes. After all, someone who got themselves trapped in a chest for years—it was both absurd and comedic.
"That's the story. Believe it or not, just leave me alone. This is my home," Kamon said with a sigh, seeing their bewildered expressions.
"Alright, sorry to intrude," Luffy said, his compassionate nature showing as he turned to leave.
"You're lying!"
But Nami wasn't so easily fooled. She saw right through Kamon's facade.
"I've already measured this island. It's very small, with nothing but that hill over there. Underneath the hill, I found many footprints and signs of fighting. You're a pirate, right? You accidentally ended up on this island and got separated from your crew, then somehow wound up like this."
Nami's eyes gleamed sharply. As she spoke, Kamon's face turned increasingly pale until it was as white as a sheet.
"You… you… how do you know?" Kamon stammered, feeling as though his secrets were being exposed.
"What the hell, so you were lying to us this whole time!" Usopp, feeling deceived, was outraged. As the self-proclaimed King of Deception, he wasn't used to being fooled.
"How dare you trick us!" Zoro's hand moved to his sword hilt.
"Hey, you don't look like a bad guy. Why did you lie to us?" Luffy asked, puzzled.
"Hmph!" Moonlight snorted, not saying anything but releasing a terrifying killing intent that surged like a tidal wave, making everyone shiver.
"Alright, I'll tell you. As this lady said, I am indeed a pirate. One day, my crew and I found this island and came here to look for treasure…" Kamon knew he had no choice but to come clean. He recounted everything, including how he found the treasure, got excited, and tried to call his crewmates but ended up falling and getting stuck in the chest. For decades, he survived on the island, living among the beasts, yearning for the treasure he could never truly have. By the end, he was sobbing uncontrollably.
"So, there really is treasure here!" Nami's eyes sparkled with excitement.
"I never expected such a tragic story. It's so moving!" Usopp wiped his tears.
"Pfft!" Zoro scoffed, unable to believe such things really happened.
"Mister, you're so pitiful. Don't worry, I'll help you find the treasure!" Luffy, overwhelmed with empathy, decided to help Kamon.
The others agreed. They were curious to see what kind of treasure this odd man had guarded for so many years. Gold? Jewels? Beli?
They were all eager to find out, except for Moonlight, who watched the distant hill with a serious expression.
"This island is strange. It's so small, it must have been visited countless times before. That hill isn't even that high. How could so many people have failed to find anything, yet only this guy noticed the chest? It doesn't add up," Moonlight thought to himself.
Though he didn't say it aloud, his instincts told him that this island wasn't ordinary. If Kamon's story was true, then the secret must lie within the island itself.
With a cautious gaze, Moonlight continued to scrutinize the island, but it appeared to be nothing special at first glance—just an ordinary, small landmass.
"Mister, this treasure is mine!" Luffy announced. They had reached the hill, and Luffy jumped up to find the chest. Opening it, he found it completely empty. He turned to look at Kamon, who had been watching expectantly, and coldly sneered.
"What!" Kamon, Usopp, Nami, and Zoro all stiffened.
Except for Usopp, Nami and Zoro knew what kind of person Luffy was and immediately grasped his meaning. Although Usopp was initially angry, he soon realized the truth.
Kamon's body shuddered as though his last hope, built over decades, had crumbled. But he quickly gave a bitter smile.
"You're a kind-hearted kid. The chest… it's empty, isn't it?" Kamon said. He had suspected this outcome for years but never had the courage to confirm it himself. Now, at least he had closure.